Arabian Gold Quilt

Mary Walter

Speaker: Rachel Roberts (Standard British accent)

Quilts of some kind have been around since time immemorial, but decorative quilts really took off in 19th-century America. The US is still the spiritual home of these stitched works of art. For the settlers moving west across the continent, quilts were treasures to be taken to the new homes, where nobody knew how cold the nights might get! Traditionally given at weddings and christenings, some quilts would be handed down from generation to generation.

VARIETY

Originally used to cover a bed, quilts were soon enough appreciated for their beauty and artistry.  The New England Quilt Museum, a red-brick building in the heart of Lowell, Massachusetts, displays a large selection for visitors keen to learn about this art form.
Some might wonder: isn’t quilting a bit old-fashioned, something colonial ladies or 1950s homemakers would do? Museum curator Mary Walter, a quilter for 30 years, is quick to point out that quilting is no minority pursuit, and that it has regional variety, too:

Mary Walter (Standard American accent):

There are millions of quilters in the United States, from end to end, millions: 27 million quilters in the United States. And we have, really, some very regional differences. New England quilts have their own characteristic, Midwestern quilts and quilts from California, all, and I think, just being the art form that it is, you’re influenced by your environment, the colors around you.
I think, at some point, probably your heritage, you know: German, Pennsylvania, those Amish quilts, very much a very well-known form. In New England we quilt everything to death. We love that quilting stitch. I also think that we’re influenced by the culture in this area. We live in a very culturally rich situation. We are, just by association, a very educated group of women, you know, Harvard’s here, all the colleges kind of started here. So we have access to music and film, and you know, all of those things that can influence us in ways that, if you live in Iowa, you have a different set of circumstances that would influence you.

Welcome to Lowell, MA

The nearest airport for Lowell is Boston. The New England Quilt Museum is on 18 Shattuck Street (www.nequiltmuseum.com) and has a shop selling kits, books, fabrics, etc. Curator Mary Walter’s website is www.aquiltersgarden.com. For accommodation, the central Doubletree Hotel on 50 Warren Street overlooks the historic canals and the Merrimack River (www.doubletree1.hilton.com).
For a selection of restaurants with outdoor seating head for the intersection of Dutton and Merrimack Streets. The wonderful Life
Alive organic café right opposite the museum is the place for a quick bite. If you would like more background on fabrics, visit the
American Textile History Museum (www.athm.org). For further information, visit www.merrimackvalley.org and www.lowell.org
If you’re interested in the history of quilting, visit: www.quilthistory.com. For information on quilting in Italy, visit: www.quiltitalia.it