William Morris Tour Three!

It has been a busy few days but we are now all packed and ready to 'fly the coop' to lovely England and more William Morris! I will blog as often as I can especially for those who are unable to come with us (and would dearly love to!). There are many things I am looking forward to seeing again and it will feel strange without all our friends from last year....

And of course it will be wonderful to catch up with Helen - our intrepid leader and special friend.....be there soon Helen!!

I've had several projects and deadlines to complete before we leave, but one of them is not to the stage I would like. It is my entry for our quilt show in November so it is coming with me. It will be a well travelled quilt but there is just too much precious time that could be used hand embroidering with four very long flights......

And as if we haven't had enough to do....in true Hill style we have decided to sell our little home! We downsized over 2 years ago and have struggled with the concept of living on a community title in a townhouse with very close neighbours. (Had to try it to find that out though!) And now that the family is growing once again we are missing more space - we probably downsized a little prematurely but we have no regrets  I needed to do a much needed de-clutter after 26 years in our last home. Larry's brother will be caring for our place while we are away with visits from the real estate agent as well. So forms have been signed and photos have been taken, with a great record of memories and the prospect of a new chapter in our lives......

Next post will  be from England..our first stop will be a few nights in Oxford where we will be meeting Nicola Jarvis at dinner on Friday night....and she has booked us in to one of Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurants - Jamie's Italian. So till then - bon voyage, take good care and speak again soon! xx

The inspiring quilt art of Mary Williams

Here in Adelaide we are experiencing some very pleasant warm and sunny weather.....so it has been wonderful to get out and about and today was no exception as we enjoyed Father's Day. Of course a little help to unwrap a gift is always welcome....

On Friday evening Larry and I had the honour of attending the opening of an exhibition of textile work of a friend, Mary Williams....and what a spectacular feast for the eyes it is! The exhibition is entitled Thread Counts and it is very obvious that much of Mary's inspiration comes from nature. Mary's use of thread and delicious colours are simply breathtaking as you can see..........

Like many textile artists it sometimes takes years of exploring before we find an area of skill satisfaction. Mary's journey has resulted in her finding a place of incredible skill and artistry especially with her use of thread. It all started with this piece (below), which was a finalist in the International Quilt Festival Houston last year. When I first saw it a couple of years ago I knew that Mary had truly found 'her place' in quilt making.......

I did catch a glimpse of a very proud Gerry (who used to be a very supportive work colleague to me - small world hey?!!).....

and two very proud sons - the younger good looking ones in the doorway!......

Thank you Mary for allowing me to share your beautiful work with the blog world...and thanks especially for the invitation to the opening. I am so thrilled for you and look forward to sharing your quilting journey for many more years to come. Those of you who live in Adelaide - do go and visit - the exhibition is on until September 22nd.