Jacquie's quilting blog.

Suddenly it is February and the afternoons are becoming a bit longer and lighter. Christmas has long gone now and quite a lot has happened since. Firstly, I have been fighting a toothache which managed to curtail my Christmas celebrations and secondly, I had to prepare for a talk I gave at the Castle Museum for the Costume and Textile Association a couple of weekends ago. It was quite a frightening task and at one stage beforehand, I would have been quite happy for heavy snow to fall and the event to be cancelled. As it was, I need not have worried. About sixty people left their firesides and braved the beautifully sunny but very cold day to come and listen to me for an hour or so. I was able to bring several pieces of work for everyone to look at thanks to the help of my husband. At one stage, whilst loading up the car, he did wonder if he would manage to get me in as well but manage he did and we made the journey into Norwich safely even though the Canaries were playing at home that day. It was quite daunting driving up to the Castle itself. Most people, like me in the past, approach on foot but that day, I was feeling nervous already and our drive up the slope and over the bridge did nothing to improve my mood. Anyway, as I have said before, I need not have worried and I do hope that a good time was had by all. It was lovely to see familiar faces as well as unfamiliar and I would also like to thank those who took the trouble to email to let me know they couldn't come.

Another trip to Norwich made yesterday by Sue Goodman and I was also memorable. We went to the Cathedral to see the Quaker Tapestries. This is a selection of 77 hand-crafted panels which give a delightful story of Quaker life throughout history. It is a most inspiring modern embroidery worked by 4000 men, women and children from 15 countries between 1981 and 1996. The complete collection of panels can be viewed between April and November in Kendal so if you miss seeing it in the Cathedral but find yourself touring the Lake District, it is well worth a visit. The panels are quite breathtaking in both colour and workmanship and explore three centuries of social history highlighting many famous Quakers throughout history including, of course, Elizabeth Fry. There is a panel depicting the bags of useful things Elizabeth Fry gave to the women convicts who were boarding ships to Botany Bay so that they could make decorative items, including quilts to sell and to help improve shipboard conditions. The exhibition continues to 11 March and is well worth a visit.

I have been very industrious working on a wholecloth cot quilt which only seems to grow very slowly. Those of you who were at the talk will have seen it and I can honestly say that it hasn't changed very much since then. I shall plod away and hope that by the next time I write, I will have finished. There are so many other things in my mind that I want to do.

It is so nice to hear from you via email or phone. Please keep in touch

Best wishes to all,

Jacquie