Leo came to visit us in the shop last week - he is becoming a real little charmer and for eight months - is such a joy - not at all biased am I.

 My Eldest son's future Mother in Law is a great cake decorator and she made this for Rob and I for Christmas, it doesn't look quite like this now as it has been tucked into quite seriously.  It is a beautiful cake  and she is so clever at decorating them.  Anne has a wedding cake to make now and Paul & Ericha are getting married in August this year - which was such great news and we are all looking forward to the big day.

 Caroline came to see me on Monday and bought little leo and here is with his friend - he loves the soft teddies - but then he just loves grabbing everything.  He is also a little poser as he knew I was taking his photo.  Cheeky monkey.

Well I am continuing with my bid to get some of my unfinished items completed - and on Sunday I shut myself in the sewing room and fished this out - I had gone wrong and put it away in disgust - so I was quite determined to get it right - here are the first two rows, I have now got the third row ready to stitch on - and just one more to go.  It is very very time consuming and well as far as I am concerned it is very easy to go wrong.  Although I hope fingers crossed that I have got the hang of it now.  I am looking forward to seeing it all put together.

So at this present time I am able to feel quite sanctimonius as I am continuing with my resolution - how long it will last I do not know  - I am getting itchy feet to start something new but - I am going to endeavour to carry on with the UFO's

Orchids

 Mt Sister is a Volunteer at Kew Gardens and is currently up to her knees in moss and orchids.  Kew hold an annual Orchid Festival during February each year and they are currently endeavouring to get it all finished for the 9th February I think that is when it starts.  These two photos are of a previous year - the Festival is fabulous and the Orchids are so wonderful.  The Kew website has all the details www.kew.org 

I really love Kew Gardens there is something lovely about walking around in the warm glass houses looking at all the wonderful colours when it is cold and grey outside.  Yet Kew has something to offer for every season.

Well we have had this lovely printed panel come into the shop and I just had to sit and bead it - I could have carried on - but decided enough was enough - it looks great hanging in the shop.

I had planned to bring in my finished quilt today, but poppy had other ideas - I finished stitching the binding on last night and am really chuffed with myself - another UFO totally done.  The smaller one on top that poppy is sitting on is a wall hanging with fractured crazy stars and I am currently quilting that - so hopefully next week that will be finished too  yeh!!

I am really pleased with myself as at the end of last year I was struggling to see the woods for the trees and couldn't envisage getting items finished.  Julie I think you were so right in your words of wisdom and thank you for your support.

Oh Just another quick thing - daft really - I have just read The Secret Garden  (Francis Hodgson Burnett)- oh it was so magical - I had seen the film but cannot remember reading the book before and it transfixed me - I could not put it down.  Then I found there had been a sequel written by another author several years later - The Forgotten Room by Stacie Morrell - it was lovely - I sat and cried my way through it - a really good light read that had a superb feel good factor.

Well now I had better go and start the day and show willing.   I cannot promise to keep up regular blogs but I am going to try.

Unfinished items contd.

Well my New Year's Resolution is continuing and I have finished this table runner that I started so enthusiastically and then did not finish - but I am very very pleased with it.

I really like my leaves that I have quilted in the centre.

This is the next unfinished item - I started this beautiful quilt some considerable time ago, it was pieced backed and wadded and then inspiration for quilting failed me!!  Anyway I have now got it quilted and the binding on so only need to stitch the binding on.  As you can see Poppy was insisting on assisting me again by joining me on the table and insisting on sittinting on the quilt and making life very awkward.  Everytime I moved it she complained bitterly.

Well Monday's I try to spend with Caroline and Leo as much as possible - poor Caroline!!

We had a great day and took Leo to Ferry Meadows - it was chilly and windy but he loves being out in his buggy and looking around.

We took him to the swing park and this was his first adventure in a swing he soon got the hang of it and kicked his legs and squealled quite loudly. Afterwards a lovely hug for Mummy as she took him out

Well I am once again being somewhat tardy in blogging - I can try this as an excuse I could not upload photos and had to ask Angela's husband Neil to change the programmes to Google Chrome and add something called Picasso so that I could upload - abit of a pfaff but thank goodness for Neil he has done it for me.  I did sort of throw my rattle out the pram and said I couldn't be bothered but then common sense (do I have any) prevailed!!

Well as the weather has been so inclement I have turned into a hermit and stayed indoors and taken the opportunity to  keep my new year resolution.  I vowed I would try to finish some UFO's  - I have just got to finish quilting two and then that will be two items out of the way yeh.  I have actually totally completed one which is a table runner - but have not taken any photos of it - will do so.

Poppy is not enjoying this cold weather and has become abit of a hermit as well.  She seems to love me doing some sewing and manifests from absolutely nowhere to sit on whatever I have decided to do.  She loves quilts to snuggle on.  But on Sunday she had to make do with my foundation piecing - and as I was trying to lay it out to make sure it was going according to plan here she was plonking herself down with no thought for me!!

Anyway I managed to prevail and here is the top put together, it has since been wadded and is partly quilted and I have to say I am very pleased with it.  Rob and I bought the pattern and fabrics at the NEC a couple of years ago and time just ran away from me - I had traced the pattern out and cut strips and started one piece but that was as far as it had got.  So I was determined to finish it now

Having been evicted from my foundation piecing she then sought out my hexagons - they had been moved out of the sewing room whilst I was working and laid on the bed - it is a lovely comfy place to lie - polystyrene with paper and the hexagons held down with pins - makes sense to snuggle there!  Caroline popped over on Monday with young Leo who christined his new highchair that Rob and I had got for him - thought it was easiest to have one at our house rather than carting one around all over the place.   He is such great fun and then we had a great game of throwing toys off the tray for the cat to chase.

We had Christmas Club at Art and Stitch last week and I have started this folded place mat - it is looking lovely and I am determined to get it finished. 

At our Aston Quilters Group we have been making New York Beauty foundation piecing and I thought I would lay it all out to see how it was going - well guess who joined me she has an uncanny sense of interrupting me !  I am so pleased with this and have now joined all the blocks and just have to get some borders put on.  

The Star of Christmas

Our little Christmas Elf on his first Christmas - he had a lovely day although the whole experience passed over his head!  But he loved all the company, attention and most of all the new toys to feel and play with.

Look at me!!

 Caroline and Nic did us absolutely proud - their first Christmas Dinner was a total success and there were ten very replete folks.  So a big thank you goes to them and we look forward to next year!!

Poppy has found a nice resting place at home and will miss the tree when we finally take it down.

So Happy new Year to you all - let us hope the weather improves and 2013 is alot drier and all those folks that have suffered so terribly with floods this year can recoup and get their homes back in order.

 Happy Christmas to everyone that reads my blog - I know I am not very good at keeping my blog updated and I could mutter a News years Resolution to be better in 2013 but you probably will all realise that that would not happen!   Anyway for all of you that have persisted in reading my missives - thank you so much - and all the best for 2013 (it would appear that the predicted End of the World did not occur - phew!)  So I wish everyone a lovely Christmas and will update again in 2013.

Our adorable cat is so spoilt she has her own chair and quilt and as hers was in the wash I let her have my radient star - she thought she looked particularly attractive and decorative on it!

 Rob has been busy in his workshop making money boxes - these three are for three very special little girls as part of their christmas presents - but he is very pleased with them and has been requested by a lady at work to do some for her early next year.  He also has to make a box for Barbara so I think he will be kept out of mischief in the workshop for a while.

Poppy was totally exhausted watching me wrap Christmas Pressies - honestly I had taken up too much space and only left her the corner of the spare bed!

It has been busy at work and Angela, Dawn and I did a jelly Roll Race quilt last weekend - Dawn is yet to finish hers, but Angela and I have got our orders on now - you can see the photos of them on our www.facebook/artandstitch.co.uk page.  Anyway yesterday whilst Angela was teaching the Christmas Club Group I decided that our teacosy at home was a total disgrace and we needed a new one - so I threw this one together as quickly as possible and have to say I am well pleased with the results.

Well best show willing and see if there is any jobs that need looking at in the shop.  Happy Christmas to one and all.

last weekend was The Christmas Quilting Retreat at Debden with Anne Stacey - Hilary joined me and she thoroughly enjoyed her first trip to Debden house.   We woke up to a beautiful frosty morning on Saturday and this was the view from our bedroom window.  I started three different projects  and have finished none!!!!!  It was a superb weekend great fun from start to finish with great company and Anne leading us as always.  Hilary did loads of her Christmas tree and tried some new projects too and was well pleased.

As and when I get some of my projects into an acceptable state I will take some photos.

This is my project at home at the moment - I fell in love at the festival of Quilts with Ans Schipper's display of quilts and purchased a kit - one just had to !!  Anyway subsequently I ordered her book from her in Holland and it is a lovely book

 Anyway this is where I am now with all my hexagons.  I started doing hexagons on the flight to and from Canada and at odd times when I was sitting with a spare moment - though there were not many of them.   It is such fun and putting them together is just like a jigsaw puzzle - my son Mark was fascinated when he came for his tea.

I have used  scrap fabric all the way through - bits and bobs found in my sewing room - so I am rather pleased with myself for that.

Then I just had to share this - on Monday Leo who now has found he adores yoghurt - also loves making a mess too!!!