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..............