As if the thought of a house full of books wasn't wonderful enough, the sight of the textile collections at Stenton really sent me into a tizzy. In fact, I do believe there was some squealing involved...as quilt after quilt was pulled out, and cupboards opened to reveal straw bonnets, satin shoes and embroidered white cotton gowns. Mary Norris, the daughter of Sarah Logan and Isaac Norris, granddaughter of James Logan, and wife of John Dickinson (after whom, incidentally, my alma mater was named), was a renowned needlewoman. She was responsible for several of the quilts in the collection, including perhaps the blue-green silk quilt pictured above, dating to the late 18th century. Stenton's collections also contain more humble objects, such as linen sheets, pillow cases, and laundry bags ~ extraordinary for the very fact that they have survived the rigors of everyday use.It is so rare and wonderful to see such a variety of original textiles in a house such as Stenton. And I am not done yet, there is something really lovely yet to show you. So, until tomorrow...good night.
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7 comments:
Looking forward to the quilts - there's nothing like good quilting.
I was quite stunned with the quilts and the other textiles, too. I called the colour "eau de nil" not being able to think of another name.
Blue ~ seeing these makes me {almost} want to pick up a needle and become a quilter. It is so rare to see examples like this in the US.
Meg ~ you are a romantic a heart..."eau de nil" is far more evocative than "blue-green."
More squealing!
I have one on my bed that I found for a song and it reminds me of things like this...it is all white.
pve
These are so beautiful- squealing would be in order-indeed-I would be heart sick if you had not. Other than- guess? Books- Textiles, as blind to their beauty as some are diamonds and pearls (not bad either) G
So glad to know I am not alone in the squealing...!
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