My first adventure was for my birthday/Mother's Day (happened on the same day this year!) I visited with my boys in NYC. Despite the very rainy weather (you will see a weather theme in this spring's travels!) we had a blast!
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| The only people in Central Park! |
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Obligatory trip to Mood Fabrics! Lots of great stuff, now I just need to stay put and sew some of it!  I have been wanting to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see their Spring Costume Exhibit for several years now. This year it was a retrospective show of Rei Kawakubo's work, called "Art of the In-Betweens". It was a bit jarring and unusual, but very thought provoking. Kawakubo really challenges the traditional ideas we have about how to clothe our figures.
The trip also included wonderful food experiences, and time to enjoy my kiddos!
My next adventure was in Britain. My husband was attending his ### high school class reunion in Wales. We started the trip in London and then spent some time exploring different parts of Wales. I have been several times but usually end up in the living rooms of my in-laws, which is lovely, but doesn't give me much of a sense of the country. This time we traveled from one side of the country to the other!
We stayed in the Soho neighborhood of London and to my surprise and delight, it is also the center of the fabric district! It is right near the West End theaters so there are lots of gorgeous fabrics for costumers...and me!!!
First stop, Liberty of London! Not only do they have amazing fabrics, they have the best Afternoon Cream Tea ever!!!!!
The walls were filled with these "trophies" covered in Liberty of London cotton lawns. Just delightful!
 
We stopped by the Victoria and Albert to see their costume exhibit. They had a few pieces from different time periods...I loved the 1920's tennis dress and the 1940's suit. Such great lines and details.
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At the Tower of London they were redoing one of the bedrooms. The entire wall was being hand stenciled!!!
On to Wales! The views from the Brecon Beacons (the mountains in south-central Wales) were perfect patchwork quilts!!!
A highlight for me was visiting a bespoke shoemaker in northern Wales. Ruth Emily Davey apprenticed for several years with a master shoemaker and is now making her own shoes in a darling shop/workshop in Machynlleth, Wales. (I still can't pronounce the name of the place!) And yes,I will be receiving my shoes in time for Christmas!!
My most recent adventure took me to Costa Rica on a meditation retreat. The rain forest was so alive and peaceful at the same time. It is hard not to be inspired by the lushness of the foliage and the amazing colors everywhere!
Home again, home again, jiggity jog!
Whew! I am filled to the brim with ideas and fabrics from my whirlwind spring, and ready to dig into some projects, before I head off again this fall!
It seems to be the year of going places.
...as they say in Costa Rica...
Pura Vida!!
