Country Roads Christmas

What a lovely meeting of Country Roads Quilters we had today. It was our Christmas meeting as we do not meet in December when things tend to get rather frantic.

We had a selection of special items for the day. Two members led mini workshops. Before lunch, Tess led us in making bags for Beads of Courage. This is a wonderful project that supports children with serious illnesses. Several ladies are going to make more bags before our next meeting when we will photograph everything we have made before getting them to the project's co-ordinator. 

After lunch, Trish led us in a book wrap mini workshop. She had found a good pattern here:
http://lyrickinard.com/2013/05/tutorial-sketchbook-slipcover-2/

Thank you Tess and Trish.
NB In looking for the tutorial for Lyric Kinard's book wrap I found her website where there are lots of other great looking tutorials:  http://lyrickinard.com

I skipped over lunch there but must tell you that we had a feast of a lunch. It was a "faith" or bring and share lunch and the ladies had pulled out all the stops. There were savouries and chocolatey sweets, all homemade and the ladies had brought plates, napkins, doilies, everything necessary for a festive buffet.

We even had pressies. We had agreed on a lucky dip: put a fabricy gift in and take one out. Again the ladies had put a lot of thought and effort into this and we all got wonderful pre-Christmas gifts. Sandra read us a wonderful poem: The Quilter's Lament: Just One More

I had to leave our meeting early to look after bigger grandson but I look forward to seeing the finished bead bags and book wraps in January and think I will suggest we have a "secret Easter bunny" present lucky dip!

Happy Christmas to all the Country Roads Quilters.

Frayed Again

Here are two more pieces from the Frayed exhibition currently on at the Time and Tide Museum in Great Yarmouth (see my last post for links).  Again I have included pictures of the information boards.  I went to the exhibition with my friend Ros and she is trying to arrange a visit to the museum for Norfolk quilters which will include a talk by the exhibition curator, Ruth Battersby Tooke.
Ros also forwarded a pdf from the V&A museum about the Elizabeth Parker sampler (previous post) which you can read here:  sampler
and reminded me about the exhibition blog which will continue to be updated:  blog

The exhibit which affected me the most were the Lorina Bulwer embroidered letters.  I have spent several sleepless nights composing and "stitching" letters and am inspired, as several others have been, including textile artist, Sara Impey:

to embroider a letter.  Fortunately, my subjects would not be as distressing as Lorina's.