Windsor Castle & Hampton Court

On Saturday morning I went on tour to Windsor castle, where I got to see Queen Mary's dollhouse. I've seen pictures of it before but this was actually looking at it. It was made up of pieces by the actual authors and creators of the large size pieces. What I had not seen before was the garden at the lower section of the dollhouse. That was really something. Of course every part of the dollhouse was special to see. It was all behind glass, and taking pictures through glass meant dealing with glare from your flash, or the low light it was highlighted in. So most of what I took is not really good enough to show you so you can see it well.
  The rest of Windsor however did turn out well enough to view.

Then there was the afternoon and Hampton court. I have to say I loved Hampton court. Not the William and Mary part of it but the old Tudor part. I was in some of the areas where not a lot of people got to go, due to my embroidery classes at Hampton Court.
  So here I am sitting in a window alcove.

And there are 161 other pictures I took at Hampton court. I don't think I'll get them all uploaded here. lol. Not today at least.

Viewed upstairs at the V & A

I can share pictures I took of the costumes on display upstairs. However as I didn't use a flash {it would have reflected in the glass} some of these are a bit dark. I can't upload all of them due to space.
  I hope you can enjoy what I am able to upload.

There were a great deal more but space is limited. I tried to select a variety for you to enjoy. Others I couldn't upload due to the nature of the gown.

My trips to the V&A.

  Thursday morning I slept in. I needed it. Then in the afternoon I went to my first appointment with the Victoria and Albert Museum.
I had my second appointment on Friday.
  You go in through a special gate, where they take your picture and issue you a visitors pass. Then when the person you've come to meet arrives at the visitors desk, you follow them down halls, until you come to a locked door. Once inside, there are rows and rows of cabinets, where they have stored part of the collection for the V & A. There were several large boxes, that when opened revealed  beautiful gowns. I could not believe my luck, to have viewed a court gown by Worth. It was beautiful! So much hand done work. Something a lot of people don't know, is that couture gowns are done entirely by hand.
  I viewed 1870's style French Gowns, and then Gibson Girl styles the next day. So many people have asked me "How did you do this? {meaning how did I get into the back locked room}. I really don't know. But what I do know is... this was very, very special. They just don't give out appointments. I also know that the Textiles and fashion department will be closed from Nov. {this year} to the year 2013. I hope to have another set of appointments lined up for then. I have asked if I might come back, and was told yes.
  I can't give specifics here due to the fact I do plan on doing costume patterns for my dolls. Why would I give up information to someone, so they could claim it as their own?
  But I will tell you due to conservation techniques the fabric colors were just as bright as when made {Looking at the tiny pieces of fabric under the facings..}  Even if the gold and silver were tarnished and that was a given over time.

It's not just Embroidery!

  As this was two different lessons on two completely different techniques, I will split it into two days.

 On Tuesday in the morning I got up and took a taxi out to Hampton Court. It was an hour away {I didn't realize it took so long to get around London}.

  I arrived at the visitors gate to the side of the main entrance and my Teacher Owen Davies was already there waiting for me to guide me through Hampton Court to where the class room was. He is a teacher with the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton court.

  A quick note- I took private classes, so I would have a one on one with the teachers. I wanted to come away with some real understanding of what I was learning. This is very pricy, so be prepared to pay. Starting at 60 pounds per hour. My lessons were about 3 hours each. So you can see where it would add up very quickly.This is Owen,

  Now, Owen co-wrote the book "Embroidered Knot Gardens" with Gill Holdsworth. You can find it on amazon. This is a three-dimensional stumpwork, canvas & ribbonwork type embroidery. When you are done, you will have a lovely little garden that won't give you hay fervor.

Or a little corner of your imaginary world,

This kind of embroidery lends it's self well to 1/12th scale miniatures.

I loved doing this, and as I had started on one sometime ago but didn't get the hang of it all, I wanted to take a class about it, never dreaming I'd be learning from Owen himself. We had so much fun, it just couldn't get any better then that.

  But it did. We had dinner together later that week, and drank a bottle of wine between us. lol.

Here we are at class.

If your interested get the book and try your hand at it. It's not really hard. Makes up into a wonderful 1/12th scale garden that's better then the plastic things one gets, or the little plaster type stiff bushes.

  Well that was my morning class. Filling in the holes I couldn't seem to get right, making a wonderful new friend, and what a way to start off the classes at Hampton court.

  Tomorrow is lost stitches with a lady who collects embroidery stitches that are on the verge of disappearing.

The Tower of London

  The very first tour I went on was to the Tower of London with the Black Taxi Tours. My tour guide's name was Richard. If you ever get to London and want someone who is gracious and charming, and very informed on what you will see, then look him up.

  We went to the Tower about 2 in the afternoon and it was sun shinning and beautiful.

Well, I was so busy looking at the tower and all I forgot to take any pictures. lol... I stood in the court yard where Ann Boleyn was beheaded. I climbed the stair where the two princes were found in the wall. I saw the apartments where a person of wealth and standing was kept when sent to the tower. I stood at traders gate, on both sides. The Tower was impenetrable, and has not only stood attacks in the earlier times but has stood all these years in English Weather. An Inner and Outer ward made sure you were caught between and did not live to reach the apartments of the King.

Queen Elizabeth spent 8 months in the Tower as a young Girl, while Bloody Mary decided her fate.

  And then there were the Crown Jewels. My favorite was the tiny crown worn by Queen Victoria. We stopped at a gift shop so I could see if they has a miniature version of the crown Jewels. And I was surprised and delighted to find they did. I bought the set that is a replica of the jewels of state. It has the sword,crowns, orb, and a number of other items used when one is crowned.

The other two little crowns at the front are from a necklace and a keychain. Both will work for my miniature dolls that I plan to dress as a King or Queen of England. This set is a bit pricy but worth it I think.

I also bought a sword for my larger Ball jointed male doll. It will take a bit to dress him in the correct style but at least he has a sword to defend his ladies honor.

  When we left the Tower and was walking down the street I saw some tiny little tea sets, that I bought for my tea shop. I hope to get it completed this winter. And then I also bought a darling little doll's tea set. I have quite a collection of these, each is different.

So this was the first tour, of the first night in London. Tomorrow, was my first two embroidery lessons with the Royal Embroidery guild of England at Hampton court..