Went to London yesterday

to see the Quilt exhibition at theV&A and to meet my friend Judy who has now settled in Kent.  Had a lovely day together although Judy has back problems and found walking round the quilts a bit tiring.

Some of my favourites were, the small baby's cot quilt with embroidery (one of the first ones shown in the exhibition), the Royal Clothograph quilt, the blackout quilt because I had one just like it on my bed at my Gran's, the Wandsworth HMP quilt and Tracy Ermin's bed.  I didn't buy the exhibition book but I did buy postcards of quilts I was particularly interested in and Diana Springall's "Inspired to Stitch".  Well okay I know I could have got that anywhere but its one I've been looking to buy and I couldn't go home without one now could I.

Whilst we were there we managed to go into the Islamic room where three small coatsbelonging to princes,e colourful tiles, silk carpets from Isfahan were exhibited.  I was in Isfahan several years ago and lucky enough to be invited into the home of a carpet maker who exported his carpets to Harrods.  There was no way I could have afforded one then or now but seeing the colours brought back the memories.

Now that I have two new sewing areas to use, I'm sitting in this one at the moment, I've actually done some work.   I've almost finished my June Journal Page, photos next time, and completed a couple of swaps although most of the work was done in my second sewing area.  It's now as dark as it appears in the photo in fact its sometimes so bright I have to pull the blind down.

Two swaps for the Surface Design group, first an ATC on the theme of 'any technique'.  I've used a fractured fabric technique for this one.   It's one I first encounted with Maggie Grey where you repeatedly bond and cut fabrics in different directions, the more you cut and bond the greater the fracturing.

The second swap was again with Surface Design this time to produce a bookmark using soluble fabric.  I sewed tiny scraps of silk fabric onto the soluble fabric then using a metallic thread free motioned a lacy fabric around the edges and linked the fabric fragments.  Just realised that both these swaps entired tiny pieces of fabric.

Back to my journal page now and I have the big decision as to which room I will use.   I hate to admit it but I think I worked better in a smaller area but daren't tell Keith that.