Quilts and Bed Covers to View in Old Lyme

Here’s a fragment of a quilted petticoat from the mid-1700s that shows a ship under sail.

This handsome fabric art, belonging to the D.A.R. Museum, is now on display in an exhibit at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut: “New London County Quilts & Bed Covers, 1750‒1825.”

Curated by Lynne Z. Bassett,  this museum show “examines the artistic excellence of these pieces within the context of design inspiration drawn from an array of transatlantic sources and explores the question of how the county fostered such exceptional work.” There’s a preview of the variety of quilts and covers on display on the museum website.

There’s also a stellar series of historical talks connected with the exhibit:

• Lynne Z. Bassett, online lecture on “Something in the Water: Quilts & Bed Rugs in New London County, 1750–1825,” 24 February, 2:00 P.M.
• Bassett, gallery talk on “Petticoats in New London County, 1750–1825,” 16 March, 11:00 A.M.
• Camille Breeze, virtual presentation on “Under the Covers: Conservation of New England Bed Rugs,” 23 March, 11:00 A.M.
• Linda Baumgarten, online lecture on “Wearing Quilts: Regionalism in Quilted Petticoats,” 8 April, 3:00 P.M.
• Bassett, gallery talk on “Bed Rugs from New London County, 1750–1825,” 13 April, 11:00 A.M.
• Marla R. Miller, online lecture on “Hidden Hands: Labor and Leisure in Early American Needlework,” 15 April, 3:00 P.M.
• Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, online lecture on “‘The Second Scene of Mortality’: Courtship and Sexual Danger in Revolutionary Connecticut,” 22 April, 3:00 P.M.
• Susan P. Schoelwer, online lecture on “Stitching Women’s Stories: New London County Needlework Traditions and Family Connections,” 29 April, 3:00 P.M.

The gallery talks are free with museum admission. The online events are $10, with a discount for registered museum members.