We're not in Canada anymore!

On my way walking to Chawton House from the Jane Austen House Museum where I had spent the day starting to catalogue the textile collection, I happened upon a fun-looking community event with lots of kids and parents...complete with bouncy castle and everything! I asked a Dad and his son (about 6 years old) what was going on. "Oh, the annual sports evening, a fund raiser for the school!" "Yes", chimed in the little boy, "My Dad is going to work the bar". WHAT? Work the bar? At a school sporting event. Clearly, Toto, we are not in Canada anymore. Just IMAGINE getting that past the Food and Beverage Guidelines for Use in Schools! I giggled all the way here at the thought of that. How hilarious. You will note the bar table set up prominently upon entry to the sports field.

Rule Britannia...and make sure there is a bar!

Ubiquitous bouncy castle...ubiquitous sheep on the hillside.

OK...back to the JAHM. I spent the day going over the database of what they have there in terms of textiles. A LOT. A lot a lot a lot. I have next week to work on it and there is simply too much to get through so I'll spend the weekend figuring out how to best approach it.

There are some pieces that Jane Austen herself made. If I actually get to hold those things...what a great privilege that would be. Pieces are behind glass so I can't take great photos of them but that is surely what I would like to do. I'll make a list of the pieces I would like out of the cases...gulp!
Of greatest interest to me are the sewing kits. There are two of these; I wonder what is inside them? One made by JA herself! For any other textilians out there, I know you will be as interested as I am to find out. Non-textilians wonder what the heck is the big deal...kind of like how I don't really understand being a member of the R2D2 Builders' Guild. That's OK...we all have different interests.

Needle case Jane Austen made for her niece

Sewing kit with WHAT??? inside

Lunch at Cassandra's Cup. Right across the road from the JAHM. This unassuming little building, and I had the best lunch I think I have ever had...a fish salad...an unassuming little name but absolutely incredible. Prawns, two types of salmon, hot baby potatoes, celery root and apple salad, cold beets, tomato, cukes, and mixed lettuce. All gluten free, all fantastic! I'll be back next week while working at the museum.

THE quilt...from whence came those cottons?

And then there is THE quilt, the one that Jane, her mother, and sister stitched. The photo is a part of the border. Small diamond pieces of all the various prints used in the quilt. It boggles my mind to think where these came from given that England didn't yet have a cotton print industry. Such variety of prints.