Day 34: Ready to go

A sunny day at Hampton Court. Ducks out on the river.
I was curious to see if there were hoards of joggers on the bridge and river banks but there weren't. Last week's joggers must have been part of an event and not just what people do on Sunday morning.

After breakfast I got my packing organised (not finished), then settled down to finish my Applique piece from yesterday. I had two and a half leaves to finish.


It didn't take long. It is faster working without a hoop for this kind of work - fly stitch and chain stitch and my tension was fine.










I also went over my couching of the flower edge and added a few couching stitches in places where i hadn't quite covered the edge. I can see that the tricky bit of this kind os work is managing the fray. It's easy to exacerbate it when covering the raw edge.






The piece is now finished and in my suitcase. I have really enjoyed doing it and will make it into something useful on my return. It seems a shame to cut the piece much smaller than it is (about 10" square) as the background fabric shows it to such good effect. Maybe another bag????















When my stitching was finished I completed my packing. I was a little surprised that I needed the expander. I have abandoned my Qantas pyjamas, my spencer and a pair of trousers, added two tops a few small gifts and a few (small) stitching supplies. It doesn't matter - I won't be carrying the bag on board, but I had thought I'd balanced out losses and gains. I had to open it again when I realised I didn't have the grey thread I need to stitch my seagull on the plane!











I went for a final walk next door to Gardinarium to check for any new stock or anything I'd missed. I hadn't.








The crowds were out again. Sunday is obviously the day for Hampton Court visits and the Mute Swan was packed.








My car arrived a bit early and it was a relatively easy drive to Heathrow. Check in was fast, security not too bad (probably took 15 minutes all up by the time I had been screened for my titanium knee).

I rarely do any airport shopping but decided to spend some remaining £s on a new watch and some nail polish. My watch died in the Lakes District, not long after I arrived (I only noticed because an observant fellow student asked me if I kept my watch on Australian time!) It may just be a battery problem, but since I had my battery changed in January, I suspect not. I bought it at Auckland Airport at 15-17 years ago - so I can't complain.  These days I check my phone so regularly, I can manage without, but, it's much easier to use a watch on a plane.  As a wise friend said to me recently, "Who goes travelling without a watch?"

So I bought one. The twenty-something sales woman assures me it is a very modern-looking watch!
















I didn't bring a manicure set with me and my nails are now quite long. I prefer them painted when they get this long, but it is too much trouble to maintain, remove and repair the polish when travelling. I therefore indulged in some nail polish and painted them in the BA Lounge. I arrive home on Fionn's birthday and need to look my best.

So here I am, in the BA Lounge at Heathrow, ready to board QF002 in just over an hour's time. This is my final post from England. I will make a final post from Adelaide in about 33 hours time.


My thanks to all the people who helped me make it a great trip.

Day 33: Applique at the RSN

The river was quite busy this morning, cyclists, walkers and rowers in a variety of craft.

At Hampton Court things were quieter - none of the crowds of last weekend. The only people in sight at 9.30 am were the security guards and people coming to courses at the RSN.

There were two courses running today, the Applique one in which I was enrolled and a Crewel Work one.

We were met in the usual place and escorted to our respective classrooms, past numerous chimneys and the old kitchens.












We were not in the same classroom as last Sunday, so I was unable to take more photos of the Crewel work screen. So many people have commented on it that I hoped to show more of it.

There was a Crewel work fire screen in our classroom. It was under glass, so not so easy to photograph. I gather that the works on display in classrooms are from the RSN Museum collection, but not their most valuable works - possibly done by students at some point in the past.

Deborah Wilding was our teacher today. She had prepared a very attractive kit.

All the pieces for our applique were inside and ready for our use.










Our first task was to lay out our work, then pin and baste the bottom layer - in this case the leaves. We moved on, layer by layer











.







Meanwhile, from our classroom window, the garden remained quiet.



















Deborah was very well organised and sequential in her teachers. She had some really good tips and techniques.

By the end of the day I had progressed quite a long way. I was also keen to continue working on it. As the hoop and stand I was using belonged to the RSN, and I have no hoop with me, I decided to finish any areas for which I definitely needed a hoop, then try to finish it out of a hoop in the next couple of days.


It was an excellent project, designed to teach a small number of key techniques of applique. There were only six in the class, which was warm and sociable.

By the time we finished, there were more people about - still, indeed arriving. Nowhere, however, the numbers of Mothers' Day last Sunday.













I caught glimpses of costumed people walking the corridors.




I can't resist the detail of the architecture.



















Back at the hotel, I had a phone call from my Watford friend Christine to wish me bon voyage. We had a good chat and lots of laughs. It has been lovely to talk to her. I hope her health issues are soon resolved.












At dinner tonight tI shared a table with a woman who had been in the Crewel Work class at Hampton Court today. We exchanged notes about our classes and our lives.  It was a very pleasant way to spend my last evening in the hotel.

I had my last beef and ale pie for some time. The vegetables here at the hotel have been great - lightly cooked whole peas, with cabbage and carrot. The chef has become accustomed to my heresy of chips instead of mash potato with his ale pie!









There was a ninetieth birthday celebration taking place in the bar which looked like continuing for some time.



I however, returned to my room to do more work on my applique.





I am really enjoying it - so want to finish it.


Tomorrow my flight leaves Heathrow at 9.35 pm. My airport transfer picks me up at 5.00. I have organised to extend my room until then, so have plenty of time to pack and prepare.






This is roughly where I am now up to with my applique. I hope to finish it before I leave for the airport tomorrow.


With a bit of luck my next post will be from Heathrow tomorrow night.