Christmas Crafts

What a smashing day Country Roads Quilters had with Debbie Mitchell yesterday when we created various Christmas craft items as well as enjoying beautiful, home-cooked food and great companionship.  It couldn't be called a workshop, more a funshop.

My favourite item of all we made was this frosted candle holder with stencilled stars and a tree silhouette painted in acrylic paint.

I was concentrating so hard on book folding that I didn't even notice that Debbie took a picture of Trish, Fenella and me (and our rather messy table).  Those are some of Debbie's paintings on the wall.

Using felt we made three dimensional tree, bell or bauble-shaped decorations.

All that concentration and book folding resulted in this candle ornament.  I have a tea light in it for the photograph but that will be replaced with a battery-operated light for Christmas, I don't want all that work to go up in smoke!

Winding Up the Year

Shall I yet again apologise for erratic blog posts?  I seem to have got out of the habit, or have nothing to share!  So much so that Jean, one of my dear Indigo Sisters asked whether I had abandoned Piece n Peace.

So, here are a few things to end the year, before "that" post listing aims and projects for a new year!

I bought this needle case in a bric a brac shop and don't think I have shared it before.  It forms part of my decorations for Christmas but I wouldn't use the needles, I think they maybe past their best!

My fellow textile addict in Norfolk, Ros, was in South Africa while I was in New Zealand.  As well as doing some very wonderful work with a small community and their church she had time to shop and brought me home some splendid things.

This is a length of Shwe Shwe fabric cut and hemmed for use as a head wrap.

These are other pieces of locally produced fabrics and they are all gorgeous.  I am not sure how I shall use them as yet, I just keep stroking them and wondering.

Ros also bought me this vibrant bag, hand painted with a lovely elephant design.  I wouldn't like to risk damage to the design so I think I will make this into a cushion rather than use it as a bag.

I have finally got on with some stitching since returning from NZ.  Even though I have a journal full of ideas it took me a while to pick up a needle.  Maybe Christmas got in the way somewhat.  With only three weeks to "do" Christmas I was very glad to find that I wasn't entertaining at all.  DS David took us out for a wonderful pre-Christmas lunch, DD Sara hosted a splendid Christmas Day and Al's son is cooking lunch on New Year's Day.  I have been so lazy and spoilt that I think I might keep my fingers crossed that this year's arrangements become new traditions.

Speaking of Christmas at Sara's, I promised you Sam...

He had a great time and was overjoyed to receive the train tracks he wrote about in his letter to Santa.

And I love this picture of Saz, "Christmas Lunch....Done!"

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas everyone.  I am spending the day with Sam, there will be photographs.  

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy your day and this poem:

Twas the Night Before Christmas Poem (A Quilters' Version): author unknown

Twas the night before Christmas, And the quilts were not made, The threads were all tangled, the cookies delayed. The stockings weren't hung, the pantry was bare, The poor weary Quilter, was tearing her hair. Stacks of fat quarters, tipped over in streams, Visions of Log Cabins had turned into dreams. When what to her wondering eyes should appear, But a bus full of quilters with all of their gear. They went straight to work with just a few mutters, Sorting and stitching and brandishing cutters. The patterns emerged from all of the clutter, Like magic the fabrics arranged in a flutter. Log Cabins, Lone Stars, Flying Geese and Bear Tracks, Each quilt was a beauty---even the backs! Her house how it twinkled, her quilts how they glowed, The cookies were baking, the stockings were sewed. Their work was all done, so they folded their frames, And packed up their needles, without giving their names. They boarded the bus and checked the next address, More quilts to be made, another quilter in distrss. She heard one voice echo, as they drove out of sight... "Happy quilting to all, and to all a good night."

Sources:http://boards.hgtv.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5894011632/m/5361099714

Happy Christmas from Sam

 We've been celebrating an early Christmas with Sam, Saz, David and Jessica. I thought you would enjoy a few pictures. Happy Christmas to you all. 

Christmas cooking with Mummy and Nanny. 

Opening stocking presents in a reindeer onesie. 

Sam's new guitar, he loves this present and sang and played to us. 

Pulling crackers with a little help from Grandad. 

Country Roads Christmas

What a lovely meeting of Country Roads Quilters we had today. It was our Christmas meeting as we do not meet in December when things tend to get rather frantic.

We had a selection of special items for the day. Two members led mini workshops. Before lunch, Tess led us in making bags for Beads of Courage. This is a wonderful project that supports children with serious illnesses. Several ladies are going to make more bags before our next meeting when we will photograph everything we have made before getting them to the project's co-ordinator. 

After lunch, Trish led us in a book wrap mini workshop. She had found a good pattern here:
http://lyrickinard.com/2013/05/tutorial-sketchbook-slipcover-2/

Thank you Tess and Trish.
NB In looking for the tutorial for Lyric Kinard's book wrap I found her website where there are lots of other great looking tutorials:  http://lyrickinard.com

I skipped over lunch there but must tell you that we had a feast of a lunch. It was a "faith" or bring and share lunch and the ladies had pulled out all the stops. There were savouries and chocolatey sweets, all homemade and the ladies had brought plates, napkins, doilies, everything necessary for a festive buffet.

We even had pressies. We had agreed on a lucky dip: put a fabricy gift in and take one out. Again the ladies had put a lot of thought and effort into this and we all got wonderful pre-Christmas gifts. Sandra read us a wonderful poem: The Quilter's Lament: Just One More

I had to leave our meeting early to look after bigger grandson but I look forward to seeing the finished bead bags and book wraps in January and think I will suggest we have a "secret Easter bunny" present lucky dip!

Happy Christmas to all the Country Roads Quilters.

Christmas with the Family

A photo heavy festive peek into our Christmas celebrations.  

It was wonderful to spend time with the people I love.  

Thank you Saz and Sam for being excellent hosts.

I hope you all had a lovely time at Christmas.

My very best wishes for a peaceful, healthy and happy 2013.

 David and Jessica with JC and Trumpy 

(in Father Christmas outfits) after Christmas Number 1

Al and me all blinged up

 Sam and Alan suited and booted and showing off their dance moves

 All the best parties have silly games!  

Christmas Eve and Jess is teaching us a game

 Playing "Coppit"

 Taking a match of "Pig Pong" far too seriously

Sara's festive fireplace.  We slept in this room, 

it was like being in the Victorian age with 

an open fire in our bedroom, so cosy

 Christmas Number 2.  Sam joined Nanny and Grandad in bed for stocking opening (I promised David and Jess that I wouldn't publish pictures of them but forgot to promise Saz, Sam or Al, tee hee)

 Happy Sara, thank you Mummy Father Christmas

 Sam waiting patiently to be allowed a chocolate coin

 My gorgeous pashmina, thank you Sazzie  Father Christmas

 Thumbs and fingers up for smoked salmon and scrambled egg for breakfast

 A case of the box being more interesting than the contents!

Sam working out how to control his new truck

Boxing Day - pyjama day in "Dear Zoo" jimjams

Happy Christmas

Image from The Graphics Fairy.

My Day

DH got up while it was still dark this morning and went for a day out at Duxford to look at aeroplanes. I wasn't even slightly tempted.  This was my day.

Put on glittery festive wellies and get set to go out into the cold, cruel day 

(although the sun was shining beautifully in the 1C frost)

Cut various branches, red dogwood, yellow twisted willow, 

lots of colours and textures

Put on a suitably festive CD

"Weave" (I use the word loosely in deference to Jean, Bryan and others) 

my harvest of branches through the stair rails

Add fairy lights

Add angels, gold ribbon and lametta

Lothlorien!

Christmas Traditions

My international group of quilting friends, the Global Piecers, are currently discussing Christmas traditions in their various families and countries.

As Advent begins, I thought I would share some of the things that Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without for me.  The Advent calendar and Advent candle is one of course, counting down to Christmas Day.

I love getting all the decorations out and remembering where they came from, when DS or DD made them, or remembering DH's mum or thinking of my parents when we hang decorations that were theirs.  I love this so much that I don't understand how people can get everything new each year, maybe in a completely different colour scheme but I think that a lot of people do (judging by the trollies full of glitter and bling in the shops).  We do buy one decoration each year, always an angel and often from a different country or a new place in England that we visit.  Al brought an angel home from NZ with him last month, a beautiful glass one.

I then hang all the angels together on branches of willow and dogwood that I "weave" through the stair rail.  I add small lights and the whole thing has been christened "Lothlorien" (from LOTR) by the children.

There are food traditions too.  I suppose our longest standing tradition was started by my parents many years ago and continued by my sister and I and now by our children.  We always have a Christmas breakfast of smoked salmon with lemon, scrambled eggs and brown bread and butter, with orange juice, champagne or a mixture of the two according to preference.

One year when my sister and I were still at home my mother decided to have a buffet rather than a cooked meal on Christmas Eve and she lit the house with candles.  It was magical and really heightened the anticipation and wonder of Christmas Eve.  This hasn't become an event that happens every year but sometimes, when enough of us are together, we will have a Christmas Eve Candlelit Buffet.  This year will be one of those years and I'm excited about it already.

I love thinking of us all around the world, thank you so much Teresa for starting this thread on our Global Piecers' group site.

TAST2012 - Buttonhole Stitch

After I shared last week's fly stitch project Benta suggested I could hang it on the Christmas tree.  This sparked the idea of doing all the TAST2012 projects in festive colours and fabrics and creating a selection of decorations and baubles for Christmas 2012.  I may not always stick to this you understand but it is my plan at the moment, so thank you to Benta and also to Carin who endorsed the idea.
So, buttonhole stitch, also know as blanket stitch.....
This is a stitch I have used before, both by hand and on the machine, mainly to edge pieces of applique, so in a very straightforward way.  I like Sharon's beaded versions and the way she has built up a textured surface using the stitch and couching other threads. 
This is what I've done:

Considering that snowflakes are symmetrical I suppose my stitching should have been more regular but I like this and it's unique, as all snowflakes are.

Christmas 2011

A quiet start to Christmas with the Nativity figures candle-lit.
Then the party got started:

DGS Sam provided the music;

we played the "Game of Life", DS, DDiL and DD all concentrating hard here;

and my sister provided a lovely Christmas lunch, assisted by my nieces;

an arty shot of the Christmas pudding and it's time we all went for a Boxing Day walk:

I hope you all enjoyed a lovely Christmas, thank you for all your good wishes.