Quilt Historian Polly Mello

An awesome quilt meeting was highlighted by Polly Mello's collection of whole cloth quilts (made in wool), coverlets and candle-wicked blankets; some dating back to the mid 1700's! As she mentioned in her presentation, some of the quilts in her collection do not see the light of day, or are even seen by many people due to their rarity and safe-keeping. Polly certainly has an eye for acquiring interesting and intricate quilts to add to her unusual collection(s), and she is a knowledgeable and funny as she discusses each one brought for the trunk show.

According to a Speaker Bio Forum: "Polly Mello is a quilt historian and collector, and has been collecting quilts for 40 years. Quilts in her collection have been showcased in magazines, books, major quilt shows and quilt museums. Her collection of over 200 quilts focuses on pre-1850 chintz and applique, crib, redwork, and early 20th Century designer quilts. Her favorite grouping to collect are the infamous macabre quilts that “go bump in the night”."

I photographed some of my favorites in her collection she brought tonight, including the 1912 "tshirt"/school pennants quilt-esque" quilt. A very clever one for sure!