From our private collection, this quirky mid C20th patchwork door curtain is full of intrigue and beauty - and at its very heart is the curious fragment containing the bear-blasting boy!

The entire patchwork is held together using a striking green thread in a 'feather-stitch' style, each piece is irregular in shape and size and cut without regard of pattern or subject. Most likely an honest and practical use of offcuts, scraps and collected remnants - it also shows an eye for design, a flair for colour and a fun-loving nature. (click image to enlarge)

Of course the bear-blasting boy may not be politically correct by todays standards (and certainly not something we would condone), it's simply depicting the imaginary adventures of a young boy of the era. Curiously we also see the same boy, apparently asleep, cuddling upto his pet kitten. Is he dreaming of his first bear hunt or perhaps protecting his pet from attack? It would be wonderful to see more of this fabric, if you have some - do let us know!

There's one other morsel of the same fabric within the patchwork showing a deer (mercifully alive) and the little boy smiling - gun in hand? The patchwork also contains no less than three pieces of the same cloth - but in different colourways, perhaps suggesting the use of an old samples book? Look for another feature soon!...