The speed of life!

How can it possibly be over a week since my last entry??!! I recall as a child that time was always so slow but as I get older it seems to be going way too fast! We have had the little ones for a few days this week and then I did an extra 'shift' last night so Emily could watch Brett performing in his band Skythief. One day we ventured to the beach and now that Miss Maisie has found her feet she simply took off………

 Last Sunday I also helped her Mum out - (well rather I looked after Beau!) while she did a local market. She had sewn lots of baby goodies………

The garden is blooming and this evening Larry and I spent some time trimming all the lavender bushes. I cannot believe in just 18 months the front of the house has gone from this………….

 to this……………...

The lady who owned the house before us told me that nothing would grow out the front as it it is full of building rubble but I am pleased that is not the case. The silver birch tree has gone from 5ft to 15ft since May last year so there is obviously water and nutrients below. A border of white alyssum looks like it is taking too………... 

 The climbing rose is a joy and just 16 months old……….

 as are all the roses…….

 I brought one William Morris rose with us from the townhouse but it is not happy being in a pot. The blooms are awfully small so we will find a spot in the garden after Summer………….

 I have had a raspberry plant for 3 years now and it looks like we will finally have some fruit this summer…….

 These flowers are popping up everywhere. They are Gaura commonly known as the Butterfly plant…...nothing to do with attracting butterflies but they look like butterflies as they sway in the breeze. I am sure it won't be long and I will be cursing it as it is growing like mad………….

 This afternoon I took the train to town on my own…….a little 'time out' before our busy week with the quilt exhibition and it was wonderful to see the mall full of costumes. Clearly my head has been in the sand as I had no idea there was a Multicultural Festival on today. I didn't have my camera so resorted to the mobile phone……….

 So diverse and so wonderful that our country is enriched with cultures from places faraway. The children had happy faces all dressed in national costume and performing their traditional dances……....

 The aromas from the food tents was incredible - a mixture of Indian, Albanian, Croatian, French, Spanish…….in all there were 60 nationalities represented……...

 Spanish Paella……….

 And the relevance of all this to William Morris??……I digress as always! Well Morris did love his food and also his garden so hope that will do! I will finish with a wee bit of Morris though. Jason Yenter from In the Beginning Fabrics has been working on some gift items based around the blue range of our Dear William collection from a couple of years ago. He has used the border design and my Dear William quilt design to create coffee mugs, notecards in a decorative tin, a tote bag and a luscious long scarf. I am chuffed to bits and think they look gorgeous. They should be available early next year so ask your favourite quilt shop to look out for them. ……..

The next few days will be consumed with helping out at our annual quilt exhibition. Tomorrow is a very early start with all day judging, then Tuesday the frames go up and Wednesday we hang quilts all day…then it is four days of the quilt show……..so busy, busy again. See you the other side of that x