Fabric in historical perspective :-)

[HomespunMary]

Don't know if anyone's interested in old textle history (I know I wasn't until I started quilting) but I just happened upon these quite educational videos from the Swedish Historical Museum. They deal with the theme of how fabric and fabric art were historically used to signify power, status and wealth - particularly by the church - in this part of the world. Not really any quilting, but lots of embroidery, embellishments and different fabrics, and the way these masterpieces look 700-900 years after they were produced

The narrator is a well-known Swedish professor of history (who speaks with a very strange accent, LOL, so don't think that all Swedes speak like this), but there are English subtitles so it shouldn't be a problem to follow.

So, for those of you who like to watch documentaries, enjoy!

http://video.historiska.se/playlist.asp ... ediaid=238
http://video.historiska.se/playlist.asp ... ediaid=239
http://video.historiska.se/playlist.asp ... ediaid=240
http://video.historiska.se/playlist.asp ... ediaid=241

For my part, I think I'll pay a visit to this museum very soon! LOL, wouldn't it be cool to use an almost thousand years old embroidered or woven design and give it a modern spin in a quilt...?

[sunsup]

Yes, it would be cool. The celtic plaids relate to differnt clans, I think, and some of the celtic "knots" done with bias are out of this world.

Have fun Maria.