Christmas Preparations

Preparations are almost complete for Christmas - presents wrapped, shopping completed, tree up courtesy of the kids mainly, which only leaves the turkey to stuff and the veg to prepare today.

This tends to be a whole family affair now the children are a little older with sprout peeling, carrot chopping and yards of bacon being wrapped round the lovely farm shop sausages all around the table together. Christmas carols or Handel's Messiah in the background and a little glass of sherry at the elbow (this last one only for the adults you understand!) - what could be more festive?

We will have a quiet close family day as we're way too far out geographically for the rest of the family to travel to in the short window of holiday they have from work. But it actually suits us like that - it's very relaxing, the kids are free to play with their presents all day if they wish and there's little pressure as far as the cooking goes as it's just another roast dinner for the cook albeit with a few more trimmings but no pressure to feed the five thousand.

On a stitching note - this is the rear of the cushion front with the feathers I showed you the other day. Up to now, while I admire the beauty of the handiwork on wholecloth quilts, I could never quite understand the fascination. However having done this cushion front and then looked at the back of it I can quite imagine why someone would enjoy making a bed sized version - probably not me though :o)

The little tree in the turquoise and sand you see here (if you can get past the blinding flash in the mirror - with Sarah on the stepladder behind me fastening something to the light fitting) is one I made for last Christmas to match the colour scheme in my (then) new lounge. That's one of the nicest things about decorating the house for Christmas - bringing those boxes down from the loft and reacquainting yourself with all those friends, old and new. While the children were putting all the decorations on the tree there were repeated cries of 'Look Mum I've found the ...........' or 'I remember this .........'

All part of the special Christmas preparations.

And finally here's my newest Christmas baby - first of all I must apologise profusely for not acknowledging the source of the original idea. I spotted the cross stitch design earlier in the year on someone's blog and saved the photo for future reference but naughtily omitted to record the source - if it was from your blog I apologise. I loved the cross-stitch design for it's simplicity but changed the little white doves beneath the tree on the original design for our traditional British Christmas bird, the good old Robin Redbreast. I then surrounded the aida panel with some random plaids and added bigger buttons in the corners to echo the salvaged tiny shirt collar buttons I've used for the tree decorations. It will be just as delightful to uncover this one next year when we get those boxes down again.

But hey I must go - there's a turkey to stuff!