Stitches:
This line of embroidery is twisted chain stitch worked in a zig zag manner and topped with seed beads
Thread:
DMC perle thread #5
Placement and Foundation Fabric:
This seam is between piece 4 and piece 2 on the diagram used when I introduced block 6 In the same blog post I also talked about the foundation fabrics I used.
What is the story?
This regularly published series aims to illustrate and document the hand embroidered seams, embellishments and decorations on my crazy quilt I dropped the button box. All articles are categorised in the projects under Crazy Quilt details which enables readers to browse back through the series.
Free Crazy quilt block patterns
In the process of documenting the seam decorations on this quilt, as I get to each block I am diagramming it out for readers as a free crazy quilt pattern. Links to these free pattern pages are listed on the CQ details FAQ page.
A couple of years ago, this day wouldn’t have meant much, if anything to me. However, our holiday in 2007 was in Picardy, Northern France. We stayed at Chateau Bertangles (Somme), which had been the ANZAC headquarters during WW1.
Whilst staying, we had a look around quite a few of the war cemeteries in the area – eventually ending up at the Australian War Memorial at Villers Bretoneux.
It was a very sobering experience to see all those names on yards and yards of stone wall – and most of them under the age of 25 (according to the gravestones that we saw)!
The French keep those cemeteries in pristine condition, and, if it’s possible to feel so, it was pleasant to walk around them. So peaceful.
Came across a gravestone belonging to George A. Kent (don’t know why I noticed this one in particular, but I did), and went to the book in the wall to find out a bit more. Interesting reading. He’d lost his life on the Amiens Road, his younger brother at Villers a month later. Their mother therefore lost both her sons in a very short space of time.
Consulted the Australian war records and managed to find George Kent’s complete service record.
He’s almost become a member of my family – or so it feels.
I have no connection with anyone in Australia, but through this holiday experience feel closer than I otherwise would have.
May they all rest in peace.