Spring textiles 2020

American Quilt, USA, see Selvedge Issue 68.

The Selvedge calendar 2020 is now available. An ideal Christmas gift for textile lovers, the calendar features a different textile or technique every month, inspired by the Selvedge archive. April, May and April feature, in order; American quilting, Blaudrucker and Italian lace.

The history of quilts began long before European settlers arrived in the New World. With the arrival of the English and Dutch settlers in North America, quilting took on a new life and flourished such as this variation of a Mariner’s Compass design from Ohio. It is an Amish Mariner's Compass quilt, from the third quarter of the 19th century. As well as featuring this quilt, Selvedge Issue 68 also reviews the book, Red and White Quilts: Infinite Variety American Folk Art Museum by Dr Sue Marks.

Blaudrucker, Austria, see Selvedge Issue 41

Indigo dyeing on linen is traditional in Austria. The small town of Gutau has always been a centre of ‘blue-printing’. ‘Blaudrucker’ (blue-printers) from other parts of Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic (Moravia) come here once a year, in early May, to exhibit and sell their designs at the Dyers’ Market. Before Blaudrucker is dyed, a resistant paste is applied to the linen cloth using wooden printing blocks. Once the fabric has been dyed in an indigo vat the resist paste is removed and a delicate blue and white pattern is revealed.

Lace, Italy, see Selvedge Issue 36

The only equipment needed for needle lace are are a needle, thread and scissors. Italian needle lace such as Gros Point de Venise creates a heavy lace with robust, sculpted, scrolling designs, but it required as many as 6000 buttonhole stitches per square inch.

Visit www.selvedge.org to buy a calendar, your purchase includes 15% off the back issues featured, using code CALENDAR.