23 December 2018 Advent Calendar blog hop.

Here we are the penultimate day of the Advent Calendar 2018 and once again Jo our host has set a question that has had me thinking hard.  My favourite piece of Christmas music.

So is that my favourite popular Christmas song or carol, is it my favourite to listen to or to sing myself. Please note the links to songs will take you to a u Tube video.

Well my Christmas stitch for this years hop would suggest the title of a song and I do like it quite a bit, is it my favourite?

I made this cross stitch into a card for my pen pal, the original called for the stitching to be blue on white aida, I swapped it around and like the change.

I have even made a cushion 

With the same words and it is nice and fun to sing along , but no not my favourite

To listen to, I like Handel's Messiah and I guess the chorus For unto us a Child is born as per my  embroidery  (although the U -Tube video of silent monks doing the hallelujah chorus is very funny) .

My brother feels it is not Christmas until he has heard  Greg Lakes I believe in Father Christmas                                          on the radio or in a shop (it does not count if he has to play it himself). My BFF feels that it is not Christmas til she has sung Hark the Herald Angels Sing at a carol service. 

For me it is the utterly wonderful song from...the best version of Charles Dickens a Christmas Carol.

Yes The Muppet's and  It feels like Christmas  I just love it.

Now if you did not come here from Jo's blog then do consider heading on over to see the earlier days and for the link to the next page tomorrow.

And if you aren't visiting my blog before then, or even if you are I wish you all a very merry 25th of December and I do hope that for you it Feels Like Christmas.

Spoons, that touch of pyrography

that I said needed doing so paused the much tweeding project and then I forgot to share.

So we were having a social evening at Church to celebrate 50 years since it was built, the evening which included a baking competition for the brethren.  The categories,  Large cake, small cake and sweet pie.

I made spoons as prizes.  The winners names were added on the night.

I had to nab my selection of cake before heading off to a separate room to add the names (health and safety, those tools get HOT!

Anyway here they are , the spoons.

Yes they are backwards...well spotted, that's what happens if the only picture you have is the one sent by Facebook Messenger to let the organiser see the little chef design.  It it backwards...that was a bit of a surprise.

This is the picture the winners of the sweet shared after they won.  It is the right way around.  The entry was an apple pie made by a father and son.

Secret Santa 2018

the trouble with making my Secret Santa gift for work is that who it is from does not stay all that secret.

This year I turned to material for my crafting and made a satin book cover with the recipients initials on the front.

A few sequins of various styles to decorate.

Happily it was well received.

Sampler Quilt Grandmas fan

The next block is something of a next step from the drunkards path.  The book gave the template for the middle quarter circle and the blades of the fan.  The outer shape I had to make flowing instructions.

A square ruler was a big help.

I had issues with the seams on the blades  but that was trimable to a size. Added the outer edge and at first glance it looked OK , this picture makes it look rather twisted..I think that is my poor picture skills. 

If I ever get my new phone (which has too many functions bells and whistles for my brain) to be friends with me, I may update with something better.

Cutting the mount

for the Poppy Lady

with a most useful ruler

and the cutter

Ready to go in the frame as per the earlier post.

An Act of Remembrance 100 years

There is something both hopeful and melancholy,  timeless yet, "of that time" about this piece that drew me to it for this centenary remembrance day.

There are few that have not some connection to someone from either of the world wars or the conflicts between and after them.   Those who fought, those who waited, those who mourned.  Those who died, those who were damaged outside and in, those who survived and those who could live their lives as they would due to others sacrifice.

This is a picture of my paternal grandfather,  a boy soldier. 

He came home from World War One.

This is my maternal grandfather in his Home Guard uniform, he was eight at the start of World War One, he as his father before him was a miner. 

Great Uncles, cousins, aunts, uncles, all with stories.  Some they never would tell.

We owe them so much. 

On the 100th eleventh hour, of the eleventh day of the eleventh month I will be participating in the remembrance parade in my home town.  A remembrance of all that was given and of the responsibility that lies with those of us who remain.  

Halloween Trick or Treat Blog hopp 2018

Here we are again...spooky how time flies.

And speaking of spooky flying here is my 2018 Halloween stitch.

Now for your letter, wouldn't want you to go batty waiting for it

F

Then on to your next stop

twododo

Have fun and I will see you again next year (if not sooner I hope)

(oh and if you did not start at the beginning pop on over to Serendipitous Stitching , there is a link on the right.

Quaker Sheep

I have posted about two projects so far made with material gifted from another quilter doggy-bag and playing-cat-and-mouse.

A new work colleague with whom I share this hobbie and who shares stashletts, eggs and stories of mad chickens, grumpy pregnant sheep and stroppy horses.

So what do you make for a fellow quilter who keeps sheep?

Well in this case a cross stitch sheep.  

With a hint of  quilt?

Quaker Sheep.

Quaker Sheep

The original pattern called for the whole sheep to be in the same shade of oatmeal.

Once I had chosen the material I decided that the "quilt" section needed some colour. 

It is not my usual style, however I rather like the look of this chunky sheep on its spindly little legs.

Happily so did Nikita.

Oh my

that was quite a roll whilst it lasted. Lots of progress on this project before I ran out of steam this time around.

I have a bit of pyrography to do so this will have a rest.  Additionally the Halloween Blog hop is on the horizon so some bits and bobs to keep me busy till the mood strikes for this one again.

Logcabin variations duvet cover number three

On this one I again played about with the triangles on the graph paper.

The pale peach is a bit thin and the seams show through in this picture however, they don't do that when the duvet is inside.
































I like the layout and the way the colours in the patterned material works with the solids.