The "Jolly" Season

"Tis the season to be jolly".....well so the Christmas Carol tells us but it is far from jolly for so many people especially during this festive season and for so many different reasons. Sometimes I share threads of a personal nature on this blog but not always as it is not really appropriate. So this post is dedicated to those of you who might be feeling very "unjolly" as Christmas approaches.............

 This past year has been heart breaking and difficult at times as one of our own struggles personally. We thought it so very brave when they recently declared it publicly on facebook with these words......."Mental illness is a bitch. It can drain every gleam of light from you, and turn you into someone you never imagined you could be. Sorry to anyone I have neglected or disappointed this past year. I promise to use the next one to become the best mum and human being I can" As a society we are told we should be talking about it as it is a community responsibility but how helpless one feels when resources are over stretched and under funded. This article HERE is alarming and it is now thought that intentional self harm is currently the 13th cause of death in the world. Here in Australia over 8 people a day took their own lives just last year.....how can that be that 56 people a week succumb to this tragedy just in our country? We've even found ourselves asking how we can help and these past few days we found we needed some valuable 'time out' to think it all through. It did mean cancelling several social events including a special day today where two friends were taking me out for a mystery lunch date for my birthday.....but we are so grateful to those special friends for giving us this much needed space. So yesterday we turned off our mobile phones and hopped on a train destined for the city. We strolled for over two hours just watching and breathing in this 'jolly' season. The main shopping mall was dressed in trees and we might go back one night to see the lights.........

 A pop up display of local art work included hand printed paper and a large box covered in tiny folded stars made of recycled street directories........

 Amazing to see thriving gingko trees along one city footpath and an owl hidden in a hanging plant wall.......

 A link to our heritage hangs above.........

It was a dull and drizzly day and the skies didn't turn blue until travelling home late in the day. Not so sure how this tree will survive in this suspended box........

 We also popped into the Art Gallery to see the recently Refurbished Elder Wing to find one wall covered in William Morris wallpaper. There were no other pieces of the Morris collection to be seen but just the link to the past in the explanation........

 Downstairs in the Morris room the Adoration tapestry (that is on loan for the current National Gallery's "Love & Desire" exhibition), has been replaced with some May Morris designed embroideries.........

 The littlest people have been "jolly" and it was a delight to see little Maisie dancing in her very first concert........

 During the week little Wade enjoyed the Peter Rabbit activity runner......

And how I wish this photo hadn't blurred........a very special connection with his Poppa. I asked him to kiss Poppa so he puckered up without the blurring!.......

 So our family wish you and yours a much loved week leading up to 'jolly' Christmas. I will finish with this lovely image sent to me by Patricia of her beautiful "My Renaissance" quilt........I adore her version with the light background.....just beautiful - thankyou Patricia x

Being idle?

I sometimes wish I could find more time to be 'idle' but perhaps that is the wrong word as my old Oxford dictionary says it means to be 'lazy, useless, unoccupied, purposeless and even vain'! Perhaps we just need to escape from the hectic pace of pre-Christmas where the shops are overflowing and people seem stressed and impatient. My happy place is stitching and how perfect it was last weekend when I turned the page of my desktop 'happines is' calendar........

So I decided to create even more cotton rope bowls/baskets for market day (that is in just two sleeps), but this time I added more colour. I also ordered some new business cards last week so made a small bowl for them too..........

During previous weeks I'd been thinking about other things I could stitch for market and I'd jotted down some notes that included scarves with pom poms. It was while were in the Barossa that I purchased the very same style I'd been contemplating - this one made from a Liberty print.........

 It was so serendipitous to see them at Jo's little shop - they are such a lovely accessory so I managed to find some lovely soft Japanese lawn and also some rayon so I have a few ready to add to my market table......

Now that December is upon us I decided it was time to make the house match the season. I have such great memories of some of the decorations with some being almost 100 years old (from my late mother), and some from family or special friends and even places that we have visited from afar..........

 I've had this nativity scene with the little stable since I was a small child so it would have to be at least 60 years old..........

 The Advent calendar was a special gift from Nydia and Ken of Thorngrove Manor and depicts the William Morris Adoration tapestry and each day reveals a snippet of information about the tapestry........

I love that Morris said this tapestry was "The most important piece I have yet done"......

 So we have definitely not been idle.....just craving some 'down time' I suspect. As I type these final words I have company sitting beside me - the high chair is just the right height so he can explore my threads! Christmas will certainly be extra special this year with the three littlest people in our lives x