Adelaide at Quilt Market Minnesota

I think that might be the back of Jason!!

Tamsin from Berrima Patchwork has kindly emailed me some images from Spring Quilt Market in the USA!! I met Sue and her daughter Tamsin when I was teaching some months ago at their shop in New South Wales; http://www.berrimapatchwork.com.au/
Tamsin has made the big trip across and I was so excited to get these images - thankyou Tam! I get goosebumps thinking about it and how special to see 'ADELAIDE' so prominently - how we love home!

Tim from Lloyd Curzons also received the advertising boards during the week in the post and promptly photographed them to share with me (and you!)

Jason has scanned Morris Magic from Book 1 and replaced all the fabrics with some of the new range - very clever and what a fabulous border!

You can see the fabrics!!

Well here are the first images of 'The Adelaide Collection'.........whoopee!! I can't wait to use the above border print!

This print would make a nice quilt in itself!

Touching on the 'Art Nouveau'

And here are some of the tone on tone applique blenders:

You can see the complete range at;

http://www.inthebeginningfabrics.com/cgi-server/itb/displayfab.cgi?product=adlade

Thankyou Jason Yenter - what an honour to work with you!

Finally I have to say this would not have been possible without the delightful Tim Meyers of Lloyd Curzon fabrics, the Australian distributor who got me into all of this;

http://www.lcurzon.com.au/

Tim also has a passion for all things William Morris and the Arts & Crafts era.

Thankyou Tim for all your support......I think you are even more excited than me!

A Quilter and William Morris in Iceland

I have received a wonderful email from Arndis in Iceland who has completed a beautiful version of my Renaissance quilt pattern. She has kindly given me permission to share some images with you. I think her work is just exquisite and her attention to the applique is just perfect - and all done by hand! (Apart from the quilting) I told her she needed to enter it into a competition but it appears there are none to speak of in Iceland.

Iceland was a special place for William Morris giving him a chance to escape from the strains of marriage with his wife Jane's affair with Rossetti. So it is such a thrill to be able to meet a quilter in Iceland - I might have to put a visit on my wish list!

William Morris - self portrait

Fiona MacCarthy, a historian specialising in arts, crafts and design has written an article in The Guardian (UK), in March this year about Morris in Iceland (and also about composer Ian McQueen's new work for chorus and orchestra - Earthly Paradise, a four-part sequence based on the sayings, songs and poems of William Morris). I first came across Fiona some years ago when I purchased her 1994 biography of Morris.You can read her article in full here;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/mar/27/william-morris-iceland-ian-mcqueen

           

I have come across some royalty free images of Iceland as I go on with my story.............

Morris fell in love with the people of Iceland and with the help of Icelandic scholar Eiríkr Magnússon translated some of the Iceland classics. The most well know being the four volume epic Sigurd the Volsung (1876). One of Morris' poems on Iceland can be read here;

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/iceland-first-seen/

My final bit of news...........Jason Yenter tells me the new fabrics will be advertised at International Spring Quilt Market (Minneapolis) this week. So I have asked him if I can please share some images with all of you........so stay tuned - this weekend I will reveal a little!!

Wiilliam Morris Applique Book 2

Country Bumpkin/Inspirations Books have revealed a little peek at some images from my second book (due for release in October). So I asked permission to share them with you. You can read about one of the locations for photography on their webletter; http://www.countrybumpkin.com.au/article_info.php?articles_id=621

One of the reasons that I had my second book published with Country Bumpkin is that I truly believe they produce the most visually appealing quilting books on the market. I thought Book 1 was beautiful but wait till you see Book 2 - the first time I saw the photos I cried - they are just stunning. Thankyou Country Bumpkin and William Morris!

The amazing Buxton Manor - venue for amazing photos!

Art Quilts and gallstones (!!)

That post title got you didn't it - "Art Quilts and Gallstones"........what the????
Well life has been 'on hold' this week as hubby Larry had 4 days in hospital. The week started with 10 incredibly long frustrating hours in an emergency department that finally resulted in a transfer to a private hospital where 36 hours later he gave birth to one gallbladder and the largest stone I have ever seen, and believe me in my nursing career I have seen a few! This one was about 6-7cm long with a diameter of 11-12cm and must have taken up his whole gallbladder. Been growing a few years we suspect- whew!

So the real reason for my posting - I would like to introduce you to a quilting friend who has set up a blog. Along with the amazing quilts Raelene designs, she also collects miniature jugs and echidnas!

Check out her site; http://stitchandcollect.blogspot.com/

Her quilts are inspiring and she constantly challenges us with projects - I am afraid writing a book prevents me from ever getting anything done on time! Raelene will also be having her first solo exhibiton soon- see more on her site. And do check all her links at the top of her home page;  'Jugs'  'Echidnas'  'Scrapbook Quilts'  'Gallery'

"Honeymooner's" gifts

Emily and Brett are back from their 3 week honeymoon to the US and Hawaii. We were taken out to dinner the first night they were back to not only thank us for our help with their wedding, but to also surprise us with gifts from their journey. I feel very lucky and my goodness they went into quilt shops to get my presents!!! Can you believe that?? So I thought I would share them with you..........

Two books and a set of coasters

This is an image from the historical book.

 The quilt is called  "Pikake" and made in

1940 - unquilted and maker is

unknown - how sad there is no history of the maker

And my new coffee coasters made of wood

There are many beautiful images of Hawaiian quilts on the internet and a good start is to go to the Guild; http://www.hawaiiquiltguild.org/

And while searching I found an interesting article from the Antiques Roadshow - all about antique hawaiian quilts;

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/tips/hawaiianquilts.html

ENJOY!

Optical illusions

I still don't understand how driving home sometimes at night the moon can look very small in the sky and then you turn a corner and it is right in front of you - enormous and much closer. I 'googled' it but I still don't comprehend the scientific explanations! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_illusion

I took these photos last night walking along the beach - at first it looked like a rocket had been launched into the sky - many onlookers were also fascinated until we all realised it was the optical illusion of a jet flying overhead - did make me appreciate that the earth is round!

I even got a plane going the other way in this shot

So I won't join in the philosophical and scientific debate as to why this is so (the clouds do the same thing!)......instead enjoy the cuppa I shared yesterday with the Salisbury Stitches. I was honoured to open their bi-annual quilt exhibition. I spent almost 3 hours there wandering around the wonderful display of quilts, bears, embroideries and all things 'Recycled' which was their theme for the show.

Thanks girls for asking me and for especially bringing in this cup for me to enjoy a cuppa!!

Kelmscott bed covers

I have come across another version of the coverlet that Morris' daughter originally made for her father's bed at Kelmscott Manor.....

Sweet dreams... bed cover embroidered by

William Morris's daughter, May, in the Emery Walker house.

Photo: David Levene

This cover was found in a house belonging to Sir Emery Walker who lived three doors away from Kelmscott House, Morris' final home in Hammersmith, West London. Emery moved here after Morris had died, but he had been a lifelong friend of both Morris and his daughter May. The article I came across from 2005 goes on to say that Emery's house was "A unique house stuffed with original William Morris designs and mementoes of most of the leading figures of the Arts and Crafts era"
It continues with dispair of the house closing from public view.....but read on............

Philip Webb, one of Morris designers left all of his possessions to Emery and now great joy.....we can go and see it all!! Check out this link. It is full of the most wonderful collection of Morris posessions and furnishings (another date for our visit later this year!)....
http://www.emerywalker.org.uk/index.php

The original Kelmscott cover on Morris' bed at Kelmscott Manor

By the way, Kelmscott Manor have a fabulous new website;

http://www.kelmscottmanor.org.uk/home

Click on "conversations" and enjoy over a cuppa!