I have finally seen the Lucy Boston movie, From Time to Time, and I love it!
I think you will too.
It was released in 2009, but never in theaters in North America.
I wrote about “the Lucy Boston movie” on the blog more than two years ago, and got the DVD from Amazon as soon as it was available.
I desperately wanted to see it.
My Reasons to See From Time to Time
1. Lucy Boston is an inspiration to quilters worldwide, especially Patchwork of the Crosses (POTC). We think of her as a quilter, but she is more famous for her classic children’s books and her garden at Hemingford Grey.
2. The screenplay was written by Julian Fellowes based on my favorite Lucy Boston book, The Chimneys of Green Knowe.
3. The cast!
Oh, my goodness! Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Timothy Spall, and more. The acting is as good as you would expect from Academy Award Winners.
4. The costumes and sets!
They shot the movie at Athelhampton in Dorset. If they couldn’t do it at Hemingford Grey (Lucy Boston’s ancient manor house), the topiary garden and the ancient house made Athelhampton a perfect choice.
It just so happens that Russ and I visited Athelhampton in September 1991. I have several photos and the guide book, so I feel a connection to it too.
If you want to compare Athelhampton to Hemingford Grey, Diana Boston has a charming video of the Hemingford Grey manor house for sale on her website.
5. The quilts!
There are scenes with Mrs Oldknowe (Maggie Smith, the grandmother) sewing on the Patchwork of the Crosses by the fire.
Diana Boston told me about this in 2009. She knew I would be excited.
This close-up shows it could not be anything except Patchwork of the Crosses (image from my book below).
The Patchwork of the Crosses appears several times, even in the first 15 minutes. You don’t have to wait long before you see quilts.
There is a hexagon quilt on Tolly’s bed too.
6. The story is set at the end of the Second World War and in the early 1800s, which is when Jane Austen was alive, and my very favorite period of British domestic history—clothes, architecture, manners.
7. Julian Fellowes also wrote and directed other favorites: Most Mysterious Murders, Gosford Park, Downton Abbey, etc.
(I don’t think he wrote season 2 of Downton. If he did, it is disappointing. The script writer jumped the shark—more than once.)
What would Lucy Boston think?
1. The screenplay follows the book very closely, so I think she would be pleased with the movie. It should make everyone want to read all of her wonderful stories.
2. It is impossible to know what she would think of printing shapes on fabric for POTC, or fussy cutting with Inklingo, but she had so many great ideas for quilts, I think she would have welcomed anything that would have allowed her to turn more of her ideas into reality.
3. I am convinced beyond any doubt that she would be fascinated and amazed by the selection of cotton fabric available today. There has never been a better time to be a quilter. She only had a very limited choice in post-war England, as described in The Patchworks of Lucy Boston.
By the way, I still have a few copies of Diana Boston’s book, The Patchworks of Lucy Boston. It is one of my all-time favorite quilt books even though it does not include patterns. (It is the only book I sell on my site that I did not write.)
I recommend it!
You can watch the official trailer on YouTube and you can buy the DVD on Amazon (no affiliation).
If you are
- sewing The Patchwork of the Crosses, or
- if you have grandchildren (boys or girls), or
- if you enjoy a great story and wonderful acting,
I know you will enjoy From Time to Time. You can thank me later. LOL
I am going to watch this DVD again and again while I sew. It may be too distracting to “watch” while I draw the next new Inklingo shapes for you.
I have written about Lucy Boston and her quilts on the blog before, so there are more messages in the archives. You can subscribe to the blog (right sidebar), so you don’t miss anything good. We’ll be back, and we hope you will be too.
Aren’t we lucky to be quilters?
Linda & Monkey
New to Inklingo? Order and download free shapes and start sewing in the next few minutes. Quick Start (Always FREE.) There are triangles, diamonds, and squares in the free collection—great for dozens of different blocks.
