In a guest blog for Janet Redler Travel, Mr Londoner explores the resurgence of quilting, patchwork and embroidery in contemporary art and fashion.

Young visitors explore the Inherited Threads gallery at Tate Modern @meetmrlondoner

Quilting is having a moment. The recent Royal Academy (RA) exhibition of works by the Gee’s Bend quilters spotlighted the quiet subversion of this most exquisite outsider art. Gee’s Bend, in Boykin USA, is on the deep curve of the Alabama River. The surprising display showcased the work of once-enslaved people and their descendants, living in rural isolation on the cotton plantations, established by Joseph Gee in 1816.

Works by the Gee's Bend quilters at the Royal Academy @meetmrlondoner

The highly-skilled, but entirely self-taught, women of Gee’s Bend made textiles to bring warmth and comfort to their families, using whatever materials came to hand. Each work is unique, revealing the individuality of its maker. These textiles have become more poignant and powerful over time. They are the repositories of memory and keepers of history. They bear witness to the creativity, dignity and endurance of the makers themselves and tell of the rich stories of their community.

Outside art. The work of the Gee's Bend quilters, Royal Academy @meetmrlondoner

Missed the RA show? Fret not. The Inherited Threads gallery at the Tate Modern features the Gee’s Bend quilters and contemporary makers like Antonio Pichillá Quiacaín, born in 1982, who explores the weaving traditions of his native Guatemala. The Quilters' Guild brings contemporary UK makers together into a close-knit community. It also showcases works, shares techniques and collects outstanding pieces produced by British quilters.

Weaving a narrative. The work of Antonio Pichilla Quicain, Tate Modern @meetmrlondoner

But is quilting an art, a craft, or simply a means to an end? It’s defined as the process of joining two layers of material - with padding or wadding in between - secured between lines of stitching. The word 'quilt' derives from the Latin word 'culcita', meaning a bolster or cushion. It was first used in England in the 13th century. The padded clothing provided warmth and comfort under medieval armour.

Patchwork is associated with quilting but is significantly different. Patchwork or pierced work involves sewing patches of material together to create a flat design. It was big in the 1960s - adopted by the counter-culture movement, inspired by all things eastern.

Elegant Indian Gudri jackets at the British Museum shop @meetmrlondoner

The British Museum shop sells beautiful Indian Gudri jackets - hand-stitched one-off textiles made from vintage fabrics. It also does a natty line in Kantha wash bags by My Doris. Kantha translates as rags. And recycled fabrics are used to create a new patchwork textile, formed of running stitches.

Kanthe washbag by My Doris @meetmrlondoner

Quilting and embroidery are making their way into the collections of other fashion makers - especially artisan ones, like Bode of New York. And you’ll find plenty of embroidery at London’s Brick Lane Vintage Market alongside militaria and up-cycled Burberry raincoats.

Upcyled and embroidered. Denim jackets at Brick Lane Vintage Market @meetmrlondoner

Menswear brand Universal Works makes jackets from vintage Indian saris. People are doing it for themselves too. There’s a resurgent interest in visible mending. Here, damage to textiles is celebrated as part of a piece’s history and repaired with a Japanese stitching technique called Sashiko.

Embroidery on an upcycled denim jacket at Brick Lane Vintage Market @meetmrlondoner

In an eco-conscious era, the quilters of Gee’s Bend remind us these techniques also enable us to reimagine and reinvent much-loved, threadbare clothing and materials. At the very least, it might bring some comfort to those of us battling those pesky clothes moths.