Walk - Woodbridge Riverside

Yesterday was a rather stormy day, so we did not take our usual Sunday walk, but did take a short walk by the riverside between showers.....

I have been dithering about upgrading my telephone...I don't use it all that much, but wanted to have a camera attached and email.....so I took the plunge and traded the trusty old Nokia for a new Iphone....so I was experimenting with the Iphone camera. The quality is a bit different, so I will still use the reliable Sony camera where possible!

A rather stormy vista of Woodbridge, with the Tide Mill visible as the white building in the centre. The River Deben is in the foreground. Boating is very popular all along the east coast....

You can see that it was low tide, the boats usually have flat bottoms or have special keel fins to keep them from toppling over..others are moored further out in the river.

 Experimenting with the zoom lens - the farmhouse on the hill is Mrs Pretty's farmhouse....she owned the land at Sutton Hoo, where the ship burial is and the property is now owned by the National Trust.

Mike and I went for a quarter peal at Rendham on Friday evening - the quarter was miscalled so came to an early end - Mike and I decided to check out the reopened Sweffling White Horse nearby - it is an old fashioned pub but with "glamping " ie glamorous camping. There are a number of yurts in the back garden which were filled with holiday makers. One of the neighbors was giving pony and trap rides to the campers at very reasonable rates. It seemed a pleasant way to explore the surrounding countryside.

My daughter Sophie is now in the country, back from Singapore to attend a wedding, so I'll be seeing her tomorrow. I also plan to go to London with her for a day, must research what exhibitions are on at the  moment!

Pillow with Backstitching

Here is another small vintage item, a cushion that is quilted with a backstitch.

The colour is a golden beige colour, which did not photograph very well.....The item was probably made for a class.....and never made up or used, just put away. The design is an oblong feather wreath with a scalloped border.

The stitching is very neat, and you can see how time consuming this method is.....
the basting threads are still in place..

Close-up of the stitching...

...there is no backing as this was intended as a cushion cover - you can see that the wadding is a fine wool, called domette...

This item came from a house clearance and no information was available...probably another example of the work done in the popular sewing classes held after the war, when small items were made for use around the house.

Welsh Quilt Exhibition at Abbotts Hall

Yesterday I went to The Museum of East Anglian Life, for the preview of the Welsh Quilt Exhibition, "Quilts: Textile Treasures from Wales". Mike and I drove over from Woodbridge to Stowmarket - unfortunately, we arrived too late to hear the opening speeches. However, we were able to have a good look around at the quilts, and also the amazing building.

Here it is, Abbott's Hall, the big house that has received a major restoration over the past three years, having received a major Lottery grant. It looks lovely now, and the rooms form a nice display area.

There are two rooms full of quilts, all from the Ceridigion Museum in Aberystwyth.
There are explanatory signs about all the quilts - here is a wool quilt, late 19c. It is backed by grey flannel.

Two more Welsh quilts - the orange wholecloth was made by two Thomas sisters of Ystradgynlais around 1880, and donated by their granddaughter from Solihull in England. The quilting pattterns were very nicely done...a brighter orange than is shown in this photo.

This small cot quilt was displayed on a tradtional quilting frame. It is mostly made of flowered cottons and has lovely traditional Welsh quilting patterns. Wool filling.

I was interested to see this pieced star pattern. The colours were sombre....there was a large button or ruched piece of fabric in the centre - was it to hide a less than pefect centre join?

In the other room, the quilt that I would take home - a typically Victorian patchwork frame quilt, made by Lydia Jones of 37 High St, Aberystwyth. Lydia was a professional quilter who made quilts to order.

 A recent acquisition...this has a wide variety of fabrics, including some paisley turkey red fabrics in the corners.

There were a number of smaller items from Suffolk,  including this sewing machine.

I was also able to catch up with Liz N, a fellow BQSG member and antique quilt collector. Liz was with her husband - the two men quickly became bored with the quilts - but the beauty of this museum is that there is so much to see. Mike wandered through the walled garden and spotted a vixen and a very young cub - before listening to taped recordings of Suffolk dialect, including the Blaxhall bellringers. Mr N, being a builder, was more interested in the buildings restoration....

I would love to go back another day, and revisit the full museum. I would especially like to visit the two workers cottages - these were bought in 1970 with the effects of the previous owner in situ - and one can hear tape recordings of her life story.

I will also be giving a talk on my Welsh and Durham quilts on te 18th of July, as well as workshops on Hand quilting and hand applique on the 3rd August.

A very interesting evening....

Welsh Quilted Nightdress Case

Here is a small item that I bought online recently - it is a quilted pyjama case from Wales. As you know, after WWII sewing classes were popular, but generally only small items were made. Bed quilts were not considered a desirable or suitable project, instead the emphasis was on making beautiful items for the house.

This nightdress case is from Swansea in South Wales. It is quilted with traditional Welsh fans and a rose. Wool is used as the padding and some ends are making their escape through the fabrics.

 The lining is a light pink and there is a pink braid around the flap.

These cases were a simple patterm - just a single piece of quilting folded over and fixed. You can see that the quilting on the back is squares on point infill.

Pam the seller said "I had two wonderful aunts, one was a spinster who lived with the other and her husband in Swansea. They both belonged to sewing classes and would make all sorts of things including my Welsh costume. They didn't have any children themselves but treated myself and my other cousins as their own, and would try and teach us to sew. I have kept a lot of their things, but now is the time for me to pass them on.

I don't know which aunt made it, they were both such special ladies and they would be delighted to know their work lives on with someone new.

My spinster aunt was Martha Williams, and her sister was Caroline Emmanuel."

You might like to compare the Welsh nightdress case with the North Country one that I featured earlier - othb are typical of their areas and have a different "feel" to them....

Malvern Quilt Show and a Bank Holiday

I am  pleased to say that my purple and cream Hawaiian quilt, Piilani, won the trophy for Hand Applique at Quilts UK, Malvern. As I wasn't able to drive over to Malvern (quite a long drive from Suffolk) I was pleased that Karin Hellaby from Quilters Haven was able to receive the cup for me.

I had this cup two years ago for my red and white Hawaiian quilt.....

The quilt looked very good......it hsn't arrived back in the post yet...always a nervous time....I prefer to pick them up myself, as at the Festival of Quilts...

This weekend saw the 70th aniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic, and there were a number of remembrance services in East Anglia. East Anglia was dotted with airbases during WWII, and many had a fly past by the Eagle Squadron based at Duxford near Cambridge. I believe they took off at about 11.30, then first call was the Memorial Day service at Maddingly American Cemetary near Cambridge. From there they took a course north towards Lowestoft and Halesworth, before turning south. They flew over Melton at 1.10 on their way to Martlesham Heath. Back to Duxford at about 1.30. Its amazing that these aircraft are still airworthy and exciting to have them fly overhead. There was a Sptifire, a p45 Mustang and another fighter...

..and also the B17 Sally B came across as well, about 10 minutes earlier...

Another event on the Bank Holiday Monday was a concert in Pettistree Church by the violinist Thomas Bowes. He has decided to do a pilgramage where no fees are charged and funds can be raised by the venue, mostly churches and other religious buildings.He is doing 50 concerts in 60 days, with the same music. In this case, the proceeds will be split by Pettistree Church redecoration fund and Ipswich Street Pastors, volunteers who ensure that youngsters out on the town are safe at night.

Here is Tom with one of our ringers Bill Lloyd. Tom was playing his 1649 Amati violin and played three Bach pieces. As usual the bellringers, who made up a sizeable part of the audience, went to the pub next door afterwards. Tom joined us and he is not only a superb musician, but  a thoroughly nice chap. We tried hard to persuade him to attend a bellringing practice soon to see what it is all about...

 I have finished the little quilt for Laura and Lawrence's wedding...Snowy gave it her seal of approval, and it has been put away now....

I decided to use one of the repro Turkey Red fabrics for the binding, as it looked cheerful...

As you can see, the example in the magazine was very simply quilted, but I decided to add more diagonal quilting; not sure if it has improved things but it certainly looks more traditional by doing so. A very easy pattern which I might use again. I liked the Cathedral windows blocks...

Guild Striking Competition & Crowe's Hall

This weekend saw the Suffolk Guild Striking contest at Thornham Magna and Gislingham. Pettistree entered teams for both of these contests...

Here's the church at Thornham...although we have won this in the past, this year the six bell contest was won by the Wollery, the mini ring at the end of David Salter's garden in Ipswich It was good to see his young band which included his two sons. But St Mary le Tower, who usually win were not so pleased...

Then the evening ringing for the eight bell contest was at Gislingham. Our tower is a six bell tower, but we put in a scratch band of eight, for the experience. This was won by another district, the Northeast. Again, not St Mary le Towers year.....

On Sunday, it was a more relaxed day, as we went to an afternoon fair at Crowe's Hall in Debenham. This was a small, fairly local affair, and had a much nicer atmosphere than the larger more commercial events.
Crowe's Hall is a moated Tudor estate....very picturesque....

There was a gymkhana going on, I think this was the various school teams including the one from Debenham High School. Suffolk is very big on horse riding and equestrianism (along with sailing and golf)

My favourite sight was the Hall's gardens where there were the Elizabethan recreationists....also morris dancing.....

I think this must be a pleasant way of spending a weekend...

The Suffolk Guild was there with the Vestey mini ring, in the guise of the Debenham ringers.....we helped out a bit by giving a demonstration of bellringing. These mini rings are there for the public to try, but they do not really handle or sound like the real thing...

Tracey giving a youngster a go on the rope...

Two of the Sufffolk Punches from the Hollesley Bay Colony Stud were there....these are huge gentle draught horses. They nearly became extinct and are still endangered. But they are a local breed with the founding horse being bred in Ufford near my home in Melton. Here the two girls are putting the braid in a mare's mane.

Having walked to the fair from Debenham, we walked back, with a nice view of Debenham church. I was pleased to see so many other locals on foot too...not everyone came by car! Plus, you were charged per vehicle, so you got in free if you walked.

A peasant afternoon.

Another Red Paisley Welsh Quilt...

Yes, I have quite a soft spot for these red paisley quilts...the fabrics are so lively and warm...I also know that the process to make Turkey Red was a complex one. I'm not sure that it is possible to buy true Turkey Red any more .... and that certainly most of the repro fabrics look nothing like the original colour, which is a bright red.

This quilt was made for a bride's bottom drawer and seems never to have been used, as it is unworn and the colours are bright and unfaded. It seems to have a worn blanket as it filling, and the quilting is correspondingly coarse. But, the general Welsh format is still followed, as there are borders and a circular central "coin".

The borders have a large diamond quilting pattern...

...and the centre has a circular pattern. I may try to trace this to see what it looks like...it is hard to see, given the background patterns of the fabric.

Two different paisleys fabrics are used....more quilting. This is done in a heavy thread (in yellow and also red) which is almost like an upholstery thread.

Snowy, trying to get in on the act...

The top has this pattern, unfaded with plenty of yellow, green and blue. Although the Turkey Red stands up well to time and wear, the other colours do fade, and eventually just red white and a bit of yellow are left....its nice to be reminded just how colourful the fabrics originally were....

The reverse fabric is a darker red with a large "pod" or paisley pattern. Again, lots of colour here.

This quilt dates from before 1900. It belonged to the seller's grandmother, Blodwen Stephens, maiden name Morgan.She lived all her life in and around Llanelli. This area had many professional quilters, so Blodwen probably didn't make it herself. What a lovely quilt!