I've been on a great adventure. The opportunity came on a bit suddenly and I'm SO grateful (and lucky!) it worked out. If you read my newsletter or follow me on Instagram, you already know I had a sudden and very sweet trip to England with my parents a few weeks ago. And since I recently put together a new version of my Regent Street Union Jack quilt using Liberty's latest London Parks collection, I knew this was my big chance to actually take pictures of this quilt IN ENGLAND. So I jumped at both opportunities.
Here's the long version of how this trip came about: My parents have had a British Isles cruise booked since 2019. After some pretty serious health issues, not to mention a global pandemic, they kept having to reschedule until finally this year.
They were sailing from Southhampton, England and had planned to arrive 5 days early to do some touring and visit towns where my mom's grandfather and family had emigrated from. But then reality set in of how they would get around to these remote rural villages and churches. As the time got closer and they were looking at hiring private drivers, etc. we realized for what they'd have to pay a private driver, it would easily cover the cost of my plane ticket.
And so I graciously volunteered to be my parents' chauffer around England. I know, I'm pretty heroic. 😉
Actually, to them it was. (Having lived in England, I'm more comfortable driving on the left-side of the road than they are.) It's a pretty great win-win when your parents are so grateful to you for rescuing them AND you get to go to England to do it.
We had a really special trip. England was showing-off its glorious beginning-of-summer floral display and even weather! I haven't been to England in the spring since I lived there in 1996.
We spent all of our time in Wiltshire (where my mom's grandfather and family are from) and the Cotswolds. Holy smokes, the Cotswolds were incredible. It's a part of England I've never spent time in and it was stunning.
Quintessential old-world English charm with thatched houses and stone cottages, fields and farms, and uber charming villages. We loved it. Here's a small sampling of what we saw. I will probably do another post as a reference about the Cotswolds themselves once I get the chance to go through my kajillion pictures. (For those who like this kind of thing, I've started sharing some of them in my Instagram Stories - see the England '23 bubble at the top of my page.)
As I mentioned, I took along a my latest Liberty of London Union Jack quilt for photos and found some great places for pictures.
You can find the pattern for the original Regent Street Union Jack quilt here.
You just can't recreate rolling green hills with fields of sheep surrounded by traditional rock walls and hedgerows here in the Western US.
And my parents were the best sports about me stopping for pictures in random places.
Actually I think they kind of liked it. 😉 They were WAY more cooperative and patient than my kids, lol.
My Dad even had his first ever gig at being the official quilt holder! He was pretty proud and excited to tell my mom, "I got to hold the quilt!" ❤
And he got some great "action shots" of me taking pictures of the quilt. I think he might become my best quilt photography sidekick yet!
Later in the week, he was even suggesting locations for quilt shots like this one:
My mom is the one who actually taught me how to make my first quilt, so she still plays a pretty significant role in the backstory of this whole quilting adventure.
You can find the pattern for the original Regent Street Union Jack quilt here.
As you can see, I only took the quilt top with me - mainly because it was a lot easier to pack and left room in my suitcase for me to bring home this loot:
Because: Priorities.
The Union Jack quilt is now off to Sew Shabby Quilting to get quilted. I'm excited to finish it up. But even more excited that both the quilt and I got to visit our favorite place. Feeling SO lucky and thankful for that opportunity. Especially some really special memories with my parents. ❤
More pictures to come. For those who like that kind of thing.
Karen
What month were you there
Amy
Last week of May. 🙂
Tanya Mace
I LOVED your post, commentary, pictures and quilt! It's clear your folks just love you, and that it's mutual!
Thanks for sharing this uplifting and inspiring post! I actually laughed when you said your parents were better sports about stopping than your kids. We say that about our 12 year old Giant Schnauzer, Molly. She can travel 30 hours across county without asking if we are there yet... just happy to be with us! 😉
Melissa
Love seeing all of the pictures of your beautiful quilt top and the beautiful backgrounds and hearing about your trip—how special for both you and your parents! Thanks for sharing!
Bevy
I absolutely love your traveling Union Jack photo shoot! I recently took pictures of a quilt at Miraval Tuscon AZ that I had brought to send home with my cousin that I was vacationing with. Also, I found that World Market sells Birds Custard Mix!
Cynthia Gottlieb
I love your Union Jack quilt pattern. I made one up in the Nottinghill collection and gave it away to hand over to a friend in Manchester, that I think they never received. So I would like to make another for myself. What were the Liberty Fabrics you used on this one that went to UK with you? Jane Austen?
Jan
When doing your photos did any of the locals stop & ask what are you doing, why do you have a cloth & the Union Jack is suppose to be Red, White & Blue?
Amy
Surprisingly no one stopped me. But people were probably thinking those things. 🙂
kathyjn
I loved reading about your trip back to England. It reminds me of the time when my dad wanted to go back for a visit in 2010, after getting jealous of the trip I made with my sister the year before. He was 90, and we all said, "Someone has to go with him - he can't manage alone!" Of course, I volunteered. It was only right! And speaking of Wiltshire, that was the reason I went the year before with my sister - to do some on-the-ground genealogy there. My mother's family line was from Dilton Marsh and Westbury. They were there from the late 1700s to the 1890s before moving on to Wales. I couldn't quite tell where you were from the pictures but one looked like Lacock or maybe Castle Combe. Jealous! Time to go back again, except left-hand driving terrifies me.
Sharing B.
Amy, I love your amazing quilt and so very happy you got to go back to the UK with your quilt and parents. I am sure they were so thankful and blessed to have you with them. Like you mentioned, great memories for you. I love the photos!
PATRICIA L PAUL
My ancestry is British as well, (my grandparents arrived in NY in 1912). I made two Union Jack quilts. One for my British penpal of 58 years and one for myself. I LOVE the British countryside, so your photos are beautiful!! I binge watch Escape to the Country, the British version of House Hunter! Can't get enough! Thanks for sharing Amy and glad you got to take this memorable trip with your parents.
Amy
Aww, that's wonderful! You're welcome and thanks, Patricia!
Karen Lewis
So so cool. Your shots, quilt, and parents are top notch!
Melanie Ayers
Love to hear your stories and see the pictures. I’ve been collecting Liberty Tana Lawn prints for a while now that I plan to use to make my Union Jack Quilt with so it was good to see yours. It’s gorgeous! As a British expat here in the US it‘s important to me to use quintessentially British fabric to make the quilt, lol. I have wonderful memories of my mother taking me to the Liberty store as a kid when we took a trip to London.
Kay
How absolutely lovely, this is just a fabulous tribute to your trip and our wonderful country. I went to the Cotswolds last year for the first time and fell in love with it, we had a short break planned agin for there this spring but sadly my husband and I caught covid in the week we were due to go.
Every time I see one of your Union Jack quilts I say to myself that I must do one, and I am still saying it all these years later. X
Gwyn
What a wonderful trip for you, your parents, and your quilt top!