From Time to Time Movie

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.

Print hexagons on fabric with Inklingo

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

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

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9 thoughts on “From Time to Time Movie”

  1. Hello Linda and Monkey,

    This movie is going on my wish list also. I can’t resist a Maggy Smith movie. Have you see “Ladies in Lavender”? It’s not related to quilting, but it’s such a beautiful movie.
    I recommend it to everyone who likes Maggie Smith. The
    cast also includes Judy Dench.
    With some hexies, you will love watching this film.

    Reply
  2. It is now in my Amazon basket! LOL… For a while I’ve been trying to remember the film you mentioned a few years ago but couldn’t remember it’s name. Love the trailer! Lots of familiar faces in it too. Thank you Linda for the reminder 🙂 hugs Elly

    Reply
  3. GREAT question, Hazle! I wonder what lucky quilter was involved with the movie. Diana Boston (Lucy`s daughter-in-law) appreciates quilts, but she doesn`t quilt herself, so it wasn`t her. I wonder if we will ever find out.

    Reply
  4. Oh! I used to live near to Athelhampton, and visited the house many times. I count it among the happiest times in my life. So many memories you brought back with this. Now I should like to know who started the POTC’s that Dame Maggie stitched on during the film, and what happened to it!!

    Hazle, away to watch the trailer. 🙂

    Reply
  5. I watched the trailer and it’s going on my wish list too! In fact my husband said we could rent it at amazon and watch it tonight if I wanted. Thanks so much for the tip, I love those movies. While I’d sooner own it so I can watch it again, I’ll settle with renting…for now lol.

    Reply
  6. Oh, the trailer looks really promising. I just put the DVD on my wishlist – I guess that’s one thing to add to my order next week.
    Thanks for recommending it.

    Just a week ago at the quilt market here in Germany I saw a woman sewing a patchwork of the crosses quilt – and they were selling your book as well. Couldn’t pick it up though since my budget on fabric and quilting gear was spent already – so that’ll be up for the next quilt market (or maybe earlier? I guess the movie will make me want to make my own Patchwork of the crosses quilt)

    Reply

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