Angie's Homemade Christmas - and Happy 2012

I was so busy sewing and patchworking before Christmas that I just never had the time to Blog - which is a shame because I love updating and showing you what I have made.  So just to finish off 2011 I will show you the end results of my hard work!  I ended up cross-stitching 7 stockings for "little people", and I even managed to sew a fun Christmas sampler in red variagated thread for us!

 I made a huge floor cushion for Dot my youngest daughter - it started off with a cross-stitch sampler "warm winter woollens" in the middle and then just grew and grew, and eventually I stuffed a 36" cushion in on Christmas Eve - was such a laugh!

I made a smaller dog cushion for Robbie, my son - only 26" - I used the pattern out of Lynette Anderson's book, adapted it a bit for the small amount of time available but it looked fabulous. 

Robbie and our Goldie "Ben" off for a walk.

I also made a cat lap quilt from the same book which was a HUGE hit.

Our 14 year old cat "Reg" decided that this was the best book in the house for him too!  I am also very excited to learn that Lynette Anderson will be visiting and teaching later this year at Cowslip Workshops - the wonderful patchwork haven run by Jo Colwill just outside Launceston in Cornwall - www.cowslipworkshops.co.uk - what a treat to look forward to. 

My biggest decision was what to make for Fran, my eldest daughter - she has very distinctive taste and I knew I had to come up with something out of the ordinary.  Suddenly a genius idea came to me - shoe bags!  Fran wears the most beautiful amazing shoes, and has many many pairs - well she is now the Fashion Editor of British Vogue (proud Mum boasting here!) - so she is allowed!  She was so thrilled - I made three bags, and will make her more.  They are fun to make and I know she will use them when she zooms off to all the Fashion shows in NY, Paris, Milan etc . -   just need to make about another 100!

Christmas was fun - much food, much wine, much laughter.  All good. And Santa came to Ward Cottage, I guess we must all have been really good!  Here he is with Dot and Robbie.

I hadn't seen Fran since her birthday in November, and it was her partner Angelo's birthday on Boxing Day so again I had to think of something unusual as a joint birthday present - and I discovered this great poster:  it is every word from the classic book "The Great Gatsby" printed in size 4 font, so just about readable!  I also gave them a copy of the book for easier reading, and the DVD.  I think it hit the mark!

Fran and Angelo on Christmas day with Ben watching Robbie eat the "Pigs in Blankets"!

The house is now quiet again, and I have started packing away the decorations for another year.  I always wonder what will have happened by the time the Santa's make their appearance again next December.

This past year has been extremely stressful for us, due to circumstances outside our control.  And 2012 will be difficult too - but we have our health and each other - and I luckily have much fabric waiting to be made into quilts so that should keep me occupied.  Life can be strange - I have always believed that everything happens for a reason, but I'm not so sure at the moment, the reason is beyond my grasp.
One of the things I enjoy most on New Years Day is opening up the new calendars.  My absolute favourite each year is the Susan Branch "Heart of the Home" calendar, and this year is no exception.  Her watercolour illustrations and the quotations contained within are so uplifting.

So here is to 2012 and what it will bring for us, and all my blogging friends across the world. 
Let's hope it will be a Happy New Year.