More Marvellous Morris

I think many of us are finding it hard to believe it is the last day of September and that the stores are already filled with Christmas trees and decorations! But it is so I have treated myself to an early Christmas gift filled with William and May Morris of course! Recently I came across this gorgeous site: Une Bonne Journée and as soon as I saw this I just had to have it!....... 

It took less than two weeks to arrive all the way from Sceaux, France and how beautifully it was packaged with a personal thankyou and a gorgeous button too.......

 It is so beautifully made with pockets inside and quite a firm lining as well........

 and I love the detail especially those little birds........

 Thankyou Penny....I just love it and think this might be on my wish list from the family for my birthday.....

Earlier today I also saw that a local fabric shop was stocking a new range of fabrics: "May Morris Studio", so a quick drive (and a catch up with dear friends who I used to stitch with on a Monday) and I came home with a collection of 10 inch squares (layer cake). The bolts won't be available until December to buy by the metre but how beautiful they all are (colours are a little yellow as I took some quick photos tonight under the night light)......

 So it is very exciting that both William Morris and his daughter May are still being celebrated today (what a shame I sold out of copies of my May Morris stitching book over a year ago). So while we were out and about today we thought we would enjoy the sunshine and contemplate how hot it is going to be in just a few days - Larry heard tonight that the heat this week will be 11C above average for this time of year.! So another stroll through one of our favourite places to see the Spring blooms........

 

 Beau and Maisie have kindy and school holidays for the next two weeks so I am sure we will be catching up. Maisie was so chuffed last weekend that she could finally reach the top of this climb.......

 And little Wade was also pretty chuffed with his new tractor.......

We have Wade again tomorrow so it will be lovely to explore outside in the sun. So with that I will say thanks for dropping by with the hope that all is well in your part of the world. The Dalai's calendar page yesterday was most appropriate as I am having a thumb reconstruction in two days. I have read far too much online (as you do!), especially about the pain afterwards but in the scheme of things this is elective (and will only get worse as it is bone on bone - well so I was told), and a decision I had to make to return function without ongoing pain........especially while dressing, cleaning, picking up little Wade...and of course quilting!! So I will chat soon after that!

Missing in action

I guess if I've been missing for 3 weeks it means life is either busy, boring or there is not enough Morris news? I do know life is never boring and it is always busy and with the September coughs and colds it has been exasperating as well......but first up some Morris news! Back in 2016 we had the wonderful opportunity of visiting Iceland and I did several posts about that starting HERE. One of the main reasons for our journey was to find out what captured William Morris' imagination there and it didn't take long to discover........

So for the very first time in Iceland there is currently an exhibition showing in the Reykjavik Art Museum aptly titled William Morris: Let Beauty Rule! Helen from Whitecroft Tours gave me a wonderful book written by Lavinia Greenlaw with excerpts from William's travel journal to Iceland in 1871 and while there we saw the type of small Icelandic horses that Morris used for his journey.......

 Morris's words are quite easy to read in this travel journal....unlike "News From Nowhere" that Larry has just started reading this week and that I am still to get through!......

I read of another related exhibition this time travelling through Sweden until January 2020. It is not quite Morris but Edward Burne-Jones: The Pre-Raphaelites and the North showcasing many of Burne-Jones' paintings, textiles and drawings that have influenced Scandinavian design - wonderful! My designing seems to be on hold for now as we have been busy with family life. Little Wade is now walking confidently and he is such a joy to watch as his little personality develops.....

And this weekend just gone we took the older two away as their parents had two functions to attend over two nights so we headed down to our beloved south coastline. I found a fabulous little shack and the added bonus while being away was seeing a southern right whale and her calf out at sea...sadly no photos but a magical experience we will all remember.....

 The weather was cold and wet but we had some indoor activities including Maisie attempting her first ever patchwork...and she loved it........

 Lots of fossicking and collecting for sharing at school and kindy this week.......

 The kiddies took their iPads and took lots of their own photos for sharing as well..........

 In recent weeks I also managed to share a technique for the cotton rope bowls in a half day workshop and the results speak for themselves. Everyone was very happy to go home with something almost completed.....

 And again one evening with three special friends.......

 So at home we are experiencing the rollercoaster of the changing season with very warm one day and freezing cold the next. I've been coughing for what seems like weeks but the garden brings a smile with some springtime blooms.....

 We also have a new member of the family who has joined us and he too is bringing us joy....and he is "Topsy" in memory of William Morris! (for those of you who don't know - Morris was called "Topsy" by his close friends).....

 So my final happy news is that we have some new furniture! These chairs have been in the making for some weeks now and we are pretty chuffed with the results. I have wanted to get my late Mum's chair reupholstered for a long while now using a William Morris fabric from Morris & Co. But I really couldn't afford it and only having a small home I think it would have looked wrong anyway. So instead I started thinking about the Cotswold tweed look that I thought my Morris cushions might suit. Well finding that in Adelaide was near impossible and this was the closest I could get! But I was thrilled to find a business not far from home: Adelaide Upholstery and Sewing where we met the owner Martin Colwill - a craftsman who trained in the UK...how perfect! Martin reupholstered Mum's chair and the before and after images below make it unrecognisable but I know Mum would have loved it and it is just what I asked for......

So we had two more chairs hand crafted to match and all costing little more than having just Mum's chair done in Morris fabric! I know it is not to everyone's taste and maybe it looks like the old folks home but we love it as it reminds us of many happy hours in the UK relaxing in some country Cotswold hotels.....now we just need the fireplace!