I've had a crush on William Morris since I was a girl, but it took a long time for me to realize who he was and what his designs were all about.
In the early 90's I took a trip to London, to visit an old friend. It was my first visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum, and I went crazy over the work of William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, and the Pre-Raphaelites.
The second part of the trip we drove out to the countryside, and stayed in an ancient pub in Winchester. While visiting Jane Austen's burial place in the cathedral there, I looked up and was transfixed by the stained glass windows by Burne-Jones.
Then I began a study of the Pre-Raphaelite paintings inspired by Shakespeare and Arthurian legends. Which brought me 'round to William Morris again. They all hung out together.
Fast forward to 1999, and the start of eQuilter. My very first Quilt Market in Providence RI, I stumbled onto a little company called Rose & Hubble. Some of you may still have their William Morris reproductions in your stash. I know I do! (Rose & Hubble no longer exists)
This started my obsession with all textiles and other designs by Morris and Company. Every time I go to Market, I beg the vendors to do more William Morris collections. When these reproductions are done right, Morris' original exquisite draughtsmanship shines through, and we gasp with delight. In recent years we've seen larger scale reproductions, more true to his original designs, often recolored to more contemporary tastes. I just can't get enough.
Last week while I was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, for my annual pilgrimage to the new costume exhibit, I was thrilled to find a new Pre-Raphaelite exhibit. You may have seen my photos of the William Morris textiles at the Met, from my late March visit there. The new Pre-Raphaelite exhibit includes this gorgeous tapestry that was a brilliant collaboration by Burne-Jones, Morris, and others.
The image above shows a detail of this tapestry, with several of our in-stock related fabrics in a collage around the border. You can find these, and other period designs in this category, where we stock William Morris inspired designs, plus Art Nouveau, Steampunk, and Victorian collections.
Our kids have 3 more days of school before summer break – where did the year go?!?
Upcoming Quilty Travel:
June 11 Quilt Canada, Ontario
July 15 Quilt Colorado
July 24 IQCAfrica, Johannesburg South Africa
Sept 19-21 Quilters Take Manhattan
Sept 27 Quilt Exhibit, US Embassy, Rome
Oct 13-19 Polar Bear Tour, Churchill
Nov 14-16 Color Marketing Group, Orlando
Jan 2015 – Quilt Symposium in Manawatu, New Zealand
