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| Jen Jones in her Welsh cottage |
I think most of us admire a pretty quilt, but it is only after seeing Jen Jones' wonderful exhibitions of Welsh quilts that I have started to learn and appreciate the huge amount of skill and the high quality of the designs. As I am myself part Welsh I have always admired Jen's lasting passion for this folk art especially as she was raised in the U.S.A., (and married a Welshman),and the way she has not only collected hundreds of examples, but also researched the provenance, the fabrics, the stitching and the patterns so that she is the world expert in her field. She has had exhibitions and lectures on an international scale; her Museum at Lampeter is fast becoming a "must see". Tracking these family treasures has been a long and arduous career for her, driving to obscure farms on lonely lanes, sometimes to find a few remnants of past glories, but occasionally finding a rare treasure which her well-trained eyes can recognise and she has the essential knowledge of repair and cleaning work to add to their restoration. The examples I show here are from a catalogue of quilts displayed in association with some of the the famous Kaffe Fasset collection she showed last year. You can visit her shop and the exhibiton centre in Lampeter all through the summer and there is a home-made food cafe so it makes a great day out for 'sewing' ladies. Telephone 01570 422088 e. quilts@welshquilts.com Jen Jones has brought a big selection of her quilts at all prices, as well as the rare old wool blankets in stripes and checks, to our Talent for Textile Fairs in Bradford on Avon and at Yarlington, and The American Museum, Bath, so she is a very familiar friend and we are sorry that because of increased business commitments in Lampeter she cannot join us for our Fair this year. We wish her well and must make the journey in reverse and visit her in her lovely new Museum. The quilts below are part of her special collection of wholecloth examples with the finest stitching.
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