the art and mystery of quilting . by Viator . quilting is a traditional art in most parts of Europe and Asia . in Siberia was found some years ago coloured quilted material bearing a fine design of reindeer , and dating from the first century A.D . in Britain the craft reached its peak in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries ; and it has survived as a peasant art until today in Wales and the north . the depression between the two wars resulted in a great revival of quilting , due to efforts to find employment for women in the distressed areas . this really began with the showing of some beautiful Durham quilts at the women &apos;s institutes handicrafts exhibition in London in 1927 . the rural industries bureau then set to work to foster the craft by forming training centres : quilt wives were found still working in four of the Welsh counties and were engaged to train others . a depot was set up in London for the sale of the work , in which Queen Mary took a great interest . the simplest kind of quilt such as can be seen in many a Welsh home , consists of two layers of material , sometimes one of them of patchwork , with a layer of unspun wool in between : the whole stitched all over with criss-cross lines to keep the wool in place . during the centuries skilled quilt wives have evolved the most intricate patterns in this stitching , thus making the quilt a work of art . as a rule no patterns are kept , each quilt is evolved afresh , so that no two are ever exactly alike . they are made up of different combinations of simple units of design , the heart , rose , feather , tulip , chain , fan , and so on . the feather motif is peculiar to Durham ; the chain is used both in the north and in Wales , where you may hear that it was derived from the ships &apos; cables of the ancient Phoenicians . also Welsh are the circles and spirals , recalling the Celtic crosses , which in turn were partly derived from the art of the ancient Britons . leaf shapes are common to both regions : a Glamorgan worker added to her repertoire two new forms , based on a chestnut and a lupin leaf , which a neighbour happened to bring in while she was at work . some of the designs such as the Tudor rose are believed to date back to Tudor times , handed down in the family since those days . the materials are fixed in a frame , which is laid flat upon trestles for working . often two friends will work at it together . a few chief points are marked out with chalk before the stitching begins , work usually starting at the centre , with that section fixed in the frame . all that is needed besides needle and thread is a ruler and a piece of chalk for drawing on the pattern . sometimes a few household possessions may be used to help with the drawing , a tumbler for circles , or an oval dish - but nothing more . all the rest is done by the eye and hand . the best filling is lamb &apos;s wool : in the country this can be got ready combed and washed from the nearest of the little woollen factories that still survive in parts of Wales . this makes the warmest covering possible , and such quilts are easily washed when necessary . a famous quilt wife was Mrs Catrin Evans of Bow Street in Cardiganshire . in her time , she made hundreds of quilts ; her work could be found all over the country and further afield , even in America . as a girl she had been taught the craft in a month &apos;s apprenticeship ; after that , she was a finished artist . in those days , Welsh quilt wives might go to work at a farmhouse . in her own words : many weeks before a farmer &apos;s daughter was to be married , I would be called to a farm . the farmer &apos;s daughter would require six and sometimes more quilts for her new home . her mother would provide all the material . I would take my wooden frame to the farm and for weeks I would be making quilts for the bride . I was paid a shilling a day and had my food and lodging . I worked from seven in the morning till nine at night . most times they would be patchwork quilts , farmers &apos; wives kept all the old clothes to be cut up for quilts . I &apos;ve been days and days doing nothing but cutting out and matching pieces . all that was nearly a century ago . in recent years the workers have been helped to adapt their old designs , formerly found only on bedspreads , to such intricate shapes as dressing gowns , coats and cardigans , as well as to rugs and cushions . the idea of quilted motor rugs , with cushions to match , the colours harmonising with the colour of the car , was one that appealed to many buyers in the days of the revival after the first war . Iona Trevor Jones tells of . making the most of spring flowers . most of our spring flowers are grown from bulbs or corms , and all such flowers prefer to be arranged with stems standing in shallow water . so when considering the designing of spring flowers it is not surprising to find that modern line or Japanese styles are popular with floral artists . these arrangements generally call for shallow dishes and trays , etc . some cleverly executed modern designs can completely transform a very ordinary earthenware meat dish or soup plate into loveliness . even the simplest design of catkin sprays and daffodils can look most effective . during the early part of the year when flowers are both difficult and expensive , economy is important , thus the design chosen must aim at making the best possible use of each flower . the uncluttered simplicity of clean-cut lines echoes the freshness of spring itself , while the yellow King Alfred trumpets herald the coming of summer sunshine . it is essential that all flowers and foliage appear to be growing from one root or indeed from one bulb . although not difficult to achieve , many newcomers to floral art fail to give this point sufficient importance . all stems should be placed so that they radiate from the centre of the container or the pinholder , and not placed soldier-fashion , all in a row . tender , hollow stems such as those of daffodils or narcissi sometimes split when placed on pinholders , but if the base of these stems are first tied lightly with a little cotton or wool , it will prevent further trouble . thin stems such as those of freezias , violets , primroses , etc , that are too fragile or thin to stand on the pinholder can be grouped and placed inside a natural hollow stem ( like the cow-parsley stem for instance ) . this is an excellent way also of giving length to very short stems that are required high up in an arrangement . the hollow stems should first be filled with water to make sure that no air bubble gets in and so prevent the water from reaching the flower head . crescent-shaped designs are often favoured for spring flowers and for this purpose stems of such things as willow-catkins and green broom can be persuaded to curve or bend by first soaking them in warm water and then using firm pressure of warm hands . the natural curving or bending action of the tulip stems on the other hand has always presented a problem to the flower arranger . stems of the early-forced varieties are especially tender , owing to the unnatural atmosphere in which many of them are grown . many words of advice have been written on this subject - a teaspoonful of sugar or starch added to the water , we are told , helps to keep tulip stems straight . florists use stub wires twisted around the stems when a rigid stem is required for use in wreath or bouquet . you may also have noticed that all bought tulips have rubber bands tied around the stems ; the more tender the stems the more rubber bands are used . this is essential for quick handling by the florists and also to ensure the minimum of damage during display . some varieties of tulips have stronger stems than others . your seedsman usually indicates this in his catalogue . occasionally I arrange some of the weaker-stemmed varieties so that they flow naturally and gracefully from the container . they show to best effect when the container is placed on a stand or pedestal . few flowers offer a wider range of colour and shape than the tulip . two varieties which I favour are the graceful , pure white lily-flowered white Triumphator and the exciting wierd-shaped , black parrot . last year in Paris it gave me great pleasure to use both varieties together in the one arrangement . the subject I had chosen to illustrate was Jekyll and Hyde . an unusual one for a flower arrangement . the idea came to me as I wandered in the garden one day when the contrast in the colour and shape of these two flowers impressed me very much . the required effect for the exhibition was gained by grouping all the pure and angelic-like white flowers on the one side , reaching upwards , while on the other side the black ones were grouped , dark and almost sinister , to hang and creep down as if in despair . the final touch was added to this dramatic interpretation , by placing it to stand on a base of misty grey tulle , representing the mysteries of the human mind . another spring flower , the iris , is sometimes called the poor man &apos;s orchid . it is not the colour or the texture of iris petals that fascinate me , but the fine detail of their exquisite shape . I love them all , the Dutch and English varieties , and later on the flag and bearded types among which there are such exciting colour combinations . my favourite , however , is a small green and black variety sometimes called the widow iris , undoubtedly because of its subdued colouring . to the keen gardener it may appear dull and uninteresting but one is not expected to foresee the dignity it portrays when arranged with the right kind of flowers . another iris which I would not care to be without is a species called Foetidissima ( Gladdon ) . although its flowers are small and rather insignificant , it is well worth growing for its brilliant scarlet berries and bright green foliage . the latter persists almost throughout the year . iris were often favoured in old Dutch and Flemish flower portraits and are even more frequently found in Japanese pictures and designs . illustrated here is the typical florist &apos;s half-dozen iris used in Japanese style . the arrangement is in two separate parts and so is known as the divided kenzan design , kenzan being the Japanese word for pinholder . the container in the photograph is a blue Denby ware meat dish , and the small pebbles in the water add considerably to the decorative effect of the completed arrangement . some leaves of the purple decorative kale are conveniently used to tone in with the general colour scheme , adding weight to the base of the design , and to hide the pinholder from view . the purple and white variegated varieties of kale are easily grown . the seeds can be planted in open ground and later transplanted like other members of the cabbage family . this method ensures that only the best coloured specimens are given garden space . the leaves are at their best during the winter months when all other foliage is scarce . they last for weeks in water . to prevent the water fouling , a chlorophyl tablet should be added . farmers &apos; wives need never worry about growing too much of this kale because what is not needed for decorative purposes can always be thrown over the garden fence for the cows . many varieties of shrubs blossom during April and May . the bushes are dressed overall in jewel colours . brilliant pink camelias are about the earliest , closely followed by scarlet rhododendrons , cerise azalea , creamy magnolias and best of all , the garden lilacs . alas , how often have we all hopefully filled jugs and vases with the freshest , sweetest lilac only to find that after a day or so the flowers have wilted sadly and the leaves seem fresh enough ? 