At the Snowy Owl Inn, Waterville Valley, NH, in the heart of the White Mountains at peak leaf season

The Snowy Owl Inn, Waterville Valley, NH

Balinese Garden table runner (c) Sarah Ann Smith  (Pattern available here)

Love the soft, spring colors in this.

Ann wasn’t feeling well and packed in a hurry to head to the retreat after work. She tossed in this multicolored batik and made all her leaves and flowers from it!  That’s called making your fabric work for you!

As you can see, we had lots of room. Terri had her booth stuff (she vends at quilt shows) set up at the entry with all sorts of useful goodies (including a great selection of needles and batiks, yes I bought some!). I had the other end for my samples etc. Each student had an entire table to use, and there were elevated cutting stations and ironing boards in the center.  And in the lower left, the table with the drawings/prizes.  The swag bags for participants were to die for wonderful, too!  Even Alison (the lecture) and I got our own name tags and mugs!  Thank you, Terri!

Didn’t this table runner turn out amazing? When class broke for dinner on Saturday, she had maybe three flowers put together. Came in the next morning and she had this DONE plus (see next photo).   She even got some sleep, but she stayed up WELL past my bedtime!

She had these extra leaves to practice on as I suggested, since you play with thread colors and stitches on your machine With a “spare to practice” you don’t have to pick stuff out!

Here’s a cheerful sample.  What I love is seeing students take fabrics I’d never think to use and come up with something they love!  Very cottage-y!

Love her blues. Starr worked on several projects on Saturday, so glad she got so much done.

The female half of the Snowy Owl Inn owners got to take the class, and I’m so annoyed I didn’t get a photo of the finished top–I thought I had. It turned out GREAT!  Here it is in progress.

I love for how this student brought fabric that echoes my pattern and is using my process to enhance the fabric.  She is relatively new to sewing, but has a great eye and good design sense.

This student has a quilt/bedspread she made and wants to make a wall hanging to go in the bedroom. She brought the fabric used in the quilt, so we figured out how to use some of that fabric in the top.

She brought out the fabric to show her neighbor-table-mate, and we both said BORDERS! Make it bigger, use it as a border. Isn’t this FAN-flippin’-TASTIC?!!!! I so want pics when it is quilted. She bought some gold thread to use. Swoon!

From a staff, at Sutton Hoo Burial Ground, near Woodbridge, Sussex, England

Eli and I arrived before the facililty opened, but after the grounds opened. Owned by the National Trust, families may come and visit, picnic, hike the grounds. So we did! This photo is shortly after we began our walk looking at Woodbridge in the distance, just across the river. Think of rivers as the interstate highways of the days of yore–if you wanted to get some place in a hurry, going by water rather than overland was the way to do it. It’s only a few miles up hill from the river to this place.

On the way to the path in the photo above, we passed a playground for families with squirrelly kids who need to burn off some energy. This includes 16 year olds . As we found ourselves saying across England, isn’t this a great playground, gosh this would never exist in the US because somebody would sue somebody else if a kid got a skinned knee. Imagine, a zipline (low down obviously) in a playground!

There were blackberries and these berries in abundance. Eli and I snarfed quite a few blackberries, reminiscing about San Juan Island. I think these are currants, but wasn’t sure so we didn’t test taste any. Great art inspiration though.

Trees. England does trees. BIG trees. Majestic trees. Trees made for climbing. Eli is a climber. By 6 months of age he could clamber out of his high chair, climb into his high chair, in and out of his crib by 18 months (hence the early switch to a bed with guard rail).   Keep in mind it would take multiple adults to hold hands and hug this tree, that’s how big it is.

Now look UP. Waaaaaay Up. Yep, that’s my boy!  He is 5’9″ tall, so he’s WAY UP.  I did not pass out from holding my breath.  Barely.  I have this irrational fear of falling which extends to my kids, too.  But Eli LOVED it!

On the walk, we passed a farm and these awesome four-horned sheep, which someone on Facebook (where I posted some of the pics during the trip) told me these are Jacob’s sheep. Cool! More inspiration.

At last, time to go in to the Sutton Hoo facilities, then go on our walk of the grounds.

And wouldn’t you know it…opposite the register/till where you pay your entry fees, a quilt! WOOT!  Wish I knew who made this.  If anyone knows, please tell me and I’ll add the information!

I bought a book about the site which has this photo that shows some of the area that was excavated. Burial mounds were subject to frequent raiding over the centuries and many of the magnificent artifacts were looted.

A burial ship being excavated back in the 30s. The burial mound that was source of the most stunning Sutton Hoo artifacts, however, had partially collapsed, so the grave robbers missed the center point (where the good stuff is usually buried with the deceased). That meant it was STILL THERE, and now lives in the British Museum.

Here are some of the artifacts of a horse bridle at the Sutton Hoo facility. Other items at the facility are reproductions, as the British Museum has a huge building and massive security for the gold works.

A closer view of the goldwork. Aren’t those designs amazing?

Our guide and some of the mounds in the burial grounds.  In this photo we are standing atop the mound where the most stunning artifacts were found.

And Eli on the left, daypack under the jacket, walking back to the exhibits area.  A dream of 15 years to visit here, since I heard the public could finally get access.  Contended sigh.

And that photo up at the top, here’s the staff/sceptre. Incredible!

Here’s the Woodbridge train station that afternoon, where we began our 4 hour journey (three trains) to York.

More design inspiration in the supports at the train stations.  A thermofax screen perhaps?

At the YHA (Youth Hostel Assn.) York Hostel, my first ever Pimm’s. It will NOT be my last: cucumber, strawberries, 7 Up, Pimm’s, citrus over ice. Summer perfection.

on Hope Road in south Hope, Maine. Photo (c) Sarah Ann Smith.  The colorful foreground is wild blueberry barrens.  Rockport in the background.

Friday evening on Appleton Ridge Road in Appleton/Washington, Maine. Photo (c) Sarah Ann Smith

Looking west from Appleton Ridge Road at sunset. Photo (c) Sarah Ann Smith

Sumac at Barnestown and Gillette roads, Hope, Maine.

From Hope Road in south Hope, Maine, looking back towards Gillette Road.  I am pretty sure this is the back side of Ragged Mountain. Photo (c) Sarah Ann Smith

South Hope, Maine. There is a trail head near here and I keep promising myself I’m going to go hiking there. Maybe early this week as a treat?

Tree and wild blueberry barrens on Hope Road, south Hope, Maine. Photo (c) Sarah Ann Smith

Looking towards Rockport from Hope Road, Hope, Maine. Photo (c) Sarah Ann Smith

Hatchet Mountain as seen from in front of the Hope General Store. Hope, Maine. Photo (c) Sarah Ann Smith

On the perimeter path at Stonehenge at about 7 pm.  On a typical summer’s day, some 3000 tourists visit Stonehenge, which is located on the Salisbury Plain.  They must keep to this walkway around the stones because they were being loved to death, with folks compacting the soil so much it was disturbing the structures.  But with our after-hours tour, we got to go inside.

The Salisbury Plain as seen from the grounds at Stonehenge.

Eli on the approach road toward the stones, which are to the left of his face. The new wonderful visitor’s center is some distance removed so you get a feeling for the vastness of the plain and the size of the stones as you approach the circle, as people would have eons ago. Just to the left of Eli’s head, about the level of his chin, you can see a structure beyond the fence post…that’s it.  Seems small on the broad horizon.  Just wait!

The official sign near the visitor’s center

From that perimeter pathway. As the sun began to set and the clouds began to disperse, a rainbow appeared!

I moved a bit around the path so that it looks like the end of the rainbow is in the middle of the stone. Just looking at this I am transported to the cool evening air, the rustling of the strong breeze….the hush as we all stood looking.  There were the 50 people on the bus, our tour guide and two security guards.  LOTS better than a throng of thousands like during the day!

At one of the signs on the perimeter path–yes, we were really there!

Even a teenager could be impressed, getting out his camera and checking the photo.

Metering the camera on the sky led to this stunning silhouette as the sun started to go down. Notice the guard on the left, to give a sense of how BIG these stones are!

And Eli, moving away from the path and the circle to get a wide angle shot. Just by the trees on his right is a major road, the equivalent of a US interstate.  They are working on relocating that major road farther away from the site.

After the first group, it was our turn to go inside. The guide (the guy in black pants and white shirt on the left) had the kids go first and pretend to push the stones apart.

From inside the circle.  That tallest stone in the center has a nipple on top:  at the top of each of the standing stones is a nipple with a corresponding divot on the under side of the lintel / cross-piece.  Amazing to think considering what tools they had when this was built.  

At the top, where the cross beam rests atop a post, a bird’s nest.

And about five feet above my head, a stray bit of wool blown from a sheep somewhere, stuck on the lichens.

Decided to lay down on the grounds–no, didn’t feel any deep vibrations or communication from the other side!

Eli at Stonehenge.

And me, carefully NOT touching the rock!

The sun begins to set on the Salisbury Plain.

Sunset at Stonehenge, August 13, 2014. SIGH. Contentment.

Sunset, again, at Stonehenge, August 2014.

And it seemed the horizon was ablaze…Stonehenge, August 2014.

Minerva Sulis, from the Roman Baths in Bath, England–simply exquisite.  I SO need to get out my pencils and watercolors and sketch this head.

On the way to meet the bus tour, I had to hug a pillar box (for mail) just in case they become a vanishing artifact, like the red phone booths (after all, how many pay phones are there in YOUR town now? Precious few!) .  Yes, happy to be back in England!

The English countryside, headed west from London to Bath. Wales is in the distance.

In Bath, our guide had the bus stop at the top of the hill so we could walk down to the center of town. He said these trees were planted July 4, 1776. Not sure how they know that, but the ring of trees must date to about then. They are in a circle in the center of Georgian homes on a circular area/park-let.

This neighborhood in Bath has been well-to-do for a good 300 years.

We then walked down the hill through town to the Roman Baths. The building on the other side of the horde of tourists is the Roman baths.

Not sure of the date of this building, but obviously it isn’t Roman. But it was decorated incredibly beautifully with “classic” themed images.

One of the triangular panels beneath the dome–just love the artwork, the “fit the space” composition, the delicacy of the lines of the figure

Drum roll: the Roman Baths. A tad green, eh? But folks have gone to take the waters and regain health in Bath for nigh on to 1700 years. And The US of A is scarcely 300 years including most of our time as colonies…

Never one to miss a sewing opportunity or idea, I snapped this young woman’s backpack with button pocket while at the baths.

As always, I am fascinated with “how did they do that back then?” This is a hollowed out brick used in creating an arch, with deep scored patterns to help the mortar stick. My thought: what a great rubbing that would make!

And carvings. Now can anyone tell me that whoever created E.T. (remember the movie, “phone home” and the trail of Reese’s pieces?) had NOT seen this carving?  It is TOTALLY E.T.!

A thousand years ago when I was in England in college I visited the baths, but I had not realized or remembered that the waters are WARM. This interior waterfall that directs the steaming mineral-laden water to the bathing pools clearly shows *how* warm!

And when I entered the room with this Green Man it simply took my breath away. I KNOW the displays and museum weren’t this good in 1978!

Back outside of the baths is the Cathedral in Bath. I hadn’t realized that in England a city is a place that has a cathedral. The rest are towns. Makes it pretty straightforward, eh? And as always, incredible artistry in the carvings.

On one of the towers of the Cathedral. Note most of the angels are going up, but this shot of a portion of the tower shows how one is falling, too.

We were to meet the bus near to the Cathedral, where there was a park down by the river, with this beautiful angel.

I loved the wings so much that I had to take this close-up. And I must say, traveling with a digital camera and being able to take a gazillion shots, delete the flubs and not worry about how long one’s supply of ten rolls of 36 negatives each would last, is really nice! And being to see that you FLUBBED all the shots before you leave so you can take them again!

Professor Slughorn’s home.  Our next stop was a tiny town, Lacock.  Wikipedia entry here; the town dates from the 1200s and is now largely a National Trust property, but folks live in the old homes.  This is a more modern house on the outskirts of town and was in the Harry Potter movie with Prof. Slughorn (we wanted to do favorite books on this trip).

An intersection in Lacock; these homes are still lived in, with wiring and plumbing added 500+ years after they were built!

I took a number of photos of “chimney pots,” often with birds. Love the feathers ruffled by the wind on this gray day.

In the Harry Potter films, this was Harry’s parent’s house when he was born. Cool, eh? (And look at those clouds!)

And one more typical street in Lacock.