Christmas - eating, playing, resting ...

waiting for Christmas to arrive

Family, good food, fun ... make for a lovely Christmas.

Cold bugs with shivering and chesty coughs (me and then my Mom) aren't so welcome though, especially late afternoon on Christmas Day, but hey at least Imogen has avoided it and had her Grandad (favourite play friend) and his mostly undivided attention.

Imogen on Christmas morning
Discovering presents, cards and stockings

A good time was had by all. Imogen had her new pyjamas, slippers and a new book on Christmas Eve (a little tradition we have) - this year she had some Woody pj's from Toy Story, a favourite of hers. We awoke to open stockings before breakfast and then opened other gifts afterwards. Imogen's main highlights were her camera from us, a wooden farm building set in a fabric bag I made for her and some additional wooden farm animals to add to her collection. She also had a wooden domino run from us and has had so much fun with this, especially as Grandad kept knocking them down by accident before the run was finished. Her Lego bucket was another big hit, she has said how much she would love some Lego for a while so her wish came this year from her grandparents.

An Imogen snow dome in her stocking
Opening her Lego with a smile

Discovering the dressing up outfit to go over the pj's!

Other gifts included many books, DVD's (including Toy Story 3), craft things, clothes oh and a Woody dressing up outfit which was put on over the Woody pj's and that is how she was dressed all day at her request. Well why not.

Playing with new farm animals and buildings
Playing with the domino run
Yay!
Creative Lego play
A mobile castle to drive away from trouble

I had some practical gifts of pyjamas from my parents, some left-handed craft scissors, a jam funnel - all things I had said would be very welcomed.

I had a lovely handmade gift from Alex of a Mayan hand spinner, so I shall be giving that a go soon. What did I make for him? Do you watch Family Guy? We do and Alex really enjoys this, so I knitted him a Stewie doll. There was a pattern a while back on Ravelry but I didn't like the way it was made up so I used a basic doll pattern for the body and arms and knitted it in the colours of Stewie, and then made the head up myself (it's a funny shape) - I think it came out quite well and Alex loved it.

Stewie doll

So much of the next couple of days included me resting and falling asleep, while those around me
played. When I awoke I played too - lovely simple and creative play. Lovely food (at least I didn't lose my appetite!) and lovely to see family.

Medlar meringue pie and cake to share.
A new Christmas tradition?

Back home now and my sister in law is with us for a couple of days. Hoping to catch up with friends over the next few days and arrange for friends of Imogen to come around to play before going back to school next week - they have been hit with the same bugs so hopefully all well again soon.

Speaking to her uncle (my brother) Down Under!

So that was our Christmas, looking forward to making plans for the New Year - gardening, crafting, creating, following dreams ...

Seasons Greetings everyone

Wishing everyone a wonder filled Christmas time, may your days be joyful spending time with those you love and who love you. Leaving you with this lovely extract from the book 4000 Years of Christmas by Earl W.Count -

"Shall we liken Christmas to the web in a loom?
There are many weavers, who work into the pattern the experience
of their lives. When one generation goes, another comes to take up
the weft where it has been dropped. The pattern changes as the
mind changes, yet never begins quite anew. At first, we are not
sure that we discern the pattern, but at last we see that,
unknown to the weavers themselves, something has taken
shape before our eyes, and that they have made something
very beautiful, something which compels our understanding."

Well I couldn't not bring my love of fibre crafts into my Christmas message
now could I?

Merry Christmas all, however you celebrate the festive season.
On that note, there will be a brief interlude from updates on the blog ...

I like Christmas

A little song to share if you wish to hear just click on play or launch You Tube to play it. Alex brought this one to my attention and we really like the sentiment in this song about Christmas, about being with those you love. Very moving and a little funny in parts.

Christmas traditions and dressing up

Each year we have taken a picture of Imogen at Christmas time with a Snowman we have had for years, and then with another additional snowman a few years ago, and she loves to wear this hat too, so here we are for Christmas 2010.

Christmas 2010

And what better time to share with you the previous years ...

Christmas 2009

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2007

Christmas 2006

Christmas 2005

And a little dressing up in an outfit bought last Christmas but forgotten until this year - she wore this all day over her pyjamas and changed into fresh pj's for bedtime.

Santa girl outfit for dressing up

Decorating the home for Christmas

Thank you for all your lovely comments on the last post and the warm welcome back into blog-land. Many plans for my felting work in the New Year, yes including a shop somewhere online. I have lots of ideas of things to make but welcome any suggestions or even commissions of things to make for any time of the year.
Dawn x

Santa's workshop

We bought the tree on 11th December so sharing pictures now and other pictures of our Christmas decorations. Above is a foam kit I picked up for Imogen some time to build a Santa's workshop with elves, trees and a sleigh - we had great fun yesterday making this.

Imogen excited at the arrival of the tree

My angel topping the tree with our Angel

All decorated

We have these carol singers we bought many years ago that I love to get out each year, this year they are singing by candlelight.

Carol singers

Our beautiful Christmas carousel powered by the heat from candles, something else we have had for many many years, and a favourite of ours.

Christmas carousel

A Christmas tree tea light holder - I just love how the colours beam out on this. And some hand painted glasses my father made for me years ago on the Season corner with the King and Queen of Winter.

Christmas tree tea light holder

My tea light glasses painted by my Dad
and my King and Queen Winter

Our fireplace (although no fire there - blocked up) has my felt wreaths and a golden star dressing it and it looks lovely in the evenings. They lead the eye up lovely to the twinkling garlands above. I love to see the house decorated at this time of year, lots of twinkling lights and candles, magical.

Felt wreaths and golden star

Garlands, bunting and more

Here is a closer look at the felt garlands, without the golden lighting.

Felt wreaths

Solstice blessings to all and Merry Christmas for the coming days.

Back finally ... and what I've been up to

Well it was a little longer than expected being away from here, phone line was eventually restored after almost a week and then we found the broadband was still down for almost another week. It really focuses you on what you may need to get done online when you are restricted to using the local library computers. So minimal stuff done online, now catching up with lovely blogs, etc.

So what have I been up to. Felting projects for gifts for Christmas, for the season swap and for ourselves. Oh and I was asked about selling another King Winter so he was created and is hopefully at his destination now or nearly there.

So, for Christmas for the in-laws and my parents - the start of a nativity scene that I will build on over the years. For this year it is Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in the crib.

Nativity set for my in-laws

Nativity set for my parents

For the season swap I decided a while ago to create a felt Yule log, had so much fun making it that I made one for us too, and then another one for my Mom as I know she'll like it. So here they are - all similar but slightly different. Season swap one was sent early last week - I'm pretty sure my swapee doesn't read my blog, but if they see it, it's just a sneaky peek as solstice is upon us soon. My in-laws have received theirs which they loved.

Yule log for season swap

Yule logs for myself and my Mom

King Winter for our season corner, and Imogen wanted a Queen too so here she is.

Queen Winter, maybe the Snow Queen,

although Imogen wanted her to be red

Our King and Queen Winter

King Winter for Liz as mentioned above -

King Winter

Felted star hair bunches for Imogen who was a dancing star for the school nativity this week and beautiful she looked too, they all did.

Felted star bunches with gold thread
embroidered on the points
Imogen as a star for the nativity
with one of her friends

Another project almost finished (not saying what craft it is) for Alex for Christmas, but he reads my blog so can't share that just yet!

Lots more ideas spinning around my head to make for ourselves for the season corner, for Imogen who has mentioned some things and how lovely they would be felted, ideas from books recently borrowed from libraries and ideas to make and sell some things. Hope to share more of this in the New Year.

I'll share some pictures of our lovely decorated home next as I love to see it like this at Christmas, lots of bunting, candles and garlands. Magical. See you soon.

Short break ...

Phone line and internet down so will be away a few days, catch up with you all soon. Meanwhile more time for some felting projects and a little spinning maybe.

Have addresses to post off King Winter and the fairy, and have my GP season swap finished so will post that soon too. Hopefully back online soon.

Icicles and Winter fruits

loving the snow

Out wandering today and picking up some supplies for us and our neighbour, we found some lovely Winter fruits glowing in amongst the crisp white snow. A last gasp of Autumn colour, frozen in time plants and icicles from the houses.

Rosehips in the snow
Sloes in the snow

Frozen plant stems and icicles

Autumn or Winter?

Look at this icicle hanging from our porch, Imogen wanted to know how long it was as it looked like the biggest icicle ever ... and it was about 3 feet long (almost a metre) in length.

our BIG icicle

More snowy fun while out and more when we returned home.