These are a few of my favourite festive things ...

I love the warmth  of the festive colours at home - the rich golds, reds & greens are reminiscent of the colours of nature. It is welcome colour in our midwinter. 

I shared some views of the touches of tartan in the bedrooms & on the large conservatory table.  It is cosy to wrap yourself in soft warmth as the weather cools here. 

The festive touches stay up from around the start of Advent to Twelfth Night when they are all down & packed away again. I like having the days of Twelfth Night between Christmas & Epiphany to enjoy them without the faster pace of Christmas. 

Having the family home for the festive season meant that the various parts of the house were used even though we did not breakfast in the conservatory because I did not put on the heater in good time in there so it was rather chilly. The table was used the night before & has had a brighter table cloth change from the tartan cloth. 

However, the things were used off the sideboard - the cheeseboard & the little plates came through, the little hands used the small Christmas Rose bowls for their baking sprinkles & so it carried on. That is why I love having it all at hand. 

The sideboard has once again been a mixture of old & new, of various festive patterns - Spode's Christmas tree, Portmeirion Pumpernickel Strawberry Thief , Emma Bridgewater Joy etc plates & bowls, Spode's nutcracker men, vintage cranberry glasses & decanter as well as modern & vintage red forks, knives & spoons that somehow all go together even though they are decades apart. 

Much of the contents have been generously gifted by friends over the years & the common colours bring it all together in an eclectic collection that is used & enjoyed, it is not merely decorative. 

My tiny beaded ornaments from my friend & neighbour nestle in the dining room on the console table - they are delicate but beautiful to look at. 

The Christmas tree & the fireplace garland twinkle in the low light & it is cosy.  I'm not even sure that it was all noticed individually but collectively, it makes everything seem cosy in winter. 

I was not sure how many cards would drop through the letter box & if it would fill the card line, but it has & each one is a thoughtful reminder of that personal touch. 

Winter cyclamen have provided a welcome pop of colour - a pot in the conservatory has red / pink ones surrounded by uncooperative hyacinth bulbs in cream & pink that have not even poked their flowering heads up yet. 

The cyclamen on the kitchen window are doing well, perhaps they are just warmer but they will provide colour for weeks. The gifted  Christmas candle scents the house so delicately. 

I will slowly start changing over things on the weekend so it will be packed by the night of the 5th of January, but for now, I am still enjoying it. 

Do you have a tradition to keep it up & take it down. Tell all, & thank  you for stopping by. 

Dee ☕️🕯

The last Sunday of Advent brings PEACE

 … and just like that, the fourth candle is lit on the Advent ring, all four candles burning together & a reminder that there is little time to Christmas. 

The four candles are for:

                      HOPE, LOVE, JOY, PEACE

I have a central candle to burn on Christmas morning with our breakfast when we are together.

These candles have provided quiet, reflective moments each week, the passing of time reminds one of the empty chairs & thankfulness for those with us. 

 Have a blessed last Sunday of Advent. 

I hope you find some quiet, peaceful time amidst your day.

Thank you for stopping by, reading, commenting or sharing. It is appreciated 

Dee 🎄🕯️⛪️

The glistening beaded ornaments are up ...

Hand beading is a traditional skill in Southern Africa, unique items that are not mass made in a factory across the world is always something to be admired. 

I have shared my hand beaded wire & bead proteas that I have at home. 

I first saw the beaded proteas in a magazine then later visited a market with my late Dad & we chose these together for my home in England. 

Almost 2 decades ago, a friend was selling some of the hand beaded ornaments from Natal in her shop in Shropshire & I bought some. 

My parents added to the collection,  & each time we have been back, we have bought some additional ones. They are a link to my heritage. 

This past week, the little tree that usually goes in the conservatory was repurposed on the dining room sideboard. 

It looks right with the small beaded ornaments & I pass it several times a day so enjoy looking at it. 

I  put the beaded ornaments on there, along side the random deer who come out over the festive season. 

The  deer are mainly supermarket ones - Sainsbury's - some years back & they are really sweet. 

The little tree with its beaded ornaments is unique; it is personal & it is very much enjoyed. 

I hope your festive planning is going well too. Thank you for stopping by & spending time here. 

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 🎄🌲🥮

Sew this is Christmas (trees)

It has been a few years since I managed to fit in the beautiful trees at the National Trust property near us.  One of their previous years they did the 1940's mansion 

This year the theme was All that Glitters / what is precious to you 

This maids room would have had a tiny bed, which according to the info board, would have been up in the day & only made up  (late) at night. The tree was creatively done with handsewn items relating to this. TIME was the most precious thing when you worked as a servant, the moments you could snatch to breathe without demands, the precious time you could get to your family .... 

Simple felt items & ribbons give this a pleasing simplicity 

The butlers / housekeepers space would have been a hive of activity with hand machines repairing items. Familiar things on the table like the darning mushrooms, a well stocked sewing box & threads ... 

Green & whites are always elegant together but as you get closer, you see they are made from sewing related items ... 

I love sewing & making things by hand & there was a section in the "under the stairs" part of the house (servants) with a tree dedicated to various sewing things. The ladies maid / dresser / maids would have had to turn their hands to most things, including sewing, mending & making outfits. 

The other downstairs room where they would have had their meals & time to do some hobbies at the table - knitting, sewing, music, reading, painting ... 

I love the garland by the mirror with little outfits hanging on it, so sweet 

Doilies, clothes & crochet items imaginatively displayed, some in embroidery hoops, others with ribbons sewn on ... 

Beautifully made items for this tree ... 

This is some of the tree decorations about the house that took my fancy. The legion of volunteers spend months on the planning about the mansion, a theme decided in January already then everyone sets to work on the various things. It is a wonderful place to visit each year as it gets one in the Christmas spirit .... 

The upstairs trees were very grand - all gold, sparkly & opulent; they were meant to be impressive, to make guests feel that they had arrived somewhere special. A great contrast between upstairs & downstairs ... 

Thank you for stopping by & spending some of your time here. I hope you have enjoyed this visit with me, your visits are always appreciated. 

Dee 🌲🪡🧵🎄

A nod to Scandinavian decorations ….

Is anyone else doing some sewing ahead of putting up decorations? I did quite a lot of handsewn decorations last year.  I saw this in one of my many books & it reminded me of making them decades ago. You need two fabrics ... 

I did  similar little woven hearts were with my Mother & Grandmother as a child but they were with paper which was probably easier as it was firmer. I came across the pattern in one of my many sewing books & decided they would look rather sweet as a decoration this year.

The little template is an easy shape with 2 cuts making 3 parts. You need two of these for each heart as they are woven together to make a heart shape.

I was out of practice & had to pull them apart a few times & redo them.

Once they were woven, I attached them to plain felt shaped hearts, then using my favourite blanket stitch all around the edge. A length of white cord was stitched in to the top so they can be used as a decoration.

I might make some others, perhaps using a stiffer fabric.  I might even do several different colours & make them to pop in to Christmas cards as a gift. 

What are your festive decorations looking like? Tell all & inspire us ... 

Thanks for stopping by, do comment & share please

Dee 🧵🪡

The sideboard needs festive bunting ....

As soon as it is November, thoughts turn to the exevitable march of time & the festive season. Last year I made some felt decorations that the little ones can put on the tree & carry about safely. Friends asked for some too so I did adult ones with beads, ribbons & bells to pop in to Christmas cards & they were well received.

I made some little bunting for my sideboard for the coronation of King Charles & I loved the little fabric flags on the shelves. 

I thought I might do something similar for the festive sideboard. We always use the plates, bowls, mugs, dishes etc off the shelves over the festive season so it has to  be practical yet stylish because we will be looking at it for several weeks. 

I love hand sewing as all the regulars know - the calming rhythm of the needle & thread is something I have always done. It does not need to be perfect (it isn't) but it needs to be something that sparks your imagination & is special .... 

I had a vague idea that I wanted them to be little images that are made up of fabric & stitches, lightly padded & all different, yet in a similar colour palette. 

I sketched some ideas on a paper, found my container of Xmas Fabrics & started to work.  The first one was slow but then the last three were all cut, hand stitched with various embroidery threads from my collection then the edges were hand sewn with my favourite blanket stitch. I left a little part open while doing the edges so I could lightly pad them before finishing. Completed in one afternoon, finishing the stitching just as the light faded.

I know that in the morning light I will be tempted to add beads, little bells or such embellishments to them still but that makes them personal to me. 

They are the first of them as I now have several ideas still in my head.  I am fortunate that I can leave the things on the conservatory table for some days to work on which helps as I can work on them between other things. Will you be making anything for the festive season? Tell all ... 

Thank you for stopping by, please share so I can hopefully grow my blog a bit more ... 

Dee 🧵🪡

The Holly & the Ivy - bringing the greenery in ....

 It is time for me to take my garden clippers & head off to the local hedgerows to cut some holly & ivy to bring in to the house as a traditional greening or to  'deck with halls with boughs of holly ... '

We have had a wreath on our front door since the first Sunday of Advent but I love to go one step further & bring in some fresh greenery in the last week before Christmas. 

I have brought out the portmeirion candlestick & dishes with the traditional images ... 

This custom has pagan origins and the familiar carol is well known & it is common to see it on cards & decorations at this time of the year.  I picked some fresh holly branches at my friend today ... 

Holly & ivy are evergreens so they remind us of the coming Spring, the return of the light after a dark winter period. The prickly holly leaves & blood red berries are sometimes associated with the crown of Christ & the blood shed. 

Mistletoe is also closely associated with it, sprigs are still hung under which you can kiss. This was used by Druids in time past as a symbol of joy & peace.  Enemies had to form a truce if they met in woodlands under which mistletoe grew ... 

I love lighting a candle in this candle stick that is the classic holly & ivy,  I have brought in fresh holly & ivy as is traditional. It is good to observe small rituals associated with this time of the year. 

Thank you for your time; each visit is appreciated, 

Dee ~💕~