Happy Christmas!

 

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and above all a very Happy and Healthy 2021!

Thank you for all your lovely comments over the last year.

FNSI December

 

Our last Friday Night get together for 2020, many thanks to Wendy for organising us and I understand there are changes afoot for 2021! Pop over to Wendy's blog here to see who else took part and links to their blogs.

So, what should I work on? Which of my WIP's shall I pull out for the evening? Hmmm, I know! I'll start something new! Well, when in doubt......

As it happens a new Hatched and Patched newsletter dropped into my inbox this week including this delightful freebie by Anni Downs.

How appropriate. I soon had it traced out and after basting a few more leaves for my tablecloth (pennance! but they should be the last ones) I got out my thread boxes and started stitching.

Not a huge amount done but I am blaming that on distracting TV!

No idea what I shall do with it yet but I shall enjoy getting it stitched up.

In other news, quilting of the Irish Chain on my Red Manor House continues. The weather has been up and down - wet again today. We are allowed out again without completeing a form to say why we are out - but this has been replaced by an 8pm -6am curfew. Doesnt affect us as we rarely go out at night. Pubs and restaurants remain closed.

Well, on that gloomy note, I hope you all have a good week!

Friday Night with Friends

 Our last FNwF's for 2020 - many thanks Cheryll for organising us all of this year and hopefully we will all be back again in January. Pop over to Cheryll's blog here to catch up with what everyone was working on.

With a change in the weather here I am no longer able to sit my sketchbook outside for 5 minutes in the sun to dry paint or glue. So I have pulled out some older books and am now working in four books in the hope that at least one is dry enough to work in at a time! So my Friday afternoon was happily spent painintg, drawing and sticking.

I have moved on to the Irish Chain border of my Red Manor House and am quilting round each block. This is my least favourite part of the quilt and my least favourite quilting so it may take some time to get this border done!

As I mentioned, the weather here has changed and it is now cold and wet although at the moment the sun is just peeping through. We have been out for a few walks now that we are allowed to go upto 20K from home and for up to 3 hours so it has been nice to see some different scenery.

My Christmas decorations are out and mostly in place. My tree is decorated - sadly does not photograph at all well! - and we have demolished my first batch of mince pies! And I am enjoying again the Advent Calendar that I finished last year.

I am off to catch up with everyone from yesterday - have a good week all.

Happy Christmas!!

Just a quick post to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a very Peaceful and Pieceful New Year!

Just a few pictures to share with you of our brief stay in Brittany on the way to UK.

This was the view from our hotel bedroom in Vannes on the south coast of Brittany.

Having booked through a last minute website you usually get one of the least nice rooms but the helpful receptionist told us she had upgraded us and I could see why when I saw this stunning view.
Unfortunately it was wet so we saved sightseeing in Vannes for another trip and drove on to Josselin which has a very beautiful old centre. Fortunately the rain had stopped by then but it was still very grey.

Since we have been here in Taunton we have mostly been shopping and meeting up with friends and family. Earlier this week we met one couple at Dunster Castle. The castle is run by the National Trust and evenings during December they open the house for a few hours. The rooms are decorated as they would have been in times past, we were given a glass of sherry on arrival and there was music and singing provided by two ladies - one playing harp and the other a flautist. While we were there, there were no children around so all the adults had great fun with jingle bells and clappers!
This is a picture I just managed to get of the castle before it got dark.

You might be able to make out the sea behind the castle - on a clear day you would be able to see the coast of Wales.

Have a lovely Christmas.

Christmas Through The Year October update

Linking up with Anthea at Hibiscus Stitches for this months CTTY update. I thought I had better get cracking on a few more gifts this month so have a few in progress shots to show.

First of all I have a production line of wheat bags on the go

Loosely based on an Anni Downs design you can see some I made earlier in the year here.

These pieces of decorated felt have been cut out ready to sew up into some secret stitching.

And this little Jenny of Elefantz owl is now a complete project apart from her eyes and I need to find suitable buttons for those.

This is a little crazy lavender sachet aprox 4" x 4"

I hope to make at least two more of these if I get a chance.

Autumn is now in full swing - we have lit our first fires of the season and had several frosts.

This walnut tree glowed in the mist when the sun struggled to come through the other morning.

Sadly a very poor crop of walnuts this year.

And a little more autumn colour.

IT's FSNI tomorrow night so if you have not signed up yet then pop over to Wendy's blog now and do so.

Happy stitching