Textiles in abundance this week...

I did find some yesterday (more of them later) but it has really been for the cycling enthusiasts, and not for textile lovers. It's been lycra unlimited this week for the 15th (cycling) Tour Down Under here in Adelaide. We went to Willunga yesterday, where there is always a great atmosphere, and you get several chances to see the cyclists on the 3 laps to Aldinga and McLaren Vale before they head up Willunga Hill then circle back to the Vale and into Willunga once more, before heading up the Hill again to the finish. It ws a great day - the weather was perfect, strawberries and icecream we had were delicious, and Simon Gerrans, an Aussie, won the stage on Australia Day.
I snap away on Auto in the hopes of a few reasonable shots ...

These 2 were at the feed station

 and this on the start of the climb to the finish

 There they go, followed by the support cars. There is plenty to look at (and eat) between laps.

The town always gets dressed up. This year, colourful knitting and crocheted art and bears accompanied the bicycles, balloons and flags. Here are some of them.

(This cycling pig's scarf wasn't knitting, but part of the sculpture?)

 Many folk seemed unsure about sitting on the covered seats

And as always I can't resist the trees and flowers.

This is an unusual all yellow succulent

 and near where we parked our car, a beautiful flowering gum

patterns on the tree trunks

It has been a pleasant weekend, a welcome change from the recent heat to get us ready for another heat wave this coming week! Most of Aus has sweltered over the last week or so, with very bad bushfires in 4 states and record temperatures in Queensland yesterday. Overnight we had just a few mm of rain - just enough to make things look refreshed when I went for a walk earlier. Gardens and flowers are showing signs of stress but the colours and patterns on the tree trunks drew my attention. Many are shedding the bark creating even more interesting pictures. I took a few photos (of course) and I have added a few more from my collection. They are mostly eucalypts (gums) but there are also plane and pine and maple (I think).

 I always find trees interesting, for their shapes, whether orderly or straggly, and the colours and amazing variety of leaf forms.  Here a few favourite shots of leaves and colours from other occasions, along with the one lone gum blossom I saw today.

I am now back in my sewing room/studio getting it sorted ready to launch into some new projects for the year. I have given the machine a little warm up this last week, working on a birthday card and an apron. I'll be hoping for nice evening sea breezes while it is hot!