Textiles and the Triplett Sisters

I’m always interested in learning more about historical patchwork and natural dyes. Sometimes when you are researching one thing, you are fortunate enough to find something unexpected, which of course for me, means learning more about it. My discovery was a Huari textile from about 600-1000 that was made of patchwork. So far, it is the oldest piece of patchwork I’ve seen, and it was tied dyed with indigo! (A double score on the interest scale for me!) Huari (Wari) was a Middle Horizon civilization that flourished in the south-central Andes from 500-1000 AD. It is the coastal area of modern-day Peru where a series of Huari archaeological ruins is located. They had an extensive history of artistic expression in metalwork, ceramics, and particularly textiles. The surviving textile examples are primarily tapestries, hats, and tunics. All...

Kay and I have been researching and studying Baltimore Album Quilts (BAQ) for quite some time. (Kay longer than I.) There have been many good researchers who were also interested in this topic and provided insights into the BAQ’s. So, we hesitated to wade into this topic, beyond the basic information in our Hidden Treasures book. However, we have been continuing our research and would like to share some of the insights we’ve uncovered. I’ve set up a Pinterest page to track these quilts available at this link. It is a work in progress, so if you want to add a quilt to the page or more information about the specific quilt, please email me at Lori@quiltandtextilecollections.com. Old Quilts” by William Rush Dunton was my first exposure to the Jacksonian Heart, through the Jackson Victory Commemorative...

As some of you may recall, I’ve been researching whether there is a regional style of chintz applique. (If you want to re-read the previous blogs, here are the links to the first, second, third, and fourth blog.) After more research, I identified 20 quilts in the style, although the whereabouts are not always known. To see these quilts, please check out our Pinterest page at this link. Wherever possible we’ve included documentation about the quilt, but a few quilts in private collections are not included. Because of some written records, we know there are still additional quilts in this style out there. So, if you know about one of these quilts, please send me the information! We also identified more than 10 mixed album quilts which fit into this grouping by both style (chintz applique...

The Wedding Album Quilt Exhibition opening at the Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival (KCRQF) is today June 15, 2023. The 2020 Triplett Sisters Block of the Month pattern was based on the c. 1860 original antique quilt from the Poos Collection and will be on display. This quilt was the cover quilt on the first book about the collection, Red & Green Quilts from the Poos Collection. Also in the exhibit will be six other quilts interpreting or reproducing the original from quilt artists: Kathy Delaney, Darla Hanks, Lin McQuiston, Nancy Paris, Lori Lee Triplett, and Christine Turner. The quilt artists used a variety of applique techniques as well as extra flourishes of hand painting, and embroidery. Additionally, some of the artists altered the colors, the pattern, and the meaning behind the original quilt to make...

I recently attended a lecture given by Barbara Brackman at the MOKA Quilt study group on the links between Kentucky and Missouri quilts. Shortly after, I attended an exhibition curated by Leah Zieber and Arlene Stevens at the Pasadena Museum of History which featured a group of quilts made of fancy goods (silk, satin, and velvet.) It was wonderful to see the actual textiles, to see in person some of the lessons learned from Brackman’s and others’ research. Fancy Goods Quilts can be made in a typical pattern such as log cabin or in a disorganized collection of shapes known as a crazy quilt. Crazy quilts frequently have embroidered details, which some have commented, the quilter went crazy with all the embroidered designs. However, that may not have been the case. Instead, she may have simply...