Quilts 1700, to 1945

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I was looking forward to attending the quilt exhibition.

The signage is wonderful and I was cheeky enough to ask if I could buy some of the panels after the exhibition.!!!! no harm in asking. I'm waiting for a reply.

The day was hot and the sun shone with fierce abandon.

I'm relishing the fact that its warm. At home they are having fierce storms and the family tell me its been a terrible weekend weather wise. So I appreciate the small respite.

I love the Art Gallery in Brisbane and this exhibition is an absolute gift. We have traveled thousands of miles to attend and the place fair buzzed with quilters…..

On our way to the Gallery we passed a long line of people with cases.

It was called a suitcase rummage and occurs regularly in the city of Brisbane. Sellers register for a part of the pavement and set up small shops from their suitcase. Most of the goods were home made and I think its a great opportunity for budding entrepreneurs.

On to the Gallery.

As you walk through the doors of the exhibition, one of the first things you see is a four-poster bed, draped with bed hangings from 1730; these are made up of 6,500 individual clam shell pieces in shades of red, brown, green and blue. The lighting is low, the ambiance is sombre in a positive way and the air is buzzing with enthusiasm and awe at the same time.

Quilts provide a window on to a world – a predominantly female world – that appears private and somewhat undiscovered in the art community. However, here in Brisbane its fast become one of the most popular exhibitions ever held.

The lines are long and the atmosphere is hushed as groups of women and a few solitary men wander through the exhibition peering at the detail of the quilts in muted light.

I've studied a number of these quilts over the years and marveled at the workmanship and ingenuity of the creators.

But at the exhibition you are surrounded by thousands of hours of creativity and you can reflect on the soul of the maker and wonder about the circumstances they found themselves in when making the quilts. What was their reasoning?

Unexpectedly, the books have sold out and I have to wait for one to be sent to me.

you can see more photos of the quilts and environs on this page.