WEALD & DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM'S NEW BUILDING
INSPIRES
QUILT TRIPTYCH

An innovative modern timber building nestling in the South Downs, West Sussex has been the inspiration for a triptych of quilts designed and made by Bath-based quilt maker Effie Galletly.

The newly-opened Downland Gridshell at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, Chichester, West Sussex has already won architectural awards for its ground-breaking design and has been short-listed for the Stirling Prize. Using traditional oak, but in revolutionary 120ft long laths bent into a triple-dome shape mirroring the Downs, the 48m long structure is used as a building conservation workshop and museum store.

Effie's husband Michael Dickson's engineering firm, Buro Happold, worked on the building's design and construction, and on visits to the site she was inspired by the shapes and patterns in the building. The brilliantly coloured quilts, contemporary in design, are on loan to the Museum and can be seen within the Gridshell workshop.

"When I saw the building, a flowing yet crisp curving grid form, it seemed to me like a giant gem sitting in the landscape," says Effie. She started work, assembling a wide array of coloured fabrics, many of which she hand dyed herself. Working from her photographs showing different angles and perspectives she honed her designs to three contrasting and complimentary shapes. The grid itself and the colours gave the design - called Woodland Jewel - a feeling of three dimensions.

The sweeping curves in brilliant colour seem to dance and leap out as you look at them, and walking from one end of the four metre piece to the other, the quilts appear to move as you go.

The quilts have inspired a new course in the Museum's continuing education programme: Effie Galletly will teach a course about the use of buildings in quilt designs - using Woodland Jewel as an example. The Museum is uniquely well suited to inspire, with its extensive collection of historic buildings with their contrasting shapes and designs.

This is the first time the Museum has offered a class in quilt making and is an excellent subject to add to its well-established and much sought-after range of workshops and classes.

 For further information on the new course at the Museum please contact Diana Rowsell on 01243 811464, email: courses@wealddown.co.uk. Visit the Museum's website on www.wealddown.co.uk. To contact Effie Galletly telephone 01225 464370.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The award-winning Weald & Downland Open Air Museum has over 45 historic building exhibits from town and country and is designated by the Government for the

outstanding importance of its collections. Exhibits include a medieval farmstead; a working watermill producing stoneground flour; exhibitions focusing on traditional building techniques and agriculture; historic gardens and farm livestock. The Museum runs a well-established and much sought-after programme of courses in building conservation and rural crafts. There is a cafe which uses the Museum's own produce and a museum shop with gifts and books on countryside and buildings themes.

NOTE TO EDITORS

Reporters and photographers are welcome at the Museum. For further information contact Operations Director Gail Kittle
Tel: 01243 811481
Fax: 01243 811475
Email: gkittle@wealddown.co.uk.

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