Arcadian Quilting News
To feel ‘part of a Community’ is a powerful thing!
Reading this in an article recently brought forward many other thoughts about sharing and the benefits of giving to others, topics which I have mentioned before in past AQ news. Garnering strength from other like-minded people: kindred spirits sharing ideas: all working towards Community interaction.
Following this line of thinking I came to the wonderful old phrase … ‘everything old is new again’ … and perhaps it is if one notices the latest fashions for example? All bright colours, checks teemed with bold stripes, chunky shoes worn with pants that appear to be a little too long …. didn’t we do all this in the 70’s / 80’s?
Pictured below is an example of a Log Cabin Quilt. Log Cabin quilts patterns are among the oldest patterns linked to what we know today as vintage quilt patterns. The design is created by the clever placement of thin strips of fabric, light and dark in colour which are then sewn together to create a single block.
This particular quilt can be seen in the National Pioneer Women’s Hall of Fame, Old Courthouse, Hartley Street, Alice Springs and was made by Nicholes Wallace in c1895.
Molly Clarke founded the National Pioneer Women’s Hall of Fame in Alice Springs in 1993. Having spent most of her own life at Old Andado Station, an isolated property some 350 kms from Alice Springs, Molly’s aim was to commemorate the place of women in the history and development of Australia. Having records and actual quilts from those difficult and harsh times shows us too that mending, making clothing and practical sewing was not the only need for sewing and handwork.
Knowledge of quiltmaking, sharing that knowledge and keeping creativity alive also played an important role in making a home, raising a family, adding warmth, beauty and love within these new communities in Australia.
Pictured (top) is another example of the same pattern, re-arranging the blocks to form a completely different ‘look’. Here, each block has been bordered by a cream fabric and the light and dark patterns placed to form a ‘block of colour’
This is a small part of a larger quilt which is still a ‘work-in-progress’ (in April 2023)
The log Cabin pattern became associated with North America possibly in the 1850’s. Originally from England and Ireland this pattern travelled with early settlers heading towards a ‘new life’ in the Americas.
Later in 1863 similar Log Cabin Quilt quilts were used as fund raisers for the Union Army during The American Civil War.
History about any given subject is always fascinating and none more-so to quilting groups as we continue to use these wonderful old patterns, adding new life by using today’s colours and fabrics. Our door is always open, contact us, see what we do, call in and enjoy some companionship within our Quilting Community.
Arcadian Quilters meet on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Wednesdays of each month commencing at 9.30am.
Our venue is the Community health Centre, The Glade, Galston. For further information about our group please call carole on 9894 7749.
