Christmas Holidays

Christmas Holidays are the best....... I love that you get to:

• Spend time together as a family (fingers crossed without too many fall outs, even though we've played Monopoly!)
• Eat delicious and naughty food
• Watch family movies in the afternoon (the highlights being Despicable Me 2, the Croods and Matilda)
• Drink the odd glass of of homemade Sloe Gin (just as lovely as I remembered)
• Watch with a smile as your nearest and dearest open up the Christmas pressies.  (I'm afraid I failed as a blogger, I was so busy watching I forgot to take photo's...sorry!!)  

Look however at what I received........oh how I did chuckle.....you remember that I made Mum a Laptop case for her Birthday, which is just a few days before Christmas, well look what she made me......yes a Laptop case.  It was a complete surprise, neither of us had requested one, although we both very much needed one...great minds hey!!!! Dad was the only one who knew what each of us was doing and managed to keep it a secret (well done Dad!!).   Mum used a lovely mix of Tilda fabrics in my favourite colour Red and combined them with a pink dot by Stof...isn't it just gorgeous!

I've also found time to do some sewing.  Poppy is desperately in need of a new quilt for her bed, her existing one I English Paper Pieced years ago and is looking a litter worn and shabby, nothing that some TLC will not cure though.

I like many, am a huge fan of Katy's blog 'I'm a Ginger Monkey' she makes the most stunning modern quilts.  Back in the Spring, one of them caught my eye and I booked marked it for a future project.  It was called a St Louis 16 Patch, which she made following a tutorial found HERE.  The tutorial is amazing, so clear and easy to understand and, as I discovered SO quick, just what I was looking for!!

I pulled some fabrics from my stash, in the main they're Darla and Delilah fabrics by Tanya Whelan with a little Red Rose Farm by Elizabeth Scott.  I discovered the Darla fabrics pretty much as soon as I started making bunting back in 2010, they soon became the basis of one of my best selling lines. I still love them now.....roses, polka dots, ticking stripes...what is there not to love!!!

Poppy's favourite combination is the pink roses on the polka dot background with the pretty stripe......

Unlike the original, I've added some white sashing to my quilt top, for me it makes it feel light, fresh and girlie.  Next up, will be to quilt and then bind it.  I've got some cotton wadding on order, so this one is now on hold for the time being.

Just before Christmas, I took delivery of a new book 'The Slow Cooker Cookbook' by Audrey Deane.  Up until now, my slow cooker has had the occasional 'stew' or 'hotpot' made in it and I was beginning to question whether it was worth hanging on to...... I am now a complete convert.   The book is split in to various sections including 'The Afternoon Slot', 'The Weekender' and my favourite 'Chop and Chuck In'.   So far I've cooked Chicken with Leeks and Mozzarella....delicious, tonight we're having Malaysian Beef Rendang, which is smelling gorgeous and the other night we had Mexican Pulled Citrus Pork......

which was accompanied with wraps and a salad of tomatoes, avocado, salad onions, lime and coriander.  It was lovely, but for our taste, next time I would add a little more chilli....maybe some fresh ones in the salad would be good.

Well that's it for now, Andy and I have been watching all the Star War movies and tonight it's Return of the Jedi, the best in my opinion, so I had best get off my laptop.  I hope that you all enjoyed your Christmas!!!

May the force be with you..............

Liberty Love

What is there not to love about Liberty of London tana lawn?   I'm a lucky girl and I have quite a stash, just perfect for little projects.  Mum introduced me to Liberty fabrics when I was a little girl.  I remember touching them for the first time and thinking they were silk.  Mum still loves Liberty fabrics, so I thought they would be perfect for her birthday gift, a much needed Laptop Case.  

  

I did contemplate sticking to a colour theme....maybe all pinks, Mum is a sucker for fuchsia, but then I through caution to the wind and went for a rainbow of colours.....

I chose the most stunning vintage button...Mum loves buttons!

I quilted the cover using diagonal lines, Mum had commented on how much she liked the quilting on Poppy's doll bag, so I thought I would give this the same treatment.

Inside is lined using a teal mini polka dot from my stash, which I think complemented the Liberty fabrics a treat.

Talking of treats, we've been baking mince pies, which it has to be said do not last very long in our house!  Another batch is planned today for the big day itself.  We've been watching family movies and generally relaxing.  I've made a start on a quilt top for Poppy's bed, but more of that another day......

All that remains now is to thank you for visiting me here on the blog and to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, I hope that the next few days are full of all the things that make you happy!

Christmas Holiday Preparations......

So after the Birthday Party, I went in to Christmas mode........out came my favourite Christmas cook books.......

Jamie, Poppy and I baked cookies as Teacher Thank you Gifts.  The recipe came from Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits........

   

We added a bit of festive packaging, the gorgeous labels, I spotted on Alicia's Blog and are available here are they not just gorgeous!!!

I did a bit of cleaning and found our table......which is normally covered in buttons, ribbons, fabric and all sorts of scrumptiousness...yes I know I do have a sewing room, but I do tend to spread out!!!

The slippers were placed by the front door waiting for the children to come home from their last day at school......

and their PJ's were left warming on the radiator...I don't know about you, but we're planning on having a few Pyjama Day's over the hols!

As I've busied myself, our little Nativity tree has bought a smile to my face.........

and I feel so very excited for the next few days ahead, which if nothing else means, lie ins, leisurely lunches and spending some much needed time together as a family!!  I hope that your Christmas preparations are going well.

Birthday wishes

Thank you so much for all your Birthday wishes for Poppy, she really did have the most lovely day.

May all your wishes and dreams come true........

Works in progress

So as I write I am trying to keep under control the slight sense of panic I am feeling, as it would seem that I do have rather a few works in progress.  Now as you know this is quite normal for me, however, the majority of these are either for Poppy's Birthday on Tuesday or Christmas the following week.  

The little doll is one of two (ok..... so I haven't actually cut out the second one yet) that I am making using THIS PATTERN, although you'll see I changed the hair style. The teeny clothes are also taken from the patterns, with a few little extra bits and pieces added.  Poppy still loves to play with dolls and she requested two that she could take out with her.  I had planned on making a simple little tote bag for them, but then I thought wouldn't it be lovely if they had little beds to sleep in and somewhere to store the clothes, well as you can see I may just be getting ever so slightly carried away, but oh my, I am having so much fun!! 

The felt bows I made a few weeks ago for her party, but I still haven't had time to finish them off and we invited a few more party guests, so more brooches are required.  All birthday girls need a dress, I'm making up Poppy's using  Kwik Sew Pattern K3905, which I bought HERE and some pretty baby pink cord from my stash.  It's a great pattern and has come together really easily, I love the simple style with the pleats around the neck and on the sleeves.  I just need to add the buttons and buttons holes down the back and hem and then I'll be there.

In my spare moments I've been on Pinterest looking at pretty party cakes.  I'm not sure if this is a good idea because no doubt I'll be comparing my effort to those I've found.  Pinterest, now there is somewhere you can lose yourself on for a couple of hours if you're not careful. 

Right, must dash, I have full day's sewing ahead of me and Andy is home until 3pm today, so I'm hoping to get some of those WIP's finished!

I hope that you're having a lovely weekend too and are successfully working through your Christmas projects!

It's beginning to feel a lot like.....

Our main Christmas tree stands in our bay window on the front of the house and I love it, as you turn in to the close and see the fairy lights glowing....

Glittery fir cones, painted salt dough shapes and wooden stars made over the last few years as a family hang merrily with a few precious decorations, collected and gifted to us, all are carefully unwrapped and hung with joy each year.

There is of course bunting.......  

 ......and a twiggy tree, again decorated with homemade pieces made by me and some of my favourite Facebook sellers

  
Painted stars adorn the curtain pole.....

and chocolate coins sit in vintage snowflake Pyrex.....

In the kitchen, stockings are hung and taking pride of place is the Advent Calendar, each little pocket filled with a chocolaty treat for the children.....

The next few days are taken up with school trips to the theatre, choir concerts and Christingle services and then it is a certain little ladies 6th birthday next week...exciting and happy times.

I hope that you are all enjoying the build up to Christmas.....are you ready????...please do say no.  I still have lots of crafting to do and can feel a slight panic setting in, however I am sure it will all be ok in the end!!

Thank you for leaving such lovely comments on my previous posts, it is so lovely to find and meet such like minded friends, I am so very pleased that I started blogging again!!

Weekending

   

Last weekend Auntie Alison came to stay.  We picked her up from the station and whizzed up the A1 to Clumber Park.  We visited for the first time back in September and fell in love with the place and yet again it did not disappoint.  The colours all around were just stunning and there is something very satisfying about wrapping up in your coat, hat and scarf and walking when there is a nip in the air.

Jamie and Poppy had a great time, it's one of those places where they can run, jump, climb trees and be as loud as they like and you do not feel like you are imposing your family on other people. 

On our return, we tucked into a Gingerbread house that the children had built and decorated the night before ( sorry for the rubbish photo's!)  It was a kit given to us by Andy's mum which she got here and I have to say it was really well thought out.  It included the precut gingerbread pieces, sweets and a bag of icing, that you simply rolled to soften, snipped the end off and away you went. (with very little mess!)  Most important of all......

.......it tasted delicious!!