It's the fibre lovers paradise; the motherload; the big kahuna! At the base of Sacre Coeur, in the Montmartre district of Paris, live thousands and thousands of orphaned bolts of fabric, just waiting for the right person to give them a loving home. Always on the look out for yet another metre of fabric in need of a loving home, I did my part for the "fabric rescue program".
On our recent visit to London, one of our first stops was at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Established in 1852 and named for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who were strong supporters of it's founding, the museum is a facility that is both educational and cultural, and open to everyone. It is here, in the "Medieval and Renaissance Gallery" that I finally saw the "Tristan Quilt", one of the earliest surviving quilts showing stuffed, corded whitework (known as "Boutis" in France). A Chihuly chandelier hangs in the grand lobby of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Medieval needlework was often a medium for storytelling. It told of wars and conquests, heros and warriors, love won and love lost, etc. Myths and legends were recorded for future generations through the nimble fingers of the artisans. Through the intricately depicted figures stitched into the Tristan Quilt, this classic Norman legend follows Tristan into battle...
Wow! Would I ever love to be back! Love the blog. 1700 pc quilt, Leah?! That is crazy ambitious! All the best with it :)
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