Well Happy New Year (okay somewhat belatedly) to everyone who reads my blog.

Gosh I cannot believe we are at the 7th of the month already - it seems to have flown by - soon be Christmas!!!!!

I do hope everyone had good holidays and New Year breaks - our family get togethers all went very well and it was lovely to have them all around.
Today is my eldest son's 30th Birthday - wow - he was most miffed as he has an important meeting at work today and when he jokingly said oh nice Birthday present - the Big Big Boss said oh that will be good you can bring the cakes!!!!! So he was up at 6 15 am to cycle to the station get his train to Kings Cross cycle to Kennington and purchase cakes on the way!!!

I meant to bring in an uptodate photo but forgot - here he is with his sister and baby brother many years ago he would have been six at the time but I love this photo of the three of them.
















Well Art & Stitch has been mega busy since Christmas - so not much time for creativity at present. Though I wanted to share these - we have a group once a month and we are making a Mystery Quilt - they had to choose their colours and I have been feeding them the parts of the blocks (well Block one at present) and here are their first blocks all put together - they have to make thirteen of these and then we have to start Block Two and I shall drip feed them the parts of this as well. Then they have got a pieced border to make - yeh I am soo pleased with all their first Blocks and it is amazing how the colours have all come together. I managed to sigh with relief when they were all happy with the results!!

So as this project progresses I shall show you more of their efforts.

I have got several quilts to layer and finish - but hey ho they will get done at some stage.

Life seems hectic we are still awaiting a date for the house move though it is moving slowly slowly forwards.

Right well today I intend to make a scissor case for my new shears that I got for Christmas so must go and see if I can make head nor tail of the pattern I have.

My Heart Wreath - I am so pleased with it - it looks lovely hanging on my cupboard

I love Christmas - and am looking forward to having all my family around sometime over the festive season.

So just a quick post to say Happy Christmas to anyone who reads my blog and Happy New Year see you all in 2011 (as I doubt I shall get time to post between now and then)

I decided to play around with some left over strips and started making a bag so our fashion model is displaying the part finished article!!!!! Poor Barbara she always gets landed with these photos!

Walking to our garage this morning, I just felt the trees looked so beautiful so my phone had to come out and take a few pictures.

Not many sleeps to Christmas - have got most of the parcels packed the tree is up and the rest of the decorations in place and so far Poppy has left well alone yeh!!

Well Christmas is creeping steadily closer and all of a sudden the last couple of days I have started to feel like I should get myself into the Christmas spirit.



So here is the first batch of mince pies, we had a Christmas Bauble workshop and I made them for that to go with Angela's mulled fruit juice - really nice.








Today I thought I would do something different so I have made Mary Berry's mincemeat buns, just to see what they are like!!!












The Christmas cakes are made and have been regularly fed with brandy and now they are dressed and ready - yum I hope they taste okay!!











My youngest son Mark has been going through a bit of a tough time, so he and I went to Milton Keynes to do his Christmas shopping - and I couldn't resist this photo of the cows! Mark thought I was madder than usual - as he is too young to know anything about their origins!








Caroline has bought this dress for her work's Christmas party and for Liz's wedding - but it needed some minor adjustment so Mum's sewing machine was required! I didn't get her feet in the photo but the height of the heels - she adores bright colours.

We are off wedding dress hunting this coming weekend and she is fizzing literally!!




Well I have a quilt to finish for a christmas pressie and some odds and ends to tidy up so must dash.

Well it is absolutely ages since I sat down to blog - several excuses - waffle waffle waffle - but I am back at last!!

Suffice to say the shingles has all gone, the post herpetic neuralga is well and truly on the wane I do not have to take the dog tablets anymore - the tablets I had were the same as Angela's dog was on!!! You can imagine the mirth that has caused us all.

Anyway I am now back with a vengence and have just returned from a wonderful weekend at Debden House with Anne Stacey. We arrived on friday to a beautiful vista of the lovely old house in snowy surroundings. The workshop was waiting for us and we all started with a vengence!

The view of the side of the house

Ane the photo below is from Dawn and my Bedroom window

Here is Dawn modelling the overdoor hanging that she made!!!

I couldn't resist this photo as the snow melted on the block paved path - it is lovely

Anne had bought loads and loads of ideas for us all to make and here is my Christmas tree as work in progress and then as finished.

Now on Thursday before I went I decided I wanted to use the batiks we had and make a pattern in a magazine I had. Anyway this is how it is turning out - looking good - just got to sort borders now.

Right well I will endeavour to keep my blog up to date more regularly and as I am on 84 posts now have to think about a giveaway for the 100th which will be in the New Year now. Yeh Christmas is looming very soon - I love Christmas and love having all my family around.

Right last night I started making my Christmas Cards - Angela still says I am mad - but I think they look pretty okay - just have to do inserts and write them now!!!

So now I have to do some christmas presents and get organised - well try to!!!

Christmas fun - for some unknown reason I always make my own Christmas cards - they have been cross stitched, stamped and numerous other ways over the years I have been doing them and this year Ithought it would be a good way to use up some of those scraps of material that I have in my boxes - now I just have to make them into cards - also if I am to make all my cards as usual (which Angela feels I am absolutely loopy for so doing!) I need to pull my finger out and do some more and quickly!!

But I have enjoyed sitting playing with these and the suffolk puffs are lovely - actually I may just go to M & S and buy cards and keep all of these!!!
















Aston Quilters are in month two of their Mystery Quilt and these are two of the components of the first block - there was quite alot of moaning at the size of the pieces but they are all secretly enjoying the challenge and I am sure that once the quilt is finished they will be well pleased with it.














I have actually put the first block together but I am not going to show that just yet - but it looks lovely!!!

Now I am about to start thinking about Christmas presents - it is getting far too close and I have not made any yet!!! oh well I guess a last minute rush is good for me!!!!!