Finished Union Jack Quilt + the Cotswolds

This week I finally finished binding my Liberty London Parks Union Jack Quilt. The pattern for this quilt is called Regent Street Union Jacks. You may remember the quilt top of this quilt went on a fun adventure across the pond to visit England in May. I've finally had a chance to go through my pictures from the visit to the Cotswolds with my parents, and figured, in honor of the finished quilt, it would also be fun and fitting to share some of my favorite village and scenery highlights and recommendations of our journey through the Cotswolds.

First the quilt. This quilt is made with my Regent Street Union Jack quilt pattern featuring Liberty Cotton's 2023 summer collection, London Parks (colorway A). As a lover of all things London (especially the parks) I couldn't resist making something with this fabric. And once I knew I was going to visit England, I had to make more Union Jack flag blocks. As one does...

You can read more about the beginings of this quilt here. In addition to the London Parks fabric collection (which you can find from a variety of Etsy sellers, Morris Textiles, and Stash Fabrics)

I paired the busy floral prints with some Liberty basics as well as Lori Holt and other Riley Blake basics (see below, right) - particularly Lori's new Bee Gingham Basics collection (available from the Fat Quarter Shop or Etsy).

Other Basics include Riley Blake's new Poparazzi in moss and Olive as well as Blossom in Green Smoothie and Baby Pink, Liberty Wiltshire Shadow in Olive and Candy Pink. In the picture above right you can see how mixing in the basics and other blenders helps to break up the busy florals and other prints from the London Parks collection.

Here you can see how mixing in the blenders and basics provides contrast for the busier prints and helps to create interesting combinations of color and visual texture.

The quilt was quilted by Melissa of Sew Shabby quilting. I chose this shabby Rose Leaves design as it looks like a classic English cabbage rose.

The blue binding is Lori Holt's Gingham Basics Dream Rebecca print.

And with that introduction, here are some of the highlights of our visit to the Cotswold region of England. (You can read more here about how it came to be that I got to go to England with my parents in May of 2023).

I've been to England multiple times, but only ever visited the Cotswolds on a brief drive-through on the way to Stratford-upon-Avon during the time I was a student living in London 30 years ago. So it had been a while. Going back exceeded all of my expectations!

Costwold Villages + Highlights

The Cotswolds is a quintessential English region, encompassed by picturesque rolling hills, charming villages built from honey-colored stone, with a tranquil countryside ambiance. With its idyllic landscapes and the well-preserved medieval architecture, meandering walking paths, and inviting country pubs, ou'll almost feel like you've traveled back in time.

This is due to the fact that that area hit a major economic slump in the mid-19th Century when cotton replaced wool as the go-to source for clothing manufacturing. For centuries before, the towns and farms of the Cotswolds had provided the majority of the wool for clothing worn in England and much of Europe. Once the demand dried up, so did the economy of the region and it's like the all of the towns went to sleep like Sleeping Beauty.

The English charm of this old-world-time-warp is now a huge tourist attraction. This "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" (official title!) offers a serene escape, where meadows meet woodlands, and centuries-old cottages harmonize with the gentle contours of the rolling fields, creating an enchanting environment that captures the essence of rural England.

I won't pretend to be an official travel guide (I personally love Rick Steves for that), but here are some of the places we saw and observations I made.

Chipping Camden

We stayed a couple of nights here and made this our home base during our stay. Uber charming High Street, lots of nearby historic cottages with thatched roofs and lovely gardens.

The houses and gardens were divine.

And how great is that dresden-inspired floor in our hotel?

Burton-on-the-Water

Burton-on-the-Water is probably the most busy and charming Costwold village with a gorgeous stream running through the heart of the town. But also full of crowds and the most "tourist-y".

Still absolutely worth a stop as it's just lovely. If you go late in the day the crowds are slimmer since the bus tours from places like London have left for the day.

Stow-on-the-Wold

LOTS of history and old world charm in this market town in the center of the Cotswolds. We had a great meal at the King's Arms Pub.

The Medieval church and surrounding churchyard are mystical. Be sure to check out the ancient yew trees planted on both sides of the back doors of the church. They're said to have inspired Tolkien's "Doors of Durin" and definitely looked like something out of Middle Earth.

There's some charming shopping in Stow-on-the-World and Cutter Brooks is worth a peek. It's pretty posh, but the interior is so charming and inspiring with hand-painted floral designs on the walls, bespoke paper flowers and other clothing and home goods.

Daylesford Organic Farm

Not far from Stow is the Daylesford Organic Farm - originally established as a conventional agricultural estate that gradually began the transformation into an organic farm in the 1980s.

Since then the estate has expanded its reach beyond the farm itself, including multiple shops, restaurants, and even a spa. Think of it as Joanna Gaines' Silos experience, but in rural England.

My mom is a garden-lover and we especially enjoyed exploring the garden and floral shops.

Lower Slaughter Village

I think Lower Slaughter may have been my favorite Cotswold village that we visited. Smaller that Chipping Campden, Burton, or Stow, and much less crowded. Lower Slaughter also had a lovely stream cutting through the middle of the village full of stone cottages, farmer's fields, a church, and even a watermill.

You may also recognize it as the filming location for the village of Highbury in the 2020 movie Emma.

We also had a great run in with fellow quilter, Jill from Vermont. I'm walking through this little English village with my parents and a woman walking past says, "Wait, are you Amy Smart?" Turns out she was also visiting England and had just made a Union Jack Quilt for the friends they were staying with.

We had a great time connecting. It was one of the best "small-world" moments ever. My parents especially got the biggest kick out of it.

Bibury Village

Okay, I might have lied above. I think that Bibury was my favorite village. Incredibly picturesque. It's a little farther away from the main cluster of Costswold towns, but absolutely worth the stop!

The Arlington Row houses were first build in 1380 (!) are a quintessentially famous UK photo location. The whole village, stream, and pond are beyond lovely.

We were extra lucky to be in England at such a beautiful time of year. Everything was in bloom!

Other Nearby Cotswold Sites

If you're visiting the Cotswolds you're within an easy drive of Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace), Blenheim Palace (incredible), and The Rollright Stones (ancient stone circle).

We visted Bleheim Palace one morning (my first time) and it was stunning. My pictures don't do it justice, so you'll have to look at pictures online.

Near Blenheim is a little village called Bladon where Winston Churchill is buried. Such a remote, quiet location with little pomp or fanfare for arguably one of England's most historic leaders.

Last year I read (audio-booked) The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson (excellent!) about Great Britain during 1940-41, the Blitz and how Churchill taught the British people "the art of being fearless." I don't know when I'll ever get back to Bladon cemetery so I was glad to take the chance to pay my respects to Sir Winston - along with my Dad who is also a history buff (and where I get that love).

So there are the highlights of a very special trip in an exceptionally beautiful and charming part of the world. Just when I think I can't love Britain enough...

And I love I have another Union Jack quilt to commemorate the experience because the quilt and the memories are now inseparably tied to each other!