You can buy tickets online to see From Time to Time, the new movie based on Lucy Boston’s famous Chimneys of Green Knowe.  It just keeps getting better and better for fans of Lucy Boston, especially those who are making the Patchwork of the Crosses (POTC) with Inklingo.  Read on!

This movie trailer was posted on YouTube.

Diana Boston was at the Premiere at the London Film Festival last October.  She told me that when I see From Time to Time,  I will see Maggie Smith stitching on the Patchwork of the Crosses (POTC) beside the fire.  WOW.  The movie did not have a distributor at that time, so I have waited until now to mention it.

The writer and director, Julian Fellowes, wrote the screenplays for Gosford Park (one of my favs) and Most Mysterious Murders (excellent).  From Time to Time was not filmed at Lucy Boston’s ancient manor house at Hemingford Grey, but at Athelhampton, which Russ and I happened to visit in 1991.  Athelhampton was a good choice for several reasons, including the topiary garden.  You can see some great photos of Athelhampton in the online guide book (in 3 parts). 

According to the entry on IMDB several of my favorite actors are in the cast. In addition to Maggie Smith, there are Timothy Spall (Oliver Twist), Hugh Bonneville (many great films, including Miss Austen Regrets and a small role in Notting Hill), Harriet Walter (many, including S & S), Pauline Collins (Shirley Valentine), and others. 

Gosford Park is another connection between Maggie Smith and Julian Fellowes. I know it so well that I can enjoy “watching” it while I am drawing Inklingo shapes on the computer.

It has always amazed me that movie makers have endless budgets for big stars, but seem to spend too little to get a competent script. In this case, the writer is the director!  Judging by Julian Fellowes’ novels and other screenplays, he knows how to tell an engaging story, plus he was given an excellent start by Lucy Boston.

(The Young Victoria will be at cinemas here in Burlington soon, and he wrote the screenplay for that too.)

I can hardly wait until I can see From Time to Time! There is no news yet about dates for North America, but if I were within a few hours of Glasgow, I would find a way to get there! Let me know if you are lucky enough to see it, okay?

Linda & Monkey

I fussy cut four of the sixteen octagons—à la Lucy Boston—with Inklingo KISS 103, and stitched this one on the porch.  An Inklingo KISS (Keep it Simple, Stitchers) was just what I needed on a quiet Saturday afternoon—needle & thread, pretty little scissors, and some fabric in my lap—keep it simple pleasures. It was a nice break from all of the machine piecing I have done with Inklingo this summer.

I absolutely love Inklingo KISS 103. This new Inklingo OCTAGON shape collection was inspired by Lucy Boston’s Keyboard Patchwork in Diana Boston’s wonderful book, The Patchworks of Lucy Boston, recently reprinted.

When quilters started receiving Diana’s book, it was clear that they wanted/needed octagons to print on fabric with Inklingo. Monkey says it was predictable. He knows that quilters who use Inklingo for one quilt want it for every quilt.

KISS 103 – Octagons PLUS!

The “Keep it Simple, Stitchers” KISS format makes it possible to introduce new shapes quickly, and start having fun sooner.  If you have Diana Boston’s book, the original Keyboard Patchwork is on page 54. There are several stunning blocks inspired by Lucy Boston—and Inklingo KISS 103—in the photo albums of the Inklingo Yahoo group.

If you don’t have Diana Boston’s book yet, you are in for a treat. It is one of my all-time favorite quilt books. The story of Lucy’s quilts is inspiring, and with the Inklingo KISS collection, you can save time preparing, and spend more time sewing.  Inklingo KISSes are small and inexpensive, but they include the features you love—shapes to print on fabric, a choice of layouts, suggested cutting plans, and suggested custom page sizes.

It is amazing that Carol was able to send photos to me with her Blackberry—from a dwelling built in about 1130, which still retains a stone fireplace and a stone window arch built by Normans. Hemingford Grey is magical, which is no surprise to anyone who has read Lucy Boston’s classic books, beginning with “The Children of Green Knowe.”

I will update the shop on my site, as soon as I have a date for shipping Diana’s book. 

Thank you, Carol, for sharing your photos with all of us! 

Linda & Monkey

Carol wrote:

We’re staying the Cotswolds and it was a 2 hour trip today to Hemingford Grey Manor.  It turned out to be a simple trip, mainly on A and M highways (unlike the narrow back roads we took yesterday to Stonehenge).  Parking is a bit tricky near the manor as on-street parking in much of the village is by permit only.  We left the car at a nearby athletic field and walked the public footpath through a pasture which led to the river and right to Lucy’s front gate.  There were cattle grazing in the meadow and geese & ducks doing their thing on the river.  Very picturesque.

I introduced myself to Diana Boston right away and she very graciously signed Linda’s book for me.  She managed to be quite elegant and poised in her gardening workclothes.  She asked about Linda’s other work and thinks that the reprint of her own book about Lucy’s quilts is on the presses now.  Let’s cross our fingers. 

My husband & I walked the grounds & enjoyed the gardens as we awaited the beginning of the tour.  Diana directed us to visit the back of the house which retains some of the oldest features. The gardens are mainly exuberant perennial borders with tall topiaries, several in celebration of the queen’s coronation.  As the time for the tour approached, we sat under a shade tree and enjoyed the company of Sam, a golden retriever who belongs to one of the gardeners/tour guides, Graham.  I understand there is a Jack Russell terrier on the grounds too and it is for him that there is a sign posted at the door: Cave canem

There were approximately 12 in our group.  Luckily one member was a young girl, between 6 and 8 I think, who knew the children’s books and was delighted at every detail in the house that corresponded to the stories – the mirror in the front hall, the rocking horse, Tolly’s sword etc.  Her excitement was infectious.

One tip – in the room on the main floor, the group took seats while the guide, Janet, did that part of the tour.  Choose the red armchair by the fire – that’s where Lucy Boston did her patchwork. 

The main highlight of course is the patchwork room.  The quilts are stacked on a bed, folded back half way, ready to be unfolded and displayed.     The guide went through them one by one and pointed out the details of each – fabric choices, materials available, the stage of Lucy’s life when she worked on each quilt, who was the recipient of the quilt, Lucy’s inspiration etc.  All are summer quilts with no batting and only one has quilting.  I think it’s safe to say that Lucy was all about exquisite use of fabric as well as fine piecing and applique.

A few last details: The garden and house tour cost just £6.  The shop has mainly postcards, notecards and books for sale.  A nearby pub serves an excellent meal.  The sun shone all day.  I’m awash with inspiration.

Cheers, Carol

P.S. Don’t miss the photo gallery on Diana Boston’s site too!