Christmas wishes . . .

Wishing you & yours, 

from me & mine, 

a very merry Christmas . . .

Be blessed,

love Gilly 

xoxo

Christmas in the making . . .

Less than a week to go before the big day, and I'm happy to say that this year I've managed to finish my Christmas makes ahead of schedule.   Can I get a woo-hoo ?

I should confess though that I did rather curtail the List a wee bit - for once realising that with everything else going on right now, I just wasn't going to be able to make it all. 

You know that thing where you pin a whole lot of fab ideas on Pinterest, then time runs out and you think, oh well, maybe next year . . . ?

Anyways . . . meet Ed the Elf . .  he's my favourite Christmas creation.  Isn't he just the sweetest elf you ever did see?

  The (free) pattern is from lovely Julie at Heart & Sew, and he's pretty much made from my yarn stash. He's a chubby little thing (too many mince pies, methinks) and despite that mischief & mayhem seem to follow in his wake, I'll miss him when he flies north to his forever home.  But I'm sure he'll be just as well-loved and treasured there too.

 I hope he writes, or calls occasionally . . .

My other favourite make was a whole tribe of little snowmen . . .

I just loved this idea from the Tilda Christmas book and had so much fun making each of them unique in their own little way.

Most of them have been gifted to lovely friends, but these two have stayed behind to cheer up the diningroom for our Christmas dinner  : - )

 

So that's all my handmade gifts and makes ticked off, and I'm looking forward to a relaxing, crafty time now.

How's everyone else's Christmas making coming along ? Are you all done too ?

'til next time,

xoxo

a happy day at Hidcote . . .

It's a bit of an early start, and I'm not really one for early mornings - especially in the winter - but it has become a bit of a tradition and it is a pretty drive through a myriad of little quintessentially English villages that dot the beautiful Cotswold countryside. So first thing yesterday, off we went to spend a day at Hidcote Manor  making our Christmas wreaths.

Hidcote Manor & Gardens are just lovely, even on a blustery, rainy day - but a friendly bunch of volunteers and a mug of steamy hot chocolate greeted us, and all thoughts of it being early and chilly were banished.

Punctuated only by a yummy lunch and a little pootle around the gift shop, we spent a most enjoyable time picking & choosing the fresh foliage and turning them into pretty wreaths.

 

And then we popped a CD on in the car and sang Christmas carols in a range of harmonies, at top volume all the way back home. 

All in all, just a lovely way to spend a day . . .

 

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . .

Happy weekend lovelies,

'til next time,

xoxo

Back to the making . . .

Well the holidays are over, and no more days away planned or visitors coming to stay, for a couple of weeks, so let's get back to the making shall we?

Autumn has well and truly arrived, and is putting on a splendidly sunny show this weekend, but there's a definite nip in the air.  Even indoors too because our boiler went on the blink last week and we found ourselves curled up in front of the fire, or huddled around the space heater.  I even hauled out the hot water bottles.  But the new boiler is now safely in situ and the temperature indoors restored to a cosy level once more  : - )

So with the changing of the season, it's time to start sorting through the WIP & Want-to-Make Lists, and hopefully get some lovely makes ticked off.   I haven't been entirely idle through the summer though AND I've even made a start to my (dare I say it ? ) Christmas makes . . .

So this year's Christmas quilt was a quick and simple make.  I bought the pretty panel and the ready-made sweet dotty binding at Sew Me Something, did some straight line quilting around the squares and hand-tied some pretty red glass beads on at the end.

 One Christmas quilt:  finished and ready for the festive season. Tick.

And whilst in the Christmas making mood, I whipped up a little wreath too.  I raided my box of scraps and selected a whole bunch of festive fabrics,

 

 then spent a fun afternoon making this:

 Every year I seem to end up rushing around madly trying to get decor and Christmas gifts made in time, so for once I'm going to try and be organized. 

 What d'you think ?  Too early ?  Or have you secretly made a start too ?

Pray do tell . . .

'til next time,

Happy making . . .

xoxo 

Merry Christmas wishes . . .

'Twas a crisp and sunny morning when my lovely friend, Heather & I enjoyed a little foray into the beautiful Cotswolds countryside, to spend the day at Hidcote Manor making our Christmas wreaths. 

 And oh what fun we had  : - )

 Our day started with a warm greeting from the volunteers at Hidcote and a yummy steamy mug of hot chocolate, before we headed into what is affectionately called The KGB.  Nope, nothing at all to do with Cold War espionage, but just simply the Kitchen Garden Barn. 

 The barn boasts a cosy woodburning stove which definitely helped to take the chill off morning (and the concrete floor), so after we'd warmed ourselves, we set to work selecting our foliage and creating our wreaths.  What a joy to have the pick of all the lovely fresh greenery from the beautiful Hidcote gardens.

 Heather decided on a hanging wreath for the front door of her sweet cottage and I made a centrepiece for our Christmas table.

 Our mission complete, we retreated to the cafe for a light lunch then spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the pretty gardens.  

It really is so beautiful, and we're already planning a return visit in the Spring.  Thanks lovely Heather for organizing such a fab day out - already looking forward to April  : - )

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Only 3 more sleeps now 'til Santa comes a' calling . . . The halls are decked, the pantry is stocked, and the gifts are almost wrapped.  

So from me, the Hubby, and the two most-adorable-pups-in-the-world, here's wishing you & yours a very merry & happy Christmas, 

 filled with an abundance of love, laughter & blessings. 

with love & hugs,

Gilly

xoxo

I've been . . . {another List}

• busily preparing for the celebration of Christmas

• to Scotland & back

• catching up with loved ones

• making.  Lots of making.

• baking 

Mary Berry's Orange Spice Cake -  absolutely deeelicious . . .

• sewing

• knitting

• shopping

• wrapping pressies

• swapping pressies

my lovely creative & talented Book Club ladies

• swapping crackers

Thank you lovely Sue from Crafts@home, my swap partner who completely spoilt me with an abundance of yummy goodies in the  Cracker Swap organized by Tracey over at Mad About Bags.  Squeee . . .

• making up our guest rooms for our family arriving to stay next week

• trying to keep on top of the laundry, the household chores, and muddy doggy paws

don't let that sweet face deceive you . . . those paws are mud-magnets

• planning my "week between Christmas & New Year" yarny project

  - a lovely Vector Wrap/Scarf Knit-A-Long with Rachel at Tangled Yarn.  This pretty Mirasol yarn arrived in the post today and I can't wait to cast on.  If you're looking for a project too - do join us.  (Just pop over here or have a wee look on Ravelry) 

 

So,
 are you "making a list & checking it twice" ?

Only 6 more sleeps . . .   ; - )

'til next time,

xoxo

* * * * * * * 

For Claudine, who was kindness personified,  truly beautiful inside & out, who loved to make . . . and who delighted in a good List too.  

RIP my sweetest friend . . . 

(1969 - 2014)

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