A Mix of Old and New(ish)

Editor's Note: To celebrate the grand opening of the newly expanded Quilt House gallery, International Quilt Study Center & Museum team members are blogging about pieces in the gallery's inaugural exhibition, "Getting to Know You."

Whole cloth, maker unknown, circa 1890-1910,
made in Turkey. IQSCM 2010.045.0012.

By Carolyn Ducey
Curator of Collections

I love fabrics. I love quilts too, but it is the fabric themselves that call to me. This piece is block printed with a turquoise design reminiscent of an early Indian paisley. The fact that it was made in the twentieth century, with a technique that has been used for centuries is amazing. It tells me that traditional ways still have life and are still appreciated in their communities. This Anatolian variation is done in two halves that, when sewn together, make a whole cloth quilt.

Maybe that’s a part of the appeal of this quilt as well… I never could make seams match or corners sharp. I like the idea that the medallion, in its contrasting blue and yellow colors, the paisleys printed in the body of the quilt and the design of the outer border are complete – the only thing needed is to stitch the batting and backing together and you have a striking, warm, beautiful quilt. That’s my kind of piecing!