Shipton Exhibition

Today we have been setting up for our Exhibition which we hold every three years.

We hold it at this glorious building in the Cotswolds called Rendcomb  College, it's a private school. You can hire it out of term time and this is the fourth time for us to set up once again. 

It's a massive undertaking to fill the space and we work in teams setting up in different room. 

We like to theme our areas and this year my team which includes my pic decided by way of a change we would hang antique quilts. 

Meet Emma she is our computer whizzo who likes making quilts out of her old t- shirts. She is amazingly enthusiastic and will miss her when she goes off to university. 

Aileen, mother to three and works full time. She finds time to make small projects and loves a jelly roll.

Sorry your a bit blurred Aileen.

Emma and Aileen mastered the art of getting frames up in no time with Sue and I lagging behind. 

That's Sue on her knees praying for some of our old youth. 

Sue our antique/ vintage quilt collector. Good old Sue we might not have been able to put our room together without all Sue's quilts.

It's starting to come together.

This is our spring section. 

This is summer and it looks like it today with the sun shining through the windows.

Lovely cake stand quilt. 

Lovely soft pink Lone Star with a prairie bonnet

A lovely whole cloth Welsh quilt. 

We've had a fun day together dispite the age difference's . We made a great team ! 

I'll be back posting again in a few days with some more lovely antique quilts.

So if any of you are around and want to spend a day in the most glorious country side and see our groups work we would love to see you. 

Sue

Things We Do in Bed

Yesterday saw me up early and on the road to pick up pic and then head off to Bexleyheath to the official opening of The Things We Do in Bed exhibition at Danson House. 

We arrived to Buck's Fizz (only one I was driving- SHAME) then meet with Tracey Chevalier who has curated  a small exhibition of quilts that depict Birth, Sleep, Sex, Illness and Death at this beautiful 

venue. 

All set upstairs in the original bedrooms of this  magnificent house we made our way through the rooms. 

It really wasn't a huge house and I could quite envisage a family living there.  

A quick photo with Tracey. I should have worn heels as she towered above me. Well really most people do. 

We made our way through the rooms and although the exhibition is small the quilts were selected for their roles they played within the headings.

I don't know what happened to my camera but the shutter seemed to keep getting stuck so although I took lots of photos they are just not great so can't show you to many. 

Sweet crib quilt in the birth room. 

Lovely old fabrics. 

The prisoners from Wandsworth prison produced a quilt through Fine Cell work and saw lots of guest's  examining individual blocks.

 Sleep quilt . 

The gorgeous Palampore on loan from Jen Jones. 

Here is my Unchained Melody quilt  which when I read the Information card I struggled

to hold back the tears as they had written the lyrics to the song. Seeing those words 

all the emotions and the circumstances behind the making of the quilt just flooded back. 

Can you see the black corners of this shot this is when the camera started to play up. 

I do remember I dropped it a while back so this is probably the problem with them. 

For those of you that don't know the story behind the quilt here is.

This honours my late DH who encouraged me to pursue my hobby. 

I shared a wonderful day with my pic Sue and meet some amazing talented quilt artists.

We finished off with lovely afternoon tea in the Danson House Cafe. 

  The exhibition runs until the 31st October .

Quilts have many reasons for being made and thought these words captured what I felt when

making mine. 

Sue 

Through the Looking Glass

A friend of mine posted this article on her Facebook page and thought it might be an interesting read for some of you.

The link to the article is at the bottom of the page.

This house is only a short stroll from my house but have never seen it. It's surprising what little snippets of history turn up unexpectedly. I need to take a detour on my morning walk and take a look.

Lewis Carroll

Inspiration: Carroll noticed the mirror, which gilded frame features interwoven branches, foliage, birds dogs and other figures, and is now placed on the upstairs landing, pictured right when the house was last sold in 1981.

How about these bed covers, not sure how to date these but probably made from 60's or 70 's 

fabrics. 

Snapshot: A photograph taken by Lewis Carroll of Alice Liddell (R), his inspiration for Alice in Wonderland, and her siblings Edith (L) and Ina (C)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2591691/Five-bedroom-three-storey-house-real-Alice-Wonderland-lived-market-time-three-decades-1million-complete-looking-glass.html#ixzz2xI17x5ug 

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Sue 

In Vogue

After the sadness of losing my mum a couple of weeks back I want to thank you all for your lovely messages you left me. I'm sorry I didn't reply to you individually but it was such a shock and their was so much to do in a very short space of time.
It goes without saying it meant a great deal to me that you took the trouble to write. Thank you seems completely inadequate.

My pic friend Sue's daughter sent me the following article from VOQUE magazine and it did make me smile. Who'd of thought that at my age I would be appearing in this prestigious magazine for all the wrong reasons.
A very nice article advertising the forthcoming exhibition at Danson House that Tracey Chevalier has curated.
My quilt Unchained Melody is being used in the exhibition and for the advertising literature. I immediately went to buy a couple of copies and thought i would pop one in the post to my mum. It's things like this that hit hard and is going to take some time before I realise she isn't at the end of the telephone.

We played mum out to  Matt Monroe's Sofly As You Leave Us. I do hope she would have been proud to see me in Vogue even if I'm not a super model. No chance of that ever of happening with me being on five foot nothing!

Sue 

With Heavy Heart

Today I write with a heavy heart as suddenly with no warning my mum has passed away. 

She was 89 and had lived independently and lived life to the full which I can only be thankful for. 

No long lingering illness for her,  she was even planning her own 90th birthday celebration for later on this year. 

I am sad that I didn't get to hold her hand and tell her I loved her but we always live with regrets about what we should have said. If only we knew when the good Lord  has decided it is time. 

Here she is holding Abigail two years ago.

R.I.P mother, I will miss our phone calls, little outing and most of all you x 

Sue