Postcard from Hampton Court Palace.

February already and it's time to start thinking about the Harmony Hill Craft Group exhibition, because before you know it, it will be May and I'll be running about wondering what to put into the show.

This years theme is 'A Pocketful of Dreams.'
If only it was as easy as this...more like 3 steps forward and 10 back when you're stitching.



As a group activity we are all making a postcard so I've been working on that. This is where my postcard is from.

Thinking about the 'dream theme' I sometimes think I would have liked to have been an apprentice at the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court. It must have been amazing to have had a part in making this dress.
So I thought, for my postcard, I would make a little knot garden and it's already taken quite a while. Laura, from my group, lent me a stitching tool to speed things up!

This is a Russian Punch and I've been using it to make the hedging around the edge of the garden.

It is most definitely 3 steps forward and 10 back. It's very frustrating but I like the effect.

Laura also gave me an old book, 'The Embroiderer's Garden' by Thomasina Beck, and in it I found the plans of the gardens at Hampton Court.

Look at all the knots!

Now how to make it into a postcard? Why do I give myself all this work?!