There’s still time to plan a trip to visit expert quilter Pauline Burbidge’s Open Studio this summer. Between Friday 30th July and Monday 2nd August you will be able to view Pauline’s latest work in the beautiful rural surroundings of her home at Allanbank Mill Steading, Allanton in The Scottish Borders.
Each year Pauline opens her home and garden, where she and her husband, sculptor Charlie Poulsen live and work, so that we can get a glimpse into their work at its source.
The show runs for four days and you will be treated to the unveiling of Pauline’s recent textile works – including her 2010 Quiltline Collection inspired by The Holy Island Causeway, and her latest Studio Quilt.
A huge amount of thread goes into Pauline’s quilts, which are made using a mixture of hand and machine stitching. She has always used Coats threads, and enjoys the consistent quality that they offer. Pauline is a great believer in natural fibres and prefers to use cotton or silk threads in sympathy with the cotton and silk fabrics in her designs. Her most recent Studio Quilt is made up of multi-layered fabrics and layers of hand stitching. She has used Coats Cotton No 30, Seta Reale silk thread and a huge amount of Anchor Coton a Broder No 16 for large chunky stitches.
As well as Pauline’s quilts you must keep your eyes open for sculptures by Charlie Poulsen. In the garden you will be able to view some of Charlie’s Growing Sculpture. This year Pauline’s visiting artist is Anna King – who also works with fibres and constructs coiled forms from different materials.
Pauline’s famous Applecross Quilt has been widely admired as the quilt that featured on much of the publicity for the V&A exhibition 1700 – 2010 and she exhibits designs every year at The Festival of Quilts which is held at Birmingham’s NEC. If you can’t make it to the Scottish Borders this summer, she’d be pleased to meet you at the Festival of Quilts on stand E25.
For full details of Open Studio 2010 – visit Pauline Burbidge's website. You can also find out more about her Quiltline collection.