The Last Lap

Nearly at the end of the road we have travelled during 2013. The sad thing is I cannot recall that I have done anything different to what I have done other years .

 

I always look forward to the New Year but I do not make resolutions .Lot's of things pass trough my mind with the idea of change but that is about the stretch of my ambitions .

 

I always welcome friends into my home and enjoy their company .

 

Today is a bit of a no go day . Raining , windy and cold . I cannot say ,Ah well Spring is round the corner it's just a dream .

 

My day will be watching Mary Poppins on Tv this afternoon , a good filling lunch and sewing .

 

I have had a very enjoyable Christmas , I hope you can say the same .I hope the New Year is good for you and your family. Bless .

St Martin's Church Desford .

Thank you Santa

I tried to stay awake to see Santa but I missed him again .Just look how very lucky I have been.

all is revealed

I had this wonderful Anni Downs book from Bluebell with other lovely things . Jill knows I'm a big fan of Anni Downs .

Another close up . Gorgeous pickles and marmalades, designer chocolates , lovely beauty shower and body gifts . I'm very fond of  candles and room diffusers .   I also had a gift voucher , and beautiful silk chrysanthemums .

 

such a lot of wonderful gifts .

These pretty, pretty slippers . I'm a superstitious girl so these could not be put on the table .

 

This morning I'm listening to radio 2 and singing along to all the songs that were around when my two boys were small . daft songs like three wheels on my wagon . my old mans a dustman and when father painted the ceiling .  they don't write those kind of songs any more but so great to loudly sing along  to .

 

I had lots of visitors yesterday . people know they are welcome to come to my home anytime . People dropping in give me great pleasure .

 

For making my Christmas wonderful thank you , not in order .

Peter and Sue

David and Alison

Jill and Tony

Anne and Edwin

Elaine and Hedley

Christine and Keith

All my grandchildren and great grandchildren

and other friends ,neighbours and aquaintances .

 

I'm now off to the kitchen for coffee . This afternoon I shall be perusing the Anni Downs book with freezer paper in one hand and felt and scissors nearby .  relaxing tomorrow ,  my other son will be visiting on Friday and staying over .

This week I have had family visit me . The home always feels a bit empty when they have gone home , miles and miles away .

 

I decided to use the lemons from the fridge to make lemon curd, It thickened well  .

I then decided to make some mincemeat . I bought 2 packs of dried fruit last week by mistake . It will be better used as mincemeat than getting dry in the packet . I gave it a slosh of Jack Daniels to perk it up . It smells good . I shall add butter instead of suet as Mary Berry suggested , probably some flaked almonds too .

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It sure is looking like Christmas in my house but outside the sky is blue and cloudless . Just how I like it .For the time of year the weather is amazing , not seasonal but I'm sure that is to come .

 

I've decorated my kitchen dresser with the red pots . Changed the curtains to the red gingham .

Two weeks ago I bought myself my Christmas pressy . I fell for two chairs .I am an impulse buyer but I do like them . I can hear my family sighing , more furniture !!

My Jade money plant is doing proud again by being in full flower ,lovely. It lives in the conservatory .

My new Christmas cacti plants have settled down by not dropping the buds but the second one must have been dropped at the garden centre because when I removed the plastic sleeve about a third of the plant fell off . Someone must have just put the loose bits back in to make it look o,k  plus one was labelled white . It is pink , I don't mind . The loose bits I have re,potted , they have two choices , grow , or !!!

This is the one that was labelled white .

I bought this picture as new for Christmas . I like it immensely and can see it being a regular for Christmas times to come.

This corner is the same all the year round but fits in nicely . It doesn't have to be changed .

My tree and cosy fireplace in the sitting room .

The dresser here will be the place for the special cards .I hope you enjoy my little scenario .

Bye for now , Best wishes for Christmas .

Finished Quilts , Phew!!

This week I have been concentrating on getting quilts finished for Christmas . It was no mean feat .

The red Christmas quilts are just bits and pieces from my stash .

This quilt is cot size . It is a Christmas panel built up round the sides , it has a 2oz batting and backed with fleece so it will be cozy .

This is a shirt quilt , I really feel like hanging on to this one myself for a while . Perhaps I shall feel different in a couple of weeks

Another Christmas quilt .

I feel it would be nice to just sit and read or watch dvds for a few evenings .

 

I had a nice surprise yesterday . I sold a quilt 2 weeks ago . It was the Dresden medallion that I showed on my blog . The person who bought it was so delighted with it she sent me a card with an extra £40 .WOW .

 

I have also had a very sad shock this week . My next door neighbour died very suddenly . I feel sad and cannot get my mind focussed at present .  It makes one realise how fragile life can be .She was a lovely person , I shall miss her.

Bye for now , time for a cup of tea.

Quick call.can't stop long

Bluebell and myself went to visit an old friend on Sunday morning , Barbara has a shop at an antique centre . She sells beautiful lace and linen and cotton bed stuff also tablecloths . We have both been seduced many times by her wares and arrived back home with empty purses .  This visit was no exception . I purchased lavender bags and bluebell bought lavender bags and a lovely bed cover to give as Christmas presents .

 

The last photo is of the lavender bags  . She cuts up antique and embroidered tea cloths to make the bags . They smell wonderful plus whoever receives one as a gift are getting a one off , no two are alike .

barb is the one in the grey sweater, I'm the one in the middle with no arms!! but thinking about it the other two only have one arm each .

Another photo much the same but Barb wanted to show the copper , that is her husbands input to the shop . He used to sell antique furniture and lovely old tea sets but ill health has severely  curtailed his business .

Also in the building is this wonderful wool shop . I'm a woolly collector , much healthier than chocolate .

This lovely nativity scene is in the shop display .

I have been after Christmas cacti for several weeks . Garden centres said ,sorry ,not this year .  One last try and these were found but the price nearly knocked me off my feet ,but if you want you have to pay .

These are the lavender bags that Barb makes from her antique and embroidered tea cloths . 

I'll visit again soon , Bye.

pop up

Another pop along to blog world . Where have I been , nowhere !!  I suppose because its winter I get up later and go to bed earlier . That cuts into my spare time .  The shorter winter days really do make a difference to what can be finished .  Sewing in artificial light isn't a good thing for me and I do no like daylight bulbs . 

I have been reading more but that is no excuse .

I have been doing more crochet . This is the 2nd hexi blanket I have made . The last one had red borders . Although I didn't make it to sell a friend ask could it be bought and I said yes , . I knew I could make another so I was quite happy to let it go .  

This one I am showing has a beige border .

I have started another hexi blanket . This time I am putting a beige row around each hexi to give them a more spaced out look .I am so hooked, excuse the pun,  on crocheting these little bits of woolly nonsense in the evenings .

I have not give up on my patchwork and quilting  . On the go I am making a quilt for a neighbour that will be a gift . A quilt for a dearly loved grandson . A snowman wall hanging for a great granddaughter who has a birthday in Dec,.  It's all go really .

I go to my sewing group on Thursday afternoon . This is the back of a quilt my friend is putting on a quilt she is making . I think it is really interesting .She made it out of donated pieces .Just shows what can be done for no expense . It will be a double sided quilt , flannelette on one side and cotton on the other . If it is finished before she goes off on her winter long holiday I will show the other side otherwise we will have to wait .

I shall show my gift quilts as they get finished .

Back in the frame

It's a while since I have blogged . Trouble with the laptop and a health blip .I thought you might like to see a quilt I had finished .

 

Hand quilted , I keep the measurements safe . This way I have made several versions in the past . Different colours . Medallion quilts always seem to be popular . This one I sold last Saturday . It didn't get chance to be shown anywhere . I'm always happy to see a quilt go to a new home . This one will be going to Scotland .

 

The weather is very wet, cold , and miserable so no incentive to go anywhere or do much .

 

I'll  pop in again soon , Bye .

Out of Action

I have been out of action and off the radar for a few days .

Today I decided to check my emails only to find BT yahoo page for emails has changed . It's a new set up it says .

I followed the instructions , I got my inbox but within less than a minute it disappeared , now I cannot get it at all .I cannot find it again , has anyone else the same problem or had the problem and solved it .

 

Back to my blog . Before I was indisposed I collected my crab apples . Washed and boiled I used my method of hanging the pulp to drain . My method being to leave hanging from my ironing board overnight .

This is the result .

I made another bag , these are the two pocket panels .The bag is now complete and waiting to be collected .Nothing else to report at present . I did finish a bed quilt I had been working on  , I will show it tomorrow .

Bye for now

Dog Days of Summer

This morning , the first frost . Not enough to do damage but a reminder to    move anything precious .

I thought you might like to see my garden in the closing days of Autumn .

This corner was set up this year on my patio . There is a sheltered fish pond behind the plants with 8 goldfish .

 

This basket still has a few plants with blooms .

The Lavatera  and Japanese cosmos are still flowering .

Along this border I have planted lots of Tulip bulbs

Still catching the sun here

The smell from the Allysum in this pot is almost overpowering . More than it has been all year .

Still crab apples on the tree .

I still have a few more bulbs to plant , there is still time while the soil is warm , and hopefully before the frost beats me to it .

 

Off to sew with friends this afternoon .