Wildflower delight

Every time I visit Godolphin this carpet of primroses growing between the cobbles by the wall just seems to get better and better.....

they are such pretty, simple flowers; one of my favourites.

Following the farm track away from the garden, I took a new path which led upward beside an old granite wall.....

 at the top, stepping stones set into the wall. I had not seen this form of stile before moving to this area.

Up on Godolphin Hill the heathland is punctuated by stunted trees sculpted by the wind.

And then the most unexpected thing: Anemones growing amongst the brambles and dry bracken fronds!

Such a delicate flower; it just seemed so incongruous to find them growing in such harsh surroundings, but they were everywhere; little clumps of them like drifts of snow....

Many trees are yet to show a tip of green, but this oak tree was burgeoning with limey yellow leaves unfurling from tightly packed buds

the bluebells are emerging too,

and fern fronds....

Another week or two and the bluebell woods will be at their best. If you're in the area, there is a Food and Craft Fair on at Godolphin on Sunday 6th and Monday 7th May.

Happy Spring everyone! x

A week in London

So Gertie, Patsy and I are back from our expedition to London to exhibit at the Country Living Spring Fair - but oh how nice it is to be back home! I wish the Fair was only three days long instead of five; it is so exhausting! As the winners of the Editor's Choice Award last year we were given a great spot right at the front of the mezzanine, with three metres of frontage, an absolute luxury!

Here's how the finished stand looked:

And yes, Mum and I took everything up on the train with us in suitcases!

On the wall I hung this old child's quilted silk coat, which provided the perfect backdrop for my little vintage fabric brooches

The base for each brooch was a piece from an old padded patchwork quilt

The one below has a beautiful hand-stitched Dorset button (top right), and eleven of the tiniest mother-of-pearl buttons still on their original card

 I just love working with little bits!

One of Gertie's linen cushions, with the front panel made from original Suffolk puffs from the 1920's

Patsy had this wonderful idea of making bunting out of 1940's and 50's fashion magazines, showing knitting and embroidery patterns!

I covered the side wall with old sea charts, and the seaside theme was echoed in the stripy ticking bags made by Patsy,

and her strings of bunting and hand-stitched books made from old maps and sea charts.

I managed to make a few small shell collages too

On one of the shelves, a little drawer with my latest stitched piece displayed inside

It says, 'you are sew lovely'

Hair grips embellished with vintage buttons, and cards of buttons made simply to show off the beauty of each individual button

And one of my natural box-framed collages

'Hours fly, flowers die;

New days, new ways

pass by;  Love stays'

It was so nice to meet everyone who visited The Sea Garden stand at the fair, and to say hello to some fellow bloggers. One of my lovely customers, Jan Pearson, sneakily took this photo of me arranging the cards. Thanks Jan! x

Godolphin

I have made two trips to Godolphin House this week. 

It is a place that really feels as if time has stood still.......

The first primroses are out; there is a sense of anticipation in the air - Spring!

So quiet and peaceful; Angelica and I were the only people there!

Snowdrops and daffodils beside a granite wall

The ancient apple trees in the orchard are dead now, but the moss and lichen on their twisted branches is quite, quite beautiful

The old stables still have some wonderful wooden hay carts inside

and I love the fact that there are still chickens grubbing about in the yard outside!