A Patchwork Quilt Presented to a Stamp Collecting US President and my Stamp Collage version

Franklin D Roosevelt's Postage Stamp Quilt inspired this stamp collage piece.

Back in the 1930s, a very special quilt was made by an African American,Estella Weaver Nukes, as a gift to President Franklin D Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor. Estella was a talented quilter and knew of FDR's love of Stamp Collecting so, with a team of helpers, made a huge bed cover using postage stamp sized cotton pieces.    I read about this in Kyra Hicks' book "Franklin Roosevelt's Postage Stamp Quilt" and having received a parcel of stamps from the USA containing many 6c stamps with FDRs portrait, was inspired to use these and other US stamps to make a stamp collage version!  It's a large picture and I don't often have occasion to display it easily, but it can now be seen in my latest exhibition at The Vault, George Street, Nailsworth  until 30th December 2017.  Together with Diane Young I'm  exhibiting a variety of work: Stamp Collages with subjects ranging from Flags, landscape, hearts, flowers and Quilts, and Diane is showing acrylic paintings including birds, animals, and fables. (www.dianeyoungartist.com)  The Vault is open from 12 noon until 11 pm every day.

Pretty in Pink - Pink Stamps make up a pretty stamp collage quilt design

Traditional patchwork quilt patterns incorporate all sorts of pretty cotton fabrics. My facebook page recently flagged up a post from the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky (www.quiltmuseum.org) with a beautiful historic 9-patch quilt - very simple in shades of pink but from the civil war period and so wonderfully conserved. Coincidentally I've been working on another simple square design using stamps which are either pink or feature pretty pink designs to make up my stamp collage, "Pretty in Pink".
I recently worried that I had upset stamp collectors who may feel that I should not be using stamps as they could be more useful to collectors, which is  possibly true of course. However, all of these stamps are readily available on the many internet auction sites, through stamp dealers and to swap with other stamp collectors.

Postage stamps used in the collage

In the case of the USA 1938 Presidential Series  I have used quite a few of  the 2c carmine pink stamps featuring John Adams 2nd  President 1797-1801, and the 9c lighter pink featuring William Henry Harrison 9th  President - 1841-1841. My fears were certainly allayed on discovering the vast number of these stamps  printed and the sheer numbers I have myself did give me a clue!
 I found that  1,692,201,400 of the 9c stamp were issued and for the 2c stamp which had several issues throughout 1938 and 1939, a total of   29 BILLION - not million, but billion, were issued! I feel no guilt! I still have many left and would be happy to swap if you're missing one from your collection!
The other stamps I've used are more recent issues : a 1st class Greetings/Flower design from 1998 (GB), and the 33c Pink Rose issued 1999/2000 as well as a few of the  33c USA Valentine Heart stamps, as well as the 2c Pink featuring Thomas Jefferson (3rd President 1801-1809) from the Liberty Issue of 1954-68.

Detail from Stamp Collage patchwork quilt design 

Flower Basket Patchwork quilt stamp collage

I've finished work on this stamp collage, based on the flower basket patchwork quilts of yesteryear.  Instead of using fabrics as the traditional quilters did, I've used my own materials, stamps and envelopes to complete my paper collage design, which is approximately  20 inches square. I've used American stamps depicting roses and Spring flowers, as well as stamps featuring the many designs showing the US flag for the baskets.

I've tried to take care to have the flag the right way up as I understand there is a certain flag etiquette, although I don't really know how strictly this is adhered to in the case of  artwork, but I do like to try and be respectful!  George Washington (5c), John F Kennedy (13c)and  the Statue of Liberty also appear in this quilt, which uses as background  for some of the squares the insides of envelopes - nothing goes to waste! Instead of a fancy herringbone stitch I've used the edges of the airmail envelopes to join the patches.
The picture will be finished off with a white mount and frame. Prints and cards will also be available shortly.

Quilt collection at the American Museum ... and on US stamps

The American Museum at Claverton, Bath has a wonderful collection of hand made quilts from early 1800s to modern times. You can get in very close to examine the intricate work which is on display in the Quilt room and regularly rotated to ensure that the quilts are maintained and preserved at their very best.

I'm hoping to combine my interest in stamp collage, with making my own stamp quilt, but in a much smaller size, suitable for framing, having been inspired by this great collection. I have a large amount of US stamps which will be just perfect - just hope I've got as much patience as the American quilters obviously had!

The stamps shown below depict one of the quilt motifs seen at the Museum.  I also came across other memorabilia in the museum which has been the subject of US stamp issues and will feature these on a different post.

Embroidered detail from a patchwork quilt  on display in the American Museum in Bath

I was pleased to see this design as I had recently found a set of US Stamps depicting this popular basket motif
(see below)

Nine patch quilt

I'm always interested to see fine hand-crafted items and these quilts are very special!