Crosspatch – Page 8 – My Soul is fed with needle and thread

Just another brick in the wall

As I recognise all the fabrics in the quilt as a collection of “yours and mine” this must have been a joint effort for mum and me

This is one of the quilts I photographed last summer in my rainy garden, such a simple design which would work well with jelly rolls or scraps. I can’t remember the dimensions but it looks as if the Bricks are 2 ½ “ by 4 ½ “; it would work larger or smaller so long as the width was half the length in the finished brick. The white and coloured bricks are then put together round a central square of white.

I’m pretty sure this is one my mother made although I can see it was made of a pooled collection of scraps because some of them are from my stash. The block pattern was a block of the month challenge which I think I might have set for our quilting group. As I recognise all the fabrics in the quilt as a collection of “yours and mine” this must have been a joint effort for mum and me rather than of the group as a whole.
Much as I like this collection of earthy, spicy colours, they are not my colours and would not sit well in my home, which is why I guess it languishes at my mother’s house, unloved, unused. And yet I have just realised a use for it, My Dad may have to get used to being transported in a wheelchair at least over longer distances, as a retired Builder, what better than a “Brick” quilt to throw over his knees on colder days when out and about in his wheelchair.
I’m booked to take him to a hospital appointment next week, he’ll have to accept wheelchair transportation for the first time, now dare I introduce the quilt at the same time? Or should I let him get used to accepting the wheelchair first? One brick at a time I think.

Wray Scarecrow Festival

What a beautiful day we had today the sun shone, but better than that the air was warm, no arctic breeze blowing in from Scandinavia to spoil the fun. The morning began with a quick mission to the nearest shop, the 13 year old is cooking at school tomorrow and generally asks me to come up with the ingredients the night before about two hours after the local shops have shut. Today even though it is a bank holiday I’m ahead of him so Fajitas will be made tomorrow…. they may not get eaten but at least I’ve done my bit.

Then my beloved and I set off to Wray to see the scarecrows, we hit a queue of traffic 3 miles from Wray all going our way but for once we didn’t mind, it was too nice a day and we were happy just to be out in my precious, with the top down, and the smell of spring in the air.

The hedgerows are bursting out everywhere bright green hawthorn leaves, frothy cream blackthorn flowers on bare black stems, and field maple leaves which begin a pinky red before turning green as they mature.

blackthorn blossom, will be followed in the autumn by Sloes

Ahead of us in the queue was a brand new Bentley continental GT, sleek black , cream interior, I’m not often envious of what other people have but …sometimes… I think it would be nice to have beautiful things… but then they are only things.

We parked in a farmer’s field , £1.50 for all day, bargain! The smell of grass crushed by tyres and many feet, so redolent of spring. As we walked up the field towards the fair my mobile phone rang, Mum calling to say Dad was home from hospital, and relieved to be home, and I was able to stop worrying about how we would get him in the car to bring him home if he was still on hip precautions.

The scarecrows were better than ever this year, the theme I think was books or favourite stories, this one made me smile.

May Day Bank Holiday Monday is not the best day to choose to visit the Scarecrow Festival, It’s Fair day so there were thousands of families many with small children wandering about this tiny village. The one thing My Dearest cannot abide is jostling crowds with whining children underfoot. As the scarecrow from the wizard of OZ would say, if I only had a brain I would have had more sense than take him there, from the moment we arrived I knew he needed to leave..

The Scarecrow Festival is celebrated every year over the week before and culminating with a Fair on the May day Bank Holiday, a theme is chosen, and individual households in the village make their own s are crows and display them in their gardens or at their doors where they can be seen by passers by. Prizes are awarded

There be giants too, and dragonslayers. Great constructions made to be carried about the streets by someone who stands inside the construction to make it appear a living thing, walking amongst us,

each made to represent a mythic person, St George, the Green Man, or the Sun perhaps?

An unexpected weekend break for Dad

a visit from two lovely young female paramedics carrying a bottle of Entanox, and a stretcher,

Yesterday I planned to go to The Scarecrow Festival at Wray, an annual event with a fair which takes place in a little village in the Lune Valley a few miles North of us. The sun was forecast to shine late afternoon so on our way there we stopped by to see my Mum and Dad.

Mum and Dad with my sister Amanda in Williamson Park 1958

Dad had a hip replacement 20 years ago and sometimes it pops out, he generally manages to pop it back in but not this time… so his afternoon included a painful and worrying time while we considered what to do, a 999 call, a visit from two lovely young female paramedics carrying a bottle of Entanox and a stretcher, a ride in an ambulance, a lengthy wait in A&E, an X-ray, a general anaesthetic, his hip relocated where it should be and a weekend break he hadn’t planned in the local hospital. My poor old Dad.

My Beloved and I then went for a walk in the sunshine, but only in the local park, Williamson Park; built and given to the citizens of Lancaster by a local Philanthropic Mill owner, it was laid out in the 1860’s to make work for the mill workers laid off due to the cotton famine during the American Civil War, an early form of poor relief.

It stands high above the city and can be seen for miles, particularly the Williamson Memorial; a folly built by James Williamson, son of the philanthropist, in memory of his second wife Jessie, I believe the third wife spent her entire married life trying to get him to tear it down. Thank goodness she didn’t succeed.

It has been an eventful week

I once overheard a woman telling her friend about a factory shop that sold Laura Ashley roll ends and seconds, I wasn’t brave enough to stop her and ask the whereabouts of this shop, and the regret haunts me to this day!

It’s been an eventful week, I celebrated my birthday on Monday, I only admit to 43, and it’s getting harder to be convincing, but I take the view the years between 40 and 60 are the best 10 years of a woman’s life. I celebrated by starting a new job, part time and temporary but slightly better paid, so I’ll be able to buy more fabric. Yay!
I took the afternoon off to take the 16 year old to Kendal for a college interview, 2hrs in a stuffy hall while she took her interview and tests, but she got an offer of a place. And Kendal’s only 20 miles away. Yay!
Got to do some interesting and useful things at work this week, all very positive, and came home on time and feeling good about my day.
Wednesday was 1st of May, I got the convertible out of Dad’s garage and taxed it, my precious is back on the road, Thursday morning I drove to work with the top down and the wind in my hair, here comes summer.

Thursday lunchtime I got to exercise my Civic duty, to vote in the local election, I could get a postal vote but actually I enjoy the process of turning up at my local polling station, getting my ballot paper and putting my X in the box. Not only am I grateful to live in a democracy, but I never forget the Suffragettes who risked all to achieve Universal Suffrage. To me, not bothering to vote would be a betrayal of all they suffered. Being an Unrepentant Feminist and for many years a single professional woman, I value very highly the contribution they made to the Equality of Rights in society. Thank the Lord I live in the 21st century.

On the walk back from the polling station, I visited my local charity shop and bought a man’s shirt to add to my collection of 100% cotton plaids, that I am collecting for a project of which more later. It cost me £1.50 and is in perfect condition, doesn’t look as if it has ever been worn, I already have several, none of which cost me more than £1.50, for some I only paid a £1.
The previous week I was standing in my local supermarket considering the price of cheese when I became aware of a couple to my right chatting to a friend, who was talking about a charity shop where he volunteered, he was telling them that they moved all the stock which hadn’t sold into an upstairs room and sold it off at £1 a garment. Now I’m not in the habit of earwigging at stranger’s conversations in the supermarket, but I admit to hanging about long enough to discover the whereabouts of this charity shop, and I admit also that had this information not being forthcoming I would have had the brass neck to interrupt him to ask. I visited that Charity shop forthwith, 3 shirts a £1 each.

Spring has finally sprung

was excited to see evidence of Spring bursting out all over. Thank the Lord.

Spring has finally sprung, and the first warm Saturday morning we have been blessed with I spent indoors helping to steward our quilt show.

The daffodils are finally blooming so late in April but it’s still a joy to see them at last, and the hedges are all about to burst into life.

My lap quilt was finished in time, thankfully, and was hung at the exhibition. I got some positive comments from visitors, but tried not to hang about near it, you don’t always want to hear what folks have to say.
There were some wonderful quilts on show, we are fortunate to have some very skilled needlewomen amongst our number and they produce the most covetable and imaginative designs.

I have many photographs, but cannot post them without the owner’s permission, so will make do with a photo of the group quilt made as the main raffle prize, there’s still time to buy a ticket if you can get to Bilsborrow Village hall before 3 pm on 21st April.

There’s even chance to buy fabric if you have been inspired to quilt. One of our members has her own quilting shop in Longridge, and is one of the traders at our Exhibition. She has an excellent range of fabrics, threads and quilting supplies; offers workshops, and a long arm quilting service.
See www.quiltersquarters.co.uk or follow on Facebook.

On returning home I took a turn round my back garden, and was excited to see evidence of Spring bursting out all over. Thank the Lord.

How did that happen?

Last night I attended my Quilting group meeting, the committee members were very industrious in collecting together all the exhibits for our exhibition which is being set up today , and will open tomorrow 21.04.2013.
We had a very funny talk given by Chandra Law a lovely lady who came to tell us about batik as it is made in her native Malaysia, she had us in tucks of laughter remembering her first visit to Britain as a wide eyed young bride to be, and went on to tell us of the craft of batik and how it is taught in schools in Malaysia, she showed us many beautiful pieces of work of her countrywomen, both in silk and cotton, and demonstrated how to wear and tie a sarong, and how not to!
Chandra’s husband Richard demonstrated how batik is made and brought along some of his own work to show us. I really enjoyed the evening and would recommend anyone to hear Chandra speak if you ever have the chance. Find them at www.silk-batik.co.uk
Next month is our AGM and Jacobs Join , I very much fear I may have volunteered myself back on to the committee, oh dear, really, how did that happen? Well we all should expect do our bit to help run the group, or it won’t run, after more than 25 years it would be a shame for Garstang Patchwork Quilters to fold for lack of volunteers.
See my previous post for details if you are near enough to visit our exhibition, do come if you can, we only exhibit biennially, and the money raised is going to the North West Air Ambulance this time.

Stained Glass Window Quilt

Eek, no pattern, no instructions, just an image. So Mum set about it valiantly, scaling up the image then drawing it onto a backing layer, sourcing the fabrics, so many colours, so little time.

Here’s a quilt my mother made for her granddaughter to celebrate her 21st Birthday, Sally found the design in a book and brought it to Mum, “Grandma, I’d love this for my 21st Birthday, could you….?

Eek, no pattern, no instructions, just an image. So Mum set about it valiantly, scaling up the image then drawing it onto a backing layer, sourcing the fabrics, so many rainbow colours, so little time.

Each fabric piece was individually cut to fit the space on the backing where that colour belonged, and stitched to the backing along the very edge of the piece, so that the black bias binding used to “lead the windows” would cover the stitching. It was then quilted with images relevant to Sally’s life, the logo for her university, The University of Cumbria; a Dragon, because she was born in the Year of the Dragon; a set of Scales for a Libran; two Trefoils to represent the Guiding Movement; the logo of the University of Lancaster where she teaches swimming and a Gerbera to remind her of her Prom Night.There is also space for more quilted memories as they occur.

The quilt was displayed at the last Exhibition our quilt group had two years ago , the best photos of this quilt have my mother standing proudly in front of it, but she would KILL me if I published a picture her on my blog, so this one will have to do.
The Garstang Patchwork Quilters’ next exhibition is 19th to 21st April 2013, find us at Bilsborough Village Hall on the A6 north of Preston,Lancashire, UK. I’ll be there on Saturday morning, see you there.

Elegy to a Country Churchyard

Charlotte Bronte would not have looked out of place wandering amongst the gravestones outside this grand old dame with her tiny medieval doorways and leaning walls

Having planned to go out on Sunday with our cameras, we took the 16 year old to Churchtown an ancient village nearby, mainly because although the sun shone and the day was mild and dry, there is still little evidence of spring to brighten the day and gladden the heart.

I do enjoy wandering about a country churchyard occasionally, this one made me think of Victorian lady novelists, Charlotte Bronte would not have looked out of place wandering amongst the gravestones outside this grand old dame with her tiny medieval doorways and leaning walls.

The crocuses are just blooming and still picture perfect.
We walked down the high street and found a house, old and uncared for almost derelict, how I would love to get my hands on that when it finally comes up for sale, what a development project, how beautifully and sympathetically I would love it back to life. Sadly I won’t have the wherewithal, no doubt some property developer will buy it and “modernise” the heart out of it, and sell it on for a King’s ransom. Such is life. Beside it we found a strange thing, an old red phone box, of the type which generally no longer exists in villages. This one is a free to use phone, not economical to run as a pay phone, the phone company BT have simply left it operational but no longer empty the coin box, so allow it to be used, Gratis!

Opposite is this picturesque post box set in the brick garden wall of the house which in turn faces the Old Post Office now a private house, it still has its Victorian shop front.

This tiny village boasts two public houses one a famous gastro pub, The Punchbowl, I haven’t been inside for 30 years but remember very clearly being accidentally squirted in the eye with a lemon by my friend, ouch! The other pub has lain empty for some time now, so I was really pleased to see it reopened and spruced up, perhaps I’ll take the old folks for lunch, on the way to the Quilt Exhibition in a couple of weeks time.

We came across a delightful young couple, who were working on a little mini car, they were renovating it meticulously, the interior was all new leather, the body work resprayed, and they were polishing the chrome fittings the grill and headlights. They looked so young; the car they were working on must have been older than both of their ages, combined. I hope they enjoy having such a great little car.

A Spring day on the edge of never ending Winter.

He missed a wonderful view of a snow capped Ingleborough in the distance.

Here we are in the last days of March, Easter has arrived but spring is yet to be sprung. The sun was finally shining and the temperature mild so My Dearest and I went for a walk this afternoon. I took him to see the Aqueduct, a beautiful late 18th Century stone built bridge which carries the Lancaster Canal over the River Lune.

Opened in 1797 it has recently been refurbished as part of a scheme to reopen the river path which was once known as Ladies Walk, but has become unloved and surrounded by industry. New paths have been built and undergrowth cut back to allow walkers and Cyclists a better view of the river.

We walked from the Aqueduct to the Viaduct, which carries the motorway over the River. What a striking difference we were faced with, from the beauty and elegance of 18th century engineering, to the rough brutalism of the mid 20th century.

I can’t help thinking what a pity it is that beauty is less often a consideration when designing our built environment. Did no-one think “this bridge will stand for centuries let’s make it something to admire”? They did in the 18th century. But then in the 18th century the built environment was built by educated men of wealth (well that which still stands was) who wanted to make their mark and be proud of it.

We were disappointed to find very little evidence that spring is here, no fresh green leaves no spring flowers only a lonely group of colts foot pushing through the debris of last Autumn, and a solitary group of snow drops amongst the briars.

I climbed the banking from the Riverside up to the canal path with my Dearest,however he doesn’t do heights, when he saw how high it was he went back down while I walked the canal path.

He missed a wonderful view of a snow capped Ingleborough in the distance. I wish I had a better lens on my camera to capture that scene, but then my camera is heavy enough, any heavier and I wouldn’t carry it, and then none of these pictures would have been captured, there has to be a balance in life.

In the car park we found an image on the railings, it’s a copy of a work by a local Artist Chas Jacobs I have a number of prints of his work, I love the bright colours and naive images of familiar local landmarks. this one has the aqueduct in the foreground and Ingleborough in the background.

http://www.chasjacobs.co.uk

Warm hands; Cold heart, or so the saying goes.

Some of the creams are evidently different from their neighbours, if one person had made all the blocks, all the creams would match

I do have warm hands, always, and so I make lousy pastry, the saying would have me cold hearted too. Blue hearts may look cold too but they make an easy to make, simple quilt.

The quilt belongs to my mother, I don’t actually remember it being made but I’m pretty sure it must be a block of the month challenge, each heart just a four patch; 3 blue squares and a cream one, set on point alternating with plain cream squares. Some of the creams are evidently different from their neighbours, if one person had made all the blocks, all the creams would match, or there would be a selection of creams carefully placed to balance across the quilt.
It’s such a simple rustic quilt , quilted and tied, no need for anything elaborate.

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31