A week in Kent: Quilts and Hops

 Snapshots of a busy week! Last Thursday  I got a lift   to Hever Castle  to set up the CQ Journal Quilt display as part of the  annual quilt show. Building the 'booth' with poles and sheets on uneven terrain to support the very clever hanging system of hooks straps and rods was challenging - I was very grateful for the help of all involved .

 Maybe not the neatest display ever but the best in the circumstances and I heard they generated a lot of interest in the variety of techniques, a contrast to the mainly large , more traditional quilts on show.

On Saturday we had a joyous day at Faversham's annual Hop Festival  which involves the whole town. Everyone  including babies,  dogs, policemen, mayors and dignitaries ( who formally opened proceedings welcoming the Pearly Kings and Queens)  wore hop crowns.  We had lunch at 'The Yard' and nearly everyone was sporting  them like it was everyday headwear - quite surreal. There were a variety of music on offer at 5 stages and other venues;(music hall, punk, folk and everything in between );  20 or so different morris sides and dance troupes  and  a funfair and other activities for children. And of course lots of food and drink !

 We caught the parade on Sunday morning on the way to the train station  into London

 Lunch at ASK, a quick visit to the Islamic gallery at the V&A , then afternoon Prom with the fantastic, lively,  Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra

 We got back to Faversham around 9PM,the  only evidence of hop festival was full bins,  stalls being dismantled and  the last few revellers - as we got off the train  a steward was attempting to get an armful of 2 tiddly, giggly  buxom girls onto the Ramsgate train. All very good natured.

I had my first choir practice since  June - a lot of catching up to do as we have our concert in 5 weeks time! It was dark when I returned home( sign of the changing seasons), lovely shadows of the plant borders on the path thanks to the security lights.

I've not had much studio time this week but I've got into making  6 x 4inch sized postcard compositions mainly from offcuts  left from trimming down quilts plus other scraps . The backs are bondawebbed colour catchers so they're firm enough they could in theory be sent through the post. I share photos on Facebook group  'Sketchbooks and Experiments for Textiles' and its' lovely to receive comments and see what other people are up to   

 Yesterday I met up with Margaret C. in Canterbury ( she'd come for the day to see her artists book in the Prescriptions exhibition at the Beaney  museum. ) We started out with coffee and lunch at the wonderfully old fashioned café of C&H   ( 3 floors of fabrics and haberdashery), comparing our scrap creations : my postcards and her vessels destined to be cast in ceramics.  

 I'd  spent a long time looking at the Prescriptions exhibition the first time I'd  seen it , but it was good to  view it again with Margaret as she knew quite a few of the artists.  In the gallery at the Beaney there were paintings associated with Kent and Canterbury - some of which I will do a separate post on, but I leave you with hop picking equipment and a painting by Laura Knight of a hop picker!