Recently at The Quilt Shop , we had a visit from these two delightful ladies from Beamish Museum. They did a presentation on Joe the Quilter and his grisly murder. His cottage is being reconstructed at Beamish, and as part of the project, local stitchers have been invited to make a small block. We could either use a word or phrase from a list that they had, or choose a word of our own. I decided to choose my own word, choosing "mining", as Malcolm's Dad was a miner
as my drawing skills resemble those of a five-year old, of course I asked Malcolm to do a drawing for me. After looking at some images online, he produced this rough sketch of a mine's winding gear
then he drew this working sketch for me
I used my light pad to trace the design on to the fabric that I had been given by the ladies from Beamish
we had a discussion about working the design, and we decided that I would work it in black thread, to show the stark working conditions of the miners
we also decided that I would work it in a rather rough backstitch, to show that the buildings are derelict, now that the mines are all closed
slowly taking shape
all that was left at this stage was to work the cable. We decided that I would use a fine chain stitch, to show that it wasn't part of the metal girders
after finishing the stitching, I added a dedication
Malcolm's Dad was also called Malcolm, but he was always known as Mac. I hope the block will be included in the exhibition at Beamish, not just in memory of Malcolm's Dad, but also in memory of all the other miners who spent their days on their knees, hacking at the coalface
it's Friday, so that means we end with something tasty! We had a potter round the shops in Rothbury yesterday morning, then went for a cuppa. Malcolm had this tasty apple tart
while I forgot all about healthy eating and tucked into this delicious slice of Rocky Road!
Stuart and Alison are popping down for a visit this weekend, so fingers crossed for good weather! I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne