An attractive 19th century patchwork quilt top, created using a technique known as English Paper Piecing, in which the quilter would wrap pieces of fabric around hexagonal pieces of salvaged paper to create a very uniform “tile” pattern. The fabric would be loosely “basted” on to the paper template, creating a kind of fabric tile, which would then be sewn into the quilt in the desired pattern. Before the quilt filling and backing were added, the basting stitches would be painstakingly undone, and the hundreds of paper backing hexagons removed, giving the finished quilt an attractive and rather impressive appearance of symmetry and regularity. The wonderful thing about the unfinished nature of this quilt is that the inner workings and materials are laid bare, and they offer insight into the quilt and its maker from the paper reinforcement used. Several of the fabric pieces have unusually colourful designs and are on a waxed or glazed fabric and Indian chintz, whilst others are simpler floral or abstract geometric designs.

The quilt pattern consists mainly of rosettes and diamonds bordered by white. A larger red central diamond and bordering chains of hexagons in solid red-printed fabric provide bold splashes of vivid colour. Large heart shapes made of hexagons of different coloured fabrics can be seen at the top and bottom center of the quilt.

The exposed paper remnants show a date span of re-use from the 1820’s to the 1880’s with postmarks, handwritten letter fragments, bills, commercial circulars, and manuscript music all being used at various points. The information gleaned from the paper backing suggests that the quilt’s creator, or creators, lived in or near Holbeach in Lincolnshire, at the latter end of the 19th century, a number of the trade or finance related fragments mention Lincolnshire, and several of the letter fragments have residual postmark details visible.

Several of the handwritten fragments are in French, suggesting a fairly cosmopolitan environment. Having a stock of wastepaper, letters, notes etc. readily available for such a purpose was not a luxury available to many in late Victorian age, so we are able to ascribe a probable upper middle class origin to the quilt, further borne out by the standard of penmanship evidenced, and the diversity of sources. Well-known examples of English Paper Piecing quilts, especially honeycomb quilts, can be traced back to convalescing soldiers in military hospitals, but this example, unusual in the exposed structure that lays bare its history, suggests a much more domestic and stable origin. A wonderful example of how domestic history, social history, and art can intertwine to give us a clearer view of the past than we would otherwise obtain. Exceedingly unusual to find in this form.