Christmas Preparations

In the lead up to Christmas, us crafters are very busy.

What a lot of fun we are having checking out lovely ideas on Pinterest and trying things out.

In between there are strange requests from my 6 year old nephew, for Robin Hood fingerless gauntlets.

Well its not so strange really. He knows I will have a go at any of his myriad creative ideas. I had to laugh when he let me know that he didn`t expect that it was something I could do on the evening he asked me. Just as well. It is a project that I am making up as I go along. No pictures as yet. 

Next weekend we are off to Leicester for a Christmassy few days of making, cooking and doing. Very excited.

It will be Advent on Sunday so lots of preparations for that .... presents to wrap, last minute bits and pieces to make and buy.

Our family advent celebrations began more than 40 years ago with count down calendars made with matchboxes ... a tiny present in each one.

This year my brother has revived the old tradition. The boys made their own with me, a couple of weeks ago. I think the boxes are being filled with bits of new Lego.

We`ve had a bit of a fairy theme going on with a sprinkling of snowmen.

And this is the start of my next elves.

Here is a palm-sized crochet elf I really enjoyed making.

And these are the snowmen.

I have loved making these sets.

They are quick and easy.

Its the tiny finishing touches I like the best.

Some felt Christmas trees.

 

This is a mistletoe cushion.

And I have been experimenting with home-made wreaths.

We are hoping to make these bases at the next village coffee morning. We will be collecting some holly and ivy and any other greenery, then people can add their own bits and pieces to make them more individual at home.

Plenty going on and plenty to plan for..

 

 

Black Dahlias and Basking Bunnies

It was a delightfully sunny day in Freshwinds Garden today.

The recent frost had turned the remaining dahlias black.

It was my priority to get them into the polytunnel.

Steve got on and cleared the last tomatoes, peppers and French marigolds and made space for the tubers.

The very last of the tomatoes and peppers were harvested.

It was hard work and as much as I could do to lift some of 
 the tubers

Massive craters were left behind.

 I found myself musing on where to put the sweetpeas next year but was also remembering planting the dahlia tubers earlier this year.

It is a good feeling to have them safely in the polytunnel but they still need covering indoors.

We even had time to weed at least half the raised bed and covered some with old carpet. But I did get cold in the shade.

Parsnips and leeks were weeded, carpet paths draped to dry off a bit and pernicious weeds taken to the bonfire area.

The rabbits were basking in the sunshine.

Anne came through after having varnished poles at the yurt areas.

Winter protection.

The dahlia stack of cut stems was huge.

It will rot down well after a while.

Steve also cut up some of the old willow trunks.

All in all a great morning`s work.

Mince Pies and Lemon Cake

Last Wednesday was a beautiful day for  finishing the fencing..

We began early and took our lunch.

The base of the next area was partially clear so the first two bits of fencing went in very quickly and in fact were done before our first teabreak.

We sat in the sunshine on the fairy yurt base and Rachel brought along the first mince pies of the year .... yummy .... to keep us going. 

I carried on coming along the bottom of the new fencing stapling chicken wire to the gravel boards, overlaying with old carpet and spreading the chipped bark. 

Near the polytunnel where we sit on good days for breaks, I began to lay some old paving slabs. This is because the chair legs often disappear down rabbit holes .... quite a shock with tea in your hand.

I didn`t sit still for long over lunch because the next area along the fence line needed nettles digging out.

Anne and I had tackled a lot of this in the morning.

The area is riddled with rabbit holes, some so big they must be badger homes.

The last piece of fence was in before 1.30 and we celebrated with Paula`s lemon cake.

She came along to lend a hand as well.

William has been a great help in this project  especially with hole digging. Thank you.

Many thanks too, to my nephew Toby, for the free fencing.

It looks amazing. Transforming.

Now there`s just the liitle job of matching the neatness of the newly fenced area with the compost area!!!! Long over-due.

 

Bit worried about what we may find hibernating here. 

This garden produces so much waste I`m not sure what number of compost heaps would ever match up. We`ve not got it right as yet.

That`s one of the big jobs off our rather extensive autumn list.

Hooray.

 

 

Scarecrow Party?

We have had some lovely November weather so far with most of the heavy rain coming at night.

This has been great for the fencing.

Here it is so far.

 Still to go.

But our last two visits have been to clear flowerbeds and prepare for the next lot of fencing.

I am so pleased to have cleared the flowerbeds at long last.

It is a rough cutting back as its really too wet to do much more.

I will leave that til spring.

 The path is clear as well.

Seeing as we have had the first frost, I thought it was time to cut back the dahlias.

I did two lots so there are still quite a few to go.

These will positively be the last bunch.

The polytunnel is not exactly clear as yet because tomatoes and peppers are still growing.

 But I just made enough space for the first tubers.

Lots more to come inside as yet.

So far I have rediscovered 8 of the 20 stone ladybirds.

 Janet`s lovely painted fairy is in for the winter.

Around her myriads of ipomea seedlings.

The toadstool population is popping up all over.

And finally I don`t know what the scarecrows have been up to but it looks like it might have been fun.

 

Fairies by the Fireside

On Saturday the weather was atrocious .... 

strong winds, torrential rain.

Anne reassured me that the new fencing was intact.

My first idea was to tidy my extensive bead collection.

It was a mess.

 

But first of all I lit the fire.

 

Then I spread the contents out all around me.

 I soon got way-laid.

I began piecing bits together for fairies.

 

I always start by choosing beads for the legs and arms.

It is fine work and needs good light.

Artificial flower petals are threaded on.

I got a bit involved and ended up making 22

 flower fairies.

The final jobs involved sewing the petals in place and adding wings.

Some will be for sale at the craft fair in the village on 

7th. December. 

And best of all I did go on to tidy the bead box.

It was a nice cosy way to spend a wet, miserable day.