Chelsea Physic Garden

Saturday was Kennet Valley Guild day and so it was busy, busy. Noone has lynched me yet - I can't think why. After that, I drove to Ruth's house  and watched while she and Robin tried doing one of the recipes (for sea bass) which we got at the Hibiscus day. It worked although it took two of them a lot of running around to produce four plates of fish. I am having a return match today as Robin is on his way here to frame a lot of pictures and I am going to do the pork recipe.

On Sunday we went into London and looked at the Antique Textile Fair in Chelsea Old Town Hall. Much more interesting than the one in Manchester in March. There was a French dealer there selling a small piece of quilting which was Indian 17th century and he wanted a lot of money for it. He also had a large piece of French flowered silk which was 18th century and even more expensive. Lots of lovely things. I bought an obi for £10.00. It is badly marked but it looks like mould and I think I might try to clean it.

Then we went round to the Chelsea Physic Garden and took a garden tour which was very good. It was a warm cloudless day, nore like summer than October.

Due to Robin's arrival, I cleaned up the studio yesterday and sorted out all the little skeins I have made up into boxes. These are for sale at the forthcoming Guild exhibition. The paper boxes were made by Chris Fletcher and are lovely - so much so that I don't want to write a price on them or indeed stick a label on. I was given some handspun wool to use in these boxes and, after sorting out what I had already, I decided what colours to dye the handspun - and got up at 6 am to do the dying. So it is coming up to 8 o'clock and the steaming just about finished!! I will post some pictures when the yarn is dry.

Bookbinding starts up today. I have three Victorian books from my son-in-law, Derek, to repair.