Sunday 26 March 2017

The William Morris Birthday Cake!

And here is the William Morris Birthday cake for 2017 that I mentioned in my last post from the William Morris Society of Canada and thank you to them for making this lovely video........
Elements of the cake reflect another Arts & Crafts designer - Charles Voysey. I have also found his designs to be inspiring and I have used his beautiful birds in one of the fabrics that I designed with Jason Yenter of In the Beginning Fabrics some years ago.....
And Voysey's designs were the inspiration for several blocks in my 'Morris and Friends' quilt (called just 'Friends' in my first William Morris in Appliqué book). Sadly I don't have a good photo of this quilt and forgot to take one before I donated it to the Society of Antiquaries in London some years ago to raise funds for the Kelmscott Manor restoration fund. This is the only half decent photo that I have from an exhibition many years ago.........



 But I do have this lovely photo of where the quilt now lives in this Morris inspired room in a home in the US........
 Thankyou to the wonderful cake makers in Canada for celebrating William Morris' birthday with such style and I bet the lemon curd made it delicious! The Victoria and Albert Museum in London also acknowledged William Morris' birthday and I don't think in the 20 years since I've been making Morris inspired quilts I have ever seen so many celebrations! This time it was on the V&A's Facebook page with these words......

"Today is the Birthday of the father of the Arts and Crafts Movement, William Morris. English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist we have a huge range of examples of his work in our Collection. 
Celebrate his contribution with a visit to the Museum this weekend. Visit our Headley Trust Gallery to see this sumptuous design for bathroom tiles, commissioned by the architect of Membland Hall in Devon and made in 1876. Then stop by the cafe for an afternoon tea in our William Morris designed Morris room." 
And how serendipitous as Helen Bertram of Whitecroft Tours lives on the Membland Hall estate that these tiles were made for and I have my drawings all ready to make Helen a replica quilt....how wonderful for us all.....
Morris, William, (designer) William de Morgan, (maker), Architectural Pottery Co. (maker), England, 1876. 
© Victoria and Albert Museum

4 comments:

  1. What a wonderful looking cake! Bet it was yummy, too. Your quilt is exquisite. I look forward to seeing your next one.

    ReplyDelete
  2. We are looking forward to seeing the new quilt design replicating the tiles-great to see you returning to Morris inspired designs, our favourites. We love our MH quilt and receive so many comments about it.XX

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm still admiring your new quilt/bed cover, Michele. But that cake, wow. May I steal the video to show on my blog...it is too wonderful not to share. And those tiles are amazing...wonderful stitching days ahead!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sounds like the start of a wonderful time. That dinner setting looks like a fairytale

    ReplyDelete

Thankyou for dropping by and sharing in my journey. And thanks especially for your lovely comments….I may not always respond (especially if there is no email address) but please know you are appreciated x