Quilts and curiously sunny patchwork purses

My visit to the new Quilts exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum was infinitely more rewarding than anticipated. This show is as much a feast for the mind as it is a visual delight - and a must for all lovers of textiles and fashion.








The quilts on display depict the ‘hidden histories and untold stories’ of fabrics, families and creative endeavour over several centuries. Quilts are often symbolic of rites of passage - births, deaths and marriages – and the antique cot quilts in this exhibition are among the most exquisite.





There’s plenty of emotion attached to quilts, but over the centuries, the type of feelings associated with the art of patchwork seem to have changed significantly. Quilts are popularly regarded as precious items, generating ‘memories of warmth, comfort and security’ – and are often handed down as heirlooms from generation to generation.






From Victorian times, however, handicrafts like patchwork were used as a means of promoting social improvement. The Temperance Movement even adopted the pastime as a displacement activity for military personnel and those who might otherwise be lured by the temptations of gambling and alcohol.





Later examples include quilts made on prison ships, in prison of war camps, military hospitals and even at HMP Wandsworth – whose magnificent quilt is a sort of tragicomic send up of life in jail.

More recent works seem even farther removed from the cosy connotations of vintage pieces, focusing on human mortality and suffering, as well as the plight of women (traditionally those involved with the craft of quilting). Exhibits include Grayson Perry’s vivid, foetus-littered Right to Life quilt – a commentary on the anti-abortion debate in 1990s America (see right).




There are some common threads (excuse the pun) throughout the exhibition; the recycling of used fabrics, for instance – including old pyjamas, and even black-out curtains after the Second World War. And some recurring themes - like geography, nature and the passing of time.

Patriotism is also the subject of many pieces, with royalty, crests and messages of loyalty to the home country featuring widely. One of the quilts, dating from the early 19th century, has a splendid depiction of George III reviewing his troops in Hyde Park, part of which can be seen left (click on to enlarge and look out for the strange sun and moon motifs).






I’m curious to know more about the rather oddly located suns and moons, placed towards the centre of this quilt. They remind me of the sunshine patches on the quirky new handmade purses at ShopCurious.






Most of the quilts on display are so detailed, one could spend days admiring the craftsmanship and investigating the individual meaning of each masterpiece on show. Award yourself the luxury of at least a couple of hours to indulge your imagination and senses at this wonderful exhibition...

Will you?

Curiously cosy quilts

I’ve missed you - what with London Fashion Week, plus a zillion and one other things going on, I haven’t had a chance to write many posts lately. Mind you, the weather’s been so appallingly cold, wet and windy here that most of us would probably have preferred to stay indoors, keeping warm. I just checked the weather forecast for London and... guess what:

Wednesday - heavy rain showers
Thursday - heavy rain
Friday - heavy rain (and 26 mph south westerly winds)
Saturday - heavy rain showers
Sunday - heavy rain






I suggest you find something to do around the home rather than venturing anywhere outside. Handicrafts are very popular at the moment: you could pass the time with a spot of crochet, try your hand at basket weaving, or perhaps a little quilt-making takes your fancy? With the quilt exhibition coming up at the V&A shortly, anything and everything patchwork is all the rage.











In fact, we’ve got some fabulous designer patchwork quilts by Cassandra Ellis at ShopCurious. Handmade, using vintage fabrics (including finest quality silks), lined and backed with Fair Trade cotton, each one of these beautifully sewn and totally unique pieces is a timeless work of art. You might like to invest in one as an heirloom for your family to appreciate in years to come, or simply for you to enjoy snuggling up in.










Quilts are great, even on the dullest of days – not only do they add a welcome splash of colour to your décor, but they’re also curiously inviting and especially cosy at this time of year.

Are you?

Memories of China

What does the phrase ‘Memories of China’ mean to you, apart from possibly reminding you of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of one of Ken Lo’s famous restaurants?

Perhaps your memories stretch back to the days when Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou were offbeat expatriate outposts that sounded extremely exotic and exciting to the average man in the street.

Thanks to the internet and modern air travel, the world is now a much smaller place and many more of us have travelled to far flung parts of the Far East.







The upshot of recent, rapid change means that, as well as high quality natural products like jade and silk, China is now known for its innovative, high technology fabrics and advanced fashion manufacturing industry. Of course, it’s also recognised as being a part of the world that has a certain philosophical depth – think Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.





Hardly suprising then, that we’ve found a Far East based accessories designer who cleverly combines the best of Chinese style – both old and new – in a range of exquisitely made faux skin and hand-carved jade clutch handbags... which are now available outside the Far East, exclusively at ShopCurious.







Designer, Desti Saint, has lived in Asia most of her life, previously in Hong Kong and, since 2008, in Singapore. She’s inspired by the colours, culture and people of the region and says that she loves contemporary Asian design, but is also influenced by the traditional icons and symbols of the past.






Desti’s designs, sold under the Dee label, are especially known for their use of unusual fabrics. The faux python skin bags are made from a unique cotton mix that’s curiously soft to the touch – people simply love to hold them! Desti also works hard to find exactly the ‘right’ colours for her bags, but she explains that “it’s not just how they look, I’m pretty practical and grounded – the bags have to work as part of everyday life. They have to fit women’s lives and be enjoyable.”










Even if you’ve never been to China, these beautifully made and reasonably priced envelope bags are definitely worth remembering.

Will you?

New designers?

At part 1 of the New Designers exhibition in Islington's Business Design Centre yesterday, I was totally overwhelmed by the extraordinary wealth of talent displayed by young designers from around the UK. I was also stunned by the incredible array of stuff on show, from the huge selection of exquisite and professionally produced textiles to some rather primary school inspired ceramic pieces.

I was curious to spot the emergence of any design trends, but was hard pushed to find anything totally new. I did notice that some of the prints are more intricately patterned and that a paler colour palette/more floaty theme is in evidence, after last year's bolder and brighter look. Some of the woven textiles are utterly fabulous. In fact, there are so many wonderful fabrics, wallpaper and applied designs on display that they probably deserve a book rather than a blog - you'd better go and see them for yourself!

As for the rest of the exhibition - it's certainly an eclectic mix. There's a big 'handicrafts' type feel - think arts and crafts, William Morris and basket weaving. Here are some of the things I spotted:










The Middlesex stand (no reference to Lords cricket ground intended) featured some curiously colourful accessories, furnishings and art installations. The upholstery (see above) was very Designers Guild meets Roche Bobois, if you're into that sort of thing.

There was a Barbie-inspired wardrobe (left), the stuff of dreams if you're a six or seven year old girl ... and a rather rude-but-amusing tartan affair (right) which should be x-rated, so email ShopCurious with proof of your age if you want to see a larger-sized version.

I found the enormous jewellery offering rather uninspiring. I am in no doubt as to the exceptional quality and precision of workmanship in some of the fine jewellery pieces, but there was little that really stood out from the crowd. Some of the quirkier items included a couple of twisted metal trees (as shown), which the designer, Jennifer Millar, described as 'communal jewellery'. How long do you think they'd survive in your local park? And there was the delightfully suave and deliciously photogenic Patrick Mavros (pictured here) with his resin and gilded metal rings, necklaces and bracelets some of which light up at night... a bit like Star Trek's Eymorg control bracelet - beam me up Scottie.

Several people have used bits of plumbing equipment and taps to create weird and wonderful sculptures. Richard Tarek Doss from the Royal College of Art has incorporated oxygen cylinders into one of his pieces (see above right and right). Molly Harwood (left) uses cast glass and metal components to "represent vital organs within our body.... visual metaphors that aim to challenge emotions surrounding our inner workings and mortality."Could this be the start of a hot new trend, or is it just the outward manifestation of some bizarre fetish?



On to glass and ceramics, where again I felt I'd seen it all before - for instance this banana style chandelier (left), though I did quite like the familiar looking ceramic Madonna with child by Rebecca Kindred from Swansea (right).







Much more commercial, and fun too, is a range of plates (see right and below) printed with pictures of left over dinners - Britain's Dinners II by Damaris Booth - you can choose from Roast Dinners, Chinese, Curry, Fish and Chips, Pizza and Bangers and Mash. I do detect a whiff of patriotism creeping into some of the designs...






My verdict on part 1 of the New Designers exhibition - it's a veritable dog's dinner. If you've been along, or are planning to visit, I'm curious to hear your comments too.
Will you?