Sutton Hoo quilt exhibition - pictures and inspirations!

While I was away teaching last week, I had a chance to see the quilt exhibition at Sutton Hoo (see my previous post for links). If you can get there, don't miss it! There were lots of really fantastic pieces and LOTS of inspiration in the main exhibition hall too (you are allowed to photograph the display panels and replica items, so I've added a taster of those too). Sutton Hoo was a Saxon royal burial ground and the mounds included several ship burials. There is even a full size scene of the burial chamber on the main boat in the exhibition hall. The helmet below is a replica of the original grave find and it is amazing to see in real life how it would have looked when new. A general view of the quilt exhibition space - Angela Seabrook's quilt with a Mariner's Compass and braided patchwork inspired by the cauldron chain in the main ship burial is next to the fire door at the end (it looks mostly golden yellow and white in this photo - hopefully she will be sending me a better photo soon!) Here is a sample of the quilts on show - just left click any of the photos to enlarge them and read the captions. There were quite a few big names in the quilt world who had sent pieces, including Edwina Mackinnon and Pat Archibald (one of her Kilimanjaro series is above right - more of Pat's quilts here). Kim Shaw, whose entry is directly below, also has a piece of work framed and hanging in the entrance to the restaurant - unless you are specifically going into the restaurant, you might miss the other panel, which relates to this one. You may have seen Kim demoing at some of the bigger quilt shows around the UK. This piece is by Nancy Waterfall, who moved to Sutton Hoo after being in charge of Tatton Park Old Hall, where she also instigated regular quilt exhibitions. By chance, I bumped into her at the exhibition and it was nice to be remembered. We used to enjoy those Old Hall exhibitions so much, with Region 13 quilt groups taking turns to inhabit a different room each year, where we exhibited quilts over beds, chairs, tables, hanging as pictures - you name it! Edwina Mackinnon's quilt - This quilt used blocks from my "Japanese Quilt Blocks to mix and match" book (although the book isn't credited in the description - the top left kamon, with the "treasure" cloak and hat, is not found in modern crest books and I adapted it from an old tsutsugaki dyed panel).  

 

I can almost guarantee you will come away with ideas for a new project inspired by the grave treasures. The burial mound site is very atmospheric and worth the short walk to see it too - left click the image above to see my panoramic view.

UPDATE - 24/5/2021 -

More about the Sutton Hoo treasure here - https://www.kellycodetectors.com/pages/sutton-hoo-treasure/

Next year's (2022) Quilters' Guild of the British Isles AGM and Conference is planned to be held not far from Sutton Hoo. We are planning to go and hope to visit again. Since my initial visit all those years ago, the visitor centre has had a major revamp and looks even more interesting. I can't wait to go back!

Essex, Cambridge, Sutton Hoo & more

I got home from a week long teaching and speaking session late last night, so there is a lot of catching up to do today before I go over to teach in Denmark next week. Photos later, but info on two exhibitions first.

If you want to see some wonderful quilts, plus masses of design inspiration in the main exhibition hall, visit Sutton Hoo. Should inspiration for a new project strike, Quilters Haven is only a short drive away.

Wed 16th September – Sun 4th October, 12.00 – 4.00pm
Quilt Exhibition – Spirit of Discovery
Marvel at beautiful quilts celebrating the spirit of Discovery, created by members of the Quilters Guild and local quilt makers.
Quilt Show £3, (NT members £1). Not Mon and Tue

Visiting Cambridge after speaking for Cambridge Quilters on Friday morning, I spotted an exhibition by Reg Cartwright at Cambridge Contemporary Art (I was just walking down the street by chance!)
19 Sep 2009 - 11 Oct 2009

Cambridge Contemporary Art is delighted to be hosting this major exhibition of Reg Cartwight's new work.

Working primarily in still life, Cartwright continues in the tradition of British Modernism drawing from his influences in Ben Nicholson, William Scott, et al. Cartwright shows how by paring down everyday objects like fruit, jugs, plates, spoons, fish and landscape one can achieve an effect of startling simplicity and beauty, where colour, form and composition come together in harmony and intensity. By constantly reworking this theme he has found refreshing ways of interpreting inanimate everyday objects and his paintings have become renowned as an integral part of modern interior design. Reg Cartwright was born in 1938 in Leicestershire where he lives and works. In 1974 he became a full-time painter and illustrator after thirteen years as a successful commercial artist and art director.

Click here for some pictures from the exhibition & other pictures. His still lifes remind me of some of Mary Fedden's work, although she is of the earlier generation of British Modernists.

Some pictures from Cambridge - John Taylor's "Chronophage" at Corpus Christi mesmerises pedestrians - more here -

A useful 3-D map of the city, near Kings -

Kings panorama -

There must be millions of images of Cambridge on the internet, so I only posted a handful here!