Cargoes

Hi, well a busy but also relaxing weekend for me.  I woke on Saturday to be greeted by a lovely sight,the early sunrise filtering through a very fine rain, it looked like a curtain of fairy lights twinkling, absolutely beautiful, and by the time I found my camera, the rain had stopped.

I went to the Quilters Guild and had a wonderful few hours, such inspirational work and interesting people, not at all what I was expecting, traditional quilting was present, but artistic quilting was abundant.  One lady had painted calico in blocks of colour, this was topped by more locks of coloured very fine silk so that the two colours blended, but also overlapping to give even more colour, and then quilted with a rainbow coloured embroiders silk, the effect was stunning, she had also brought in an embroidered piece, which was a log made from  an embroidered stuffed tube in the colours of a log, covered with embroidered fungi, again absolutely stunning.  I learned a little about log cabins, a term I had heard of but was quite ignorant about and am now about the start a simple one myself.  Basically the block starts with a double size square in the centre, this being the log fire and traditionally was in a warm orange red colour, and then the single pieces start radiating out in a square spiral if that makes sense and these are the logs and get longer as the block grows.  There were at least two people doing that, and lots more besides.  To be fair, I was so entranced and interested in everyone else, I did little, but observed a lot, and was also given help on the design of my first log cabin pattern! I can't wait to go again, but that will have to wait, as I cannot go now until October as I shall be going to see my Granddaughter for the first time when the next one is held, one very proud grandmother here.

Inspired by the morning rain and the beautiful work I saw, I would like to share the first few lines of Cargoes by John Masefield a poem I first learnt in school and have loved ever since.

Quinquireme of Ninveh from distant Ophir

rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,

with a cargo of Ivory, 

and apes and peacocks,

sandalwood, cedarwood and sweet white wine

Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,

dipping through the tropics by the palm tree shores,

with a cargo of diamonds,

emeralds and amethysts,

topazes cinnamons and gold moidores.

Dirty British coaster with a salt caked smoke stack

butting through the channel in the mid-March days,

with a cargo of Tyne coal

road rail and pig lead

Firewood, iron-ware and cheap tin trays.

Sorry couldn't resist, so had to put in the whole poem as the colours and the beauty wherever you are is wonderful, and this really conveys such beauty and colour, if and when I reach a stage of my quilting or embroidery this is one poem I would like to depict.  You may have to  wait many years to see that happen! 

Speak to you tomorrow.  Have a lovely day and enjoy what life brings to you.