Bed Cover
ca. 1810 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Quilting is a method of stitching layers of material together. The layers are most commonly divided as follows:
Quilt top: The decorative layer of the quilt. If the top is pieced, such as this example, it is known as a 'patchwork quilt'. If the top is a single piece of fabric in which the design is formed primarily through the stitching, it is known as a 'wholecloth quilt'.
Wadding/batting: A layer of cotton, wool, polyester, silk or other material, which adds warmth and dimension to the quilt.
Reverse: The bottom layer, usually made from one piece of fabric.
Hand-quilting 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 (usually a 'running stitch') are taken through the three layers to form a decorative design.
In 'piecing' or 'patchwork', small pieces of fabric are sewn together to produce a decorative design. The most enduring method in Britain is done by hand, and is known as 'piecing over paper'. The pattern is first drawn onto paper and then accurately cut. Small pieces of fabric are tacked round each of the shapes, and then joined together from the back using overstitch. Most of the quilt top visible here has been pieced over paper, but in some areas the fabrics have been applied directly on to the earlier quilt that forms the wadding.
At the centre is a block-printed panel commemorating the Golden Jubilee of King George III. Printed centres made specifically for use in quilts were manufactured throughout the first quarter of the nineteenth century and were so highly cherished that many were kept for a number of years before being incorporated into patchwork projects. The central panel shown here is the earliest datable centre of this kind. It commemorates the Golden Jubilee celebrations of 1810, and paved the way for further printed panels that could be used to declare allegiance and loyalty to the state. The V&A has two other examples of the jubilee print, including one that has been incorporated into another bedcover.
Quilt top: The decorative layer of the quilt. If the top is pieced, such as this example, it is known as a 'patchwork quilt'. If the top is a single piece of fabric in which the design is formed primarily through the stitching, it is known as a 'wholecloth quilt'.
Wadding/batting: A layer of cotton, wool, polyester, silk or other material, which adds warmth and dimension to the quilt.
Reverse: The bottom layer, usually made from one piece of fabric.
Hand-quilting 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 (usually a 'running stitch') are taken through the three layers to form a decorative design.
In 'piecing' or 'patchwork', small pieces of fabric are sewn together to produce a decorative design. The most enduring method in Britain is done by hand, and is known as 'piecing over paper'. The pattern is first drawn onto paper and then accurately cut. Small pieces of fabric are tacked round each of the shapes, and then joined together from the back using overstitch. Most of the quilt top visible here has been pieced over paper, but in some areas the fabrics have been applied directly on to the earlier quilt that forms the wadding.
At the centre is a block-printed panel commemorating the Golden Jubilee of King George III. Printed centres made specifically for use in quilts were manufactured throughout the first quarter of the nineteenth century and were so highly cherished that many were kept for a number of years before being incorporated into patchwork projects. The central panel shown here is the earliest datable centre of this kind. It commemorates the Golden Jubilee celebrations of 1810, and paved the way for further printed panels that could be used to declare allegiance and loyalty to the state. The V&A has two other examples of the jubilee print, including one that has been incorporated into another bedcover.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Quilted patchwork of printed cottons, wool |
| Brief description | Quilted patchwork bed cover of printed cottons, England, ca. 1810 |
| Physical description | Quilted patchwork bed cover of printed cottons. At the centre is a ready-printed basket of flowers including lilies, carnations and daffodil buds. The basket is flanked by the rose and thistle, and a cluster of shamrocks appears beneath it. The panel commemorates the Golden Jubilee of George III, and is inscribed 'G 50 R'. Most of the printed cottons date from the early nineteenth century but the floral border is a later addition. The maker has used both appliqué and piecing techniques to create the patchwork design, which includes a border in the design now known as 'tumbling blocks'. An X-ray of the bedcover revealed an earlier quilt at the centre, used for the wadding. This earlier eighteenth century quilt is wadded with wool and is quilted in an all-over design of chevrons. The construction of the nineteenth century quilt top suggests that some of the patches were applied directly to this earlier quilt rather than pieced together. When the new top was added, a secondary quilting pattern of interlocking circles was carried out (design now known as 'wine glasses'). The reverse of the bed cover is white cotton. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'G 50 R' (Inscription printed at the foot of a roundel containing a basket of flowers.) |
| Gallery label | Bedcover for Golden Jubilee of George III
England
About 1810
Printed commemorative panels were very popular in the early 19th century. This example honours the Golden Jubilee of George III, who had reigned from 1760 to 1810. Like many quilts, this one may have had several lives. X-rays undertaken by V&A Conservation revealed that the quilt top was applied onto an earlier quilt.
Cotton
Given by Elizabeth Clarke
V&A: T.25-1961(20th March 2010) |
| Object history | Given by Mrs Elisabeth Clarke of Woodbridge, Suffolk. No further details on the provenance were available on acquisition, but Mrs Clarke believed that it had been kept within the family. |
| Historical context | Printed commemorative panels were very popular in the early 19th century. This example honours the Golden Jubilee of George III, who had reigned from 1760 to 1810. |
| Summary | Quilting is a method of stitching layers of material together. The layers are most commonly divided as follows: Quilt top: The decorative layer of the quilt. If the top is pieced, such as this example, it is known as a 'patchwork quilt'. If the top is a single piece of fabric in which the design is formed primarily through the stitching, it is known as a 'wholecloth quilt'. Wadding/batting: A layer of cotton, wool, polyester, silk or other material, which adds warmth and dimension to the quilt. Reverse: The bottom layer, usually made from one piece of fabric. Hand-quilting 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 (usually a 'running stitch') are taken through the three layers to form a decorative design. In 'piecing' or 'patchwork', small pieces of fabric are sewn together to produce a decorative design. The most enduring method in Britain is done by hand, and is known as 'piecing over paper'. The pattern is first drawn onto paper and then accurately cut. Small pieces of fabric are tacked round each of the shapes, and then joined together from the back using overstitch. Most of the quilt top visible here has been pieced over paper, but in some areas the fabrics have been applied directly on to the earlier quilt that forms the wadding. At the centre is a block-printed panel commemorating the Golden Jubilee of King George III. Printed centres made specifically for use in quilts were manufactured throughout the first quarter of the nineteenth century and were so highly cherished that many were kept for a number of years before being incorporated into patchwork projects. The central panel shown here is the earliest datable centre of this kind. It commemorates the Golden Jubilee celebrations of 1810, and paved the way for further printed panels that could be used to declare allegiance and loyalty to the state. The V&A has two other examples of the jubilee print, including one that has been incorporated into another bedcover. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.25-1961 |
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| Record created | August 6, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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