Pearls of Wisdom

We went into very few shops in Prague. 

I chose very, very carefully. 

My favorite, by far, was Ahasvar.
Sadly, I took no pictures, but you can find some here.

Ahasvar is a true feast for the eyes. 

Carefully chosen, cleaned and displayed. 

Beautifully curated in every way. 

Including the owner. 

I had a hard time at first. She's pregnant. Quite pregnant. 

Part of me wanted to run. 

The better part of me stayed 

and found my most treasured find from Prague.

These pearls are not real, but will be a wonderful reminder of a very real time. 

In Prague with my husband, wandering and wondering.

There are 10 strands, each 48" (122cm) long, that's a lot of pearls. They are stranded, not knotted. They're are also heavy - the shop owner said they were glass - probably from the 60s. They look like they've never been worn. Well at least before I found them. They went to dinner with us that night. Doubled up (like the picture above) over a dark brown V-neck sweater.

I felt so elegant.

We also went into another "antique" shop. This one was chucker block full and not displayed very carefully. I had to move three lamps in order to browse through a pile of tablecloths and linens. But for the effort I was rewarded with four reasonably priced and cuttable pieces. Ahasvar has linens too ... oh, I wish I had taken a picture of her cabinet. So carefully washed, starched, ironed *and* tied with ribbons. Beautiful. Obviously her linens are the ones to buy and treasure. The ones I bought will be made into fun stuff including cafe curtains for our kitchen!

Between the two shops I also found a book - "Conversational French" (in Czech!),

these very heavy forks, a few buttons and some cookie molds.

************
Many years ago my parents bought 5 sets of pearls. 

One for my mom and each of their daughters.

Then I came along. 

Uh oh. 

Now what? 

I'd always been told I would get mom's pearls.

Daughter 1 got married when I was 8 months old. 

She wore her pearls.

Daughter 3 got married and wore her pearls.

Daughters 2 and 4 got married on the same day. 

They both wore their pearls.

My parents flew to London for our wedding. 

No need to fly to the states. 

It wasn't a big deal, really?

Mom's pearls were no where to be found.

They were hunted high and low.

A phone call came. 

Two possible solutions. 

Daughters 1 & 2 were offering me the loan of their pearls for my special day.

Hmmmm

I went for option 2 ... she was my godmother after all.

It made sense.

We got married. It was a hot day. A lovely day. Simple and true.

After a week's visit Mom and Dad flew home with my godson.

Then daughter 1 discovered her pearls were missing or misplaced.

Did I have them?

No.

I never had them, never wore them.

Are you sure?

Yep.

But I had to prove it. 

With a picture.

Snapshots from our wedding.

I am definitely wearing daughter 2's pearls. 

She put tiny gold beads between some of the pearls to make her strand longer.

I don't know if daughter 1 ever found her pearls.

Mom's pearls have never been found.

Maybe those pearls were never *really* mine.

************

But I do feel wiser.

************

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"Infinite Variety" (on-line photos)

Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts

My hat goes off to the Museum and Show organizers for not only allowing photography but encouraging visitors to upload their photos to a central place where everyone could also see them.
I can only imagine what it felt like to be in that room with so many people all oogling over 651 quilts owned and "accumulated" by Joanna S. Rose who kept them "in a big cedar closet most of the time."  I'd love to see that chest.

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Drooling at the Victoria & Albert Museum {SALE}

George III reviewing the troops (detail)

Unknown maker, 1803–1805

Some of you may know that I went to London last summer to see their Quilts 1700-2010 Exhibition. I fell in love over and over again! The quilts were amazing and I'll keep comments to myself about the exhibition itself - the choices ... the organization ... the curator ... I could go on and on ... but I won't.

In front of this quilt top, I could have stood *all* day ... sadly they had placed it at a dead end so I did not want to be a hog ... there were many others who wanted to enjoy it's beauty.  Of course there was this quilt, this quilt top, another top and this bed "hanging" among many others that I could have poured over for hours.  In the words of another blogger ... Jean, The Sneaky Magpie and many others were invited to a preview - the rest of us weren't allowed to take photos" so be sure and check out their blogs too.

The Victoria & Albert Museum describes the quilt top:

"Unlined patchwork coverlet made from a wide variety of plain and printed cottons. At the centre is a circular, figurative panel that has been pieced and embroidered, showing the review of volunteer troops in Hyde Park by King George III. The image is inspired by a print by John Singleton Copley of 1799. The ground is white cotton with a repeating pieced design of segmented circles in printed cottons. Each circle has a variety of different patterns within it, including stars, squares, crosses, diamonds and flowers. The printed cottons include coral-like shapes, dots, florals, hearts and anchors. Many are block-printed cottons from the late eighteenth century, and some were originally glazed. The central panel may have been inserted after the completion of this patchwork, as it cuts through two pieced representations of the sun and the moon. It suggests that the two may once have been separate patchwork projects, although they may have been worked by the same hand as both the stitching and textiles are consistent. The border comprises 40 pieced vignettes, alternately circular and oval in shape, showing patriotic, domestic and naval scenes taken from contemporary prints and paintings. The number of patches per scene ranges from around 23 to 45. Additional embroidery has been added to the central panel and border, worked with silk threads in chain, satin and long and short stitches. There is also evidence of drawing, and some areas have been stamped with black ink, such as the small birds in the central medallion. The coverlet is unlined, and small fragments of the original paper template can be found in several areas."

Would you like to know more:

• The curator's thoughts on the King George Coverlet are an interesting read.
• Susan Briscoe's discusses the possibility that this quilt top was a group project.  
• Janet Barnsley's has posted more photos on her blog A Quilter's Journal. 

I've been obsessing about the King George top since July and am dying to make a small wallhanging of the blocks (for our living room?).  At first glance you would think there were 100s of different blocks - but it turns out there are just 16 circular blocks which are repeated throughout the top.  So I was planning on drafting them and having some fun on the side ... guess what?  I don't have to.  Marta did it for us!

Want to join us in the King George Sew Along (SAL)?  Yes, her posts are in Spanish but Google translate does an "OK" job ... and the pattern downloads are in English.  If you're as keen as I am, grab this button and join the fun!  Now, what colors ....  Oh, yes, you should check out Samsy too, she has also drafted and made a couple blocks too and I *really* like her colors.

So what prompted me to finally remember to tell you all about this quilt?  The V&A is having a SALE!  including the fabrics which were specially printed by Liberty's for the Quilts 1700-2010 Exhibition.  Pin It Now!