Tuesday 29 May 2012

Diamond Jubilee Trip Update

 I leave for London and the Jubilee on Thursday. Here we are doing a stocktake to make sure there is enough food and cat litter. I will be away less than 2 weeks so I think the girls will be ok. Charlotte is doing a taste test and Emily is posing next to the cat litter because she thinks that's her photo on the bag. Mr Linens can't be trusted to buy the right brand but he can be trusted to look after my girls.
 Received a lovely Happy Trip card from Daughter S and look I didn't miss the Coronation after all. Clever girl has me standing right in the middle of the parade. I don't know how she did that, the photo is me at the time of the Coronation. I thought I was 12,000 miles away but I think I remember being there, well I must have been, photos don't lie. Hope I get such a good spot to watch the Jubilee parade.
A Diamond Jubilee ring!!! Yes, browsing in my local Westfield today and saw this 'diamond' ring in a window. Set in silver if you look close you can see the diamond is in a crown setting. Really it's a zircon but I'm easily impressed. There is a matching necklace and earrings but I only bought the ring. If I'm not careful my souvenir budget will be spent before I get to London. I don't think I'll wear it to London, don't want to be mugged or knock someones eye out while I'm waving and cheering.
On the left is the Coronation cushion that dissapeared from a previous post. Now I have a GeorgeVI Coronation cushion to go with it. The 1937 cushion is unusual because it is machine embroidered and the fabric is very faded.
Next post I hope to have interesting Jubilee souvenirs to show. I am not looking forward to the long flight and hours of travel but must suffer for my enthusiasms.

Monday 14 May 2012

London 2012 and the Diamond Jubilee Here I Come

History is being made in London in June and I must be there. My flight is booked and my plans are in place. I even have new bed linen to get me in the mood and take my mind off the long long flight I have ahead of me.Forget the Olympics, sport is not my interest and they will be on again in 4 years. Queen Victoria was the only other monarch to have a Diamond Jubilee and after Queen Elizabeth II there may never be another one.
I wrote about the blue crown cushion that is now on my bed in my previous post, the picture was there, and the words, then dissapeared. I blame you Blogger but you will not defeat me, I am fighting back. I did suggest to Charlotte and Emily that they sleep under the house or in the shed last night but they refused and already my nice bed is looking rumpled as we all slept in it last night.
 The Queen will attend a service at St Pauls on Tues. 5th June so I had to have a Lilliput Lane St Pauls in my collection. Son D gave me lights for Christmas and installed them in my large china cabinet for me. Now my treasures are well lit.
 A new Ikea has opened in Sydney, said to be the largest? in the Southern Hemishere. I love their lighting dept. Son D took me to Ikea, bought me a nice lunch of Swedish meatballs and bought me lights for my doll house and then gave me more yesterday for Mother's Day.
I know there are special doll house lights but these are less expensive and really make a difference. I now have some to install upstairs too.

The lights are LED lights and come with a transformer and 3 lengths of light . I only used 2 lengths joined here, the other doll house will use one and my large cabinet used all 3.
And why has my writing got smaller here??? Blogger are you punishing me because I have too many spelling mistakes??

Doll Club last Saturday, sect. 1 was a baby doll. I tried to pass my old celluloid doll off as a baby. She wore a baby dress my mother made many years ago, a vintage crochet bib and a blue hat, both from the trade table at doll club. No prize for me as there were some very nice dolls entered. Second and third sect. A crystal animal or a toy transport with wheels. I entered a sort of crystal cat in glass and a Silver Jubilee bus, again no prize but fun anyway as I love entereng the comps.

Tuesday 8 May 2012

Edward VIII Abdication Sampler and More

 Arrived in the post today from eBay U.K an Edward VIII Abdication sampler for my collection. I first saw a pic. of this rare? sampler on Ruth's blog British Patriotic Samplers. Its's also been on a couple of auction sites, then turned up on Ebay with a buy it now price or make an offer. My offer was accepted and my lips are forever sealed on the price I paid. Designed by the Royal School of Needlework it still has the original price of 7/6 or seven shillings and sixpence for the design. I am going to be very brave later and give it a quick wash and will show it again when framed. The initials A.M.P 1936 are on the bottom edge and I'm thrilled to have this sampler safely in my collection where it will be safe for another 76 years.

 Same post today brought this very nice hand embroidered on pale blue satin Coronation 1953 cushion cover. Too good to be a cushion I am going to frame it if I can find a square frame.
 A recent addition to my collection is this pretty Doll brush and comb set from the 1953 Coronation. In almost perfect condition it was a local purchase.
I must try to knit this Jubilee Tea Cosy, the pattern is in the English Woman's Weekly 1st May. It does state 'Intermediate Make' but an enthusiastic beginner like me might muddle through. I think sewing all those jewels on will be fun. NO! do not ask what happened to the Union Jack bed throw I was knitting....
 Almost finished the cross stitches on my Bothy Threads Jubilee sampler but there is a lot of back stitch still to be done and all the beads and sequins to be added so some weeks to go before the finish line.
I think this might be my next cross stitch for the Jubilee. From the May issue of Cross Stitch Collection, I bought the Mag. on ebay because these mags. don't arrive here for months after publicatiion in the U.K.
I think I'd frame this one too and not make a cuhion for Charlotte and Emily to sit on.