Lugley House Coverlet
Move your mouse cursor over the image to examine this quilt in detail.
- Maker:
- Eldridge, Catherine
- Date:
- 1830 - 1839
The Lugley House coverlet is a compendium of early 19th century printed fabrics constructed using the hand-sewn ‘piecing over papers’ technique, in small hexagons with an outer border of glazed cotton. The hexagons are arranged in rosettes in the centre, surrounded by a border of dark, strong coloured printed cotton hexagons. A close inspection of the prints shows an amazing variety of patterns and colours, some of which are very sophisticated roller dress prints. The earliest fabric is thought to date from c.1790s, and the latest 1830s.
The dyes in these fabrics have lasted particularly well, and give the coverlet a fresh and almost new appearance. The yellow coloured fabrics, usually one of the first to fade are still very bright. This coverlet shows the amazing range of patterns available and the increasing skills of the print makers as they experimented with new designs and dying techniques.
(Close up photograph of printed cotton fabrics).
