Saturday 17June 2006

Venue : Church House, Church Street, Ilkley, Nr Leeds
Subject: 'Wampum & Warm-ups!'

Due to the incapacity of one of our previously announced speakers, our June meeting took an all-American flavour just ahead of Independence Day. Janet Rae, an American living in Edinburgh, had kindly taken up the baton for us.

We began with Mark Sykes from Leeds. Mark has travelled extensively in the U.S. to further a lifelong interest and study of American Indians and their culture. He showed us items from his handling collection to illustrate native American beadwork.

With a background in journalism, Janet's hobby, patchwork and quilting, opened up new avenues in this country and she has edited and published several books on this consuming speciality. As Heritage Officer for the Quilters' Guild of Halifax, Janet has some firm ties with Yorkshire and showed us slides of appropriate quilts and the stories behind them.

Ilkley itself had some very pleasant shops including 'Duttons for Buttons', an incredible haberdashers, immediately across the main road from Church House, while on The Grove, the famous 'Betty's' served wonderful afternoon tea!

[ Back ]