About Us
Despite our size, we are a friendly group of about 70. Our programme is varied as you can see if you
click the links above.
We have an extensive library. Librarians love the opportunity to buy books hot off the press!
Our large collection of group-made quilts
can be borrowed by speakers and teachers if they are not booked for an exhibition.
We support
various charities either by
raising money or by contributing items we have made such as Linus quilts or lap quilts for a local
Nursing Home.
Members are encouraged to do what they can to help with the organisation and running of the
group and are surprised,
should they find themselves on the Committee, that they enjoy it!
Sewing in Wartime.
Quilt Museum and Gallery, York
Anna, Jackie and myself went up to York for the hanging and Press Days on July 7th and 8th. Our quilts look
gorgeous hung on the walls and displayed on beds and the plinths.
The CRCQ research team
Heather, the curator, has acquired many other
artefacts, clothing, ration books, sewing notions and books, to add to the interest. That makes it a more rounded
exhibition.
We were thrilled to see how our contribution has been recognised by the museum.
The logo for our
"Canadian Red Cross Quilt Research Project" is prominently displayed alongside those of the Heritage Lottery
Fund and York Tourism.
Fame indeed!
Also on information boards are our mission statement and an article
I have written for the catalogue.
A reporter from a local newspaper came and took photos including Anna on Wednesday, and on Thursday, the
local BBC news programme 'Look North' sent a reporter and photographer who did interviews with me and Fiona
Diaper, the museum director. It went out on some versions of 'Look North' that evening. Fiona and I also had
interviews with a reporter from BBC Radio York, which were much more nerve-wracking as they were live.
I went up again the following week to do a briefing for the volunteers and staff, who are all very interested
in the quilts, and asked some searching questions. Later on that day, I did an interview for their oral history project,
which will be on the museum blog. I haven't looked for it, so don't know whether it is on there yet or not.
Then in the afternoon, I did a talk for visitors which was well attended, and again provoked several questions.
Once again in the museum yesterday (21st July) with friends, in talking with the volunteers and Fiona,
I was delighted to hear that it has been their most successful exhibition so far in terms of numbers.
This is no doubt due in part to the good local media coverage it has had, but hopefully the word will
spread and it will continue to attract visitors until the exhibition closes on October 16th.
It is quite possible to do the trip to York in a day on the train. Book a ticket well in advance to get
a cheap deal - my record so far is less than £16 return with a rail card. I do hope some of BQ's members
will be able to make a visit.
Maxine March
22nd July 2010
Anna with her quilt in the 'Under African Skies' Exhibition in the side room.
Polly spent some months in Australia with her family over Christmas and been given a challenge!
This is what she found......
Canadian Red Cross Quilt Downunder
Knowing that I was returning to West Australia last November, Anna Mansi asked me if it would be possible
to track down a Red Cross quilt that had been taken to Australia by the Petre family when they emigrated in 1982.
The family had received a Canadian Red Cross quilt from the WVS in 1943 when the roof of their house in Sanderstead,
Surrey was blown off. It accompanied the two Petre children when they were evacuated.
When the family emigrated, they had used it as padding round a precious engraving.
Its use continued
downunder, once to carry a litter of puppies to the vets, and later as a blanket for a sick horse called Rosie.
Finally it was donated to the West Australia Quilt Association (WAQA) in 2000 by the son of the original owners.
I was invited to a meeting of WAQA by a couple of Australian women I had met at a Shibori dying class.
I contacted the group's chair and historian and asked if it would be possible to view this quilt, take
photographs and complete a registration form, so that its existence could be verified.
They agreed and asked me to talk to the members at the meeting about the quilt's history, of which they were
unaware.
I looked forward with anticipation as the quilt was slowly unwrapped, and I was amazed to see what good condition
it was in.
It was made of furnishing fabrics, mainly velours and velveteen, and some of the colours were
still very bright. It had a standard backing of ticking, but the binding looked as though it had been replaced at
some stage. Two labels on the back had survived: the standard Red Cross Society label and another one which still
needs some research.
It had another unique feature: ANTS!
A colony of ants and their eggs had taken up residence and my
Australian friends were horrified. Luckily, my asking to see it had virtually saved it, because it would
not have been taken out and inspected for another year, by which time it would certainly have been damaged.
I learnt afterwards that they moved all the quilts from the storage facility they had been using to a safer location.
Polly Munday.
Cudham Workshop with Edith Morris
At the November meeting BQ were entertained and inspired by Edith Morris's impressive " Show and Tell" of about
30 quilts.
The following morning ten of us arrived at Cudham to learn to make her Double Pinwheel quilt,
using just two fabrics.
This is quite a simple pattern apart from cutting the angles -Edith
carefully checked before we cut! -and there was a constant buzz of sewing machines and chat as we
assembled our blocks.
We had a short break for lunch -and several for tea -but by the end of the afternoon most of us had
completed four blocks and knew exactly how to finish our tops.
All ten different fabric combinations
were stunning and it will be interesting to see the finished quilts.
It was a stimulating and satisfying day, so many thanks to Edith, to Polly who organised the event and kept us
topped up with tea and to Jean Bagley for setting up and clearing the venue.
