We went to St Fagans museum on Tuesday last week. I thought the ladies would love it, and they seemed to enjoy it very much. It reminded me a little of our visit to Beamish in 2010.
I didn't see this cruck barn the previous time I visited. It was locked, but I managed to get photos through holes in the laths. Very interesting construction.
We couldn't see quilts from the museum's collection this time, as the main gallery building is still being refurbished, or have a backstage tour like on my last visit, but Welsh quilt expert Mary Jenkins came to meet us with some of her wonderful little Welsh quilts. I love the book Mary wrote with Clare Claridge, 'Making Welsh Quilts' and have been following her blog for a long time, where she shares her love of quilts, pottery (especially Emma Bridgewater), traditional dressers, gardens and cats (similar obsessions to mine). We met upstairs in the small Unitarian chapel - probably the most enthusiastic gathering of people it has seen for a long time!
Here are some of Mary's wonderful little quilts. Hopefully the lighting from the side window is showing off the quilting rather well.
It was a wonderful show and tell and the first time I've had a chance to see so many of Mary's quilts in person. I love the way she combines fabrics. She is a big collector of Laura Ashley and Liberty prints, among others.
Mary's quilts with little houses, inspired by British sampler traditions, were a big hit.
She brought a few UFOs too, which were really interesting to see.
As the Yuza Sashiko quilts weren't going to Quilts UK until the next day, we were able to show Mary some of their work as well.
I took a couple of mine for the show and tell - Drylwyn Dreams and Sarah's Triangles. I will be sending these to Japan for Yuza Sashiko Guild's exhibition in September, but I want to add more quilting too them, especially in the border of Sarah's Triangles. After seeing Mary's quilts, I don't think mine have anything like enough quilting in them. I want to double up some of the lines in the border of the triangles quilt, in the same style as Welsh quilts, with flowers in the gothic arches perhaps. I'll have a look through Mary's book and decide.
In the evening, we visited my friend Binkie. She had put on a tea party for us with the help of her quilting friends Jan, Gwen and Sarah. They had decorated the living room with quilts for us. We had a bit of a show and tell of course - here's Gwen with one of her quilts.
This stunning wholecloth was made from a Paisley shawl by Gwen's grandmother. Hopefully you can see some of the quilting patterns more clearly in the photo below. What a treasure!
Yuza Sashiko gave kimono gifts - obi and kimono, which were beautiful.
Keiko Ishikawa's sampler quilt in Yuza Sashiko's show and tell.
We had a lovely day. Many thanks to all our hosts! It was unforgettable.
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