Carolyn Gibbs

I really enjoyed giving my talk about Dating Fabrics in Antique Quilts at Festival of Quilts this year.
Also now available on Zoom!
The associated paper is in Quilt Studies Issue 25 - unfortunately they had sold out at the show, but if anyone would like to buy a copy, please contact the BQSG Treasurer via [email protected]

I finally got to see the small quilt exhibition at Bakewell Old House Museum .
This is the Bowman coverlet, a wonderful item made in silk patchwork.
Do go and see it if you are in the area.

This is a wonderful opportunity to see some of the earliest patchworks in the Guild Collection.
If you would like to hear more about how the printing and dyeing techniques can be identified in these fabrics, come to my lecture 'Dating Fabrics found in Antique Quilts' on Saturday 3rd August at 2.30pm in the Festival Theatre.

Be sure to visit The Quilters' Guild of The British Isles gallery "Patchwork: Pattern and Print, 1780-1840" at this year's show!

Head to the gallery daily* at 11am and 2pm to hear expert speakers share the captivating stories behind these significant pieces of textile history.

Find out more here: https://www.thefestivalofquilts.co.uk/quilt-collection-quilters-guild/

*Friday 2pm only

Would you like to know how to design a cable border which fits your quilt perfectly?
I will be teaching a workshop about this at the Festival of Quilts:
Drafting Cable Designs for Quilting; Either Thursday 1st August 13:00 - 14:00 or Saturday 3rd August 10:00 - 11:00
This includes 14 pages of illustrated instructions, so you can try this out again when you get home.
Book at https://thefestivalofquilts.seetickets.com/workshops/the-festival-of-quilts-quick-easy-workshop
If you cannot come then, there is plenty of information on this page of my website https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/techniques/quilting/quilting-design/drafting-cable-borders/
You can also buy a Techniques pack for £10 from my online shop https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/drafting-cable-designs/

Sample books were assembled by manufacturers as a record of designs and processes. They provide invaluable documentary evidence of the styles, dyes and printing processes used at different times, although frustratingly, details of these are often lacking.
On a recent study day, members of the British Quilt Study Group were able to look at part of the large Collection held by Manchester Metropolitan University.
This page is from a large book dating from around 1820, and includes both block and roller prints, including some using the lapis process. Can you spot the same design in different colourways?
This book came from the Design Studio of the Rossendale Printing Co., a Textile printing company, known to have been active between c1795-1904, based at the Loveclough Printworks in Crawshawbooth, Rawtenstall.
More information about six pattern book archives in North West England is available in Philip Sykas’ book 'The Secret Life of Textiles' if you can ever find a copy.
And remember that I am doing a talk about fabric dating at Festival of Quilts!

This sounds an interesting online talk

Online Talk Announcement - 19th Century Patchwork, 9th July 7pm BST

We are kicking off our new events program with another chance to catch one of our most popular talks features some of the amazing patchwork quilts and coverlets in our collection. It covers several different techniques and styles of patchwork including paper piecing as seen in this detail from a stunning quilt by Grace Slater, completed in 1840.

For tickets and more details please visit our Eventbrite page here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/gawthorpe-textiles-collection-3288050358 =_

This early nineteenth century piece of patchwork contains an astonishing 3876 small triangles of fabric stitched into Hourglass (quarter square triangle) units in two sizes. There are many examples of block printed fabrics, including some which illustrate the lapis technique developed to allow perfect registration between red madder and blue indigo, despite them being printed using two completely different processes.
It currently features as the British Quilt Study Group 'Quilt of the Month', and you can see more photos on the Quilters Guild website at https://www.quiltersguild.org.uk/special-interest/bqsg/albums/hourglass-patchwork-top

This small wallhanging is called Durham Spring, as it has traditional North Country quilting patterns, including a feather wreath, scissors, goosewings and one taken from my antique quilt collection.
The green blocks are pieced Snowballs - made, as is the pieced border, with an asymmetrical stripy fabric.
If you are interested in learning more about working effectively with striped fabrics, the is a Techniques pack available for £8 in my website shop https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/success-with-stripes/
The flowery border is made from a piece of Laura Ashley fabric I picked up from a sales table years ago - there was only just enough, so it took quite a bit of thinking before I cut it, to make sure it all went in the right direction. There is even a hidden join in one of the borders.

Festival of Quilts bookings for the general public open on Wednesday.
Just a reminder about the classes (mostly lectures) I will be giving this year in case you want to plan your days to include any of these:
Thursday 1st August 10.30am "How can I Arrange my Hexies?"
Friday 2nd August 1.30pm "On the Edge & Around the Bend"
Saturday 3rd August 2.30pm "Dating Fabrics in Antique Quilts"
Sunday 4th August 2024 at 10.15 – 11am - "Colour & Contrast"

My final lecture at Festival of Quilts will be on Sunday 4th August 2024 at 10.15 – 11am - "Colour & Contrast"
Choosing fabrics for a quilt is something that many people would like to do, but lack confidence for. They are not sure why the colours that looked good in the shop don’t seem to give the result they hoped for. I will demonstrate how to select fabrics for a project or for your stash, based on their value (how Dark or Light they are), showing what works, and how to avoid costly mistakes.
If you can't make it in person, this is also available as a video workshop from my website shop: https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/colour-contrast-video-workshop/

At 2.30pm on Saturday 3rd August, I will be giving a talk at the Festival of Quilts "Dating Fabrics in Antique Quilts"
If you would be interested, think about booking when you plan which days you might attend.
And if you can't come in person, this material, including lots of photographs, will be included in the next issue of Quilt Studies

Which days might you decide to go to Festival of Quilts? If you are interested in the development of border and corner quilting designs, you might like to plan to be there on Friday 2nd August 2024 at 1.30pm when I will be giving a lecture "On the Edge and Round the Bend".
Wholecloth quilts have been made in the UK for several hundred years. I have been studying how quilters in the past designed the quilting patterns of the border corners – after discovering in my own quilting, how challenging it is to make a border design turn the corner perfectly. This research was presented at the 2022 BQSG seminar. Come and discover the different techniques used, illustrated by examples of antique wholecloth quilts alongside my own work.

Festival of Quilts tickets go on sale soon! To help you decide which days you might like to go, I am sharing details of my teaching.
I will be giving different lectures on all four days, and also doing some Quick & Easy classes.
On Thursday 1st August 2024, I will open the show at 10.30am with a new lecture "How Can I Arrange my Hexies?"
Hexagons are an easy shape to hand piece together over papers, as they don’t have sharp points. With my usual logical approach, I will expand the possibilities beyond the usual Grandmother’s Flower Garden, using many historical examples to inspire you to try something new with this old favourite. These include an explanation of how to avoid the hidden pitfalls which are at the heart of so many unfinished examples!

An unusual example of a frame quilt with West Country quilting patterns will be the topic for the next online Heritage Quilt Club.
You can book at https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/heritage-quilt-club-monday-4th-march-2024/

Choosing fabrics for a quilt is something that many people would like to do, but lack confidence for. They are not sure why the colours that looked good in the shop don’t seem to give the result they hoped for.
A helpful 'Colour & Contrast' talk is available as a video workshop, which you can purchase from my website shop for £10 at https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/colour-contrast-video-workshop/
I demonstrate how to select fabrics for a project or for your stash, based on their value (how Dark or Light they are), showing what works, and how to avoid costly mistakes. Access to the video is unlimited, so you can take your time, taking breaks or going back to watch sections again if you wish. At various points, you will be invited to stop the recording, and try out these techniques with a selection from your own stash. The recording lasts for about 50 minutes in total.

This continuous, intertwining design is known as a True Lover's Knot. It is to be found at the centre of a lovely North Country wholecloth which I own, probably dating from the 1930s.
We will be looking at all the lovely quilting designs and discussing hand quilting techniques at the next online Heritage Quilt Club on Monday evening 19th February 2024 from 20:00 – 21:00 via Zoom.
Come and discover about the quilt in a friendly, small group atmosphere.
For International members, the UK time of 20:00 – 21:00 GMT is equivalent to 15:00 – 16:00 EST in the USA and in Australia, this is 7 am (AEDT).
You can book for £8 at https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/heritage-quilt-club-monday-19th-february-2024/

Two Welsh wool flannel wholecloth quilts will be the focus of the next online Heritage Quilt Club sessions.
These iconic quilts were made in the late nineteenth century, and their strong colours provide a good background for traditional Welsh quilting designs. One quilt has quite sophisticated designs, but the other is more everyday in character.
If you would like to discover more about traditional British quilts, you can book for the series of four sessions (£28), or just for one as a taster (£8).
Monday evening 5th February 2024 at 8pm (GMT); This is equivalent to 3pm EDT in the USA and in Australia, this is 7 am (AEST).
https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/heritage-quilt-club-monday-5th-february-2024/
or
Thursday afternoon 1st February 2024 4pm GMT (that's 11am EST for those in the USA).
https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/heritage-quilt-club-thursday-1st-feb-2024/

The Quilters' Guild is holding a virtual retreat soon - I'm one of many speakers, showing a antique Devon utility quilt with hidden recycling features.
Check out the programme at https://www.quiltersguildshop.org.uk/products/recycle-repurpose-online-retreat-20-21st-january-2024
Only for members - if you are interested, why not join online?

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The last online Heritage Quilt Club for 2023 will study a double sided frame quilt dating, I think from the 1820s; one side is silk patchwork, and the other is cotton prints, so there is a lot to talk about!
If you would like to join us by Zoom at 8pm GMT on Monday 11th December (This is equivalent to 16:00 – 17:00 EDT in the USA and in Australia, this is 7 am (AEST), you could book for £8 (about $10)

Heritage Quilt Club: Monday 11th December 2023 : Carolyn Gibbs Quilts Come and learn about a silk frame quilt from the collection of Carolyn Gibbs.

This is an antique wholecloth quilt, probably made in 1920s, when this 'old gold' colour of cotton sateen was very popular. It has quite an unusual combination of quilting designs, but I think it was probably made in the North East of England.
This will be the topic for the next online Heritage Quilt Club on Thursday 23rd or Monday 27th November.
If you would like to discover more about it, and see close-ups of all the quilting designs, book for £8 at either:
https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/heritage-quilt-club-thursday-23rd-nov-2023/

or
https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/heritage-quilt-club-monday-27th-november-2023/

A lovely example of a carved wooden printing block dating from between 1750 and 1830.
Zoom in to see the detail, including the fine metal pins.
Just found this, and several others, in the collection of the Science Museum Group https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co237104

This beautiful, hand quilted Welsh dressing gown was made by a quilter with the Rural Industries Bureau in the 1930s.
It was shown at the recent British Quilt Study Group seminar, by Katherine Gough the granddaughter of the original maker, who has recently collected together all the templates, patterns etc from other members of her family, to research properly

I am studying the fabrics in an early patchwork coverlet which dates from 1780 - 1800, and putting the details into a spreadsheet to help me pick out patterns.
One interesting revelation illustrates how precious even tiny scraps of expensive printed calicoes were.
I am now half way through. Of the 438 triangles I have so far listed (each 3 1/2" across), only 189 are unpieced.
143 have one seam
92 are assembled from 3 scraps (two seams)
13 are assembled from 4 scraps (3 seams)
1 even has 5 scraps stitched together!
This photo shows a pair of triangles, each assembled from four little pieces

Dark ground prints were very fashionable between 1785 and 1800, despite the expense of using large quantities of costly dyestuffs.
Although these all used madder with a combination of alum and iron mordants, different shades could be obtained by varying the other additives, such as quercitron (a rich yellow dye which gave a warmer tone) or indigo (which gave a colder, black). One distinctive colour from this period was damson, a reddish plum colour.
The fabrics below were all printed from carved wooden blocks, some which would have also included strips of copper to give short straight lines.
Details of the dyeing and printing process will be included in the next online Heritage Quilt Club on Thursday 12th or Monday 16th October. You can book at:
https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/heritage-quilt-club-thursday-12th-oct-2023/

https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/heritage-quilt-club-monday-16th-october-2023/

This sounds like an interesting and useful online resource.

This afternoon Wednesday 4th October at 3:30pm we are hosting an online talk introducing the Lancashire Textile Gallery; a site we have developed in partnership with Super Slow Way and UCLAN with funding from Heritage Lottery Fund.

Our talk will focus on how the site can be used by museums, collections and heritage organisations to showcase collection objects or digital exhibitions and engage with communities. Tickets are free, just head to our Eventbrite page for more details and book:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/gawthorpe-textiles-collection-3288050358

Image shows an 1830s print sample book from the Lancashire Textile Industry Collection, which features in one of the digital exhibitions on the Lancashire Textile Gallery site.

This beautiful fabric is one of those on the border of the Dorset Frame Coverlet, which will be the subject of my online Heritage Quilt Group tomorrow, Tuesday 3rd October at 8pm.
This style of design is sometimes known as an "indienne" as they were made by French and British designers in the late eighteenth century in imitation of the elaborately patterned chintzes being imported from India. To obtain these multicoloured prints, many different steps had to be done, making the fabrics extremely expensive.
The red is obtained by printing an alum mordant on the fabric before dipping in a madder dye bath. This fixes the colour only in the areas where the mordant was printed.
Indigo doesn't need a mordant, so dip dying would colour the whole fabric, and be ubsuitable for a patterned design such as this. In the oxidised blue form, it is insoluble, so the only way of applying it was for it to be to “pencilled” on quickly with a brush, as the reduced form of indigo in solution mixed with orpiment, a powerful reducing agent containing arsenic.
You can book for this online session for £8 at https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/heritage-quilt-club-tuesday-3rd-october-2023/

OK, so who knows why I was so excited to look at the bottom right hand corner of this?
Free place at online Heritage Quilt Club on Tuesday (if you would like to come) to the first person to get it correct!
https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/heritage-quilt-club-tuesday-3rd-october-2023/

I am now half way through photographing each of the 444 half square triangle units on my Dorset Frame Coverlet, and enjoying cataloguing the early fabrics on a spreadsheet, despite the time it is taking!
Here are some showing four different block printed chintz fabrics.
A madder dye bath gives most of the colours - red is obtained using an alum mordant, while a mixture of alum and iron mordants, probably with the addition of galls gives the black.
Indigo and weld would have been 'pencilled' on to give blue and yellow respectively; where both are used, this gives a two-step green.
If you are interested in discovering more, sign up for Heritage Quilt Club at https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product-category/antique-quilt-study/

Heritage Quilt Club will soon be starting three weeks looking in detail at an early patchwork frame quilt with lots of fabulous printed cottons. The first session will include a general overview of the coverlet, which dates from 1780 – 1810, and then I will gradually introduce the printing and dyeing techniques used to make the fabrics.
As a taster, you can see basic information and photos at https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/antique-quilts/antique-quilts-frame-quilts/dorset-frame-coverlet/
You can book in my online shop for £8 each session (about $10)
Thursday 28th September 4pm (BST) which is 11am EDT in the USA
https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/heritage-quilt-club-thursday-28th-sept-2023/
or TUESDAY 3rd October 8pm UK time which is equivalent to 15:00 EDT in the USA (Note that the usual day of Monday has moved just for this session to accommodate those traveling back from the AQSG conference).
https://www.carolyngibbsquilts.co.uk/product/heritage-quilt-club-tuesday-3rd-october-2023/

Heritage Quilt Club: Tuesday 3rd October 2023 : Carolyn Gibbs Quilts Come and learn about an early British Frame quilt from the collection of Carolyn Gibbs.

I have become very interested in quilt research over the last few years, and presented my first paper at last years seminar with the British Quilt Study Group.
If you are exploring ideas about any aspect of historical or contemporary quilt practice, and might be interested in sharing this with a wider audience, BQSG are now inviting submissions for Autumn 2024.
Support and guidance is available if, like me, you are new to this - and there is even a bursary which could help with the cost of study visits etc.
Information below or at https://www.quiltersguild.org.uk/special-interest/bqsg