on the doorstep

You know how easy it is to make a special journey to see something and then of course, when something equally interesting is happening on the doorstep it somehow gets overlooked? Well, today was a fine example of that.

I was working in Gloucester, somewhere I go regularly and where I park in the WI office, down the road from the City Museum and Library. I knew there was a textile exhibit on there sometime soon, because I had been asked if I planned a visit. But of course, I had forgotten. Not only that, but I must have walked past that museum entrance several times in the last couple of weeks without even noticing it was on.

Until today.

My meeting had finished earlier than anticipated. I was walking back to my car when I spotted the poster for Quilt Art 22, so I headed inside and through the dusty. dreary museum and upstairs to the "temporary exhibitions" gallery.

Oh my, this is not exactly an inviting venue, but nevertheless, how pleased I was to have the exhibition to myself, not a soul in sight. not only that, but I had the time to stand and look as long as I wanted.

I thought the exhibits themselves interesting in that there was colour! Lots of it. Plenty of stitch too. Some exhibits were, in my opinion, rather overdone or a little heavyhanded in places, but others really thrilled me with the attention to detail and fine stitching. I love Sandra Meech's work, not only for the painterly design but for the small, inventive areas - the little red outlines on black and white, the coloured areas which contrast so well with the monochrome background. Amazing.

I was also delighted to see Linda Colsh on the list of contributors as I went up the stairs to the gallery. I "knew" Linda from those good ol' Compuserve days and have swapped samples and done challenges with her from time to time. We shared a class at the European Meeting Point for Quilters at Rolduc a few years back, when it was clear she was in another league from many of us working in that same room. So, when I glanced around the room, spotted a piece of work which immediately grabbed my attention and went over to look more closely at it, I jumped up and down when I spotted it was Linda's!

I gladly bought a copy of the small but fascinating book which accompanies the exhibition and devoured a fair bit of it whilst a few Eastern European chaps cleaned and polished my car on the way home! (the book had far more visual appeal, believe me!) I especially enjoyed reading of how these pieces of work had come about, learning more of each artists design process and method of working and of course, having a good record of who had done what.

Finally, the piece which hung quietly and beautifully by the entrance to the exhibition was by the late Rita Humphry, whose classes for Stroud Embroiderers were always full (Rita's Whirlies) and whose exquisite work is testament to a generous and talented lady. I used her quilt as my picture of the day, today.