Detail of rare Gustavian bench from the late 1700s- thelilyhome.blogspot.com
If you have not bought a hand made quilt, consider picking a quilt from French 72 Antique Quilts on ebay. What makes their store so different, is they specialize in high quality antique American quilts and quilt tops from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The antique historical quilts are quite a bit more beautiful than any of the modern contemporary designs popular today.
Historical quilts combine patterns and colors better than the quilts you find today. Quilt Making and patchwork have been popular pastimes in the United States since the 1700s, and historical quilts are highly collectible as works of art. Antique American quilts often have historical significance and can tell a story about the time period. Antique quilts vary widely in design and materials, and can be hard to date at times because they may have been assembled in phases from older quilts or blocks. Consider hanging an antique quilt on the wall for a Swedish American country look.
National Quilt Museum, located in Paducah, Kentucky. The museum houses a large collection of quilts, most of which are winning entries from the American Quilter’s Society festival and quilt competition held yearly in April. The Museum also houses other exhibits of quilt collections, both historic and modern.
Quilt Museum and Gallery in York, England -Britain’s first museum dedicated to the history of British quilt making and textile arts. The museum was founded and is operated by The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles. The Guild was formed in 1979 and is the national organisation representing quilt makers throughout the country. Traditional and contemporary work is of equal importance within the Guild, and membership is open to anyone who works in patchwork, appliqué, and quilting, or has an interest in quilts.
