Kelmscott

Todays adventures brought to you by car... we visited the Cotswold Woolen Weavers & Kelmscott Manor (Kelmscott Manor being the home of Arts & Crafts designer William Morris).  Travelling on the wrong side of the road - not as intimidating as predicted, navigating traffic circles (roundabouts) - the real threat.  The worst bit is trying to figure out which lane one should be in to get out on the right road.  Labels are good, yes, and sometimes printed in the lanes, but when they are not, who's to know where to go?  So many things to keep track of.  Nonetheless, I pleased to report that we have survived the days driving!  And what's more, we somehow managed to find our 2 destinations with a minimum of help from our GPS (It could only muster up directions to the nearest town).

The Cotswold Woolen Weavers was a bit disappointing - more store than museum, and a rather extensive store at that!  We were rather hoping for an education!  Nonetheless the blankets were absolutely lovely and so, so soft.  I didn't buy one, but really only for lack of room in my bag (I'm reaching capacity).  They were lovely, and make me want to go home and weave my own twill blanket.

Kelmscott manor was lovely too.  Photos were forbidden on the interior so alas, I cannot show you!  It's a simple sort of place, straightforward, not ostentatious, but charming.  Curtains, wall decor, bedding, rugs, many were Morris & Co. designs.  A couple rooms had the block-printed fabrics adorning the walls, much like tapestries in castles, and they were absolutely charming.  You could see how they had faded over time - the colour was generally quite soft, but the shadowy corners revealed a much bolder intent.  After seeing such dynamic and organic patterns I feel both quite in awe as well as quite inept in my own design attempts.

I should add that today is the first day we've had rain.  It's a very misty sort of rain, an it's not cold on.  It seems to ride in sheets upon the wind.  We're suddenly realizing that all our garden-seeing, countryside walking plans could be thrown into question if this keeps up.