04.29.07
Old Textiles - and Tidbits of Wisdom
Whenever we go antique hunting, inevitably, we come across a large cardboard box in which the dealer has thrown a potpourri of this and that kind of textile. There could be doilies, old kitchen towels, lace, quilt tops, Redwork, you name it. Usually, items “displayed” in this manner don’t amount to much. They could have torn edges, may be stained, or look undesirable in a wrinkled state. Sometimes, one gets lucky.
That was the case when Jim found the “Angels Sing Thee to Thy Rest,” (casket cover for a child?), in Maine. We bought it, I took it home and washed and pressed it, and proceeded to copy the design to make a pattern, researching its meaning, in the meantime. My research led me to a book titled, Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography, in which the author shows a color photo of angels as rendered in a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792). The placement and the faces of the Redwork image look much like those in the painting. The saying on the piece is from Shakespeare.
One never knows what one will uncover when one opens his/her mind to the possibilities. This incident just reminds me, once again, that all of material culture does not happen in a vacuum. Items are related to words, and often to the deeds or preceding works of others.
For more information see:
Angels Sing Thee to Thy Rest pattern
I have a few of these Redwork patterns left @$8.49 each (that includes shipping.) If you’d like one, please contact me at: pat@quiltersmuse.com for payment details. Paypal, U.S. checks and money orders accepted.
Patricia
