Morris-mas at Wightwick manor

It has been some years since I stopped in at Wightwick Manor house & I convinced my visiting cousin to join me on another festive house visit, promising her that the festive decorations would be fabulous, and it was. We had visited Attingham Park's Myths & Legends display recently too ... 

The impressive half timbered Wightwick manor house was built by the Mander family just over 120 years ago. It is impressive as you approach with the detailed wood work & standing high on the upper terrace. The black & white façade is striking & imposing.  

The name of William Morris conjures up immediate images of his instantly recognisable designs. Wightwick manor near Wolverhampton showcases many of his amazing designs about the house even though he did not design for the house. 

All the wallpapers, curtains etc were ordered through his shop for the house & William Morris did not actually visit the home at all that showcased so much of his designs. 

 The house features many Pre Raphaelite drawings & paintings & highly collectable art dotted about the beautiful panelled rooms. 

The house was decked out in festive finery - fabulous trees that glistened & welcomed visitors in to the various parts of the home. 

Like many National Trust homes, it was decked out in beautiful trees, garlands, bouquets, & delights welcoming in every room. The house really comes to life with the glow of lights & the beautiful William Morris patterns decorations, many made by the fantastic volunteers. 

 

The De Morgan gallery on site showcases the designs & art of William De Morgan, the acclaimed ceramicist & artist as well as the work of his wife Evelyn De Morgan. Her sister Wilhelmina Stirling donated much of the ceramics & art  of the De Morgan's to the gallery at Wightwick.

The interview with Wilhelmina some decades ago showed a beautiful woman bedecked with jewels on her hands & multiple strands of pearls around her neck, speaking in a lovely clipped voice about her sister & brother in law. 

Much of the items in the gallery were donated by her. I think she would have been a fascinating person to be sat next to at dinner ...   

Some of the clipped topiary in the gardens feature the well known 1883 Strawberry Thief design of William Morris with a large fabric strawberry in the birds mouth. 

Talented volunteers had done banners for the garden with the initials WM & images of the strawberry thief in various positions & some of the patterns too. It is a familiar pattern that is more than 100 years old but still fresh & in demand. 

What a fabulous time in this gorgeous house & gardens, perfect return visit (my 5th) to lift the festive spirits. 

Do you not think that the huge wreath by the door is just so beautiful & welcoming?  I loved the pair of ball topiaries that had a white topping to look like a puddings, such a fun thing. 

Thank you for your visit, for liking, sharing or commenting. It is greatly appreciated. 

Dee 🎄🎁🕯️

#12 Circular Stitching - Sparkling frost finishes it off ...

 Thank you to all who have followed my Circular Stitching since January. 

The 11 previous ones are here with links .... 

The last one was Sparkling frost & I went a bit off piste & did not add enough sparkle which I will do this coming week with beads & silver threads. It can be done even though it is now bound. 

Paula has kept us all on track with the Facebook group offering support & encouragement. 

When I joined the challenge in January, I thought I would see how it goes because like many, it is not always easy to see something through to the end over a year. However, by releasing each project at the start of the month, you don't feel overwhelmed by it all. 

Because it was going to be a uniform 6x6 inch square with a 4inch circle on each, a back fabric with  a stiffener between the front & back layers then blanket stitched together, I cut all the parts plus a few extra & put them in their own plastic container.  I added the large roll of creamy white thread & needle for the blanket stitch edging & so each month, I just needed to get out the fabrics & I was ready to go. 

This preparation was essential for me because some months were busier than others & it helped to keep me on track. The completed ones were then kept in the same container. 

Some in the group embroidered the names on each one, I used the machine letters on my sewing machine & then glued them on the back. With hindsight, I should have done it on white fabric with dark lettering. 

When the last one was done, Paula shared how it was to be bound. 

The pages were going to be overstitched with blanket stitch, going through just the previous stitching, not the fabric. It was actually a really good way to do it & it is a neat construction. The idea is that the 12 pages forms 6 double pages in a star shape but it can be folded flat for storage. 

The final stitching was really quick to do in the same thread as the previous edging. I made a band to hold it together with a large button & some ribbon to wrap around the button. I am tempted to do a bag to drop it in to - I might still have time ... 

I feel I have accomplished what I set out to do & that is a good feeling of satisfaction. Some are better than others but I have stayed the course & that is important. 

My life long learning ethos embraces all things & this has been a great learning experience. Thank you for looking in on the process & leaving a comment. I hope you will be motivated to take up a challenge too in 2025.

Dee ❤️📍🧵🪡

Kinkeeping at Christmas ...

I learnt a new phrase recently Kinkeeping Kinkeeping 

Noun - [kin-kee-ping] 

The labour involved in maintaining and enhancing family ties. 

Kinkeeping is a term coined by sociologist Carolyn Rosenthal (McMaster University) back in 1985, stating that it’s primarily a female activity. Yet, over the past 20 years, nothing has changed: 91% of kinkeepers are still women.

Kinkeeping is a form of work that is devalued; it’s feminized and women are culturally expected to do more of this emotional labour. And yet it’s essential because it allows our families, communities and societies to run.

It is a phrase used to describe the unseen & often undervalued contribution women make to keeping traditions & observations alive in families.  The kinkeeper looks after both sides of the family doing cards & gifts, keeping track of birthdays, anniversaries, events, occasions etc. 

The festive season means trees to be decorated, sideboard to be changed, menus to be sorted for the shopping needs, gifts to be bought & wrapped, cards to be written & posted etc. It is a busy time ... 

My grandmother & mother were our kinkeepers - making, baking & doing so many things that it all just happened. My grandparents used to visit a jeweller in the centre of Johannesburg to buy the silver charms for the Christmas pudding which was then baked weeks in advance. There was a joyous anticipation of finding a silver charm. 

It is a role that is carried on with great love, trying to maintain old traditions that hold memories while creating new ones for a new generation - traditions evolve but there is a warm glow when some old ones are sill observed by another generation.

I baked at the knee of my Grandmother & Mother & it is a tradition I have tried to uphold with the next generation - the smell of baking & the special time together is one I value. 

This role passes unseen & without fanfare at some point in time; it is the glue & love that holds it all together. 

However, some are so organised that they take on some roles, not because you don’t want to do it, but because someone else has a talent & ability to do it well & that is how traditions pass on ... 

Kinkeeping, especially over holidays, can be tiring keeping on track of multiple lists of things & little wonder they feel rather frazzled at the end of it with the decorating, shopping, gift wrapping & giving, cooking & setting a beautiful table ...

The magic of Christmas is not in the things, it is in the people who make it special.  

Who is the kinkeeper in your family? What traditions are special that will be carried forward? Tell all & thank you for your visit, it is appreciated. 

Dee  📝🎶🎄🤷‍♀️

The advent candles are being lit ...

 I like to light the 4 Advent candles in the weeks up to Christmas - it is a gentle reminder, a nudge even, that time is moving on & the preparations need to be on track. 

The quiet times when they burn - first the one for HOPE, then LOVE, followed by JOY & finally PEACE is a time to just reflect on the year & on Advent. 

I lit the first two with the Advent ring just decorated with baubles because I had not got to bringing in some greenery. 

However, today, while on a trip to Wales I came across a fallen tree in the forest & it had the most gorgeous branches scattered on the ground. 

I always have a fold up bag in my crossbody bag, so we gently picked up a few pieces along with some beautiful lichen & moss & I popped them in my bag. The red bag & the silvery branches looked very festive. 

Is that not a bag of absolutely beautiful foliage? 

Once home I could not wait to add them to my Advent ring. I am trying to get a hyacinth bulb to flower in the green glass hyacinth vase. I put the branches on the ring then added the beautiful lichen / moss to the hyacinth vase & lit the candles in the order they have burnt - first HOPE which has burnt the longest, then LOVE & finally the third one for JOY. 

They will join the last candle next Sunday so they all burn down together on the last Sunday before Christmas. 

It is these little rituals we adopt that punctuate out lives & give us time to reflect on the year.  On the last Sunday I like to remember those not with us who passed just before Christmas (a beloved grandmother & an uncle) and my Mother who was a Christmas baby. They are always missed at special times, especially as my close family are not with me. 

May you have HOPE, LOVE & JOY this Advent Sunday, 

Dee 🌲🕯️❤️

A little Welsh trip ...

We live close to mid / north Wales & I try to visit it several times a year because the space just feeds the soul. I grew up with lots of space so I love the vastness of the space, the mountains & the scenery in Wales. 

Today, on a whim,  we decided to revisit Lake Vyrnwy. We stayed there 5 years ago for Ms M's big anniversary & it was lovely looking out over the Lake, then covid came & locked us down for ages & we realised we have not been that way in a while.

You can feel the openness, the need to put the windows down & take in the fresh air, the trees, the bleating sheep ... 

The walk along the river under the lake & look up at the stunning Victorian architecture is special - the Victorians could have built something ordinary to move the water from Wales to Liverpool but they built this stunning dam  with its road over the dam wall, the towers standing proud & across the lake, the most beautiful fairy tale turrets on a tower that is the utilitarian straining tower. 

The green copper roof & turrets is right out of a fairy tale & I love it, I loved it when I first set eyes on it more than 20 years ago. It is  just a magical space. 

Look at this previous blog post from 2014 for the background to the dam .. 

Amidst the busyness of December, it is good to step away from it all & just get back to nature. 

I had it in my mind that I still need to add greenery to my advent candle holder & while walking in the little forest with its towering trees, a fallen tree was surrounded by beautiful fallen bits of spur branches. The blue / silver branches caught my eye & I just knew they would be perfect. I always have a fold up bag in my crossbody bag & so I picked up a few fallen pieces along with a few bits of lichen / moss to do my holder. I have always been drawn to nature & so it is perfectly natural for me to be connected to natural foliage. 

I will show that in another post. Thank you for spending time with me, for leaving a comment or sharing the blog. It is very much appreciated. 

Dee 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🌲🕯️

Favourite festive china on the sideboard ....

 I have postponed changing the conservatory sideboard for a bit because I know that the festive favourites need to make an appearance. 

We use things off that all the time & having them out, means they are in easy reach & are enjoyed year after year. There is nothing new there, much of it was gifted to me & so it is something I enjoy using. 

This was some previous ones - 2018,  2019, 2021,  2022,  2023 with the house decorated. 

The classic Christmas Tree by Spode sets the tone because it is very well loved & used.  I added the nutcrackers a few years ago when we stopped at their factory & I couldn't resist them because of my Teutonic heritage. 

The Emma Bridgwater mince pie & robin plates, bowl & jug compliment the other items very well with the same colours. 

The little red Holly & Ivy side plates are by Portmeirion & are much used for cake or mince pies & they were a gift from Ms M, my sister in law when she visited the potteries with me. 

The red flower plates & little bowls are often used for (pancake) breakfasts - they are a pattern called Christmas Rose by Emma Bridgwater too. Their festive colours are perfect over this time & they happily go with everything else. 

A small similar Christmas tree mug with whiter glaze is a vintage one I found by Kaiser (W Germany) and it hold the red spoons & forks so they are handy on the side. Kaiser porcelain

I love that there are similar patterns across cultures & how this German pattern is so similar to our Spode one, we share so much …

I know I will suddenly find things that should be on there - I am already thinking of where the nutcrackers (ones for shelled nuts) are as I always buy nuts in their shells, a tradition from my childhood. 

It is relaxing to know you have favourites at hand & that they are nice to look at too, which is a bonus. I feel slightly more festive but it is always that season of bittersweet for those who will not be around my  table, particularly my Mother who was a Christmas baby .... 

Do tell how you are preparing for the festive season, I am always inspired by the stories others share. 

Dee 🎄🌲🥮

Myths & Legends amidst the Christmas trees ...

It is that time of the year when the National Trust decks their mansions out in the most delectable Christmas trees, a new theme every year. This is a major draw to the large  estates; legions of volunteers  make this happen after months of work & planning & it is rather special.  Our closest is Attingham Park. 

Last year the them at Attingham Park was 'All that glitters'  & glitter it did. 

In 2018 it was a 1940's house  theme which was very interesting. 

The theme for 2024 is Myths & Legends. I was not sure what to expect but they have once again surpassed themselves with so many beautiful trees across 20 rooms in the mansion & appropriate ones downstairs where the many servants, butlers, maids, gardeners, cooks etc would keep the great house running smoothly. 

The stables off the walled courtyard is always beautifully enticing, setting the scene for the visit. 

Explore the beautifully decorated Georgian Mansion, where over twenty rooms are home to dazzling Christmas trees inspired by ancient myths—from the gods of Greek and Roman legend to the timeless tales of Attingham’s own past.

Step inside the mansion & you are greeted with the upstairs glistening & opulent trees in the various rooms. The lights are dimmed to allow the full awe of the glowing trees & they certainly are impressive. 

The covered gallery with impressive art & the glass roof is a favourite space - this was set with music themed trees, several papier mache music symbols & scores used in several ways. The high space always makes it feel impressive & the jewel like colours draw you in ... 

The generous dining room was set for perhaps 24 guests with a table laden with greenery & it harks to a time when a dinner party would have been held regularly in this space with lively conversation & company. 

I think most of us would gladly don our glad rags to feast at this table. Don't you love the bottle tree? 

The leather book lined library / study is another space I envy - I could easily pass a lot of time in this room with a handy decanter of sherry ... 

The one set of trees was an opulent display of (artificial) blooms & the mantelpiece echoed this theme.

Time to head downstairs, where most of our relatives would have passed their time. 

These imaginative trees are a stark contrast to the lights & glistening ones above stairs - these speak of an honesty & simplicity that marked the time of the many servants who kept these mansions going for the Lords & their endless stream of well heeled visitors. 

Fish was often on the menu & it came from the river that runs through the estate of from the nearby River Severn. Poachers often snuck on to estates to fish for themselves. This table was set with what servants would eat - oranges, nuts, hearty cakes, wholesome fare ... 

Gardeners were essential to growing food for all year round consumption by the house & they were well regarded & had to dress up neatly because they would be visible to visitors arriving on the estate or when they 'took a turn' around the gardens ... 

Servants & below stairs people often lived on the estate, the cold attic rooms were the most obvious spaces. They shared rooms & the information boards tells us that they were well treated on the estate with decent mattrasses etc. Their uniforms provided so they could be smart. The kitchen was the heart of the home - it had to provide set meals throughout the day for the upstairs & when parties were held, multiple complicated courses were the norm. I am always in awe of the  skills of the cook & her small army of helpers. The tree there contained cookie cutters on ribbon, wooden zesters, little chefs hats etc. 

Back out in to the back courtyard which does not have as many glass houses as it once had. This space would have been a hive of activity with supplies arriving for the kitchens etc from the generous space. Visiting footmen, maids etc would have entered the house at this point .... 

The floors here are rougher stone or brick, none of the fine tiles & floors of upstairs. Much of the decoration is foliage cut from around the estate which gives it a homely feel. 

This tree in the shop off the entrance was beautiful with bright fabric garlands that I really liked & thought ... mmmm should I ? What do you think - is there time for a project? 

I hope you have enjoyed the visit with me, thank you for taking time to join me, it is much appreciated, 

Dee 🌲🎄