Thursday, August 30, 2007

A few historic quilty bits



Today's cultural activity was a trip to Bunratty Folk Park & Castle - I took lots of photos, but there were a few nice examples of textiles and sewing related things, so I thought I'd share them here.

This coverlet was heavily embroidered, maybe some stumpwork - I couldn't get very close to it, so it was hard to tell just how it was done. But it was pretty.



This little sewing and spinning room was in the castle - just a little alcove with a window, tucked away in a corner.



And this machine was in a bedroom in one of the houses or cottages. There was also a machine in one of the main rooms in the big Georgian house there - I didn't take a photo, as it was way across the room, but I did notice it was there...



And finally, this was on the bed in the bedroom in a Byre Cottage - that's the kind where the cows live inside, in part of the main room (really). Luckily, they can't easily cross the little ditch and get into the bedroom and eat the quilt...

And there you are - a few quilt & sewing related snaps for you.

3 comments:

Lynda said...

I love historic quilts so thanks for the photos. When we visit historic houses, I sometimes ask the guide or sitter-in about the quilts, and while they can often tell you all about the furniture and paintings etc, they know nothing at all about the quilts. Women's work, hey.

Sew Create It - Jane said...

Thanks for sharing the pictures...I could do with a little alcove for my sewing..any dedicated corner would be nice :oP

Margery said...

I like to imagine myself living in these old houses - quite a different life from nowadays. But whoever arranged those sewing machines with the daylight at the handle end, and the working area in the dark? My Mum's old Singer never had its own light. Women's work, hey.