News and views of quilting

Press, 4 May 1988, Page 16

News and views of quilting

By

Liz Davies

“Quilt” the dictionary tells us is is “to stitch two pieces of cloth together with padding between.” Usually a patch work quilt springs to mind, made by the process of joining various square and hexagonal shapes of differing fabrics together by hand or machine. Many traditional patterns originate in different parts of the world. The many coloured patchwork is then caught on to a backing fabric making the quilt. Quilting has been used for warmth for many years. The Chinese sport quilted jackets in their cooler provinces. These were often made with kapok, the silky fibres obtained from the seeds of the silk cotton tree or cotton from the cotton plants.

The snag with either of these fibres is that they are heavy and also tend to get lumpy if wet!

Another fibre which has traditionally been used for quilting is eider down, the fine soft down of the Eider Duck. As anyone who has tried will tell you, these light fluffy feathers are a nightmare to capture and encase,.

even the fabric-used has to be extremely finely woven to prevent the down from escaping. But after conquering these problems the quilts are pleasing to the eye, and remarkably warm. Now many bed quilts are made with a dacron padding which is easier to control, and if a sewing machine is being used loosening the top tension can achieve an effective quilted look. Quilting is now being used in many different ways, as well as the traditional use of decoration and warmth. An Australian, Stewart Merrett, has developed an amazing method of creating large wall hangings and screens as well as cushions and covers. He has called his creations “aplekage,” which is a mixture of applique and montage. He draws a design and then cuts the pieces out in different fabrics. These are laid on to two layers of backing and a dacron fill, and then the pieces are stitched round making a wonderful picture with a three domensional effect enhanced by the quilting.

Quilting has been used in decorations too, marvellous free standing fabric palm trees with their fronds neatly quilted in the shape of the veins standing two metres high in their quilted fabric pots on their quilted trunks. This season quilting has even made it to the fashion scene. The beauty of the method is that fabrics can be used quilted or plain. They can also be quilted on to a different fabric as a backing — wool quilted on to satin, or even just a contrasting colour. Wonderful quilted satin evening jackets are teamed with matching smooth satin skirts and other combinations. <

The stability created by the quilting means that fabrics usually too soft in some contexts can be used to sculptural effect. Christchurch designer Barbara Lee has used quilting to add a new dimension to her lightweight, pure wool jersey designs. A soft, swinging smock coat hanging from a crisp quilted yoke and cinched at the waist with

a quilted belt is worn over a trim, quilted skirt and, of course, matching perfectly because they are

made of the same fabric. So no longer should “quilt” only bring to mind a bed cover made with

loving care, but also high fashion clothes and amazing wall hangings and decorations.