The 'Glass Quilt'

At the end of 2006 Charlotte ('Charlie') Ellis, a British textile and glass artist, and her Swedish colleague Tina Lindström, a Glass artist, contacted the Quilters' Guild for some advice on quilts after receiving funding from the English and Swedish Arts Councils to create an interpretation, in glass, of a textile quilt. Whilst looking through the Guild's collection they came across Barbara's semi-transparent 'Six in the City' (see 'The Quilters' Guild Collection') and loved it. Based on the Swiss Re building (The Gherkin) in London the concept seemed perfect. After seeing the larger piece in the same series, 'The Gherkin', they were determined to use it as their inspiration for their 'Glass Quilt'.

"A glass building inspires a textile quilt which inspires a glass sculpture.
A great project"

Through January & February 2007 they prepared their designs, commissioned the special moulds & frame and cast the shapes at the English Antique Glass workshops in Alvechurch, near Redditch.

Barbara's 'The Gherkin' inspiration for the Glass Quilt	'Six in the City' and Tina Lindström removing a ladle of molten glass from the furnace.	Barbara watches as Charlie waits to cut the molten glass being poured into a mould.
Glass being poured into a mould placed on top of coloured 'glass dust' and a piece starting to cool.	Details of cast glass pieces 'glued' together with silicon and assembled into metal frames	Charlie & Tina assembling the sections into a custom made frame.
	The inspiration and the inspired
See the Glass Quilt - based on Barbara's 'The Gherkin' Quilt, created by Tina Lindström & Charlie Ellis - at the Quilt Museum & Gallery, St.Anthony's Hall, York.

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