Cord Quilting

Example of an 18th century British embroidery with cord quilting Example of an 18th century British embroidery with cord quilting Copyright Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK, acc. no. T.209-1983.

Cord quilting is a form of relief quilting, in which lengths of cord or thick wool are outlined by parallel lines of usually either a running stitch or back stitch. There are two ways in which this technique can be worked.

The first method, known as outlining, is where a cord is basted down to one layer of cloth in the required design and then a second layer of cloth is placed over the top. The two layers are then stitched together (outlined) on either side of the cord. The second method is where two layers of cloth are sewn together (outlined) and then a cord is inserted after the sewing is completed. This form was often used in seventeenth century England.

Linen cord quilts were fashionable in English homes at the end of the seventeenth century, when the bedroom was a room of public display and entertainment. An elaborate example of an early eighteenth century English bed quilt made in this fashion can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (T.209-1983).

Cord quilts were created both professionally and domestically. 

Source: COLBY, Averil (1987). Quilting, London: B.T. Batsford LTD.

V&A online catalogue (retrieved 8th July 2016).

SA

Last modified on Friday, 19 May 2017 18:08
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