Diamond Jubilee and EB

This post was to be about another Chelsea garden but Diamond Jubilee excitement has taken over.  There is much more enthusiasm for this than the Royal Wedding, even I'm having a Jubilee tea party in my garden.  We are all busy buying bunting ( I have 21 meters so far) and other appropriate decorations as well as planning the food and drink!  

Emma Bridgewater has come up trumps again and has just released these pictures - 

They are having a Diamond Jubilee Courtyard party and these lovely "Specials" (one off pieces) will be available to those lucky people who are able to get to the factory on the 3rd of June.  Oh I do wish I lived nearer to Stoke on Trent - I would love the all blue mug on the third shelf!

In a gardening mood.

This is the week of the Chelsea Flower Show and though I never visit I greatly enjoy watching the twice daily programme on BBC.  This despite not always agreeing with the format and being a bit irritated with Alan Titmarsh trying to the constantly funny!

The Show Gardens by the famous designers are well to the fore and of course it's fun picking out a favourite.  I immediately fell for this one by Cleve West and was chuffed when it won not only a Gold but also Best in Show!

I just love all aspects of this garden, the wonderful topiary, the stonework, the beautiful ornamental gates and of course the inspired planting.  Oh it is just fabulous and quite different for Cleve West, who also won Best in Show last year!  

Of course after looking at this fabulous garden and another one which I will show you next, you look at your own and feel dissatisfied.  However, one must remember that these are artificial concoctions, as all the plants have been manipulated by various horticultural means, to not only appear perfect but also flower at the same time.  They are dream gardens but what's wrong with dreaming?  Now I'm off to the Garden Centre!

Whatever turns you on!

I have just posted this picture on EB's Facebook page and I thought that I would share it with you all here -

My passion for clothes and shoes has long gone and though I still love bags and scarves, I can resist them - just.  What really turns me on is CHINA!  Buying it really cheers me up for days!

Yesterday I made my almost weekly pilgrimage to our local "Homesense" and there sitting alone on a shelf was the blue and white Spode teapot. I hesitated - I don't need another teapot but I do have lots of cups saucers, plates and jugs in b/w Spode!  Well I bought it!

When I plonked it down on my kitchen work top prior to its first wash, I was reminded of an article I had read a while ago by a well known interior decorator - he said that every room was improved by a touch of blue and white!  I think he's right, because the teapot seems to give the clutter in my kitchen corner a bit of zip - good result!

A Welsh Wool Quilt

Hazel who works with Jen Jones has just sent me this picture of a quilt which is in the current exhibition -

Because of its worn state it is displayed on a bed, so I hadn't noticed its wonderful graphic patterning.

I suspect that what now looks like grey denim fabric, was originally black, so when it was made it must have looked extremely dramatic in a red, green and black colour scheme.

It is very suitable candidate for turning into one of my Little Welsh Quilts, but I am restraining myself as I have so many others in the quilting queue!

My Pinks mugs

As you know by now I am a fan of Emma Bridgewater pottery.  I don't collect any particular pattern because I like to mix and I tend to go for mugs, jugs, bowls and a few odd plates.  I mainly use the mugs and bowls because my everyday china is blue and white Spode and that too is a mix of patterns.  All my best china is packed away in cupboards and I rarely use it.

A few years ago I bought a Pinks mug for nostalgic reasons.  I love Pinks because they remind me of my grandmother who used to grow them in her cottage garden in Pembrokeshire, bunch them and take a basket of them to market in Haverfordwest.  When I see Pinks I think of Gran, so I just couldn't resist this on line Studio Special.  I bought it for the normal price of around £11 and used it constantly.  Then I worried that I might break it so I bought another one as a backup and it is the only duplicate I have.

So I had very mixed feelings last week when this mug sold for £109.77 on eBay -

 
Of course there is no guarantee that another Pinks mug would fetch that price again.  This is a particularly fine one with tiny blue dots which mine don't have, though mine are both nicely hand sponged.  My delimma is should I still use them or should I put them on the display shelf?