And A Happy New Year !

May it be a year filled with good health, peace and happiness for each and every one !

Merry Christmas !

However you choose to celebrate, may you enjoy a  Peaceful & Happy
Christmas !

Feathers and Small Quilts

Look  !!  Not only a finish, but my first quilt with free motion feathers !

From this book , it's just 39 inches square, but I am  thrilled with the way it has turned out !  The feathers are from this  DVD  by Patsy Thompson, who's method  I've found the easiest to master.  I am so pleased with myself that I'll even show you the back as long as you promise not to laugh at my 'swirls' - more practice needed there me thinks :-)

Not perfect I know, but not too bad for a first attempt either (even though I says it as shouldn't !)

Moving on, some while ago I joined this Yahoo Group  dedicated to making small quilts and recent I joined their first quilt swap  .  My partner Tricia  (no blog) from Michigan said that her favourites were autumn colours and purple, this is what I made for her

Measuring 16" x 24" , finished block size 4", containing 47 different fabrics not counting the neutrals - I was gutted when I discovered I had duplicated one colour, but by then it was too late to  do anything about it .  This is the  lovely little quilt I received in exchange which  is Tricia's first swap quilt

So to finish, the same Group also issued a Red & White quilt challenge a couple of weeks ago and here's my entry , just 15 inches square.

 ...and look !!  More feathers !

Tyntesfield

Before my last visit to the UK disappears totally into Christmas preparations, I would like to show you a couple of photos taken inside the house.  As no flash photography was allowed, I will apologise now for the rather dismal lighting, but I think they are still worth looking at!

One of the amazing fireplaces - can't you just see a quilt here !

And maybe another one in this section of flooring ?

With approx 100 rooms, can you imagine these all ringing at the same time ?  Downton Abbey eat your heart out !

Part of the gallery landing

and its amazing ceiling ! 

The amount of wood panelling and carvings in this house is staggering, and all original. Most doors are embossed with flowers or animals and no two carvings are the same. One doorway had a freize of some 16 roses above it,  and all different.

These are just a couple of glimpses into an era long gone, but still fascinating today!

One thing I didn't mention in my last post was the chapel

This was added after the main house was built, and because of the contours of the land, was built on the side of a slope, hence the very large crypt !  The family would enter the chapel from the first floor of the house, and if you look closely at the photo just above the tree on the left, you can see the covered bridge that was built to enable them to attend services without going outside.

I hope you've enjoyed this little visit as much as I enjoyed the real thing !

Been Naughty Again!

Carpenter's Star from Mary Johnson at MaryQuilts  and yet one more for you know where :-) 

Not all my fault this time though as its been easier to be piecing than quilting during all the ups and downs the last couple of months, so I'm blaming DH for this one - well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it !

Remember Me ?

Yes, I'm still here !  Where have I been all this time , well, November has been a very busy month one way and another what with follow-up appointments for DH after his surgery, a trip to the UK to celebrate our wedding anniversary & DH's birthday with our chidren & grandchildren, not to mention some serious retail therapy. Then,once we were back, the dreaded decorating reared its ugly head and this time there was no ignoring it - so with all this going on, I'm afraid my Blog has been more than neglected.

We had a great time in the UK, we stayed in Bath which has always been one of our favourite cities.

Pultney Bridge

The Royal Crescent                                                                                

and the Abbey

Being central to most of our extended family meant that during school and working hours we were free to wander amongst all the lovely buildings and museums that Bath has to offer, and still have enough time for visiting without offending anyone, very important and sometimes difficult. It also meant that we didn't have to change our sleeping arrangements every few days   - even more important as we get older :-)

As well as all that Bath has to offer, we also managed a visit to Tyntesfield , the most amazing Victorian High House you have ever seen, and one that I've waited years to see.

The house

the surrounding parkland

The interior is equally impressive, and to say that it was worth both the wait and the visit is putting it mildly, and if you are ever in the Bristol area, please do go and see it, you'll not be disappointed !!

Lots more news and photos to share with you, but as this is turning into rather a long post, I'll keep them for another time.