A Weekend Recap.

A very wild start to the weekend gave way to beautiful sunshine and blue skies for the most part. We had expected to abandon all plans to choose our tree for christmas, but the rain held off and we set forth label in hand. Through the avenues of spruce we trudged



Tricky decisions to be made about size and height and width and...



Tree chosen, label attached. Pretty golden light filtering through the boughs.



Hurrah! The first of our christmas traditions is done and sits waiting for us to collect it at our leisure. Er, Isabella just loves having her photo taken...hmm.



A bright and golden afternoon saw me clearing the garden, cutting back and mowing lawns. We love this bedding down at the end of the year and though there is still much to be done including tulip bulbs to plant by the armful, I have made a start and even managed a major clean out of the hen and duck pens while Mr Davey took the children for a late afternoon run on the beach. I finished just as the sun began its gentle drift behind the hedge leaving balmy light in its wake.



The girls were most pleased, especially when I offered extra food as a treat for 'helping' me. Any of you who may be hen-keepers you will know just how nosy and interfering hens are whenever there is any sign of action and our three are no exception.



Cake making did take place with Lucy making a batch of fairy cakes. It was lovely to teach her all about creaming and folding, the whys and the wherefores of the different methods. Isabella joined in, but was mostly interested in the licking of utensils, but I hope that she will absorb our love of cooking by osmosis as she drags a chair to the table, apron neatly tied and hands waved to show they have been washed at some point almost every single day. We didn't manage to finish using the windfalls, but there's always tomorrow isn't there?



And so to today, a day of sunshine and billowy breezes which shake the leaves from the trees turning the lanes to prettier versions of their summertime selves. This morning's pictures of the river show a calmer scene than is apparent at the seafront and makes a lie of the fact the King Harry Ferry to St Mawes on the other side of the Fal has tied up for the day due to adverse weather conditions.



Yes, truly a beautiful start to the day



But now I must off to finish a batch of these Holly & the Ivy Christmas Stockings for today's orders. I have been most pleased with the responses to my Christmas range and the orders coming in are a pleasing mix of decorations and gifts. So lovely to think of my notebooks, lavender sachets and hearts being opened on Christmas morning.



Have a lovely Monday x

Christmas Emporium!

Forgive me if it is a little too early for you to be thinking of Christmas - I do understand; after all, Hallowe'en and Bonfire night are barely behind us, but in the world of the small business and retail in particular I am really running late. Still, not to worry. If it is all too much just click away to a more autumnal blog and return another day, but if you are ready to think of all things festive...well, here we go. ( Grab a coffee - it's a long one!).



A suitably Christmassy picture to start us off at the top followed by a Holly & the Ivy Christmas Stocking. This is big enough to hold plenty of goodies and made from a soft linen/cotton fabric. Fennie, please note Lucy's Babbit modelling for me - He gets in on everything!



a little close up of the hand embroidered detailing - holly leaves, berries and silver starts.



I have focussed on holly leaves and scarlet berries for much of my range this year as I love the simplicity of this most traditional of motifs. Some items, the stocking being one such, also have delicate silver thread tracing through the sprigs and silvery stars scattered throughout to catch the light and bring a little something extra to the whole. The theme continues with the Noel and Merry Christmas Hearts



The Noel Heart



and Merry Christmas, both featuring my hand embroidery.



Something a little different? What about a Noel Tea Cosy? I drink a lot of tea and seem to make endless cups over the festive season, what with older children home for the holidays and a steady stream of visitors. This cosy is inter-lined with a layer of wadding and lined in cheery ticking to keep your cuppa snug till the last drop.



I have scattered clusters of scarlet berries throughout this cosy as I love the cheeriness of them which is so in keeping with Christmas.



and finally, for now anyway, Dove and mistletoe Hearts



Elegant and simple



A touch more colour



Phew, well done all of you who are still here and thank you for looking through my Christmas emporium. I will be adding more no doubt as there are still some things in progress - some more gifts including something for little boys who I have sadly neglected thus far, and possibly a decoration or two to come.



Hope you enjoyed it and should the need grasp you to pop over to my website then any of the links will take you there as will the actual website link at the top of this page on the right hand side - or click here if it's easier. Lord, she does waffle on doesn't she?



Have a wonderful weekend. I'm off for a cuppa and a lie down! x

P.S. Hurrah for the end of the postal strike!

A Babbity Day!

A very quick post today as the sewing room is hidden by a pile of orders which need packaging and posting...with much help from Isabella no doubt. The Christmas stocking and Carol Hearts have been really well received, so thank you for all the lovely comments - the next batch of items are on their way to the website, but I still haven't got pictures I am altogether happy with yet; probably be ready about New Year at this rate!




Today is Davey's 40th birthday - hasn't quite caught me up yet - so there has been much excitement here at Poltisko Farm. I have a pile of his favourite brownies to make which will be all gone in a very short time once the hoards get their hands on them, and then we shall have a lovely romantic dinner once the littles have gone to bed; well, that's the plan though I haven't actually worked out what I'm cooking other than pea & borage soup...hmm, may need a bit more than soup and candlelight to make it work.



Lots to do so I had better make a start and had also better rescue poor Fatty Arbuckle from Isabella as she is trying to get him to have his photograph taken...looks worse than it is really as he is the soppiest cat and positively purrs like a mad thing when she 'plays' with him. At least it keeps her away from the Babbits waiting for their name tags before they leave for their new homes. The word busy seems to be synonymous with Babbits at the moment, so for once I will introduce a new saying instead of Isabella (she of the 'Habby' for happy and 'Babbit' for rabbit') and say I hope you all have a Babbity day!



Have a Babbity day everyone x

Christmas goodies!

Finally, finally, I have uploaded some Christmas goodies onto my website and there will be more to come, but I cannot face any more photography on such a dark, dismally wet day. Many thanks are due to my dear davey who helped me so much with the whole image taking challenge and it truly is such a challenge as our little house is very lacking in the natural light department. So, here are the first of the pipany Christmas range!



The Holly and the Ivy Christmas stocking as pictured at the top - pretty picture Dave - features hand embroidered holly leaves, berries and silvery stars which twinkle slightly as they catch the light. It is made from a cream linen mix and has a soft, fleecy cuff which I have embroidered 'the Holly and the Ivy' across as shown just here...



and here is a detail shot of the leaves where you can just see the delicate silveryness traced trhough the stocking...



So, on now to my Christmas padded hearts which are this year's version of the ones I made for 2007. This year I have based the hearts on the following carols...

In the bleak Mid-winter



Away in a Manger



and last of the three is O Little Town of Bethlehem



Each of the hearts is lightly padded and can be hung on the tree or anywhere else around the house to add a festive touch. They are also available as a collection of three.

So there you have it - a quickly posted blog for something that seems to have taken forever! Hope you like them and here's another picture of the Holly and Ivy Christmas stocking just because. More to follow soon!





Bye for now x