Woollen Manx-style pieced patchwork quilt
Date made: late 19th century
Maker: Member of Karran Family
Place made: Cregneash
Description: A woollen Manx-style pieced patchwork quilt from the Karran family, Cregneash. The quilt was made by a member of the Karran family in the late 19th century and contains several pieces of fabric that are hand-woven and were probably made by handloom weavers at Cregneash. Very few examples of working clothing survive, but this quilt shows the colours and fabrics that people made their clothes from.
The quilt contains a variety of coloured fabrics, including a scarlet, magenta purple and black striped woollen skirt fabric and grey, blue and beige tweeds and black satin - all fabrics which show what type of colours . The quilt is backed with an unbleached woollen blanket and a piece of cotton or linen, possibly a lightweight, reused sailcloth. The edges are bound with an orange woollen fabric. The quilt is hand-quilted with brown woollen thread in a zig-zag pattern and does not contain any filling.
Patchwork quilts were made for a variety of reasons: to keep people warm, to provide something bright and decorative for the home, a way to recycle old clothes and scraps of fabric, a useful and productive hobby and a way to be creative. The importance of being thrifty and the general philosophies of 'make do and mend' and 'the devil makes work for idle hands', were ones observed in many households and at all levels of society. A patchwork quilt can provide an insight into all sorts of different people's wardrobes, from the expensive silks, satins and velvets of grand and ornate quilts to far simpler quilts made from old homespun working clothes.
Measurements: overall: 174 cm x 197 cm
Materials: cotton, satin, wool
Object name: quilt
Collection: Costume & Textiles Collection
ID Number: 1954-6065