Zanzibar

We went to Tanzania over the Christmas/New Year holidays - the first time we had ever gone somewhere hot at that time of year. It was great to see sunshine and all the birds and animals while on safari. Best of all was Zanzibar - the Spice Island -  and a dream destination of mine for many years. Hot, noisy, crowded and smelling of exotic spices and other unmentionable things, Zanzibar is unforgettable. The fabrics in the markets were very tempting - I couldn't resist buying one of the Barack Obama pieces that will probably go on the back of a quilt someday.

Many of the items for sale in the markets are going to provide inspiration for my quilt making. I love the surface design of these shells.

The colours of the chillis were very exciting

as were the textures - but let's not talk about how the fish market smelled in 38C/100F degree heat!

How about this for a quilting pattern?

My favourite part of the trip was a visit to a restaurant called The Rock - check out the website: http://www.therockrestaurantzanzibar.com/ 

Here is the view from our table - I can just see this image reproduced with hand-dyed fabrics, ripped to provide depth and texture.

A final image of some of the amazing fabrics for sale in Stone Town: