The Throckmorton Coat

We paid a visit to Coughton, (pronounced Coat-un) Court (owned by the National Trust) , while we were on holiday in Shropshire last week.

This is the home of the Throckmorton Coat, made (as the result of a wager) from wool shorn, spun, dyed, woven and sewn all between sunrise and sunset on 25th June 1811.

Coughton Court has been in the Throckmorton family since 1409 when John de Throckmorton married into the de Spiney family. Home to one of the UK's oldest Catholic families, this house has witnessed defining moments in British history, from the court of Henry VIII to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Bank Holiday in the Lake District

Striding Edge, Helvellyn (photo from Wikipedia)

We went up to the Lake District over the Bank Holiday weekend because our son and 12 year-old granddaughter were going on a camping and walking trip from Glenridding to the top of Helvellyn. Our granddaughter had never been camping before, nor done a walk longer than a couple of hours or so, so it was all a great adventure.

I am very glad that I did no research into their route, because in the photo above, along the ridge, is the path to the top!!

Rather than camping, our daughter-in-law, Chris and I found a comfortable B & B in Keswick, and the three of us spent a pleasant Sunday ambling round the lakes and visiting Windermere while they were walking.

The day started off quite well weather-wise, but by mid-day the mist was coming in and the rain started to fall again. We all met up in the Inn-by-the-Lake in Glenridding at the end of their walk. Unfortunately there was no hot food available late on a Sunday afternoon, so we made do with lots of hot coffee and sandwiches. Simon was pretty tired, but Kay was quite keen to go for a walk with her Grandad in the evening!! She told me that she didn't know that she was scared of heights until she was doing that path accross the ridge. We think she did amazingly well.

On Bank Holiday Monday we had said we would take a Boat Trip around Ullswater. This was the view from the window of the boat. It had been blowing a gale and pouring with rain all night. Kay slept through it, but Simon got soaked packing up the tent and spent the first hour of the boat trip hanging over the heater trying to warm up.

We were all dressed for the weather and spent an exhilarating time on deck towards the end of the two and a half hour trip with tourists from all over the world.

PotFest

Chris and I went to the PotFest for the South West yesterday, on a bright but very breezy day.

Following my enthusiasm for all things cup-cakey at the moment I bought this little cup cake pot. Made by Jenni Ellman of Tatton Pottery , Knutsford, Cheshire, I could not help but fall in love with it.

Bobbins

A few years ago I went to Coldharbour Mill at Uffculme, near Collompton in Devon, and a fascinating trip it proved to be.

It had been in continuous use for the weaving of yarn from being built in 1799 until it was closed in 1981. It was re-opened in 1982 as a textile museum and is open to the public. We were lucky enough to go on a tour of the mill and see woollen yarn being made, from fleece to the finished knitting yarn. I don't know how often these tours take place, but Coldharbour Mill has it's own website so it would be easy to find out. The tour we went on consisted of four adults and a dog!

One of many baskets of bobbins in the mill

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There is a shop at the site selling the finished yarn, as well as rugs and tartans, which I believe are also made on the premises.

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The site is full of interesting industrial artifacts, enough engine-type things to keep the men interested, and a photographers dream. Good cafe too.

And while on the subject:-

The little bobbin block is one of my favourite patterns, which I love to combine with florally fabrics, most of these in the photos are Liberty lawn, although some other cotton lawns have sneaked in too.

The quilt below is the one I made first, and although it is very pretty, and actually contains more of my favourite Liberty lawn patterns I'm not so keen on the setting I used. At the time I used sashing for speed and to increase the size, but I wish I had not been so impatient.

I suppose the origin of the pattern shape was the old wooden cotton reels of my youth, as this is what they looked like in profile, I can't think that the modern plastic ones could inspire you, but who knows, I may soon be proved wrong.

It's quite a simple pattern to make. Basically four triangles, two of which are made of joined backing fabric and floral fabric, and the other two of just the floral fabric. Each of my little blocks is 4 1/2inches (12cms) square. If you cut an accurate square of paper or card, divide it diagonally then cut it into 4 pieces you will have the first piece of pattern. Then rule a line 1 inch (or 2.5cm) from the pointy end of one of the triangles, cut it and you will have two more pattern pieces. Draw round these pieces on your fabric, adding a quarter inch seam allowance and you can start to make your first block. This is one of the few patterns I like to sew by hand, I just keep working at them when I am in the mood, and if you are careful to add a regular seam allowance it's quite therapeutic. It makes an ideal scrap quilt.

Cleeve Abbey

On the way to Devon last week we visited Cleeve Abbey, which is not far from Washford in Somerset. We have passed the sign to the Abbey hundreds of times, but finally made the detour, and realise what a gem we had been missing.

This Cistercian Abbey, an English Heritage property, is the most complete and unaltered set of monastic cloister buildings in England. The roof timbers are absolutely amazing, as is a 13th century floor of heraldic tiles, currently under a white marquee for conservation reasons.

There is a big car park at Cleeve Abbey, with a large grassy area, where a couple of families were picnicking. In spite of there being several cars in the car park the Abbey itself did not feel in any way crowded, maybe because it is a bit off the beaten track and the casual passer-by may well think it is 'only' another glorious ruin

The Blue and White Show

On Wednesday six of us went to an exhibition in Bath, called the Blue and White Show, an amazing collection of Blue and White china, the theme of which was taken up in some of the exhibits by Kaffe Fassett, Candace Bahouth and Carole Waller. Unfortunately cameras were not encouraged. The Exhibition continues until 30th March, so if you get the chance to go it's well worth it. The Victoria Art Gallery is at the end of Pulteney Bridge, there is no charge for entry but a donation is hoped for, and there are excellent greeting cards on sale in the shop.

From the front cover of the brochure.

Here some of us are waiting at the bus stop, five out of the eight of us are proud possessers of free bus passes! and it's actually quicker than driving in and using the park and ride.

The thing that draws the eye on entering the gallery is a huge display of Blue and White china on the end wall, mostly large platters but some jugs and plates. The theme is taken up by jugs and bowls arranged on plinths around the room which have inspired the quilts and needlepoint. Some of this pottery is quite modern in its design. We did not automatically love all the quilted exhibits, but a couple of them have inspired us, and later on in the day we went to our favourite Bath fabric and quilt supplies shop - Country Threads - and saw a good collection of the Kaffe Fassett fabrics which give his quilts their distinctive look.

I loved the ingenuity of Candace Bahouth in having used corrugated cardboard to make elaborate box frames for her collages, and although the mosaic shoes did not appeal to me on a personal level the little children's shoes similarly decorated were strangely touching.

The painted silk panels at the entrance are easily overlooked when ones eyes are drawn to the huge china display. I'm not sure how these were made, but are of banner like proportions and quite stunning - naturally they are blue.

Time for a quick lunch,

after which we went shopping, firstly to Hampstead Bazaar, where we tried hard to find something in the sale we wanted to buy, then we split into different directions for a while. Trish decided it was time for her to go home, Imogen dashed to Marks and Spencers and Caroline went on ahead to Country Threads, where we would all meet up later. Sandra, Sharon and I went to Waterstone's to look at Jane Brocket's book, The Gentle Art of Domesticity, all being fans of her blog www.yarnstorm.blogs.com We loved the book, so three more copies sold!

We were so long in Country Threads, all tempted to buy yet more fabric, even though it was only Caroline and Sharon who had genuine purpose, that we missed the next bus home and went to while away the time with tea and cakes.

Caroline!