Easter Trip

A very Happy Easter to you all!

I thought I`d share some pictures of the new exhibition at Jen Jones Welsh Quilt Centre in Lampeter. I ve been meaning to visit for a while but when I heard that the new show would be about Amish and Welsh quilts and the connections between them I had to go.

The new quilt centre is housed in the Town Hall, quite an impressive building.

As you can see, it is a fantastic space to display quilts.

There are some stunning quilts to look at, here a Welsh quilt is displayed over an Amish Central Diamond.

Another Welsh/Amish contrast. The lower quilt is a Floating Bar quilt which is a classic Amish design.

And here is a Welsh variation.
The three typically Welsh features on this quilt are the wider stripes;  the all-over quilting, in Amish and North Country quilts the quilting patterns tend to stay within the patchwork designs of the top; and finally, the glorious saturated colours of the material used.  

Two more Welsh quilts. The deep red wool used in the wholecloth above the bed is also used very sparingly in the tailors sample quilt on the bed. Such an effective use of colour.

Some more Welsh quilts. The one on the right is nicknamed the Rothko quilt from its resemblance to the abstract paintings of Mark Rothko and is probably the closest in resemblance to an Amish quilt.

Not all the quilts on display are so colourful. I was really taken with these two quilts and how the limited palette has been used.

I really want to make a quilt like this. Royal purple and cream is a combination I would never have considered until I saw this beauty and the photo really does not do it justice!

I can highly recommend a visit to Lampeter if you can manage it. There is a great fabric shop two doors down from the exhibition too, not to mention a great fish and chip shop.
If you are more interested in learning about the connection between Amish and Welsh quilting then Dorothy Osler has a book out on that subject.