On handcraft
All Pemberton Qwilts are made by hand with great care and attention to detail. Slight inconsistencies of manufacture arise from the different behaviours of the fabrics we combine. For this reason – and also because the supply of fabric changes seasonally – no two of our quilts will ever be the same.
On construction
A quilt has four parts: a patchwork top, a backing (usually a single piece), a filler of batting to give it what quilters call ‘loft’, and the binding. Piecing is arranging and sewing together the patchwork top. Quilting is the act of stitching through these three layers and trapping the loft, either by hand or by machine. The quilt is finished with a binding all the way around to protect and conceal the raw edges of the three layers.
On materials
Patchwork is an ancient system of recycling. While we work with new fabric, I maintain the principle that quilts are made from old clothes, sheets and scraps of life – that’s how you get the mash-up that really gives patchwork its spirit and charm. Although it’s fiendish to keep the pieces perpendicular, my quilts are mostly linen, because of its heaviness and the way it takes colour. Bits of silk give an extra hit of colour intensity. The wadding in the sandwich is cotton, poly-cotton, or a combination with silk or bamboo. We use cotton thread to piece the top and for hand-quilting, while the machine quilting is done either with cotton or sometimes polyester thread because it has greater resilience in the process. The back is cotton and the binding is usually silk.
On size
We make our double bed quilts to a standard size of 240 x 180 centimetres (96 x 72 inches). This covers the bed from the pillows to the foot, hanging generously down either side but not over the end. This is how we think quilts look their best on most beds. Your quilt can be any size you like, with a cost adjustment if it’s larger than my standard dimensions or requires significant modification of the pattern.
On price
Together, the labour in the piecing of the patchwork top and the method of quilting determine the price of the quilt. A design composed from 288 shapes takes a lot longer to sew together than one made from 28. A highly improvised design is very labour-intensive. Hand-quilting is 8–10 times the cost of the long-arm machine process and is reflected the price, although it makes no difference to the cost of materials and the time spent in piecing the top. The prices are subject to change without notice.
On delivery
A small number of Pemberton quilts are available to buy immediately. Most are made to order. A machine quilt or TV quilt, with a systematic pattern requiring only moderate improvisation and a small amount of hand finishing, will be manufactured and delivered in 4-6 weeks. A hand-quilt takes up to 3 months.
On care
When you get your quilt, give it a good shake-out and leave it in a randomly crumpled heap to ease the creases from folding and packing. Iron it if you like, but not too hard or you’ll squash the loft. Remember that quilts belonged to the world before the washing machine. We recommend that you air your quilt every year or so, but resist washing it. Washing stresses the seams and eventually may fade or bleed the colours. In extremis, wash your quilt by machine on a cool cycle with a mild detergent; pump and spin. Do not tumble it dry; instead, spread it out flat or hang it over a rail for as long as it takes to dry out. The assorted fabrics may crumple at different rates as it does so, but that’s part of the charm of your handmade quilt.
