Wednesday, September 23, 2015

radiating polyester patchwork


This dynamic 1970s quilt came from an eBay seller in Ventura, California. It is 60" x 86", all polyester, and the repeat block design is a pieced fan radiating around an appliquéd central circle. The piecework includes four large wedges in the corners and eight smaller pieces in between. There are borders along three edges, and the sashing and border fabric is brown.




Like many of the other polyester quilts in my 1970s collection, this quilt includes a variety of polyester fabrics; solids and prints, woven and embossed. The fade-resistant polyester lets the true colors to show, something we do not always see in vintage quilts made of cottons. The palette is intriguing. Pink, purple, green, red, tan and brown all play well together; another surprising combination of colors that strangely works.


This quilt is part of an eye-opening group of barely-vintage quilts, currently on display in  "Modern Materials, Quilts of the 1970s" at the Benton County Museum in Philomath, Oregon. For more information about the exhibition, location, hours,  and other venues showing quilts during Quilt County 2015, click here.

1 comment:

  1. Radiating polyester...funny, my first thought on seeing this quilt was that it reminded me of those Cold War radiation/fallout shelter signs. What a uniquely beautiful piece of art/history you have in this quilt!

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