A lovely Christmas was had by one and all - even the cat was totally exhausted!!!!

We were lucky enough to have all the family around us on Christmas Day and we had a wonderful day - thank you to all of them

 There were lots and lots of lovely presents - we all did very well indeed and I think everyone got what they wanted.  I most certainly did!!

 For some reason I was decidedly quiet on the camera side and took very few photos - here is the finished Christmas Cake which is very yummy.

I have to thank Gina for her mince pie recipe I made two batches and they were delicious - forgot to take a photo and there is not a single one left.  Folks went home with little pots with mince pies in!! So they were a big success.

Well a happy new Year to everyone who reads my Blog - and next year I am going to finish some projects that were started and not finished.  Although first project is a baby quilt to get made for mid january so had better go and get started!!

Christmas 2012

Happy Christmas to everyone that reads my blog and a big thanks to all that do - I understand more read than make a comment as it is apparently not easy to comment on.  I am going to look into the comment side but as I am quite a PICNIC that will not be easy!!

Anyway I teased Polly one of our lovely customers that I would place her photo on my blog - well I failed miserably to do so but here at last!   Polly has been doing her City & Guilds Part I with us at Art and Stitch and is doing fantastically.  We have some great fun when she comes to our classes.  So Happy Christmas Polly xx

Well I had to show this it could either be a tree skirt or a table cloth - so I have made it as a table cloth for my blue dining room

This is the table runner we have been making at Aston  Quilters mine is finished and all the other ladies looked superb,.

 I made this a few years ago and still love it - we are hoping Anne Stacey will teach this at Art and Stitch for Christmas 2012

I love this wall hanging but just no more walls at home

 This wall hanging is well used - Anne Stacey is teaching this next year on 20th October  ready for Christmas

 Now - we had a laugh at work I was making a last minute Christmas present and Barbara got herself all cross with me as I had not made her a little bag too!!   So I then had to make one for her, Angela and Dawn - here are two that were made - Barbara had to take hers home straight away!!

Well this will be my last post before Christmas so Happy Christmas everyone - will be back after the holiday.  Everyone travelling take care and all enjoy yourselves.

Well we have got our Christmas decorations up and the house is looking festive, and I realised that the children are quite right and if they stand still they may well get quilted!!  When you look at most of our decorations they seem to have been quilted and these are just a few there are others at the shop and some that have not been put up - perhaps I need to slow down on the making of christmas trimmings!!

 I made this one a couple of years ago and still love it.  it was a panel that I embellished.

 This was fun to make and made with left over fabrics. 

This runner was the extra snowman panels with the wall hanging and it makes a good attic windows.

 I did this table runner this year and have made table mats as well.

I made this last year with Anne Stacey and love it.

Okay you are not seeing double I have somehow or other been a total PICNIC and uploaded this picture twice, but if I try to delete will probably loose the whole lot.  I made this star wreath about three years ago but still love.

Whoops these little bits are not quilted they are our Gluhwein mugs from the German markets.  When you buy the Gluhwein you pay 2 euros for the mug and then keep taking it back to get refilled.  You can get the deposit back but we thought they were a nice momento.

These were table mats I was making for Caroline but I liked them so much they stayed with me!!

Little Christmas stockings there is one either side of the guard they look lovely.  We made them in the shop last year I think.

My tree skirt finished this year I love this - it has finished the tree off beautifully.

 This tree was made at Orton Quilters a couple of years back and I still love it.

I made this wall hanging this year we had the panels at Art and Stitch and I just couldn't resist it.

I adore cathedral windows and this wall hanging was made last year.

A selection of table mats - I like the blue at Christmas.

Now I have remembered some other bits that I have made and not put up so will have to search them out find some spare wall space and get them hung up.   Poor Rob is destined for another trip into the loft!!!

My advent calender is at work and two wall hangings and my Christmas tree wall hanging - good job we only have so many walls!!!

A few more photos of the Christmas Markets - it was such a lovely break and has made up feel very much in the festive spirit.

This was one of the small chapels in the Cathedral at Cologne it is a magnificant place

Standing on the top deck whilst we cruised down the Rhine the scenery was lovely.  it was chilly up there but worth the view.

This was in Koblenz and i thought it was lovely.

I started this wall hanging many years ago - I did a one day course and although it was all put together I had not completed the quilting or embellised.  So with them all doing their course with Anne Stacey at Art and Stitch this year it made me get my act together and I have to say i so pleased I have!!

Our Christmas tree - our first year in our new home and we have a lovely bay window so it looks really nice and I am so pleased with the tree skirt - we had these on the bolt at Art and Stitch so I just had to have one!! It is lovely and looks so impressive even if I do say so myself.

Christmas on the Rhine

Well we have just had a magical few days on the River Rhine cruising along from Dusseldorf to Cologne and then onto Koblenz.  It was a wonderful expereince, the Gluhwein was out of this world, Bratwert Sausages, and some really unusual Potatoe Cakes, and Crepes - we had a fabulous time looking around the markets and the things to buy were so different and lovely.

Whilst in Cologne we had to go into the Cathedral which was magical so enormous and beautiful. I have a thing about floors so I took loads of photos of the tiled floors in the different chapels - a really great experience.

We have all started to feel Christmassy now as the markets put us well into the festive spirit.  The Cruise was lovely and the scenery down the Rhine itself was so varied it ran from dead flat, to fairly rocky and very hilly - the vineyards on the side of the river were unbelievable how they manage to work them I do not know as they were virtually vertical in places.

I am having difficulty uploading photos so I have done this part of the blog and will save and then try to do some more.  But if I fail will do some another day.!  Whoops like there are now two pictures of the same wonderful floor - but hey ho if I try to delete one there is a very major chance I shall delete the whole blog!!

So now I am back and have to make a concerted effort to get ready for Christmas, I have some projects half made so I must finish them as soon as possible.