Its gone colder!

A sort of teletubby gingerbread man?

This was just a photo through a shop window, but the effect is weird with the reflection above the smile.  I don't suppose I could have designed this shot if I had been trying.  I love gingerbread and its great with a cup of tea so with the weather getting colder I think of goodies to eat by the fireside.

I have started to feel a bit more like I want the festive season to happen now.  I must admit it takes me until the last week before to really start to get in the mood. Tomorrow I am going hunting in the countryside for greenery to put up in the house; a ritual I do every year.  I take a rucksack and some sharp scissors and off I go with Bella to see what looks like it would make a good decoration. I usually target holly, ivy and fir trees.  Sometimes there are berries on the holly but this year I think the birds have eaten them all.  I hope to put up the tree tomorrow too but I'm not sure if I will have time to decorate it as well, we'll see.

Disney cake anyone?

Brysons's bakery window in Keswick

Well you might think that living in a small town like this (5000 inhabitants) would produce dull shop windows but not at this time of year. Bryson's always put on a superb show.  This year they feature this wonderful shimmering ice cake.  But they also have other tempting goodies in the window which I might show you later in this advent challenge.  I am quite pleased with myself because so far I have managed a blog posting every day and its the 15th so more than half way there, phew!

I have nearly finished designing the Christmas cards today, so I had better crack on.

Keswick shop window

Union Jack Crinoline

This is a fabulous dress!  Every time I passed Textures I meant to photograph it but only today did I remember to pack the camera.  Keswick does have some lovely window displays at this time of year as it is a major holiday destination so they really try hard to put on an impressive delight for all the tourists.

Its really a shop selling curtain fabric not dress making stuff so I am not sure what they have made the dress in.  I need to go in there next week for some supplies so with any luck I will ask if I can have a closer view. If a pattern was used I will try and find out which one it was.

Tonight I am baking something for our Quilters get together tomorrow and if all goes well I will give you the recipe tomorrow but you will have to wait and see as this is entirely dependent on a good result........

A weekend in Glasgow

Reflections in Glasgow shop window

Last weekend we went to Glasgow to visit old friends. Whilst their, I did a little shopping or rather lots of window shopping....This one fascinated me and I had difficulty taking a shot because of the reflection but the whole shop walls were lined with ranks of old sewing machines. I went inside and could not believe it, there were hundreds of them on every single wall. Instead of taking an interest in the extremely trendy clothes I found myself mooching around looking at the different makes of machines and wondering why I did not see any Singers. Not surprising I thought as most of these must have been manufactured abroad and so did not hold their value hence their decorative use in the shop. The shop was on Buchanan Street but I had never heard of the name before and now can't remember it, my friend could tell me but she is in France at the mo.

Meanwhile, I am nursing a stinking head cold, I have had it about 4 days now and its time it left me...........

Day 7 Advent Challenge late again ;-)

I thought you might like to see the effort some people make in my home town to decorate the shop windows. For instance someone posted a gingerbread house on one of the advent blogs the other day (can't remember who) but anyway it made me realise that there is an art to this gingerbread stuff, so feast your eyes on this....

A whole trainload of gingerbread, wow that must have taken ages to make, it even has two trucks loaded with goodies......mouth watering..  This is the famous window of Bryson's bakers in the Main Street Keswick and they are always up for a challenge at Christmas. Last year's was very sparkly with a white Disney effect castle and other stuff, but this is better.



By the way Derwentwater is frozen over again, and we went down for a closer look and it is white with snow and ice and completely covered.  The ice is too thin at the moment to walk on like last year but I did venture out a little way for a photo and maybe I will show you it tomorrow....I don't think you will forgive me if all I ever show is photo's of ice and snow...... Anyway the other news was disappointing but inevitable I suppose given the freezing conditions (tonight it's going to be - 11C) as the Cumbria Patchworkers party tomorrow has been postponed because there are 20 of us quilters and some of us live in very remote areas of Cumbria with frozen solid back roads so its off until January now. Never mind we will have Christmas all over again when everyone else is sick of it.....

Speaking of sick of it this was the visitor to one of my bird tables today, not what I wanted of course...

I want an Advent robin as you know and one did fleetingly and tantalisingly land on the bird table for a couple of seconds, so I grabbed the ever ready camera and it flew off..........annoying bird. But there are still many days and blog posts to go yet and I am determined. DH has been reading this stuff and his comments were "I don't have to make a meal of it", a photo and a few words would do, says he. So tonight as it's a bit late I will take his advice.

Yorkshire

I was in Yorkshire last week for a few days celebrating my DH's birthday and I found this very olde worldy Butcher's shop, I hope you are not offended by the contents, I found it all reminded me of my childhood when more butchers had decorations and streamers in the windows.  I for one loved the array of chickens along the front and they were quite delightful.  Of course this is Yorkshire Moors country and this town was Pickering, well known for its picturesque beauty, I only had time for one shot as he whisked me up to the church so he could see the local effigy of a knight inside.

Since our return from this mini holiday, I have been busy making bits and bobs this week but have not finished them all so no more photographs at this stage, but I will be showing you all what I have made soon.

Meanwhile, I just want to remind all Keswick EG members who are coming to the meeting to make bags on the 19th to bring along sewing kits and some or all of the following depending on what you intend to do.

suitable material for the outside of the bag  (tweed, upholstery fabric, strong cotton etc)
lining material for the inside
zip for a pocket approx 7"    optional
Vilene for stiffening  different weights might be handy as bag bottoms need to be strong
Quilt wadding for softening the look of the bag
Glue (Copydex is good)
Bits and pieces for embellishment
Fastening systems
Strongish cord or webbing for handles
D rings for fastening to the sides  or curtain rings etc
Sewing machine
Extension cable or 4 gang socket
This is just to give you an idea and is by no means compulsory, it is your day to make a bag of your choosing and you may have a pattern which you want to share too.

Sally will bring along examples of the bags she has made and these will no doubt inspire you, Lesley is bringing something and Val will be bringing her 'carpet bag' made from the free material I gave out last year. I have a Linton Tweed bag to show you too so there should be plenty of variety.