What a treat I had on Monday! As a member of the Textile Society, I was given the opportunity to join a private tour of the Quilts 1700 - 2010 exhibition, out of hours!
I entered a lottery for the limited tickets and was thrilled to discover I had won a place on the tour along with a friend.
Lizzie and I met at the station, an early train- 7.21 in the morning meant we were up in South Kensington by 8.50- on time to meet another 10 Textile Society members at the V and A staff entrance. We were all given passes and were escorted to the entrance of the exhibition. Here we met the curator Sue Prichard who was to guide us through, picking out and discussing star pieces of the show.
We were truly spoilt as the exhibition was deserted. In opening hours the show is very busy, it being so popular, so it was a real treat to be able to have free reign of the exhibition, getting up close, undisturbed by crowds.
The curator Sue, was very generous with sharing her knowledge of the quilts. She told of the acquisition, the myths and the truths behind many of the illusive quilts. The stories were amusing, emotive and most often enlightening. We learnt so much, not just about the quilts but more so about the lives of the makers.
It was very interesting to hear of the detective work that went into discovering the secrets behind each key piece in preparation for the exhibition. We were thrilled to hear that the research is on going.
Quilts 1700 -2010 offers such a invaluable source of knowledge about the culture of stitch and the show is well worth a visit. It is for many, a once in a life time opportunity to see the V and A's collection of quilts.
If you haven't had the chance to visit, I thoroughly recommend that you do! The exhibition runs until 4th July 2010. Read more...
Holly
x
No comments:
Post a Comment