First pieced top of 2009

Wooooooo.
What a great start to the year!!!!

I have already pieced a quilt top.

ButI haven't even thought about quilting it - because , as we all know, it will take me several months to get around to even basting, never mind quilting it.

Actually, I'm not sure about this top the way it is. I think it needs

a) another black border top and bottom, just to 'frame' it.

and

b) perhaps another border of some sort. The original Clothworks pattern, that I'm adapting it from, had a 6 1/2 inch wide border all round, in the animal print design, with the animal faces looking out. It's quite busy, and I wonder if it will detract from the pieced centre.

I was wondering about some pieced blocks, using up the scraps that I have left over. Or maybe even something like flying geese??

We also carried out part of our joint New Year's resolution - to get fitter - and so went for a 3 1/2 mile walk . Now, I appreciate that that doesn't sound like a lot - but it was raining - and we really are unfit. It took us about 90 minutes, which is reasonable going, over typical White Peak landscape:




We set off from Eyam which is a renowed tourist spot in summer. In 1665 - 1666 (I think that's right!), when the plague was spreading across the UK, it arrived in Eyam in a parcel of cloth sent up from London. Several people died very quickly, and so the villagers decided that the best thing to do was to put themselves into quarantine until all danger had passed. They had no contact at all with anyone from outside the village for about 9 months - and during this time whole families were dying - but no-one was allowed to leave.

As you walk around the village there are little plaques telling you about the history of each cottage and the residents from that time, and there is more information in the church (but as it was Sunday morning, we didn't go in to take photos).

I suppose that if you were cynical, you could argue that the action of the villagers had very impact on the spread of the plague in Derbyshire - but I think that misses the point - they were prepared to foresake seeing friends and family in the hope of helping the wider community.

Anyway, we had a great walk - if a little wet....