Tuesday 27 January 2009

Lady in Red

We had a really lovely evening yesterday - went for a meal to my friend Lesley's home. She and I have become great friends through aldi continental plum the Knitting Group - but this was the first time our husbands had met up. We had a superb meal - Lesley had made a lovely chicken and tarragon casserole and I supplied dessert [Aldi Continental Plum Tart and cream] and we had great fun discussing the merits of Thrift and Aldi Shopping. Ant was pleased to demonstrate his new Espresso Machine [also from Aldi!] Then L&I retired to the other room, where aldi she showed me the progress of her quilt. I was annoyed with myself for not having a camera. The red quilt is utterly beautiful.

Lesley's target was to make a quilt in a year - and this one was started in Feb 08. I think she will get there! It was cut with scissors [not a rotary cutter] and stitched by hand. It is all in splendid shades of red, and her daughter Emily [who has claimed the quilt for her own once it is completed] says it reminds her of the colours of jams [strawberry, raspberry, cherry...] In view of the patches of red and white gingham, I suggested it should bebonne maman jam called the Bonne Maman Quilt, as Lesley is definitely a very good mother!!

We returned to the table to find the men chatting like they had been friends forever -mostly about coffee, church PA and Billy Graham's hat.

Apparently Billy Graham has done the Presidential Inauguration Prayer for years, and this year sent the hat which he always wears to billygrahams hat Rick Warren, to keep his head warm! I think this must fall into the category of Elijah's Mantle [I Kings 19 - So he ...found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing...and Elijah cast his mantle upon him.] I tried to find a picture of Rick in Billy's hat, but I couldn't. I think it is this hat though.

I am concerned that Rick's head may be bigger than Billy's [do you mean physically or metaphorically? said Bob!]

Back to Lesley's quilt. It is based on one in Jane Brocket's book, The Gentle Art of Domesticity [which Lesley has kindly lent me] I have brocket been looking through the book. JB is a gifted writer and photographer - but her world is miles away from the one inhabited by people like Lesley and myself. She used to work for Sanderson, and her quilts appear to be made of wonderfully expensive pieces. I actually prefer Lesley's 'thrifted' quilt because it is stitched with memories and treasured scraps.

The basic template for the blocks is this imageone, and the whole thing is 8 rows of 10, so that's eighty blocks of lovely handstitching.

I came home inspired, and eager to make another quilt myself. But I am sure if I do, it will be a machined one, not handsewn. But that will have to go on to the list of "projects I will do sometime when I am not too busy..." I think. Today I have to prepare for tomorrow's school and sewing club.

Speaking of being busy - how will that lady in Los Angeles cope with octuplets? I hope and pray she gets plenty of support. I think Lesley and I are both quite content to each be the mothers of just TWO children who arrived one-at-a-time!

Steph texted this morning to say she has being doing some market research for a hair dye product. And now her hair is rather redder than it used to be! I am waiting for a photo, but will probably not put it on the blog. Some things are best kept within the family!

8 comments:

  1. Perhaps Mrs Warren can let out the Billy Graham hat. I'm not a quilter, I love quilts though, and admire the patience needed to handstitch such things.

    I have a passion for buying Liberty fat quarters from ebay. I use them for dresses for the dolls I make, but I know they'd make a splendid quilt and I often consider embarking on such a project.

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  2. Lol, deep philosophical thoughts about the size of American famous preachers' heads, that made me smile.

    Octuplets?! I have to read that.

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  3. Hi Angela

    So glad you had a nice visit with friends. I admire your quilting talent - I have no sewing ability but I love the colours of quilts - perhaps I should just learn to paint them :)

    Now I'm going to check out the Octuplet link - I heard it on the news last night and had forgotten!

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  4. Hi Angela

    How lovely to have found "a kindred spirit" - If I wasn't trying to be a good Christian girl I would be quite jealous - lol!

    I have the Jane Brocket book but as you say way different worlds. Steve has been chucking out old shirts which I have retrieved- I feel a shirt quilt coming on - I really think quilts should be from recycled materials.

    Thanks for posting - I love visiting here :)

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  5. I've just started on a quilt, so I enjoyed reading about Lesley's quilt very much.

    I just heard about the eight babies. I don't know how anyone could survive that--both the delivery and the next eighteen years ...

    frances

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  6. Hi Angela,
    I love what you said about Billy Graham's hat, very cute, it made me chuckle!

    I can't imagine having that many children born at one time!! It is wonderful they were all born alive.

    Your friend's quilt sounds lovely. I so admire people that have the talent for sewing and quilting. I'm sure it will be beautiful when she is done.

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  7. Thanks for all these comments
    Lesley's quilt is truly beautiful

    I think the idea of a thrifted shirt-quilt sounds great.

    Frances - I would just point out that parental problems do not stop when they get to eighteen!! I ought to also say that Steph has texted me to say that although her hair is red, is still looks very good - my apologies if the blog post made it sound weird

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  8. I hope you're not implying we're problematic?!

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