I am a passionate lover of antique quilts, in particular those from the early 1800s. I love the designs from this era but I also adore the fabrics within the quilts from this time period. In 2022, I had a zero birthday and my husband bought me a stunning quilt dating back to the 1850s which was made in England. This quilt is a medallion in design and very scrappy in nature and contains some really beautiful and unusual fabrics. Later in the year, I visited a friend in Belgium for a month and together we spent a week at a quilt show in France which we’d been to together prior to Covid. First stop was the antique quilt dealer who had supplied my birthday quilt. Knowing I was also going to the show in France, she packed some antique quilts for me to look at, which were dated 1830 – 1840. I had only been at the show for less than an hour but had already purchased three beautiful old quilts each full of amazing fabrics.
Some of the prints from within these quilts are included in my fabric collection, ‘Bucklebury Chintz’. This line includes a beautiful floral chintz which features two different birds and butterflies among the flowers. The original 1800s version of this print was a toile in cream and mauve but it has been updated into a gorgeous multicoloured print which is available in three colours. These can be used within blocks, setting squares and borders but will also cut up and used creatively in quilts featuring Broderie Perse appliqué. There are stunning companion prints including a quirky paisley, geometric, small floral prints, leavy vine, a beautiful moiré background print and a serpentine stripe. Serpentines are a must in my fabric lines due to their versatility as a stripe but also when fussy cut within blocks for effect.
