Summers here and Lydiard Park

Its a wonderful sunny day today and very warm even though its only lunchtime. After the cloudy and rainy week it is quite welcome, as long as it does not get too hot.This is a photo of the everlasting sweet peas which originally came from my parents garden.... they need little tending other than tying up and watering and rarely get the dreaded black or white fly. Just my sort of plant.

In fact all the plants are coping well, and are making a wonderful show. So I suspect it will be the sort of day to sit out in the garden and enjoy a restful afternoon.

I shall be expected to perform a final fitting for the Irish Dance dress early afternoon, as I have made the " shawl" that hangs down the back. The next Feis is next weekend in Oxford, so it will be ready in time for the Feis.

I shall not be putting on the Celtic decorations and embroidery until after Oxford, as I do not want to rush it. I have made a lot of prototypes and samples and they will be available at today's fitting to decide which would look best.

This is a photo of the Walled garden at Lydiard Park... taken about 10 days ago. The lovely group of Stitchers.......Great Western Embroiderers.. have been invited to exhibit at Lydiard House again in 2012... an honour indeed.

We are calling the exhibition " Traditions" and so were invited to spend a day with Sophie and staff at Lydiard as a preparation to our work. We had access to all parts of Lydiard House and Park.. and the weather was wonderful. If you enlarge the above photo enough .... you may just glimpse the back of Jennifer sitting on her chair sketching the flowers.

The Church in Lydiard Park is St Mary's and they have just launched a fund to help restore this wonderful church. It is truly magnificent. It featured heavily in my work last time and also influenced John Piper when he visited the family at the house.

There is a good website about the history of the church and house here

You may recall this image from my wall hanging for the previous Exhibition we did. I was surprised that I had taken a photo of it again this time... obviously a strong influence for me.

After a wonderful lunch in the newly opened tea rooms. We met in the house with Sophie the curator and she had assembled some textiles that are not on view to the public for us to handle, sketch and photograph

The object above was really interesting in its construction... the beads had been attached to felt
to create the form, underneath there was evidence that it was actually a needle book.