Monday 28 February 2011

Stars: tiles and quilts

I am lucky enough to have an original tiled floor in the hallway of my Victorian English house. I can spend so much time admiring it that even mopping is a pleasure. Most geometric designs like this were of natural clay colours ranging from red and brown to buff. Hall floors like this were popular in middle class housing of the 1870s - 1890s - and mine has the more affluent people's colours of white and the costly blue. I think our tiles could have been made by Craven Dunnill of Jackfield near Ironbridge, Shropshire. These tiles were only laid where visitors were likely to see them - porches, entrance halls and conservatories. The English were such snobs!!!
I love the star pattern more and more and of course there are no shortage of star quilt patterns. I have just finished piecing this which has helped me to become neater and more accurate...practise, practise, practise. I am enjoying accuracy and attention to detail at the moment, perhaps to the detriment of artistry but technique can give freedom I think. It can only help to get better at piecing!
I look forward to a bad weather day to layer and quilt this one. Bring on the rain!

8 comments:

  1. What fun to have a floor in your home that inspires such great quilt patterns!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love it! I saw many tile floors on my travels that would make wonderful quilts. Love your color choices.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mmmm...always admire those tile floors

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a wonderful floor! That's a lovely quilt.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Reminds me of tiles we saw in Grenada Spain
    Take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
  6. All those corners match up so neatly! Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 'the english were such snobs' - we are soooo lucky that you are not. i am sure i detect a marxist approach to the proletariat, deep within your psyche. your transendant prose and pictures of cats are joyous and uplifting. sadly, i have only formica in my ramshackle shack - the tiles were sold through a second hand emporium to provide fuel for the recent chilly winter. still, i knit one, pearl one while reading your mesmeric prose, as i listen to the dark and strangely arousing music of robert johnson. i admire your threads of loveliness and hope one day i can attain the shining excellence that you exhibit. i am not worthy, though i hope one day to be so. peace warrior

    ReplyDelete
  8. Surely genuinely truth for a few fruits, but that is a topic
    other activities holiday weekend. Fading Plastic-type material?
    Everything you should deprive any kind of products attaching into your
    cooking surface will be water and soap, good water as well as a solid painting brush.
    Furnace laws and regulations in the hard wood fired heater is
    definitely a item exciting as opposed to a free gas fired one particular.
    That you need to spritz all of your keeping up with substance or maybe sponge or
    cloth bad put on suitable straight to the specific pot while just
    that operates always outstanding.

    My web site :: toaster minibus volkswagen

    ReplyDelete

your comments are always appreciated - I enjoy reading them. You don't need to have a blog to leave a comment, you can select the name/URL option and fill in just your name instead of a blog link.