A Garden Party, three days before

The rain makes it difficult to continue getting the garden ready for Sunday's  afternoon celebration with my huddy's family so it's time to see to the table setting.

I'm so excited to finally have enough random pink and green vintage plates to set a place for every one.

It's time to make them all clean and shiny.

The beautiful green dessert dishes from a departed Aunty will be perfect for dessert.

Crisply pressed linens, bows with silverware already tucked in, so simple!

Mason jars with a few crystals for added sparkle double as vases and candle holders.
Every party is better with a little sparkle.

Voila, one eclectic, vintage table setting  ready to go.

Two days before

It's time, I suppose, to plan for foul or fair weather.
The seers say it will be cool and rainy. Better to be prepared for all eventualities.
The City Cottage is tiny while the gardens are ample. Dinner may be quite cozy!

Draped Linen Dress

After years of flat pattern drafting I am experimenting with draping on a dress form.
The dress I'm doing is pretty basic so it went pretty good.
You really need plenty of pins on hand.

The draping is done and I've just added seam allowances and cut out my fabric.

I'm sorry but I didn't stop to take photos of the draping.

 There's a tendency to have a deep concentration when I'm doing something new.

Well anyway I'm going out on a limb here.

I'm not measuring anything except the adding of seam allowances. 1" on the side seams (just in case) and 1/2" every wear else. I cut it extra long to give.

I am bravely diving in and sewing the thing, I want to wear it tomorrow.

I'm writing as I go and will post no matter what. Good or bad! Yikes I must be mad.

The plaid is the fabric I used to drape, I thought a woven plaid would be helpful

for aligning the vertical and horizontal hang of the draping.

 I incorporated a shoulder bust dart  shoulder dart into the front neckline.
 I will created an insert to bring it up to decency depth.

All the darts are complete and I've made the inset for the neck line.

Now how to get it in there perfectly?

1. Sew the shoulders.

2. Sew a piece of organza to the right side of the neck line then clip, turn and press.

3. Place the inset behind on the form and baste in place. Sew by hand.

4. Sew the upper bodice lining and put it n by hand when the time comes.

The organza worked so well, I was able to easily sew the inset in by hand after setting it in place on the dress form. I trimmed it to size after sewing it in.

Everything has really gone well. I did a quick fitting and the only change was taking up the shoulder seam.

The facings and zipper are all in and edge finished. All I have to do tomorrow are the tucks I plan to put close to the bottom the the skirt and the hem.I think I'm might make it.

What could be better than designing, sewing and wearing a dress all in a 24 hour time frame.
All told the whole project took about 9 hours start to finish

I'm so happy with the fit that I think I will use that plaid pattern for something else.

The last few days in UK

Here I am home, with sure net access. 

So here goes, I hope this post isn't so large as to become tedious.

 I'll keep mostly to photos.

The Cornwall Fishing Villages

The ones we visited were everything I was hoping for. Gatherings of  bare and plastered stone houses all nestled around small bays with working docks. Interesting little shops and galleries plus eateries with the tasty offerings from the haul of the day.
Sitting against the sea as they always have, except with few modern amenities.

Between the villages, thousand year old stone walls and waiting for cows headed for milking.  We found out later the round stone and brick smoke stacks dotting the landscape are left over from steam operated mines. Tin and or copper.

Of course how could one resist stopping at Lands End, if only to say we were there.It's rather like taking a photo at the arctic circle sign a few years ago.

The Minak Theatre

This place really stunned me, awed me and showed me what one determined woman can create. 

This theatre was built by Rowena Cade and a few individual helpers.

She came from a privileged background in a remote setting where entertainment was self created.

At the age of 38 she was living on the Cornwall coast and asked to host next years local theatre production.

Through the winter she and her gardener began to clear a suitable area in her garden facing the sea.

She did this every year for the rest of her life. Hewing out terraced seats and a stage from the granite cliffs. By hand every year for the rest of her life until she was an aged old woman! Just imagine! The theatre grew and grew. Today it mounts an annual season of works and is maintained as a National Trust Site ( it may be a local group but I think it's a trust site)

My photos don't do it justice at all. 

Standing in Rowena Cade's  life work I could feel her inner strength right down to my bones. Wow! 

 Now my words don't do the experience I had there justice.

As my thoughts are slowly coming home and sinking my hands into the earth of my own city cottage garden that's what I'll finish with. A garden, far grander than my own and so it was my delight to wander through it's splendor.

The Canada I call home is an infant in the family of  long standing local settlements and so the architecture of centuries boarders on magical for me. I think the strength of my land is it's space, it's still wild landscapes, it's untouched secret places where one can go and be with mother nature. I still happy being a Canadian. 

Although I adore  travelling, I love coming home too.

I thank all who took the time to follow me on my UK journey,
 and look forward to getting back to posts on other subjects.

A little fog, a little mystery

Three locations today, for some strange reason Count G gets kind of  touchy if we don't have lodgings by about 5 pm. 

The first stop is Glastonbury. The centre of all things pagan and magical. Many shops of this ilk and we visited  some. From hear tours branch out to Stonehenge, Avebury and other sites.

After a wee walk about town we headed to Tintagel Castle our main site for the day.

   

What a wonderful selection of  herbal bedding plants at the farmers market in the square.

I will try and visit a garden centre to see if I can source some seeds.

The Castle at Tintagel sits dramatically  atop a rocky cliff that drops down into the ocean.

When Richard the Earl of Cornwall started to build this castles there were already extensive

Celtic ruin hear that have since been dated back to at least the 5th century. 

He built the castle in the mid 1200's

It has recently been speculated that tis may have been the site of  legendary King Arthur's castle.(pre Richard) In 1998 there was found the Artognou  slate. The slab of slate had been fitted over a Dark age drain and is dated to the 6th century. Artognuo is a sixth century name similar in origin to Arthur.

The original castle spanned the main land and an island with a bridge between two high points. As you can see from this photo it is a steep descent and climb. The stone steps are quite slippery in misty weather.

A view to the water below through a small opening in the wall

On the island the meadow flowers are in full bloom. Foxgloves in the wild are a nice surprise. 

Hear I feel the mystery of times bygone times. A deep sense of peace in the wind and fog. The waves crashing in below. Knowing people have been a long long time. I'm not sure what it is but I could happily 

just be here for a long time.

Port Issac

An historical fishing village where they happen to film Doc Martin.

The Count has been waiting for this one. As luck would have it they were even filming when we arrived.

Down and up and down we walked.

Imagine below is a two way street. The flowers are everywhere.

Filming

Actress who plays the teacher and love interest.

Doc Martin's surgery?

Sometimes the two way streets in the UK are very very narrow! Yes we have had to back up a few times.

They can be this narrow between villages too. 

There was a crooked man.....

A day to remember. Tintagel Castle was a place I am very thankful to have experienced,
a place I won't soon forget.