Day 12 of Jo's On-Line Advent Calendar Blog Hop - 2017

Every year "Jo who can't think of a clever nickname" holds a seasonal blog hop, and this year a "few" of us are joining her for .....

Jo's Online Advent Calendar!

However, some of you may not know Jo, so let me explain:

Jo's blog, Serendipitous Stitching, is all about Cross Stitch ..... in a big way! Pop over to have a look ..... later, (she has links to freebie cross stitch patterns too, so if you think you would like to cross stitch take a peek at the files in her header!).

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Soooo ...... here is my Day 12 .....

As in previous years, Jo has asked us to display a piece of Christmas stitching .....

When I picked up my Goldwork piece again recently I found I had lost my meticulously written instructions, but I was able to check with our tutor at my Handicraft group for guidance. For more info on starting Goldwork follow this link. You can see here where I left my stitching last December.

After speaking to our tutor I was able to continue stitching right up to last night to finish. I couldn't take photos then ..... and now, although it's  frosty, it's a brilliantly sunny day ...... just right for photos!

I really meant to be finished well before today, but things didn't go according to plan! Maybe they will next year!?!

It was very hard to take a clear photo, showing all the aspects of the Goldwork!

The little circles were tricky at first, but
once I knew what I was doing, it was quite fun!

Another view because the light reflected
on the Goldwork better here!

and now, to answer the second question from Jo: "What are your plans and traditions for Boxing Day?"

We don't really have any great family tradition, but I remember that, before I married, when I lived with my parents, we used to have my Mum's Mum come to visit one day and my father's parents would come the next day ..... not that they didn't get on or anything, it was just the way it was!

My Mum and her Mum (Nan) used to make: Christmas Pudding, Christmas cake, mince pies, sausage rolls, and Dundee cake, as well as the main meal of roast turkey, roast potatoes, stuffing and “all the trimmings”. There was so much food it kept us going for weeks afterwards ..... I think it was really so Mum didn't have to cook over Christmas! Tee hee!

There was lots of TV viewing, of course, and card playing ..... we played Newmarket too, Jo! and, as kiddies, it was such fun winning all the pennies, and lots of other board games ..... oh and, Cluedo too!

These days Christmas is a lot quieter! My mum and sister come to visit over both days and we have a Vegetarian Christmas lunch, and then play cards, or possibly Rummikub this year (using my new Game Piece Bag which you may have seen on the previous post!).

Boxing day was pretty much more of the same.

That's about all I can say I'm afraid, so thank you for stopping by today, and now, if you haven’t already visited, here's the link to:

Jo's Online Advent Calendar!

Many thanks Jo, for all your work organising us all again this Christmas.

Tell me, what Christmas traditions do you have?

Wishing you all a Very Happy Christmas,

Hugs from Barbara xxx

And tomorrow it's Christine of  "The Alchemist's Study" 

Bag It & Finish It Up Friday

Firstly, "Happy Thanksgiving" to all my American friends! I hope you have had a wonderful day.

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Yipee!!!  I have three small finishes to share with you this week!

On visiting Amanda Jane's "Finish it up Friday" Party a few weeks ago I spotted someone had made some small drawstring pouches for carrying vegetables from the supermarket instead of using plastic bags (and, I'm very sorry but I don't know who that was).

As I am mad crazy about not using plastic bags more than absolutely necessary, imagine my delight, later, when I found a scrap of net curtain fabric I'd "inherited" from one of my stitching friends ..... well, I just had to make some pouches of my own, didn't I ?!!!

I couldn't believe how difficult it was to get a photograph to really show off such a simple pouch!

The fabric wasn't easy to stitch .... it wanted to fray all the time! Good job there's only a tiny bit left .... I can't be tempted to do too much with it! Tee, hee ..... wanna bet!

I trimmed the edges just before machine stitching each seam, and I've used French Seams which will stop them fraying further.

In the next view you will see that even when filled with potatoes, tomatoes and lychees, it was still pretty difficult to photograph the pouches! 

Oh, and yes, that's a new game bag in progress in the background which was meant to be in another blog post, but, since I neglected to take a picture of the pouches on their own ..... here they be!!!!

The other side will say Rummikub. Hopefully it will make it easier/quicker taking our tiles from the bag rather than having to turn them over and spread them all out on the table. You can find the tutorial for the Game Piece Bag over at Patty's blog - Elm Street Quilts ..... HERE.

Don't look too closely! The backing is cotton wadding and
I am afraid my needle pulled the wadding through with every stitch!

After being disappointed with the lint all over this piece I'm going to use interfacing on the other side so the same thing doesn't happen again!

These three little pouches are my first entries into Patty's linky party.

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Finally today, I couldn't resist sharing a photo from my Handicraft group. 

Last year a few of us attended a Goldwork Workshop run by one of our members. I still haven't finished mine, and in fact if you have a look at my left hand column you will see how far I've got  ..... no, wait, actually I have done more, must update the photo!

Anyhow, this is Jenny's! I love the way she finished it by adding a fir tree branch. All those who have finished their pictures seemed to complete them in different ways, and I wish I had pictures to show you, but I don't always have my camera with me!

Another project to finish! No pressure, eh!

Hugs,

Barbara xxx

Linking to Crazy Mom's - "Finish it up Friday"

and Elm Street's - "Bag It"

Advent calendar - Day 18

Hello my friends,

Today I am joining in with Jo's Advent Calendar!

If you haven't been following along so far ..... have a look here, on Jo's blog to see what is behind the other doors!

Thank you Jo for the work you do in organising your blog hops ..... it is such a fun way of meeting, and getting to know other stitching bloggers!

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Jo asked us to post a photo of a Seasonal design:

I think this pattern for a cake band was from Cross Stitcher magazine ..... 

if you've visited my blog before you may have seen this one .....

..... as this Margaret Sherry cat is one of my favorites!

Jo also asked us to share a treasured ornament, something with sentimental memories. I was intending to have finished the Goldwork ornament I have been making this year ..... but I spent too long stitching my Christmas bag 

..... and ran out of time for my Goldwork .....

so, perhaps...... just for this year ..... Jo would accept last year's new door wreath as our treasured ornament?

I look forward to sharing more stitching with you next year!

Thank you for visiting, 

and

Happy Christmas everyone!

Hugs,

Barbara xxx