Christmas Pleasures

I always find that the things which I enjoy most about Advent and Christmas are small, enjoyable projects, things which as a rule I don't do enough of.  This year, at my favorite quilt store in Clearwater, I participated in the 11th Christmas Mystery.  I have done them all except one (can't remember why not that year), and it has become something I look forward to.  The staff in the store (and you know who you are !) always add that little bit extra to make it all pretty, and we eat and chat and hopefully get our project done. 
I promised Becky I would take photos of my projects, most of which are complete, although some are in the finished top stage and one is a completed top with no applique yet - and so here are a few of the first ones.  One I adapted into a tree skirt and is under our tree as we speak ... will take a photo of that in the next day or two.  Other projects to follow ...

This was the first one .... 6 pieced blocks

Pam's ornament

Roni's tree

 Primitive Gatherings

And finally, a couple of pictures of my poinsettia.  Living in Florida, I decided to plant my two poinsettias in a pot in front of my house last year.  They were average pots of the kind you see everywhere in December.  Well, they were so pretty as plain green plants after Christmas that we left them the whole year; they have turned a glorious red over the last couple of weeks.  I am so thrilled with them !

Boutis lavender sachet

Small heart with bird motif stuff with lavender this time.  Just for the pleasure of stitching something small.  This one will go to live with a friend ......

Boutis - Vanne 19th C

Vanne boutis, this style of boutis was frequently made for a marriage and is intended to lay on top of a bed.  To my very great pleasure, this one is now living at my house !

Each corner has the same basket depicted

There are wonderful garlands with flowers along each side

Here you can see the oval borders with channels stuffed

The central oval motif with straight channel filling

Recently I acquired a boutis which has been on my wish-list for a long time:  a vanne size approx. 143 cm x 161 cm, with my favorite kind of motifs and style.  I would date this about mid 19th Century, but it may be a little earlier than that.  It is cotton, the cotton on the back is a slightly looser weave, and you can see some remaining "holes" from passing the cotton yarn stuffing.   The straight edge is finished with a hem, and it is in excellent condition.  I still need to spend more time studying this quilt, but for now, here are some pictures.  The overall design is symmetrical, with each corner motif repeated 4 times, oval garlands surrounding oval borders.

Alsace

I haven't been stitching much recently, life has been very busy and sometimes sad.  At the end of September, we had our Guild retreat in Ellenton, Florida, and that was a fun weekend.  I did do some stitching then of course, but there is nothing yet to show from that.  I set up some applique, started a new pieced pattern, and generally enjoyed the company of like-minded ladies.
I am sharing a few more photos of our trip to Birkenhoerdt in September, most of these are from Alsace/Wissembourg, plus  a few villages surrounding our own. The time for these flowers has passed now, and the late autumn is bringing colder weather. 

Our adorable little house, just can't resist taking pictures.  I am hoping to put up shutters once the grouting has been redone.  I was thinking that the plaque in the middle would make shutters impossible, but I have seen some that fold back on themselves if there is only space on one side, so I will be looking at those.

St Gallus - "Ana Selbdritt" about 1500

All the above photos are impressions of Wissembourg

Gleiszellen

September on the wine route ....

The grapes are glorious right now

View from our upstairs hallway

I found a small chest and old wash jug and bowl for the guest restroom

Our village church had the 150 year anniversary of its consecration, so all was decorated in the diocese colors of yellow and white.  I planted two old sandstone pots like this

We love our little house !

Wissembourg

Wreath of dried flowers bought at a farmers' market on the last day

Last week we spent some time in our house on the southern wine route in Germany, and also helped our son get organized for his new degree program at the FH Aachen, campus Juelich.  Despite being a hectic week, we did do some fun things, and just enjoyed being out in the beautiful late summer weather.  So here are a few impressions of house and some local villages last week: