Unknown female convicts on board the Rajah, The Rajah quilt 1841 National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, gift of Les Hollings and the Australian Textiles Fund 1989
Sue Prichard, curator of the recent Quilts exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, visited the East Dulwich WI at their recent monthly meeting.
She gave a fascinating insight into the personal stories behind some of the quilts that formed part of the exhibition.
Highlights included The Rajah quilt, never before shown outside Australia, made by 180 women convicts aboard HMS Rajah as they were being transported to Tasmania. One of the convicts, Grace Stevens, a girl of 15, was exiled from her family for stealing a length of printed cotton and sentenced to seven years’ transportation.
copyright V&A Images
Also of note was a quilt commissioned by Fine Cell Work*, which was designed and made by the male inmates of Wandsworth Prison. Each individual hexagonal piece was stitched within the confines of a cell and represents a personal account of prison life. Some are humorous; others tell of despair and desolation. Sue Pritchard explained that stitching often brings comfort, with its rhythmic co-ordination of hand and eye, which was why many prisoners enjoyed the experience.
With that in mind, Sue then asked each of us to stitch a small fabric corsage. As none of us had ever done this before, it proved to be great fun. Not only that, we began to understand what Sue had said about stitching bringing comfort.
East Dulwich WI meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month in the function room above the Magnolia on Lordship Lane. Visitors are welcome. Further details can be found on our website. Alternatively if you are interested joining, please contact Tracey at join@eastdulwichwi.co.uk
* Fine Cell Work is a registered charity that seeks to rehabilitate prisoners by giving them the opportunity to reflect upon and rebuild their lives through craft and achievement.
Article by Anna Gryce, EDWI Committee Member.
