by Nancy Gere

Vanity Fair, a place or scene of ostentation or idle amusement and frivolity.  Additionally, a vain and frivolous way of life especially in large cities (after a fair held in the town of Vanity in “Pilgrim's Progress”).  The name later became the title of William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel published in 1848, satirizing society in early 19th century England.  It is also reminiscent of these beautiful examples of mid to late 19th century European Textiles.

All of the designs from Vanity Fair were selected from just 2 quilts from the archives of Nancy Gere.  They are comprised of colors that were becoming popular towards the end of the 1860’s namely dark plums, rich browns reddish pinks and the occasional clear blue.  However it is rare to find these colors together in a single quilt from this era. Vanity Fair with its large important florals and bold border stripes inspire today’s quilters to recreate quilts from the glorious age of Elizabethan England.