The year half gone already!!

I can hardly believe that it's already the middle of June. It is a little scary how quickly time passes as you grow older, and there's definitely beginning to be a feeling of not having enough time to finish everything I wanted or planned to do. I'm aware that, even as I write those words that it sounds a lot more negative than I actually feel however. And so onto more positive things although I have very little stitching to show you today.

I'm fresh back from a week of visiting my son and daughter in London and thought I'd share a few of the places I visited and some of the things that inspired me whilst I was down there. I spent most of  my week in Walthamstow and revisited the William Morris Gallery. I love Morris' designs and am impressed and inspired by how much he did with his life - artist, printmaker, designer, poet, social reformer, political activist ... but this time I'm just sharing a couple of photographs and neither of them are of his work.

These plants (lots of them) are in the Gallery garden and the leaves appear in several of Morris' designs. I love the architectural nature of the whole plant, the shape of the leaves and the silvery sheen they have when the light catches them just so.

There was an exhibition in the Gallery of African fabric and I was particularly struck by this beautiful dress, especially the way in which the fabric design has been used to such great effect. You can also just see another piece on the wall which is edged with pictures of Nelson Mandela.

Here it is in more detail ...

 Mother goose and her goslings in the park behind the Gallery.

I was also introduced to a shop which goes by the wonderful name of God's Own Junkyard, where they stock hundreds of neon signs. ...

 ... love hearts galore ...

 ... a Chanel angel ...

... True love never dies.

This globe is covered with tiny photographs of every solar eclipse ever recorded and they are reflected out onto the walls of the room as tiny pinpoints of light as the globe slowly rotates. A brilliant exhibition at Somerset House.

I was also inspired by this beautiful lace-like roof at the Westfield Shopping Centre.

And finally, just a little stitching to show you ...

I made this piece of lace as a house-warming gift for my son and his partner. Entitled 'Hive'.