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| “We Three Kings of Orient Are” | | 20-01-10 | | | Christmas at The Johnston Collection - Fine & Decorative Arts Museum
Over our Christmas Break, Rhonda and I were fortunate enough to catch up with sewing friends and join in a Christmas Gathering at the Geelong Patchwork and Quilters’ Guild, were we all took a plate of festive goodies to share and enjoy a day of gossip and sewing. You may think it odd that we spend our time stitching away from Blue Willow, but you have to remember – Rhonda and I have been lucky enough to turn our hobbies into a business, and there are so many different crafts out there and so little time!!
While at the gathering The Johnston Collection was mentioned and as one of our girls Sue Grieg was involved we knew we had to make a date and check it out.
The Johnston Collection is a Fine and Decorative Arts Museum in East Melbourne, managed by the independent Johnston Trust which was established in 1986. The collection is the legacy of William Robert Johnston, an antique dealer and collector of beautiful things. His bequest specified that the house must be rearranged from time to time.
The collection, unfettered by ropes and barriers, is redecorated at different times of the year, and hosts many different collections. Each Christmas a town is selected and the various craft groups and guilds invited to decorate the house for Christmas. This year is was Geelong.
It was a requirement that each decorative piece should connect with the line or form, or decoration of furniture or an object in the collection or it should relate to an aspect of Mr. Johnston’s life, to create a Christmas decoration to be displayed in the home amongst the many antique and collectables that adorn the house. The Geelong patchwork group had the Bedroom, Dressing Room & Bathroom as their inspiration area of display.
Booking is essential, and as the Museum is in East Melbourne and parking is at a minimum we all met at the Hilton Hotel, were a shuttle bus collected us and dropped us off. We were greeted with a home brewed cuppa and biscuit.
In small groups we had guided tours through the entire house with our guide informing us about pieces that were on display and the links to the collection.
Room after room was filled with all different mediums of craft from glass and ceramic, beading and embroidery, fabric and wool to paint and paper all displayed on antiques from long ago. As we walked into the bedroom, there on the side board was the 3-D star that Sue had made and the lovely Storm at Sea & Marinas Compass Quilt on the bed that the guild had made.
The collection is on display until the end of February and bookings are essential – (03) 9416 2515
If you can’t make it to East Melbourne the display will move to The Wool Museum in Geelong. |
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