Solace in Stitching the Sky

 Journal Quilts are perfectly sized for stitching on trains , so when I travelled up yesterday  to Nuneaton and Rugby to visit their museums, I took  one I'd put together inspired by landscapes of Rydal Hall.  

Stitching the sky, looking out of the window at the clouds racing by, gave time for reflection  and solace. Hearing  of the sad  death of Maggi Birchenough, how important  quilting was to her right to the end,  it seems to me we should not let opportunities pass by to do what we  love.  I stewarded the SAQA stand with her at FoQ  last year and we had some long conversations when it was quiet . Even though she knew then  the diagnosis wasn't good, she was still generous with her time  and enthusiasm.
It was also the anniversary of  my Dad's death in 1995 and I was remembering the train journey then - an evening phone call from the hospital in Warrington, catching the last train from Euston, sitting all night in a chair the nurses found for me, being with him as he gently slipped away.