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!!

 

Fear of Quilting

Sometimes we forget how scary it must be for people to sign up for the first time to one of our workshops.  They probably wonder about all kinds of things: will it be hard?  Will we laugh at how bad they are at sewing?  Should they know how to sew before they come?  Where are we?  Are we real? (-that always reminds me of the the people who advertised a Santa Wonderland and when visitors turned up they discovered a muddy farmyard with a grumpy santa sitting in an outhouse!) 

Over a period of about 3 years,  a lady called Jenny would e mail me every now and then expressing an interest in quilting, but she never actually booked to come on a workshop.  Then last year she said she was interested in the Beginner's course so I said, "Well then, come along".  She ummed and ahhed a bit and then wrote, " you say it's for beginners - but is it really for ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS or will everyone else know what they are doing?".

I assured her it was for beginners and so she signed up.  She only lives a few villages up the valley but still wasn't sure what she was embarking on and so when she reached East Garston, - she turned around and starting heading back home!  Then she said to herself "Pull yourself together Jenny!" and bravely turned back round and found her way to Lorne Hill Farm.

We are glad she did!!  Jenny finished the Beginner's New Sampler Quilt Class - for beginners, with beginners and with no previous experience needed(!) and is proud to show off the beautiful quilt she made:

Yes - those are a pair of camels top right (don't ask)

She had never sewn before and has good reason to be proud.
Jenny has now joined our Medallion Quilt class and over the next year will be making a stunning King Size Medallion Quilt.
And she knows she has nothing to be afraid of........

Meanwhile, I have started finishing things and am gradually ticking UFOs (unfinished objects) off my list.  I first saw this knitting bag when Sheila brought one that she had made and when I saw the pattern and kit at Malvern I bought it!  I can't remember which shop it's from, but it's called the Woolly Jumper Knitting Bag and is by Brenda Walker.  I love it! - and the kit was brilliant - they were really generous with the fabric so when I cut a bit wrong (of course) it wasn't the end of the world.  (I hate it when places are really tight with the fabrics in kits).

Front
(the stitchery above was from Il Etait Une Fois)

Back
( should have done the applique a bit higher up)

Wonder what Amanda Bond will think of it when she comes to take the knitting class on Saturday (knitted collar with cable: brilliant for beginners)?

Cross stitch

For Victoria's 21st Birthday we bought her a (proper) sewing machine.  Victoria has always done really brilliant cross stitch, many of which she designs herself.  I have lots of framed pictures she's made for me.  I was really pleased this evening when she sent me these photos - using her sewing machine she has made her latest two creations into cushions.  One is for my great niece born this summer, and the other is destination unknown.  I think they are lovely:

Sadly, her photography is about as good as mine - at least she doesn't have holes in the toes of her socks!

Happy 5th Anniversary to us!

Wow -it's our 5th anniversary this week - five years of running workshops here at Lorne Hill Farm - we can hardly believe it!  Sandra really couldn't get her head round it - five years of driving out here at least once a week and she's finally managed to get her car into 4th gear!!
As a mini celebration we had chocolate brownies at Pitch and Stitch (thanks aunt Bessie), and looking round it was great to see all the projects underway: Sandra was making felt hairbands, Dawn was working on the tapestry of her daughter's dog (she commissioned the pattern from the kneeler people), Jackie was working on her cat quilt, Jacqui was doing cross-stitch, Bev was working on her quilt, Heather was doing a house block to go in her caravan (she and her lovely family have come all the way from Suffolk to stay on the CL for half term - the children love looking at all the animals), Freya was working on her cushion with Sandra's help, and I was knitting.  All very, very busy - oh, and of course, chat, chat, chatting!

One table - I took an appalling picture of the other table - it looked like a Hallowe'en scene so won't get posted!

All very inspiring.

The children are home for half term this week and it's great to have them around.  George has gone busking with his melodean in Andover - it's his first time so I hope he has fun and it's not too cold.
Victoria and I had a great day yesterday: first we went to Swindon collect my repaired Singer from the two Tom Dillys - father and son - same name, same genius when it comes to sewing machines.  They were happy to put mine right, even the knee control which I thought they may have to change to a foot control.  Tom D the younger said that because it was a Centenary machine they did all they could to save it!  So pleased to have it back in working order - 62 years old and still great.
Then we went to Hobbycraft and bumped into Clare Kingslake - I was so pleased.  We always love having her out here to give classes but she's had a busy year so we haven't seen her for a while.  I was thrilled to hear that her beautiful book, Folk Quilt Applique, has sold more than 10,000 copies but not in the least bit surprised - it's a lovely book to have.  Look at her website www.clarespatterns.co.uk for inspiration.  I was also really happy that she'll be coming to do another class for us in the spring - she's made a beautiful satchel and Victoria said she'd love it so it appeals to young people too.
The we went to Burford and after getting some lovely new fabrics for the workshop at Cupcake cottons we had lunch in the old Bakery shop (chocolate eclairs too!) and then I took Victoria to the needlecraft shop - she thought she'd died and gone to heaven: everything a cross-stitcher could want and more!

November is here and I have decided to make lots of Christmas presents this year.  I was looking at all the lovely panels we have for Advent Calenders - we have a great selection which are included in the workshop price for the Advent Calender day on  24th November

These are so easy to make and can be used year after year - not all of them have pockets which have to be filled, some have numbers which you attach each day in the countdown to Christmas - loads of fun for little ones!