It is with a sad but hopeful heart that I write this post and like you our thoughts of the future are full of uncertainty. What I am certain of is that we are lucky to have a roof over our heads, family nearby and special friends to support and encourage. It is Mother's Day in the UK today so last night I wrote to Helen wishing her a happy day knowing that it would not be possible for her to share it with family during the current lockdown crisis. The message I got back brought tears to my eyes with both hope and joy and she wanted me to send an extra big cheerio and she is thinking of all of you that have joined her (and sometimes myself) on her Whitecroft tours. So with that I thought it an opportune time to share a bit of fun wiht the news that Helen is now a movie star!! The village where Helen lives in Devon was chosen for filming a new series The Trouble with Maggie Cole starring none other than the delightful Dawn French...and Helen!! If the trailer is anything to go by it looks like it will be just what we need right now......not sure when it will be released in our neck of the woods though......
And here is Helen looking shocked as she had been instructed!!
So during these uncertain times life does go on albeit a little differently. I won't regurgitate the shopping hoarding or the media scares but like many live for the day when it is all behind us so that the good in humanity arises once again. If you are lucky like me and have a hobby to fill your time then this imposed seclusion can only reap rewards. While speaking of quilting I thought I would share some stunning work by two local girls, Prue Wheal and Val Giles who had an extended exhibition of their work that concluded just over a week ago. The venue was a great space to showcase their incredible work full of great skill and colour choice.............
I am so pleased I got to see it all. Of course during these trying times we must protect the little people so an after school treat a couple of weeks ago went down well.......
We have also been enjoying our own treat as we watch our kitchen and laundry being transformed. Things have stalled for the moment but we are hopeful it will all be completed soon.......some before images......
The neighbours must have wondered what was happening as father Mark and his sons Jamie and Lewis all have their own personalised work van which took up much of our little street......
Their website is awaiting more photos but you can see some of their work on their facebook page Here. This business came recommended by a friend Gina Burgess and we have not been let down. We are living 'camp style' but considering world events we have little to complain about.....
An unexpected issue with the previous tiling led to an opportunity for me to create a feature row of tiles reflecting a quilt pattern of course and I love it!........
And then one day I noticed a pattern on the wall where the previous tiles had been removed so while the boys were at lunch I created some cheeky art work...click on the image to see a close-up!.....
So all in all we are very happy and feel very lucky......
During the past week I also received photos from Sylvie in Canada. Some time ago she wrote to ask me if I would mind her using my 'Coffee with William Morris' quilt pattern to create a hooked rug. Sylvie also sent me images of some of her previous work......
And here is a reduced sized version of my quilt design all done on linen and in progress.....Wow! I can't wait to see it finished.......
Closer to home I also received this glorious photo of Julie and her beautiful version of 'Morris Brocade' surrounded by a co-ordinated Morris print border. Thankyou to both Sylvie and Julie for allowing me to share your work with others......I think with this lockdown there may well be lots of creativity going on.......
So my final message comes from the great man himself. I saw this on social media and thought it most pertinent. Stay safe and well everyone xxx
We have had some extraordinarily beautiful days these past two weeks which is quite out of character for this time of year as it is usually still so very hot. But we have enjoyed every single moment of it especially on a couple of days trying to get some good photos of the bushfire quilt. A special friend had one of her sons visiting from the UK and I knew he was a keen photographer so I borrowed his expertise with a lunch thankyou thrown in! We found a historic location in our favourite village of Willunga but this day it was a wee bit warm and probably way too sunny......
I love this shot that Alex captured of little Wade checking out the possum on one corner...his little hat is camouflaged.......
and I especially love this image Alex took against the stunning historic stone wall.......
I went back to the same location a few days later on a cloudy day and took some styled shots as well.......
And one day inside I managed to capture some of Judy's beautiful quilting........
So now I need to focus on writing all the pattern instructions while Tim organises the fabric supplies and navigates the ridiculous licensing laws that differ across our country so we can sell quilt raffle tickets! More news of all that when it becomes available. Meanwhile Larry and I have been soaking up the glorious warm days doing some enjoyable things. Adelaide is currently abuzz with the Adelaide Festival which is now in its 60th year. We would have loved to have seen this creative version of Mozart's Requiem but decided instead to attend some more affordable events with the Adelaide Fringe, the largest open air festival in the Southern Hemisphere and second to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. My late brother introduced me to Jethro Tull in the 1970's and when I met Larry 44 years ago I discovered they were his favourite band! So when one of our daughters alerted us to a show by four local artists that celebrate Tull we just had to go! Acoustic Tull did not disappoint and we look forward to seeing them perform again.......
Larry lashed out on a ticket to see Queen and Adam Lambert live for their Rhapsody world tour and I took my bother-in-law to something a little milder. The Carpenter's Songbook premiered at the Edinburgh Festival last year but they had a few technical problems at our performance and we were a little disappointed......
During the week I received this huge bouquet from Tim at Lloyd Curzon's to thank me for all my hard work working on the bushfire quilt and they have been a joy for over a week now.......
I was humbled and embarrassed to receive such a gift with an additional reward the next day from our state Quilters Guild appraisal panel when they presented us with a certificate reflecting a replacement quilt value of AU$8,470!! We are beyond thrilled and hope we raise way more than that for the Kangaroo Island Bee Keepers. So while Autumn is in the air so too are our butterflies that have been hatching this past week and we have had many....
In Morris related matters I was saddened to hear of the death of Fiona MacCarthy this past week. Her biography of William Morris is I believe the best available and for some reason years ago I made sure I had two copies!
In other Morris news I came across a fashion designer on Instagram creating Morris fashion in Russia and I love it all........
I was taken out for the most delicious lunch in the city during the week from a past interstate participant on one of the Adelaide Morris Tours and it was a great day for capturing our hidden Arts and Crafts gem........
As a part of the Festival there is also an enormous dolls house installation in the shopping mall that was created by Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi .........
Australia has also been struck with Corona virus fever...pardon the pun but it seems to have created some very strange panic buying of masks, sanitisers and heaven forbid...toilet paper...so much so that many stores have run out of stock! I guess it is in preparation for being quarantined in one's home for weeks on end? So we've been flooded with images online and in typical Aussie humour the jokes are never ending!!........
So it has been a cheerful and colourful week with Autumn beckoning, and in the garden I have a new drake to admire and as a bonus he seems to have stopped the birds from digging! .....
So I will leave you with beaming Miss 5 year old Maisie with her very first school award! Take good care wherever you are......
