On Tuesday, April 29, 2014 2:52:28 AM UTC+10, NightMist wrote:
On Sun, 27 Apr 2014 11:21:51 -0700, dldennis5 wrote:



I know Ive hit this subject a little late, but I am making a

death/mourning quilt. I have several ideas of my own, but would like to

look at Victorian ones to compare. I keep pulling up the same 4

examples online (including your recommendation). Is there a book avail?

Thanks, dd



OK unless this thread is pulled up from the depths of the vaults I've

missed the first bit.



To the best of my knowledge there are no set patterns for such quilts.

While patterns were sometimes used, crazy quilts or whole cloth seem to

come up with greater frequency during a search. Both commonly

embellished with embroidery giving pertinent details (names, dates, etc),

and sometimes gothic imagery. Crazy quilts would generally include

pieces from clothing or bedding (particularly from the death bed) of the

deceased.



For a particularly american tradition, not victorian though so far as I

know, look up funeral ribbon or flower ribbon quilts. Wherein someone

takes the ribbons that were part of the flower arrangements at the

funeral and makes a quilt of them. Just the ribbons if there are enough,

or "stretched" with bands of patterns associated with coffin quilts such

as Darts of Death.



You might also try looking for "Widow's Quilts", "Grave Quilts", and

"Coffin Quilts".



Victorian death and grieving customs are a large well documented

category, you may find more information in a study of the general topic.

Once you get past the hair wreaths and jewelry, and the watercolor

paintings of droopy willow trees shading doomed couples anyway.



I seem to recall an article that included items made by a Victorian widow

that included a quilt made of her deceased husband's military uniforms,

and then a later quilt that she made of her own mourning clothes just

prior to her remarriage. Of course I cannot dig it up at the moment, the

universe is just not that kind. If I manage to come across it I will try

to find an online source and link it.





NightMist

Thanks Nightmist, that was interesting


Dee in Oz