Bed Cover
1703 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Quilting is a method of stitching layers of material together to produce a decorative design. The layers are most commonly divided as follows:
Quilt top: The decorative layer of the quilt. If the top is a single piece of fabric in which the design is formed primarily through the stitching, such as this example, it is known as a ‘wholecloth quilt’.
Wadding/batting: A layer of cotton, wool, or other material, which adds warmth and dimension to the quilt.
Reverse: The bottom layer, usually made from one piece of fabric.
Hand-quilting such as this is done on a frame using needles called ‘betweens’. The stitches are executed with one hand; the other hand is kept underneath the quilt to feel for the needle. Small, uniform stitches are taken through the three layers to form a decorative design. Running stitches are most common, but this maker has also used back stitch to create the quilting pattern.
Little information was available on this quilt when it was acquired in 1902, but the size suggests that it was created for a baby or small child. The quilted pattern was probably drawn out by the maker. From as young as eight, the maker might have created samplers and practiced drawing techniques as part of her education in needlework. Mythical figures such as the mermaids shown here were popular subjects. Another motif hints at the presence of quilted fashion garments at this time. The woman at the top edge of the border is weating a quilted petticoat: a popular item for informal dress.
Quilt top: The decorative layer of the quilt. If the top is a single piece of fabric in which the design is formed primarily through the stitching, such as this example, it is known as a ‘wholecloth quilt’.
Wadding/batting: A layer of cotton, wool, or other material, which adds warmth and dimension to the quilt.
Reverse: The bottom layer, usually made from one piece of fabric.
Hand-quilting such as this is done on a frame using needles called ‘betweens’. The stitches are executed with one hand; the other hand is kept underneath the quilt to feel for the needle. Small, uniform stitches are taken through the three layers to form a decorative design. Running stitches are most common, but this maker has also used back stitch to create the quilting pattern.
Little information was available on this quilt when it was acquired in 1902, but the size suggests that it was created for a baby or small child. The quilted pattern was probably drawn out by the maker. From as young as eight, the maker might have created samplers and practiced drawing techniques as part of her education in needlework. Mythical figures such as the mermaids shown here were popular subjects. Another motif hints at the presence of quilted fashion garments at this time. The woman at the top edge of the border is weating a quilted petticoat: a popular item for informal dress.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Quilted and embroidered linen |
| Brief description | Bed cover, quilted and embroidered linen, England, 1703 |
| Physical description | Quilted and embroidered linen coverlet. In the middle is a quilted and embroidered oval of flowers containing a two-handled vase. The vase contains carnations, lilies and other flowers, embroidered in silk threads in shades of pink, blue and green. The rest of the cover is quilted in running stitch and back stitch in white cotton thread, in a design of flowers, small squares and triangles. The border is quilted in a figurative design that includes the following subjects (commencing at the top left corner): a griffin amid flowers, a house front with large mullioned windows, a standing figure holding flowers, rabbits beneath an oak tree, a mermaid with a comb and mirror, a dog, a crowned merman holding a sceptre and orb, a lion, a fantastical bird, a shield of arms with initials ES and date 1703, two fishes, a castle, a three-masted ship, a camel, a griffin and a duck. The size and subject matter suggests that it may have been made for a child's cot or bed. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Unique |
| Marks and inscriptions | Unidentified coat of arms / ES / 1703 |
| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Purchased. Registered File number 31935/1902, 91362/1902, 23677/1902. |
| Historical context | Little information was available on this quilt when it was acquired in 1902, but the size suggests that it was created for a baby or small child. The quilted and embroidered pattern was probably drawn out by the maker. From as young as eight, the maker might have created samplers and practised her drawing techniques. Mythical figures such as the mermaids shown here were popular subjects. Another motif hints at the presence of quilted fashion garments at this time. The woman at the top edge is wearing a quilted petticoat: a popular item for informal dress. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Quilting is a method of stitching layers of material together to produce a decorative design. The layers are most commonly divided as follows: Quilt top: The decorative layer of the quilt. If the top is a single piece of fabric in which the design is formed primarily through the stitching, such as this example, it is known as a ‘wholecloth quilt’. Wadding/batting: A layer of cotton, wool, or other material, which adds warmth and dimension to the quilt. Reverse: The bottom layer, usually made from one piece of fabric. Hand-quilting such as this is done on a frame using needles called ‘betweens’. The stitches are executed with one hand; the other hand is kept underneath the quilt to feel for the needle. Small, uniform stitches are taken through the three layers to form a decorative design. Running stitches are most common, but this maker has also used back stitch to create the quilting pattern. Little information was available on this quilt when it was acquired in 1902, but the size suggests that it was created for a baby or small child. The quilted pattern was probably drawn out by the maker. From as young as eight, the maker might have created samplers and practiced drawing techniques as part of her education in needlework. Mythical figures such as the mermaids shown here were popular subjects. Another motif hints at the presence of quilted fashion garments at this time. The woman at the top edge of the border is weating a quilted petticoat: a popular item for informal dress. |
| Bibliographic reference | Clare Browne, 'Making and using quilts in eighteenth-century Britain', in Sue Prichard (ed.), Quilts 1700-2010 (London: V&A, 2010) p.39
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1564-1902 |
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| Record created | August 1, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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