Shelburne Museum - part I

We sure do feel lucky that we were in Maine LAST week instead of this week.  We had 70* days, went sailing, took another boat ride and walked around in capris and t-shirts (well, I did; my dh was in jeans! VBG).  This week?  It's snowing!! EEEEK.

I promised you pictures from the visit to the Shelburne.  I'm going to first show you pictures from the grounds.  Then I'll show you pictures of the 4 quilts that the women who work there shared from the Museum's collection.


You can probably tell that this was taken from inside since it was raining at that point and we were in our study group.


The Shelburne has much more than just quilts.  This was a lighthouse on the grounds.  I didn't get inside but my dh said it was awesome.


This tree was just outside a building that contained the replica of the New York apartment of Electra Havemeyer Webb, who was the founder of the Shelburne Museum.  I was astonished to see the most amazing collection of beautiful Impressionist paintings-- Monet, Degas, Manet.


I just couldn't get enough pictures of the fall colors.


Can you believe that they had a real steamboat open for viewing?  I didn't get a chance to get inside but my dh said it was remarkable!

Okay, now for the quilts!!!  They shared 4 quilts.  We got to look at them up close, on a table.  It was a very special opportunity!


Do you notice the cut outs for the bed posts on the left??

Here is a close up of an edge:


The backing fabric was just amazing.  It looked like a kind of toile.


This is a picture of the women who showed us the quilts.  This "roll" is how they transport and store the quilts that aren't on display.  They rolled the quilt around a cardboard tube and then tied it closed with muslin.  The quilts never touched the tube as they used a protective mylar in between.  They handled the quilts with great respect and love!



This is the second quilt they showed us.  The border was appliqued down.  And the quilting was just amazing.  It had words sewn in.  I think it was the Star Spangled Banner, if I'm remembering correctly.  I think there was also personal information sewn in, although that was difficult to read.

Here are some close ups:

The original fabric is deteriorating in places but the overall quilt is still intact.  Note the quilting!




Here you can see the appliqued border.  Note that one side had a fringe sewn on the end!


I am a sucker for a feathered star and this was an excellent example of a variation.

This was the third quilt they showed us:

The most interesting aspect of this quilt (aside from the gorgeous piecing!) was that it is an example of the pot holder method of quilting.  What was unusual was the it was done in a circle.  Wendy Reed, who has done many quilts this way, explained to us how this was actually constructed.


If you look closely you will see the little seam on the outside edge where the blue binding ends.  This was where she put the pieces together.


If you look very closely, you can see the seam in the blue binding.  We also had a discussion about what colors were originally in the quilt.  The pink was thought to have been maybe red;  the cream was thought to have been brown.  Maybe...

Here is another close up which may enable you to see the individual units that were connected via the pot holder method:

Do you see the center section with the white binding?  That was one separate unit, joined to the other starbursts.  Personally I don't even like piecing curved units.  I couldn't imagine doing this!


I think this was my favorite of the ones they brought to show us.  Do you see the tube with the mylar?

Here is a close up of one unit.  I just loved the variety of fabrics that were used in some.  Some were done with just a couple.  Others with a whole variety.



Do you see where one of the purple pieces was pieced together?  Make-do!

Next installment will be the quilts that were brought by the women who attended the study group.  And then third will be the quilts on display at the Shelburne, although they were all behind glass.

We head back to California tomorrow and I get to babysit the two youngest (until the new baby arrives in the next couple of weeks) all week.  WOOHOO!!  We are taking them trick or treating on Monday night.  I'm sure I'll have to show you pictures of them dressed up.