Textiles and the Triplett Sisters

Somerset is a county in the South West of England by Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Devon. . Parts of the area were settled very early, with bones dating to 12,000 BCE. It comes from an Old English name “Sumorsaete meaning the people living dependent on Somerton.” The first known use of the name is in the law code of King Ine, a Saxon King from 688 to 726, which makes Somerset one of the oldest existing units of local government. The Quakers established a “Meeting” in Somerset in 1656, eventually establishing a meeting house and during the 1700s the town became predominantly Quaker. In 2015 a suitcase was discovered in the attic of this Quaker town, which had more than 70 fabrics from the mid-1800s. According to Anne Varley, the owner of the antique fabric stash...

Considered by many to be the most popular chintz for quilt makers in the 1840s, the Mexican Shellflower, Calla Lily and Tulip can be found in many beautiful chintz quilts. This textile was one of the “Famous Fabrics” that we tracked in our book Chintz Quilts from the Poos Collection where we provide a list of the many quilts using the fabric. The Victoria and Albert Museum has the original antique fabric in unused condition. There also appears to be a block printed border fabric that was made in 1824 prior to the larger floral fabric. The larger flower fabric was created in England during 1830s to 1840s, although the specific manufacturer is unknown. The existing textile shows that unlike other medallions of the period, this was not originally designed as a medallion. It has one...

It is hard to believe that it is already the end of November! Time has moved so slowly through this difficult year and yet, it doesn’t seem possible that Thanksgiving is almost here. This year we will be giving thanks for you! Thanks for those who read our blog, host a zoom program or workshop, participate in one of three Triplett Sisters BOM and to those who shop on our website or Etsy shop. When we lost more than 80 bookings to the pandemic, it was very disheartening. We weren’t going to be able to connect with you through our quilts. Instead we found other ways to connect. THANK YOU! To celebrate the coming holidays, we are pleased to announce three exciting developments:First, we are lowering the price of the 25” Fruit Basket Medallion to $30,...

As I continue to work on my quilt, Birds of Di Ford Hall, I’m continuing to explore reproduction fabric. However, in the world of fabric production that definition (a textile that is copied or reproduced with the appearance of an earlier time) can be a little deceiving. Once mass production of fabric printing began instead of hand painted, reproduction fabric followed quickly behind. We don’t always consider that reproductions fabric started almost as soon as the industrial production of fabric began, instead we tend to consider reproduction fabric as fabric “currently” being produced that mimics a different era whether civil war, 1930’s etc. It is also important to note that the reproduction fabric is rarely an exact copy, but instead may have different colors, scale, location, or background. Noting these differences can help define the period...

Seasons are changing which always makes me think of new projects and adventures. As I plan my September to December calendar, I wonder what project or projects will I be creating in the coming months? Sometimes the projects are a surprise. I had no idea that the Guardians of the Nest Star Quilt I was creating would become a pattern until multiple people requested it. Thank you for your enthusiasm and requests! Those comments brightened my days and the results will be available September 5th. For some time, I’ve admired Di Ford Hall fabrics and wanted to make a tribute quilt. I explored her patterns which are lovely, but I’ve always had a difficult time creating someone else’s vision. Those quilts are to be admired, but they tend to focus on one fabric line and just...