AN EMOTIONAL AND BUSY WEEK . . .

So, December has arrived and the countdown is on! 

Having spent the last three Christmas's away in Florida and therefore being organised with present shopping, writing cards and running down the larder before going, I find myself at completely the opposite and quite behind so this coming weekend is full steam ahead. . . DH and I will be hitting the shops, the address book will be out and Mr.Turkey will be taking up residence in the freezer for the next couple of weeks!

Last weekend was a very special one for us ~ my twin boys decided a little while ago that they would like to be baptised at their regular church and dedicate their faith to God.  All my children were christened at 6 months but this is something an individual chooses for themselves and they have been preparing for it for the past few weeks with many meetings of reading, talking and listening. The church was crowded with nearly 200 people listening to their testimonies which were very moving and extremely emotional for me!  I am very proud of my sons (am I allowed to say that?) they are very much loved by their church friends and I know this commitment will be with them always through both the good and bad times, helping them to make the right decisions in their lives xxx

I expect you know the saying 'square eyes'?  

Oxford dictionary definition:

'square eyes' ~ noun ~ eyes supposedly affected by excessive television viewing

Well, I've just invented a new one:

'triangle eyes' ~ noun ~ eyes supposedly affected by excessive triangles to  make Christmas bunting!

72 individually cut triangles = 36 stitched double-sided triangles = 3 x 3 yards of bunting!

But there's a good reason for my now sudden urge to eat lots of Toblerone!

Each year my DH's company chooses a charity to support for 12 months and lots of fund-raising events take place to raise, obviously, money but also awareness of the need of continual support for these important organisations.

This year's was RMHC  . . .

Ronald McDonald House Charities is an independent Charity which aims to provide free 'home away from home' accommodation at hospitals across the UK, enabling families to stay close to their sick child and maintain a degree of normal family life.

Many families travel far from home and spend several weeks or months to get treatment for their seriously ill or injured children ~ a long time to be away or to divide a family.  And, for children facing a serious medical crisis, nothing seems scarier than not having mum and dad close by for love and support.

Ronald McDonald Houses are built on the simple idea that nothing else should matter when a family is focused on the health of their child ~ not where they can afford to stay, where they will get their next meal or where they will lay their heads at night to rest.

They believe that when a child is hospitalized the love and support of family is as powerful as the strongest medicine prescribed.

Their houses are more than a place to stay ~ they offer comfort, support, a safe environment where families can interact, share their experiences and know that they will always have a shoulder to cry on.

This year a new house was built in Camberwell and the main target was to furnish and decorate the house to look like a home especially at Christmas!  This week, DH's company have had the privilege of decorating the house with Christmas trees, decorations and providing gifts for the families.

I hope a little bunting will help bring some warmth and comfort and those people affected will find the strength they need to help them through.

I've added a link below if you want to take a look or feel you can help ~ they are selling a cute hand drawn Christmas card of a robin, maybe you're like me and still behind on shopping!

http://www.rmhc.org.uk/

I managed to sort those pesky cute little snowmen out too ~ my fingers still haven't forgiven me for that horrible plastic canvas!

I kept it simple and just sewed them down a piece of blue ribbon

attached that to a small wire hanger

made some little blue felt hearts with a wooden button

added some white snowflake buttons

and 3 small bells at the bottom

And that's me done for now ~ quite a busy and emotional week.  Wish me luck tomorrow at the shops ~ I may be gone sometime!!!

Thanks for stopping by

HAPPY STITCHING

xxx

IS IT TOO EARLY?

Can I mention the word 'Snowman' before December?

Our forecast snow last week never arrived, just more rain, so no building snowmen just yet ~ only with stitches!

When I look back at my labels in my sidebar I'm horrified to see I showed this trio back in 2010 and even then I had first started them 2 years previous, all I had left to do was the white crosses for the falling snow ~ I'm surprised they hadn't melted!

What can you do with a small circular stitch other turn it into a card?

I wasn't too keen on doing that so with the help of a small jar of Colman's Mustard I cut some circles into felt, added some stitched snowflakes and then warmed them up with a surrounding blanket stitch, it is still a pillow, although only lightly stuffed, but I'm happy with it :)

I don't feel quite as guilty with the next quartet as the first one of them was stitched and shown in a post back in January . . .

These snowmen are from an ornament kit called Cocoa Snowmen and are stitched on plastic canvas and should be a set of 6!  I say 'should' but oh dear I struggled with these ~ the more I went on the more my fingers got sorer and sorer from pushing the needle through the thickness of the plastic and I literally had tears in my eyes finishing the last one so decided 4 was enough.  I tried and tried to add french knots for the smiles on their faces but how do you do a french knot through 14ct plastic canvas?

  Thank goodness for Mill Hill beads!

I haven't decided quite what to do with them, my fingers haven't forgiven me yet, but maybe next post will be a Happy Dance for them.

One things it is never too early for . . .

and that's watching the sun rise over the sea.

We had a lovely weekend away in Bournemouth, very emotional after not seeing my DD for 3 months but lovely to all be a family again and spend time together.  This was the view from the balcony of our hotel room and although the weather was really really chilly it was so beautiful and peaceful ~ I really didn't want to come home!

But of course I had to and when there's a package waiting at the door addressed to Jane, Tilly and Oscar,  it's time to cheer up because I know there's going to be something very nice inside . . .

Dear Barb, one of my bestest, bestest blogging friends had sent me a belated birthday present, I tell her she's a naughty Barb but how can you tell someone off when they send the very thing you go weak at the knees at?

Cute overload ~ a gorgeous little bunny in summer dungarees and a reel of bunny ribbon ~ big smiles this end!  I love them and both are making their way to my 'Barb Shelf' as we speak, Oh you should see the goodies it now has on it and they all mean so much ~ thank you again Barb xxx

(I've sent you an email, hope you got it your end!)

Well that's me done for now.  I've read on several friends posts that they have completed their Christmas shopping and are set to go ~ I seriously need to get my butt into action ~ I've done nothing and Santa is patiently waiting for the required list!

Thanks for stopping by

HAPPY STITCHING

xxx