Taking a break.

   I 've been awayfor a sunshine holiday so there was a Bloggap.  In the meantime, some of you will have received the programme of fairs for this year with brief details of dates and venues.  Undoubtedly the star event will be on Friday, July 6th, 2012 at Yarlington House, nr.Wincanton, a beautiful early Georgian mansion in a lovely park with delightful and romantic gardens. It is owned by Count and Countess Charles de Salis and they are both deeply interested in textiles and needlework.  The event is by invitation and the entrance fee is £5. or £3.50 in advance ( all of which goes to the two charities, MacMillan Cancer Support and The Royal School of Needlework.The Countess is a past President of the School)  If you would like to join our mailing list for an invitation, please contact me by Email with your name and full postal address - dbaer@onetel.com   Everyone on the mailing list will receive all dates of all fairs etc., in March.  You may remember the Needlework Festivals that were held at Yarlington in the past, so you will know that this event with talks and demos by the Royal School will be extra interesting.   They were closely involved in the lace and embroidery for the Duchess of Cambridge's wedding gown.  There will ALSO  be the popular Rag Bag stall where everything will be sold for Charity, so please start collecting  surplus  fabrics, wools and anything to do with dressmaking and sewing NOW! Delivery dates later on.  This is an ideal outing for a minibus group! and there may be some extra surprises included in the entertainment!

DILLINGHAM POSTscript

   If you read my two very recent  Blogs, with picture, about the 'Dillingham' friendship quilt, dated 1850s and with 7 different Dillingham names written in fine spidery writing on the squares (as well as many others) you will have learnt that within 10 days of my putting details on the Web, I had a response from someone of the same name living in Florida (previously of Mass.) and wishing to buy.    The quilt has now been posted over there and today I received an interesting postscript following this story when I got an email from a lady in France who had also seen my Blog and who contacted my good young friend Kaari Meng, who has a superb blog The Warp and the Weft about her flourishing business French General in Hollywood.    By chance I have known Kaari well for over 20 years or so and she generates a love of fabrics and decorations that is inspiring and beautiful in itself.  Through her good offices, as a fairy godmother, she got the Dillinghams, me and the quilt all together so the Web managed to span Florida, France, Hollywood, Bath in a few days with a very happy result,HEIRLOOMS AND QUILTS sending and ending!  See previous Blogs Home Thoughts from Abroad and Warm Friendship.  Thanks also to Google where I discovered how large a family the Dillinghams seem to be and spread all over the States, many with very distinguished records.