Thursday, 1 March 2018

WW1 Memorial Quilt – Percy - Bottle-washer

It is the supposedly the first day of spring but it is very cold.  We haven’t got much snow but there is a very bitter wind blowing the snow around.  It is a good day to stay inside and get some knitting done.
Rowan Felted Tweed

I have finished another piece of my quilt – this is Percy named after my 4th cousin, twice removed Percy James East.  He was a Private in the 6th battalion of the East Kent Regiment (known as the Buffs) and he died on 18 March 1916 aged 24.  His occupation is listed as a bottle-washer.  I admit I am not sure what one was – I assume he washed bottles!  A lot more bottles were reused in the past whereas now they would be broken up and used for something else.
This piece is also to remember Oswald Thresher who was the husband of my 3rd cousin, twice removed.  He was the manager of a wine and spirits depot and I wondered if he was connected with the off-licence Threshers.  I don’t know.  He was a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers who died on 2 Oct 1918 aged 36. 

I hope it is obvious that the design is a small group of bottles.  It was inspired by a Kaffe Fassett design of a large group of bottles.   The piece has 67sts and 132 rows.  I used quite a lot of the dark brown Rowan Felted Tweed.  This piece is intended for the opposite side of the quilt to that for the Tea Packer which also used quite a lot of this shade.
I have a few ideas for the next pieces but I am not sure yet which one I will do next.

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