Better now

I can hardly believe that it's been nearly 3 weeks since I posted. This has partly been due to Christmas and its baking, wrapping, entertaining and socialising demands, but mainly because I have been unwell. I've been suffering from what Winston Churchill referred to as 'the old black dog', and it has sapped my desire to do anything but the essentials and even meant that I have not wanted to do the things I love. Still, after a visit to my GP and some medication, I am beginning to start to pick up the threads agin (literally and metaphorically!) and also feeling that there is hope ahead.

I had to force myself to finish my Christmas Lights quilt, as it was destined for DS's bed over the festive period. There is minimal quilting, and while I'm thinking about adding more once the decorations come down on twelfth night, I expect I'm kidding myself! I think it looks good as it is, and he's delighted with it, so that's all that matters.

More Christmas!

Another busy week and weekend. Yesterday I went to see DD in London, and caught up with a few of the cuddles I've been missing recently and lots of the news! We went to see a musical called 'Parade' which was at the Bridewell Theatre, which I can thoroughly recommend. The music, acting and costumes were all excellent, and the story was based on a true one about a young factory girl who was found murdered in 1913, and how the Jewish factory owner (the last person to be known to have spoken to her) was framed and then lynched for the crime. Not a bundle of laughs, but very thought-provoking.

I have been busy trying to get ready for Christmas too. My 'Christmas Lights' quilt is now a top.

The red border fabric looked perfect in the shop, it even has touches of gold in it, but now it's on, it looks quite orange. I'll quilt it with a dark red thread and see if I can make it look better.

I had an idea that I would make some Christmas wall-hangings as Christmas cards for parents and mum-in-law. This pattern is from an Art to Heart book called 'I Believe'.

Looks good, but it took me rather a long while, cutting out all the letters, arranging them, and sewing round them. I'm not sure I have the strength to make another, but we'll see.

Today we had a Santa Fun Run in Lutterworth. There were 700 people in Father Christmas costumes running round the town! Everyone who entered got a costume included in the entry fee, and they ranged from tots in pushchairs, families, teenagers, parents, grandparents, people in wheelchairs and even a couple of dogs!

My photos don't give much of an impression of how many people there were, as inevitably they were very strung out as time went on, although you can just see some runners (or walkers!) coming back up the other side of the road.

Some people had gone the whole hog and included special adaptations to their costumes.

Here are the last few on what looks like a whole family outing! What a great way to spend a wintry Sunday morning, keeping fit, having fun and raising money for charity. Almost makes me wish I'd taken part! Well, almost!

Design wall

I have wanted a design wall for ages, to save the crawling round on the floor and consequent threads and mess on the carpet situation. However, despite having bought a lovely piece of white flannelette from John Lewis last year, I didn't get any further. Now I have been moved into the study, there is a lovely blank wall behind the door, which prompted me to nip down to the DIY shop and buy a piece of scrap moulding (50p - bargain!) to hang the fabric from and get DH to knock a couple of nails in the wall to hang the whole thing on.

My design wall may not be fancy, but it certainly does the job. Here is my Christmas Lights mystery quilt revealed in all its glory hanging vertically. (Can you spot the block on the right which I'll have to unpick? There's always one which wriggles about as you're sewing it!)