Speyfest

I took the Quilted Yurt up to Fochabers for the Speyside Quilters Exhibition in Bellie Church. The Speyfest Folk Festival and Craft Fair was also on at the weekend so the small town was buzzing with visitors and it was even possible to buy freshly cooked noodles or sushi from a food stall on the green. I did not see the Red Hot Chilli Pipers in action but I heard a rousing cover version of "500 Miles" by The Proclaimers. Seeing folk in wellies dodging downpours, a large marquee and the smell of a beer tent is so typical of a summer event in Scotland.

The quilt show happens every two years and a vibrant collection of work was hung beautifully inside the Bellie Church on the main town square. The Yurt was put up quickly in the adjoining Church Hall by the most efficient team that I have ever had and it was admired by many appreciative visitors over 3 busy days. The Hare panel was much admired and reminded me that it should have a companion piece such as a fellow hare or even a stag. It is always a wonderful to see the Yurt fully set up in a good space. It stays packed up in my workshop most of the time and I had not even thought about it since it was at Newcastle Racecourse in March. I am always taken aback at how large it really is! I enjoyed speaking to many different people; some who had been dragged along to a quilt show by quilting enthusiasts somewhat reluctantly were pleasantly surprised and curious about the yurt's structure. I was made most welcome by Speyside Quilters and spent a very pleasant night with Kate and her husband at their house on a nature reserve near the Moray coast.

I managed to put all of the Oz version of Bewitched together so far then fiddled about with different ideas for the borders. I even started a distracting mini project using up some of the scraps. I had to order more of the main feature fabric and will need some more hand dyes to finish it off but it is coming along nicely.

I battled with my computer a bit this week – it seems to be getting rather temperamental about emails. I purchased a saddle stool, wadding and a porter's trolley for Festival of Quilts then nagged the shippers about how long it has taken for them to clear the Irish longarm through customs. This experience has made me worry about getting all of the other machinery here on time as one machine is coming on loan from Germany and yet another from America.

I enjoyed the creative and splendid spectacle of the Olympics Opening Ceremony. The children did not fully understand the significance of references to The Industrial Revolution but they loved the scene when James Bond met the real Queen and parachuted into the stadium. I wonder what gadget was used to make the duvets light up...?