Observations at a Quilt Exhibition

from w

I thoroughly enjoyed a visit to the Quilt Exhibition in Melbourne yesterday - amazing energy, patience, beauty. I particularly was interested in the Stitch like an Egyptian section where dozens of people watched a man handsew pieces of cloth. His method was applique and he used a huge pair of shears and stitched quickly. I'm sure he would have repetitive strain by now. The Egyptian wall hangings were extremely beautiful, mostly symmetrical and abstractions based on leaves and flowers but there were also pictorial hangings of people which I thought unusual because Muslims usually do not approve of the depiction of people. Apparently these men become stitchers when aged about nine and it is their occupation for many many years. An attendant told me that the profits at the expo in one day would equal the profits for one year back in Cairo. And there were many red stickers and the prices modest.

I haven't made patchwork quilts for years - and mine were made using left-over scraps or op-shop materials so I was amazed at the sophistication these days - the sewing machines that can doing anything (!) and that thousands of already cut cloth and kits marketed. I thought it was a hobby using scraps!

I copied a quote from William Morris 1882 which I thought useful: Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.