I have enjoyed my little unintended hiatus/sabbatical from the internet very much. I thought of taking Christmas week to read more and write some and that time was so enjoyable, it stretched out. I also stitched a bit and enjoyed making the most of our quiet Christmas time together.
So since last talking to you I did these things.
Ate a lot of cookies! This was definitely the Christmas of the cookies for us as friends and family dropped off an array of yummy treats.
Continued to enjoy this arrangement from the First Wife's family and so grateful they accepted me into the family ten years ago. They know I like to try to grow things so send plants instead of bouquets.
Tested my cross stitch skills with my little Be Nice pattern from The Heart's Content and found I can work well on this particular thread count-32 count evenweave. Discovered peaceful, calming feelings working on this in the living room early morning light. The best of slow stitching.
Did a deep clean of several storage containers and sewed together some of the green fabric scraps. They made a perfect little pin cushion and I added herringbone stitches in red DMC to mark this special event...what I hope will be our one and only pandemic Christmas.
Robbie really like his crocheted blanket! This is the season for working with wool and coincidentally Hobbii had a deep discount on a line of Tivoli yarn. I ordered a bag of the dark plum and I'm knitting a shawl using seed stitch...perfect project for night time t.v. viewing.
I also opened some great gifts which I will share soon. We are especially thankful that our family remain healthy, as do we.
I sincerely hope 2021 will be a healthy and happy one for all of you!
Linking this post with Kathy's Quilts and Quilting is More Fun Than Housework.
24 comments :
Good health and safety, not to be taken for granted now, love your plants, and that wool shade, deep and gorgeous. Stay safe and well, down here there is talk of a total lockdown if one case of the new variant is found in the community. My pantry is almost full but Tuesday will see me fill the trolley with things that I might usually pass by, in case. I have realised how difficult it was, to get a time slot for a delivery or a pick up, and for our friend to look for items he was not familiar with . There is ample fabric, I have a stitchery on the go but need more threads for buttonholing the applique, it is all in wool.Happy stitching as your daylight hours increase, here at 5.45, I need all the lights on.
It looks like you've had a really good time and I love that Scrooge!
nice to be on good terms with your husbands late wife's family - that is such pretty grouping of plants. Love the pincushion the stitching adds so much to it - stay healthy!!
I use seed stitch (or moss stitch as I grew up calling it) to make many a blanket and shawl.
That pin cushion is so cute.
God bless.
Beautiful plant, how nice to be on good terms with his late wife's family. Makes me have hope for humanity still. Great pincushion, love your little tree and scrooge. Glad you had some downtime, but I have missed your posts.
Looks and sounds like you had a relaxed Christmas break.
Glad that you enjoyed a little break and Christmas cookies as well. It looks like you have a number of projects to keep you busy on the cold, dark winter nights. We are doing well and staying put. No travel down south this year.
Pat
Happy New Year Jocelyn. Timeout can be so restorative....I did a little of the same. I think that is lovely to be on good terms with family. Makes life much more pleasant. The gift is great. Some very nice stitching and knitting happening too x
I was thinking about you yesterday! I'm glad you weren't absent because you were sick. So glad you enjoyed a good vacay from the internet!
Love your pincushion with those pretty fabrics and stitches.
Wow on the 32-count fabric for your cross stitch - I've not tried weave that small. Do you highlight different sections your pattern as you go along, is that what I'm seeing on your photo?
Happy New Year. I love the pretty little pin cushion you made and I enjoy reading your blog very much!
Happy New Year to you Jocelyn! Glad to hear that all is well with you and yours. That wool looks just divine, and I am especially tickled with your a Christmas pin cushion, it really evokes the season, and that little cardinal with the red feather stitch is perfect with the green.
Happy new year. Those cookies look good. What a cool "bouquet"!
Good for you! We've been on the TV for ages. We are doing our best. After the turkey disaster...
It sounds as if you enjoyed the perfect festive season, how wonderful. Those Christmas cookies look delicious and I must say I am rather taken with your Scrooge. You have enjoyed some lovely stitching. Sweet cross stitch and the little pin cushion is darling, with a spot of knitting thrown in for good measure. Love the colour of the yarn for your shawl. How fabulous your husband's first wife's family love you and consider you part of their family. May this new year be a wonderful one for you and your Tony.
So glad you had a lovely and relaxing Christmas, Jocelyn! Your photos around the house of cookies, lights, decorations and plants are so appealing. What an adorable pincushion! And the beautiful purple yarn, too - that looks like it will give you many enjoyable hours.
The yarn you are using is such a lovely color, and your cross stitch is coming along nicely.
I don't care for fresh flower arrangements, they go bad too soon! I have a bouquet of lavender I picked last spring, hung upside down to dry with rubber band around them so they do not fall out as they dry. They are now in a tall vase next to me and make me happy remembering summer and their lovely scent. Straight and tall, and not needing care other than dusting.
Goodness, you did have busy Christmas! ;-)
Happy and healthy 2021!
xx
Love your Pandemic Pincushion. I finished a wall hanging in the middle of last year and wrote about the pandemic on the label. When it is finally over.... I thought I would add some of the final statistics. Will make for chilling reading in years to come. Keep safe, keep warm, and I know you will keep stitching.
Sounds like you had a wonderful little break. Happy wishes for a better year to come - for all of us.
Jocelyn - sometimes I feel that I would like to take a break from the computer, but I feel an obligation to the linky party ... Looks like you made good use of your free time!
And a happy new year from Germany, too! I was beggining to worry about your health, all the more relieved you are all well and have enjoyed a little holiday! Things are not much better here regarding Covid and we are currently going through a sequence of winter storms with a little snow, wind and thunder here in the north, so I will be glad to get back to my sewing machine. Wish you all the best for 2021 and keep well. Look forward to your projects developing and a review of your pressies.
Regards
Andrea L.
Happy New Year! I adore that pincushion - what did you stuff it with? I think I need to make one🙂! I used to do cross stitch and knit, but not for many years now - too much in love with quilting! - but your projects are lovely.
You have had a relaxing holiday season and made the best op it. Same here, lot of stitches, baking, reading and making walks. Wish you a very good and healthy year that will hopefully end better than 20 did.
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