Judy Severson's Broderie Perse

Judy Severson, Blue Garland, 92" x 92"

Judy Severson, Blue Rose, hand stuffed by Judy, hand quilted by Toni Fisher, 78" x 78"

Judy Severson has revived the art of cut-out-chintz applique with her book Flowers in Applique and through her teaching. Chintz applique, also called Broderie Perse, was the earliest applique style. Quiltmakers snipped blossoms out of chintz-scale prints and arranged them on a new background.

I took these detail shots of a block-style chintz applique Judy displayed at last fall's American Quilt Study Group conference.

This detail shows you that Judy, like the early applique artists, doesn't cut around every detail. For this piece she had a wonderful combination---a chintz on a fancy figured background and the same fancy ground as separate yardage. She could cut rather loosely and make it all blend in.

Judy's teaching at The Elly Sienkiewicz Appliqué Academy from February 11 to the 14th. Click here to read more about her and the other teachers:

http://www.ellysienkiewicz.com/teachers.htm 

Judy is also well known for her embossed quilt cards See more about them by clicking here:
http://www.printstore.com/severson.html

Flowers A-Bloom, hand stuffed by Judy, hand quilted by Toni Fisher, 81" x 81"

To see some antique quilts using this technique go to the website of the International Quilt Study Center and Museum by clicking here:

http://www.quiltstudy.org/discover/search.html

On this search page scroll down to Advanced Search and find the menu item Style/Type. Pull down the menu bar there and click on Cut-out chintz(Broderie Perse). You'll find over 30 examples.

Chintz & George IV

George as Prince Regent, about 1810 by Sir Thomas Lawrence

Commemorative print from the era of England's King George IV (GR IIII) (1820-1830)

I've been reading Regency history about the era when King George IV of England was Prince of Wales and then Prince Regent while his father was ill. It's a time of great technological advances in printing cottons, which is how I got started reading about it, but now I am a enthralled with the impressive scale of naughtiness among the aristocracy---gambling, debt, ridiculous spending, promiscuity, etc.

Chintz reproduction from William Booth

The Prince Regent set the tone. He was quite a conspicuous consumer. To see one of his quilted chintz banyans (a sort of bath robe) in the collection of the Royal Pavilion Museum click here:
http://www.virtualmuseum.info/collections/themes/costume_gallery/html/history.html

See a waistcoat with a similar print at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/all/waistcoat/objectview_enlarge.aspx?page=8&sort=0&sortdir=asc&keyword=cotton&fp=6&dd1=0&dd2=0&vw=1&collID=0&OID=80013460&vT=1
To read more about fashionable cotton prints of the time click here:
http://www.demodecouture.com/cotton/

And here are sites where you can buy reproductions of the late 18th century chintzes---prices on a scale with Regency-era extravagance though.
http://www.wmboothdraper.com/Cotton_Prints/Cotton_Prints_Index.htm
http://www.dutchquilts.com/chintz_fabric.html
http://www.texrepro.com/drygoods/34

You can download a lovely catalog featuring some chintz from the Titi Halle/Cora Ginsburg website
http://www.coraginsburg.com/catalogues/2004/costume_textiles_cat2004.pdf