Guess where I went....

Go on you'll never guess.... oh did I mention that I was going to the quilt exhibition.

I went yesterday on a coach with one of the sewing groups I belong to.

If you plan to go then make sure you get there. As you would expect its a great exhibition and well worth a visit. It was busy and you had to negotiate to get close to see things sometimes. Men were very few and far between as is the way with these things.

I would love to be able to show you photos but no photography allowed.

I would show images from the book but mines on back order with Amazon.

I will not even threaten to show you the images from my notebook as I just have the 21 pages!

Next comes an abbreviated commentary without pictures so if you have seen the exhibition it will make some sense but if you haven't or are not going it will just be waffle.

You have been warned! These are the sort of rambling thought that go through my head.You may want to just skip to the next picture...

Loved the oldest piece and always amazed at how modern they look but I think that is often the case with quilts as they are geometric.

Great little pincushion, relates a lot to what I make at the moment.

Aesop's fable quilt, great idea for a quilt. Amazed at how varied the piecing is on the quilts. You can tell that people needed to keep making a variety to develop their skill, especially at curved paper piecing. Liked the inclusion of embroidered panels.

Sundial quilt. Wow or could be called how many different ways can I piece a circle!

Embroidered ribbon, must do that. Love the use of yellow in things.

Jo Budd Winter/Male Summer/Female loved the big pieces and the rough edges. Lots of use of tonal lights/darks.

Poem to husband about how sweet his wife is!

Appliqued panels, more than I thought there would be.

Joanna Soutcotts quilt, my parents told me about Joanna Southcotts box when I was little and so I have always been a little fascinated by her as we share a name.

Images of the sun and moon, do not need to keep the quilt symmetrical. Even in old quilts they fudged the seems a bit.

Sara Impney. The Gap between thoughts.

Strippy quilts, lush.

Patchwork with garden of Eden folk art loved the scalloped edges.

Whispers Nina Saunders. People around me seem reluctant to be made to think about things, much happier to look at the "pretty" quilts.

Alphabet of love and courtship!

Bible quilt to instruct others.

Caren Garfen finding the words to express a lot of people lives. "how many times do I have to repeat myself?"

Coverlet with Greek slave. Outline appliques, now want to make on of the kids hands, love the way the print interrupts the outlines. One of my favourites

Crazy patchwork, must finish mine!Great colours in the military and tailors quilts...18years.. but with 7 words of wisdom.

Patchwork with Menai bridge 200 year old but looking like an early cubist masterpieces, possibly my favourite quilt.

A Chinese Dream so how did she get the Chinese money out of China?!

Threaded wrists Kirtsy Fenton, someone to watch out for.

Rural Industries bureau.

Sides to the middle, fingers to the bone, great purple and red want to feel the texture.

(its ok we ware nearly at the end now!)

Fine Cell Work and coverlet made in Changi Prison, makes your heart weep.

The Presence of Absence.. great title.

At the End of the day, so much of life takes place in bed.

Canadian Red cross quilt. Making things to comfort strangers.

Tracey Emins riot of colour and thought.

2 and half hours.

Did you make it to the end? well done, you need to come and sit with me in a quite and cool place now.

Feel better?

Right on with the next bit!

I made the most of being in the V and A with no children and no agenda to go to the Textile rooms.

Unfortunately some if the rooms were closed.

Fortunately the chinese embroideries weren't.

Did you ever play that fortunately/unfortunately game?

I spent the next hour pulling out the glass drawer sketching and enjoying each one. I would pull out one thinking I had found the best and then the next one had more gold, or extra tassels. Heart stoppingly beautiful.

A couple of poor photos to whet the appetite. Go and see them.

I spent the last hour wandering, just enjoying the things that I saw, realising that its a long times since I have done this.

The trouble with the V and A is that at every turn and corner there is something to inspire.

Even the floor