Towns in the Cotswolds

One of these days all the towns and gardens we visited and when we visited them will get glued into my brain in the proper order with the proper names.  I continue to post photographs in chronological order (at least the photos are dated, thank goodness!), but while I am writing about them, I forget what comes next.  That's the reason I keep promising to write about something specific the next day and then never get around to it.

Today's entry is on two towns in the Cotswolds and Cheltenham is the first.  We were offered a choice of Gloucestershire or Cheltenham.  Although we had had a brief stop there before, this was to be a longer visit, and I knew there was a fabric shop so . . . I caved in to my baser self and went shopping in Cheltenham. 

The English  fabric shops seem to be more crafts shops like JoAnns than our quilt shops (except there was one that sold upholstery material only in town which I passed by).  I bought some fat quarters in the first shop we stopped in, but they didn't have much else that interested me. 

  This one had some fabrics that I did like and of which I bought half-meter (half-yard) pieces.

Here there were lots of notions which I passed up because I saw some pretties farther on in the shop.

Here is D's hand sorting through a bin that caught my eye; he was helping me find specific colors.

Here's my handful of - well, genuine Lucite(?) baubles I purchased for my Dianne Hire quilt.  They were the only things that were actually inexpensive, and I wish I had bought many more!

 

There were ribbons . . .

and beautiful, but pricey buttons . . .

and still more buttons!

Then there was yarn from which I resolutely stayed away.  But my friend Carol found a super sweater pattern and wool yarn in scrumptious shades of green with hints of brown (I talked her out of a black with slubs of white yarn - very nice but no where near as special as the green).  She started the sweater that day and by the time we left to go home, she had the back finished and was working on the sleeves!  It's another photograph I wish I had taken but did not - Carol on the bus knitting her sweater.

Clearly the owner likes these baubles, too!

As we left the fabric shop with our goodies, we passed this good-looking pub up -

and went to this one, instead.  Sigh.  D really does like to get the local flavor. This one was so local that . .  . 

he had to take me to a tea shop for tea and a muffin to make up for it!

The second town is one whose name I cannot for the life of me remember.  So if any of you who were on the trip are reading this and remember, please clue me in. It is a truly lovely village!  I'll let you enjoy the photos without my constant chatter.

There will be doors . . .

and windows, though.

Brother D and sister-in-law across the street.

Brother D relaxing.

Chimney pots and roofs.

A pub - no, we didn't stop in.  It was too up-scale for my D, and I think it was about 10:00 a.m.

Huge and beautiful larch -

Larches hold their cones up for all to see.

Tomorrow, if I have this right this time, we're off to Hidcote!