The beads are still going on...24-31 December

week 52 - 2017
The end! And also the end of 5 years beading on to little bits of things as well as little bits of fabric.
Ready for a few different sorts of regular beading projects.

no.358

no.359

no.360

no.361

no.262

no.363

no.364

no.365


All of December's beaded fabric packets.

Something on Saturday

Cow -50

The coasters that go with Cow 28. I couldn't find the cow and duck one at the time. But then I realised I had it on the bedside table.

Which shows how often I have a cuppa in bed. I find it very too awkward! Only when I have a very bad head or am ill, the Thoughtful Man brings a hot drink to me.

Somehow that one seems to have kept a stronger colour. or was already different, because I don't often use the others. 'Saving them'. What for, I don't know.

Bead Loom

A gift from the Thoughtful Man.

I am hoping to reduce time doing the regular beading project in order to fit in time to do more of the trims. And so I want to try working on a bead loom as well.

The beads are still going on...17-23 December

week 51 - 2017
delayed - I have been Christmas holiday-ing.
and then I had to sort out my numbering because I had 2 extra days! I had forgotten I did an extra one in Nov and then was trying to get the camera to take lighter close-ups and forgot to delete the darker one...which gave me an extra day.

no.251

no.252

no.253

no.254

no.255

no.256

no.257

I like Thankful Thursday

I like that we are home this Christmas for the holiday.

We have never put lights out in front before.

I like a dog who is happy to be fussed. If it means wearing a red ribbon, then more people will fuss you! Even if the rest of you looks a bit like a scruff most of the time.

Holly; the dog found at Christmas time. The rescue people thought she was part Patterdale Terrier. When her 1st mother got her from rescue, they were calling her 'Crackers' - like Christmas Crackers. But Her Mother said there was no way she was going to call out Crackers when she was out and about in the field or woods. So, she called her Holly. She doesn't look like a Holly, but never mind. She is a bit Crackers, though! I often call her Polly for endearment. Polly Wolly Doodle All the Day.

We took Holly on several years ago when Her Mother was diagnosed with lung cancer...she wanted to be sure of someone caring for the dog before she even started treatment. Her Mother is still actually doing well, but the cancer won't go away.

In the meanwhile, Holly fell in love with her new dad, and that was that. Holly has fits now and then, the first time she had one after we had her, I got down and held her and told her not to worry, etc. That is when I was adopted.
So, when Dad is not here, Mum is the best friend. and when A Certain Young Man is here, he is the one to follow because he is usually in the kitchen...food. But also because he is the one who will play rough and tumble. Only not too much, because she is starting to feel the aches and pains of being older.
And anyway, Holly loves to cuddle you (as long as you aren't disturbing a nap) and will come and lean against you when she needs/or when she thinks you need a hug.

I like that I don't really have to do anything this holiday. But I have been baking and making meals that will suit the caveman. and more baking. But mostly reading books.

I Like looking forward. These gifts are from people who know I like:
photos on calendars or words for the day

books and diaries to write in (and a calendar missed from the last photo)

Almost the day for writing in new diaries! And making new lists! Hurrah!

go see what the others like at Lee Anna's blog.

Something on Saturday

Cow 49

My Christmas Cow! This was a panel my Mom gave me and I enhanced with fabric paints nearly 30 years ago.

I used to go to a craft session held at someone's house. They had loads of craft paints with nibs so that you could use it straight out of the bottle. Including glittery ones!

I cut and sewed it after it was painted. It took me several weeks.
I do wear her when I am doing Christmas baking or cooking.

I Like Thankful Thursday

Each year our church does a special thing which I like very much. This happened on Saturday.

We put a table at the shops and offer a mince pie, chocolate+sweets, comics for kids, and something like a pen or a mini torch for adults. and a hot spicy drink (if they want. Mr Thoughtful loves making this, but I think the only ones who take us up on that offer is us as we stand there in the cold!).

Saying Happy Christmas to the community! Eric who does the balloons.
I don't manage to stand there the whole time anymore, but I still like saying Happy Christmas to people as they pass.

And then the following day, we hold a Candlelight Carol Service at the Community Centre.

I had fun trying to get photos in the dark with candles! A bit of adjusting in my photo programme and they are not too bad.

Mr Thoughtful puts together a quite wonderful programme. 

The numbers who come from the Community vary...for instance, if it is raining, like on Sunday. But many make it a point to come every year.

With all the candles, it gets pretty warm in there. It takes quite a while to light them and then also to blow them out at the end!

A lovely time singing and hearing the story of the first Christmas.
Then out to where it is light for more mince pies, sweets, chocolate and etc!

And start thinking ahead to the Easter one...hot cross buns for that.

To see the likes for the others, go to Lee Anna's blog.

Surprises

Amongst the Christmas card, an anonymous gift voucher!

How wonderful! I had just started to try finding sequels to books I liked and have saved if ever I find the rest. But, Bracknell has about 1 charity shop now, and I won't get to the hospital one as often, now that they have done their bit to help my back. So, looking online is now the best option.

So, who this is from, or even if it is from Amazon itself because I was buying presents there... who knows. But I will enjoy it! Thank you!

The beads are still going on...10-16 December

week 50 - 2017

no.344

no.345

no.346

no.347

no.348

no.349

no.350

Something on Saturday

cow 48

We bought this in America. Yes, it is an iron skillet...heavy!



It lives on a high shelf, but looks like even up there it has started to rust.

I like Thankful Thursday

More things to like and be Thankful about!

Morning ritual - 1 half cup of orange juice topped up with hot water to take my meds. At the same time, fill the lovely glass teapot - a gift from the Thoughtful Man - with 2 Lemon and Ginger Teabags and more hot water. Leave to get on with steeping while I am making my porridge. The glass teapot means I can tell what colour it is! Cool.

The folded over sunflower log cabin was gifted by my mom. I think it was probably meant for placing pots on the table? but under all my table cloth is a lovely wooden table which was nearly ruined all those years ago when it was brand new by the heat going through a mat for a hot teapot. So, when I realised I needed a tea cozy for the glass teapot, I took this mat and folded it and ahem stapled the sides. It is just right for a tea cozy. Some day I will be ashamed at being lazy and will take out the staples and sew it. For now, it works though!

Oh, and the mug is my special new bone china replacement for the special bone china one that broke.

Next up - the porridge. I like it full of raisins, seeds and nuts, made with milk and nuked in the microwave.

And recently my friend Gabrielle brought some porridge bread to the sewing group. It is not a sweet bread. It is made with yogurt and oats and whatever seeds and nuts you want to add. I liked it, so she gave me the recipe.

Both the Thoughtful Man and I like it so much that I have made it nearly every week since the first time I tried making it. Mine comes out a bit different than Gabrielle's was, but it is still as good. Sometimes the texture is different depending on the choice of seeds/nuts.
And it is even very good toasted lightly, butter added and also cheese. (There might also be a bit of gooseberry curd that happens with it.) All this for my lunch, with a conference pear and a clementine/satsuma/ small citrus thingy .

Hurrah! Porridge twice a day. What's not to like? Good for you!

2 photos, but loads of likes.

To see the likes for the others, go to Lee Anna's blog. You might need to let the North Americans get up in their morning first! 😉

Dutch Spiral - take 2

I have managed to get the Dutch Spiral back to where it was when the thread broke for something like the 3rd time, which prompted me to take it apart.

I had struggled to keep the tension even previously, so now I have put a wooden coffee stirrer inside (the Dutch Spiral is a continually twisted triangle so is hollow). It helps me hold every thing together...which would have been harder because having a double thread now would have meant a bit more juggling. I also find that putting a needle or something through one side of  the triangle on a set of beads just below where I am working, also helps. The above photo shows it at the point where I would probably move the needle up again.

So, now to keep at it til I have 1 metre!

oops

The recent project which I can not post has gone well. Then I was about to cut and trim and remembered I am meant to send a 20cm square example of the quilt. Oh.

It has been a stretch to make something 2 metres by the width of the fabric. That was the challenge I set myself. But, having made my design cover the whole of the 2 metres, I haven't got any left for a sample! and as the design is somewhat symmetrical, I can't really chop some off to use!

So, having been frozen by indecision for a little while, I had searched online, but it couldn't find it. I had purchased it at Festival of Quilts from Doughty's, located with the white on white fabrics. I finally decided to get over it and phone Doughty's Fabric to see if they had it. I hoped the lack of presence was that the white on white fabrics aren't put online because they are hard to see.

So, I phoned. This was brave. I do not like phoning. Even worse, I do not like phoning companies and businesses. But a lovely lady was very helpful. She thought she found it by my description, but said send me a photo. So, I did and she said yes it was. and so, soon a little parcel of fabric will arrive in the post. Phew.
Now I can go with the trimming the edges and working on the binding!

While I was being brave, I ordered a book online for a Certain Young Man's Christmas, and slippers for the Thoughtful Man. I don't like ordering online either, but now I don't have to traipse through shops for just the right kind.

The beads are still going on...3-9 December

week 49 - 2017

no.337

no.338

no.339

no.340

no.341

no.342

no.343