More Views

Quilts of Provence, The Art and Craft of French Quiltmaking

$98.95

Availability: Available

Quilts of Provence by Kathryn Berenson, presents a detailed and beautifully illustrated history of the marvelous quilted needlework of France. Quilts of Provence is a well-documented and anecdote-filled book showing examples of this visually appealing art in various Provencal settings and marrying the handsome textiles to the charm of their origins. Exquisite textiles emerged from the two Provencal traditions of printed textiles and elaborately stitched white work: beautiful bed covers and articles for the toilette, fancy gowns and accessories that captured the imaginations of playwrights, kings and queens and all their court.
The women of Provence adopted the needle arts and printed cottons for their own use as well, combining the bright color palette of printed cottons with floral prints and stripes to embellish their garments and domestic articles with stylized floral, heart, lyre and other fanciful high-relief quilting forms. This book opens the armoires of 17th- to 19th-century households to show how Provencal women brought summer sun and flowers into their lives every day of the year.

Description

Vistas of olive trees and grapevines, fields of lavender, a profusion of pomegranates and sunflowers, all washed in strong, golden sunlight - the charms of Provence are fabled throughout the world. Less well known is the exquisite quilted needlework that flourished for hundreds of years in this part of southern France. Long ago skilled needlewomen in Marseilles and other towns took common needles and thread and created quilted objects that were extraordinarily beautiful as well as warm. Provencal women brought their gardens into their homes and wardrobes by stitching bedcovers, clothing, and decorative accessories in intricate floral patterns - garlands, swags, flowers, herbs, and fruit. Quilts of Provence reveals the intimate relationship of women to these decorative textiles, from the patient needlewomen who created them to the queens and duchesses who regarded these luxurious articles as necessities. Exported to French and British colonies in the Americas, these wonderful works have almost certainly influenced the quilted needlework traditions in other parts of Europe and North America. A detailed resource section includes instructions for making three traditional French quilted articles, directions for caring for and displaying quilts

Details

SKU qhQuilts of Provence
Price $98.95