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2013-3-A red and white strippy

2013-3-A  red and white strippy
2013-3-A  red and white strippy 1 2013-3-A  red and white strippy 2

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This is a Welsh red and white strippy quilt, dating from about 1880, hand quilted with distinctive Welsh motifs, including a central medallion, chevrons, spirals, and leaf shapes. The quilting does not follow the confines of the strips as is the Welsh style, unlike the Northern England strippy quilting style.

There is a Welsh quote, also sewn in white thread, which appears to read: Nac ymffrostia or dydd y fory Canys ni wyddast beth a ddigwydd mewn dirwnod. It is taken from the Bible, the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6, verse 34: Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. The initials A.M., which could be those of the maker, are also embroidered below this.

Bible quilts were quite commonly made in the late 19th century throughout the British Isles. In Wales a massive expansion in nonconformist sects took place throughout the early part of the century, with about one new chapel being opened every eight days. Religion played a hugely important part in everyday life, even in isolated rural communities, with regular chapel-going being the norm. “These were pious people, living in a less secular age, for whom the use of such Christian texts was an integral part of their lives and an entirely natural form of decoration.” Quilt Treasures, The Quilter’s Guild Heritage Search, 1995.

The quilt was bought at an auction in Machynlleth, a small market town on the north-west edge of Powys, in the early 1990s, and donated to The Quilt Association in 2013. It is made of cotton twill strips, and filled with woollen blankets and worsted suiting material. The reverse fabric is a red cotton twill with purple spots.