Billings Farm and Museum 2007
Pat's Talk, and the Annual Quilt Show
by Patricia Cummings
On August 3, 2007, we packed up some vintage textile items from the Victorian Age and headed to Woodstock, Vermont, where I was invited to speak to an assembled group of quilters at the 21st Annual Billings Farm and Museum Quilt Show. We had the opportunity to feature their last show in The Quilter magazine. I was invited to choose a topic for a special program and I chose Outline Stitch embroidery because 1) I have done this type of embroidery for more than fifty years, 2) I have a large collection of examples from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, and 3) I have written four books on the subject. I brought Redwork, Bluework, and Greenwork, and other colors of Outline Stitch embroidery to the lecture.
Patricia Cummings with a Victorian Era Redwork coverlet (a.k.a. "summer spread") behind her, and holding a two-layer, Bluework coverlet. photo by James Cummings
While Pat was getting organized for the talk, Jim wandered upstairs to the show, and snapped a few photos of his favorite quilts. The show will last until September 23, 2007, and is open daily from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., so if you are vacationing in the area, you will not want to miss the opportunity to see all the lovely work by the participating quilters of Windsor County, Vermont.
Jim's Favorite Quilt
Our favorite season is autumn, so it did not surprise me at all when Jim told me that he liked a quilt titled, "Autumnal Weeks" by Susan Sarcia of Woodstock, Vermont. The coloration of the quilt looks perfect hanging in this old barn.
The quilt seen above, "Baby, It's Cold Outside," is a group effort by Edith Artz, Charlotte Croft, Mary Croft, and Marian Levasseur. On the day we were at the museum, temperatures were in the 90s, so even the idea of colder times was most welcome! photo by James Cummings
One can see how lovely "Chocolate Stars" looks in the old barn. The quilt was inspired by several books in the quiltmaker's collection.
A Broderie Perse, medallion style quilt, made by Donna R. Miles, is completely constructed by hand. It is a vision of loveliness, as you can see.
photo by James Cummings
Adelaide L. Johnson constructed the colorful quilt seen above, with the help of John Flynn's templates for his "Wheel of Mystery" quilt. Flynn is a professional in the quilt industry. He teaches and also engineers innovative quilt frames.
Charlotte Croft created this quilt after having seen a design in the March issue of The Quilter magazine.- www.thequiltermag.com The quilt is hand-quilted.
As always, Jim and I both enjoyed ourselves immensely at the Billings Farm & Museum, and are already looking forward to a return trip. I spoke to a full auditorium and I am told that 115 people were in attendance to hear my talk. I have never enjoyed a more attentive or appreciative audience in my life!
Thank goodness, the hall was air-conditioned!
Thanks to Jim, we have a few photos to share with you. Please think about visiting in person. It's a great family destination!
Copyright 2007. Patricia and James Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, NH. All rights reserved. Questions? Comments? Please write to:
pat@quiltersmuse.com