Lady of Letters

Yesterday, I promised to show you more of my Nan's letter. Somewhere in the loft there are more of them, but this letter, one of only 3 I could lay my hands on, was perfect for the pieces I am working on because it connects my love of Skye and  the imagery of cottages with my Nan's love of countryside and cottages.

She says " I loved the country but of course we never went only when as kids a gang of us would go to Ford Cemetry and that was all country to us kids and we would get dead tired before we got anywhere near home and of course we would fall out with the country."

Later, she adds, "I would have loved to be in that cottage...I love looking at pictures of cottages. You must take after me I seem to love all the places you visit and tell me about....Keep on seeing everything, love"

My Nan was a very strong-minded, feisty Liverpudlian with a love of strawberry tarts and a good cup of tea. She loved her family fiercely, adored children and could often be heard chuckling at babies on nappy adverts!

My Nan wrote to me every week after I left home to go to Poly, until she died in the early 1990s. She sent me cartoons from the Liverpool Echo- "Scouse Mouse" and "Garfield"- which she cut out without fail (I think sometimes before my Uncle had finished reading it!). She was a stickler for spelling and wrote in her own inimitable style, often ending with "Must finish now, love, my ribs are on the stove", which left me with an odd image!:)

I wish my own children could have met her. I am really enjoying creating these new art quilts as a little tribute to her.

Work in progress....