A QUILTINC EXHIBITION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21147, 3 October 1930, Page 15

A QUILTINC EXHIBITION.

—. — I Misg Bondfiold. Minister of Labour, opened recently an exhibition of quilted work done by women in the distressed mining areas at the showrooms of Country Industries. Limited. Ecdeston street. S.W. The exhibition was. arranged by the Women's Advisory Committee of the “Rural Industries Bureau (states an English paper). Miss BondSeld said that the work done by the quilters was specially worthy of appreciation at this time; there was a great need of stimulating individual effort and capacities which might otherwise be neglected in the stream of industry. With mass production on a scale undreamt of 50 years ago. there was danger of shutting out from our lives the originality and creative power of the old craftsmen. She was glad that they were able to save among the Durham and Welsh women those roots of pride in the old designs which had been handed down I to them for generations. A quilted’ cushion made by the girls in one of_ the classes working under a skilled quilter was presented to Miss Bond field. The exhibition was particularly interesting for the number of new ways in which it had been found possible to use quilting. Besides beautiful quilts made in traditional natterns, such as the church window, the feather, and designs showing Celtic influences and carried out in washing materials, there wore tennis coats in good designs motoring rugs, boudoir sets, cot covers scarves, bags, and a black satin coat trimmed with fur, which attracted much attention. Dressing jackets and a dressing-gown quilted in the hammock design which was part of a trousseau, were also shown. The object of the exhibition was to keep the 200 women who were on the books of the Rural Industries Bureau emp'oyed over, the autumn months, and to secure orders from the goods on exhibition. Those giving orders could choose their own colours I and designs. '