Still here... but soooo tired!

I have gone quieter than usual I know, but the Poland project has taken up every spare moment I have had this past 3 weeks or so. So, very little stitching has been done I am afraid. Why is it that a part-time job can take up just as much time as a full-time one?

Poland is beckoning me and thus far I have written a 34 page document for the module (it feels like I have written a whole validation document with general aims and learning outcomes written for each day!), plus a 44 page work/info book on home modifications and 4 powerpoint presentations. I proof read and corrected all of my Belgian colleague's English on her presentations, although in truth her English is very good, but I just had to tinker with some of the phrases which made me smile :-) I wish I could speak another language as well as her. I now have just one more powerpoint presentation on telehealth/telecare and stairlifts and I should be done... I think!

I checked out the website on where I will be staying. It has been booked by the university and me thinks it's a little basic. Nothing wrong with that, but I am definitely going to fit in some extra time to prepare more stitching than I have already even if it means I don't go to bed until the early hours of the morning!

In the meantime,  to ensure there is some quilt focus to this entry, here are a few pictures from an exhibition held back in October 2009 in Winchester - it was called Quilty Secrets and displayed some of the antique quilts held in Hampshire County Council's textile collection. I wish I had more time, so many of these quilts give me ideas!

Framed quilt from about 1840 with embroidered centre panel

Another framed quilt from about 1820 - the Horse Chestnut leaves are so unusual and the green fabrics so vivid

You might recognise this coverlet which was on loan for the exhibition - this is the quilt purported to have been made by Jane Austen and her sister Cassandra, however looking at the fabrics and the way it was constructed it is more likely that the quilt was made in the 1820's, most probably by Cassandra and her mother - the jury is still out!

A cot quilt from 1852 - I love the naive figures

A small wall-hanging constructed in hexagons in about 1820.
General Blucher led the Prussian army coming to the aid of Wellington's army at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815

Early silk and ribbon pieced quilt from approximately 1730's



Well that's it for this week, will talk more when I get back from Poland with, hopefully, some stitching completed!

Have a good week!

Beyond the Cherry Trees - Block 11

Block 11

Not much to report this week, but I finally completed my first wreath block for the quilt. This has taken forever to make, not sure why, as it is a simple block - maybe that's it. I have introduced two new fabrics - one red and another mustard coloured batik. I felt I needed to extend the collection a little, since I originally started with mainly fat quarters and I am becoming a little worried that even with my parsimonious approach to cutting fabric I will have an insufficient range for the vine border and so I purchased these new fabrics at the Festival of Quilts.

Need to prepare a couple of more blocks - the weekend it predicted to be a very warm one, which will certainly be a change from the cool, wet summer that we have had, so maybe will spend time prepping out in the garden.

Have a good week!