More Snow

Another white out this morning: this is what greeted me as I went to let out the chicken and geese

And this is what Jake looked like after waiting 2 minutes for me to feed him (he eats in the porch so Bo and Mattie don't take his food).

He looks like a wild wolf!

And again, I felt sorry for Jonathan out feeding the sheep:

However, it was pretty for me to look out on as I had my morning cup of tea!

 

 

I didn't really expect to see anyone at Pitch and Stitch yesterday morning, but was very pleased when three Garston Gals came up (one pulling her quilt on a sledge!)  We had cherry and almond biscuits and hot chocolate (which Monty, who had come up for straw, also enjoyed) and I finally managed to finish the neckerchief quilt!!

I made it for a lady in Australia (an aunt of a lady in the village) whose husband had passed away - and these were his neckerchiefs.  It was much trickier than I expected because besides being of different fabric (some very thin) the neckerchiefs were not perfect squares.  Then, because she chose a backing fabric of two inch squares, I ended up hand-quilting the whole thing in two inch squares (not intentionally - I meant to do 4 inch squares but went wrong and rather than unpick, ended up quilting it a lot more than I  wanted.  Still, it's done now and I hope she likes it - that's if it survives the delicate wash it's getting while I write - always a nail-biting moment when you take it out of the machine!



Snow Days

Friday morning dawned cold and snowing.  School closed at 11.00am and I was home by 12.30!  And an hour later Victoria and I were out on our sleds.  It snowed all day and on Saturday morning I did feel a bit sorry for Jonathan out in the cold feeding the sheep.

But then, as the day went on, all the village children (and parents) started arriving on the far side of the field with their sleds

 

At one point there were loads out there - but I didn't have my camera.  This morning was the East Garston toboggan championships and I went over for a look.  It was great fun and I walked all the way back through the snow.  Everywhere looked so beautiful.  Then Victoria and I went sledding out the back again.........and Mattie came too

wearing her bobbly winter booties!

 

Still struggling

Still struggling with this new computer - I almost feel like unplugging it and setting up the old one again.  And if I'm struggling........Jonathan's going mad!!

Talking of Jonathan, laugh of the week at Pitch and Stitch came when someone (the nicest person you could ever meet, who would never knowingly be mean about anyone) was telling a story and said, "we were having lunch in a lovely hotel in Marlborough when in came a tramp/farmer type".
"Excuse me?", I said.

Well Poor Sandra C was mortified.  We all thought it was hilarious.

Which gets me to the point of this post.  We have drawn up the Spring/summer schedule and have lots of lovely workshops lined up with some brilliant teachers.

Over the next few weeks we have the brilliant Medallion Class with Lynne Johnson which starts again on the last Wednesday of January, (a fantastic course which results in so many beautiful quilts being created) and then in February we are running the Teddy Bear workshop again.  It was so popular last year and Sandra liked it so much that she went home and made a whole family of bears!

They are so funny!

I'll put up the workshop list when I've worked out how to!!!!!

Ooops

How long has it been since I've left a post?
 The problem is, after 13 years we decided it was time to get a new computer; things were taking so long to do.  We took the plunge, bought a new computer - and it's sooo hard!!!  It's taking me ages to get used to it - it was at least 3 agonising weeks before I got Solitaire up, and then it was a re-vamped high tec version which I have to wear glasses to see!

Anyway, I'll see how I get on.

The lead up to Christmas was very busy, making elves, slippers, Scandinavian style hearts and chicken pin cushions, but It was all done in the end. Our last workshop of the year was wreath-making:

Then, as an idea for Christmas I got Mellodian man Alan to make me some bobbins (he's a wood-turner too) which I put ribbon round. 

I liked them so much that I'm ashamed to say I kept most of them for myself!

Then there's Elfie, who I made to sell at a Christmas Fayre.  As I was attaching her ears Jonathan said "you won't want to sell her, will you".  "Oh yes I will", I replied.  But that night I woke up and started imagining her unloved and thrown in a cupboard somewhere.  I took her to the Fayre and kept her under the table.  When I got home Jonathan called out from the sitting room "Have you brought Elfie back home?"
Elfie's home - but I can't get the picture up so you'll have to take my word for it!

Then we finally go our tree up 2 days before Christmas!

And I just have to show the Christmas Doves my friend Jacqui gave me - she gave me some last year too so now I have an exaltation of Doves!!

Today I made a start on our 2013 schedule - just have to hear back from the tutors that the dates suit them - we have some really good workshops including weekend ones - so quilters can come in their caravans and sew all weekend.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas

and

best wishes for the New Year!!