Books and christmas exchange

Do you like the new look of my blog ? I have worked on it for the last 2 days. The reason that I have giving my blog a new look is because I'm going to shut down my Dutch blog and will continue posting only here. 

The only other thing that will change is that I will write each post in English AND Dutch, because there are Dutch people that can't read English. Each post (starting january 1) will start of in Dutch  and then  write the English translation in Italic.

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Finaly my christmas exchange arrived. It was posted on december 18 in Belgium by Ingrid. She made me a wonderful christmas biscornu and also included a beautiful christmascard and some threads. Thanks Ingrid !

Today also arrived some books I orderd by Bookdepository. I love reading my books in English. Some books are still on the way. But today came ...

The Witch's Trinity - Erika Mailman
The Heretic's Daughter - Kathleen Kent
Daughters of the Witching Hill - Mary Sharratt

First I want to finish the book Fallen by Lauren Kate before I start reading these ones. A few weeks back the 4 books of Michael Scott also arrived, so let the winter continue ^_^

1. The Alchemyst

2. The Magician

3. The Sorceress

4. The Necromancer

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year's Eve tomorrow.

Gingerbread girl and hospital news ...

Yesterday I went to the hospital and my little operation went well. The doctor saw that there was one little spot with bad cells and he complety removed it  !! He thinks that the source of these bad cells is the womb he removed last year.
All the other cutting edges where clean, just this one tiny spot not, but now it is. Hopefully it stays clean and no bad cells will return. It was good news for us !!!
On january 11 I must be back for a checkup again and then he will make another appointment for again a new test in about a month or 3 to see if the area is still free of bad cells.

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In the mean time I made another gingerbread pillow. The pattern is from Helga Mandl and its called Gingerbread Girl. I also have the Gingerbread Boy but I will stitch that after christmas and will finish that the same way as I did with the girl.

I sew a white fluffy yarn on the fabric and attached some red beads.

Some time ago I joined a pincushion swap that Thearica was organizing. I made a pincushion with a pattern from Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin called She Sew.

Yesterday the pincushion arrived what Marie Jones had made for me and I love it. Its Oliver the Owl, isn't he great? Thearica also include a wooden doll that you can hang, so I hang it in the christmas tree. Thanks Thearica for the pincushion swap !!

And then the SNOW .... ALOT OF SNOW !!

We have so many snow here in the netherlands, I can't remeber the time when we had so much. And I LOVE IT !! It looks like winter wonderland.

My friends ..., I wish you all a Merry Christmas !!

And some more pictures from our garden.

Season of Love and its Yule today

I have finsihed another gingerbread pillow. I made it from the magazine Just Cross Stitch july 2010 and its called: Season of Love, its a design of Country Cottage Needleworks.

Fabric: 28 ct. tea dyed jobelan
Threads: Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe (Green A, Red C, Dark gold) and DMC (white and dark brown

I have put this little pillow into the baskets with the other christmas pillows. And now I'm off to back some cookies for tonight, because its Yule !!

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Yule

Definition:
Pagans celebrate Yule also called Mid-Winter or Winter Solstice.

In the Northern Hemisphere the date of this Holiday varies from December 20th to December 22nd (in the Southern Hemisphere it is traditionally celebrated on or about May 1) depending upon what day the sun reaches the Southern most point in it's yearly journey around the Earth. This is known as the longest night of the year, also the first day of Winter.

No other night of the year stays dark for as long as Yule eve. This is the day that the Pagan Goddess gives birth to the God. She has been without him since his death on Samhain (October 31st) and all want to celebrate his return. His life follows the changing of the seasons, with birth, growth, life and death all happening in one year’s time and repeating itself every year.

The God represents new life and is symbolized by the sun, which brings new life to our Earth. This festival was first started by the ancient Egyptians to welcome the rebirth of Horus (a sun God). But today the God has many different names and faces because Pagans celebrate a wide variety of cultural beliefs. The Celts call the Him Bel, the Norse call him Balder, and the Greeks call him Appolo, but all are one in the same representing the sun and all of the power and life carried within it.

Sometimes Yule celebrations include an acting out of a battle between the old Holly King and the young Oak King (Pagan Gods). The Holly King symbolizes the dark, cold winter and the Oak King represents The warm summer to come and the return of the sun. A battle goes on between these two kings when the Holly King refuses to give up his throne. The two fight the Holly king is slain and the Oak King is victorious. He takes his place on the throne, and with his rule the Earth prepares itself to reawake in the spring.

In the days before Yule a tree (typically an evergreen or fir) is cut and brought into the home to decorate. Holly and mistletoe are also hung around the house. Any greenery brought inside during Winter are used to extend an invitation to nature to join in our celebration and to remind us that life goes on even in the midst of the darkest and coldest time of the year. A Yule altar is usually set up and decorated with the colours red, green, white and gold.

It is tradition for some on Yule to stay awake all night and greet the sun when it rises. During the wait for the sun, rituals are held, spells are cast to send peace and joy to others, and joyous celebration takes place. A Yule log (usually a log made of Oak or Ash) is burned and a piece of it is saved to light next years log. A modern Yule log (for those without fireplaces) is a hollowed log, flat on one side that holds three candles. Exchanging gifts usually follows this and eating all the wonderful foods prepared for this holiday. Stories are also told during this time and plans are made for the future. It is a time of rebirth and new beginnings.

Symbols of Yule are the evergreen tree, Holly, mistletoe, wreaths, the Yule log and a wheel with eight spokes. This wheel is similar to a wagon wheel or even a bicycle wheel but the eight spokes represent the eight major Pagan Sabbaths (Holidays). The Wheel begins to turn again at Yule. As the sun rises and the longest night of the year is over, we know that the days will grow longer and warmer and we have a new year full of new life, new hopes and new dreams to look forward to.

Not so good news and some gifts ...

Okay I shall begin with the not so good news :-)

As some of you still know, I had a Hysterectomy 1 year ago because they found bad cells there. After the surgery they examin everything, also the cutting edges, and the edges where clean. I had to come after a year for a new test to see if the edges still where clean.

So 10 days ago I had the new test and the doctor would call me today with the test results. This afternoon the doctor called to say that they have seen NEW bad cells. He was going to speak with the doctor from pathology to see where they are coming from and that he would call again later today.

Laat afternoon he called again to say that I must go to the hospital again next thursday (dec 23) for a little operation and he is going to take a little cut there where the bad cells are and that piece will be examin. When they have the test results back I'm going to hear what they are going to do.

I keep being positive and do alot of stitching now :-)and I will keep you updated how everything goes.

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But there was also very nice news today because the postman came and gave me a present that was from Nina. She had send me a wonderful christmas present and I realy like it !! 

 There where cookies cutters and I love them, especialy that gingerbread men ... he's so cute !!! Teusday I'm going to back some cookies for Yule and I'm going to use that one then. And then there was that beautiful stone heart with very nice decoration, I have it hanging it the tree already and it looks so pretty. But Nina also send some of her cookies and look how wonderful they are. 

I hope mine cookies on teusday will look just as beautiful as hers :-)

 Nina thanks again for this present, it made my day !!

Yesterday there came another present from my Belgium friend Iris, she had make me a wonderful ornament of a pattern of Stacy Nash. Look how beautiful it is ...

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And I got news that some of my presents where delivered so I can show them now.

First there was my present for Jacqueline, I made her a christmas ornament from Pineberry Lane, called Xmas, stitched with Nina's Threads (color Jingle Bells)

And for a christmas exchange I made the ornaments from Plum Pudding Needleart called: Candy Cane Wishes. I made it into a long christmashanger with a little christmasbell on the bottom.

And then there was the little robin this afternoon, he/she was eating of the birdfood in the garden and I took a picture of it. I love that little bird !! 

Gingerbread Tree

After the gingerbread trio I wanted to make some more gingerbreads, so I made this from the Just Cross Stitch issue July/August 2010. Its the Gingerbread Tree from Little House Needleworks. I didn't made it into a ornament but made a little pillow for in my basket on the table.

Fabric: 28 ct. tea dyed jobelan
Threads: Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe (Green A, Red C, Dark gold) and DMC (white and dark brown)

A few weeks ago I found in a Dutch quiltshop some gingerbread fabric and it was perfect for this little pillow.

While I'm busy with my stitching, Bowy is lying on my quilt sleeping, dreaming of a white christmas :-)

And here is mister Ginger ...

Well ... mister Ginger is ready and now there are three gingerbreads

But they weren't finished yet because I had to gave them tiny buttons on their body

I took some fabric and made them into a wallhanger and now they are hanging on the wall. Sometimes they even sing a christmassong for us !!

(click on photo to enlarge)

Stitched on 32 count jobelan (tea dyed)

Gingerbreads: Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe (color autum orange B)

Red: Nina's Threads (color chilli)

Green: Crescent Colors (color shuttergreen)

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Amy of Downsunshine Lane has a beautiful give away. Click HERE to see what it is !!

Last 2 LHN ornaments ...

Yesterday I made the last 2 LHN stitchings into ornaments and I realy love them !!!

Peppermint Twist (ornament 9)

Joy to the World (ornament 12)

And now I can make a happy dance around the table ...

Before they can go in the tree I made a picture of all 12 ornaments together. I love them !!

Diane of LHN has said that in the new year a new serie of ornaments will begin. Wel ... I'm in :-)

LHN ornaments and a birthday gift ...

Yesterday I turned 3 stitched patterns into ornaments. My DH Michiel had these 3 stitched a couple of weeks ago when I was busy with other things :-)

All 3 are from Little House Needleworks (one of my favorite designers) and the fabric on the back on each photo are the backside of the ornaments.

Red House in Winter (ornament 6)

The Merry Skater (ornament 7)

On top I attached some felt leaves and some red beads

Frosty Flakes (ornament 8)

For the green I used Nina's Threads color Monstergreen

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Next week Nina has her birthday and I send her a birthday surprise. I sent it a bit early because the postmen in the Netherlands are on strike on and of.

I made her a pincushion with a scissorcase and scissorfob. The pattern is from Homespun Elegance and is named Pin Pokes I. I stitched it with Nina's Threads color Chilli and Monstergreen.

I totaly forgot to take a photo of the goodies I included but luckely Nina took a photo which I place here. Included where some charms, hearts, pins, fabric and lace

Two new blogs ...

There are so many blogs, but these two (quilt) blogs I want to mentioned ...

Let's Bee Together

Block Swap Adventure

When you click at the button you can go to the blogs !!

Ornament tree ...

No update of the gingerbreads because I'm working on something for a christmas exchange. Hope to work on the gingerbreads  again this weekend !

My niece brought me a wonderful ornament tree and I love it !!

Its 20 inch (50 cm) high and i can hang 12 ornaments in this sweet little tree.

(For the Dutch readers; hij is te koop bij  Blokker voor maar 4.99)

Yesterday it was snowing all day and there is alot of snow in the garden now.

My husband Michiel had the flu since a couple of days and now he hand it over to me :-)