That was the Year That Was

Two posts in a week?  That's a good way to end the year.  Probably won't be able to keep it up but we'll see.

So, since I missed so many chances to post over the course of the year I thought I would make a bit of a photo review here so we can all catch up. 

January, we started the year off in Mousehole in Cornwall. 

February - We enjoyed our local stately home, Belton House and I repurposed a friend's hexagon quilt top.

March was a busy month.  A trip to the NEC for the Sewing For Pleasure Show and a visit to St Agnes in Cornwall.

Time for a little sewing too.

April saw quilt making and a trip to Killarney.

May was a time for sea-themed embroidery, walks in Belton parkland and an online class.

June, halfway through, and a trip to Scarborough, a quilt show at Spalding, a trip to York to the quilt museum for one of its last exhibitions,

 Working on my quilt inspired by my online course,

 And best of all a trip to Cumbria for Woolfest.

June saw mum reach 90 too.

That was a busy month!

July, family time and friends time on a trip to Yorkshire to house and dog sit.  Time for days out with friends.

A purchase that you've seen already.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Bolton Abbey.  Nearly forgot, we went to Birmingham for a theatre trip and a look at the architecture and canal.

 Are you still keeping up?  5 months to go.

August, it was stitching with friends at a local garden and the inevitable Festival of Quilts.

August saw us returning to Ireland to visit the Giant's Causeway, where I've always wanted to go,

September saw us back in a special place.

September also saw us saying goodbye to my lovely mum who had been living with dementia and being so stoic about it.

The friends who I ran away to Yorkshire with also got me into more trouble to help me with my grief for mum,

We were on our way out of the Big Textile Show at Leicester, my first vist.  The fence was between us and the shortest route to the car and we were tired.  Happily none of us fell off it!
 
October found us back at Belton House waiting for the final flyover of the last flying Vulcan.  If you peer very hard at the photo you will see a little speck that is the Vulcan.  It did fly right over our heads but my camera makes it look like a gnat.  

October also saw me doing a workshop with Mandy Pattullo at Stoke Rochford.  Photos of Mandy's work.

November took us to Belton again for some leaf kicking,

And some creativity with leaves,

We had another trip wth our local coach company down to West Sussex where we were able to see my lovely stepdaughter and her husband. 

While we were there we had news of a new great neice being born in Australia,

Meet Charlotte Lucy, the newest member of our clan soon to be followed by our first grandchild next April (Ssssh!  Don't say it too loud, we're not old enough! But we are delighted VBG)  Ii wish mum could have lived long enough to greet these new arrivals.

November also took me to Harrogate for the Knitting and Stitching Show where I was able to see the chess set that won at Festival of Quilts up close.

Our parish church had its first ever Christmas tree festival and an ice rink,

And finally, December! You must be exhausted if you've got this far.  You'll be pleased to know that I've already told you about December and my weaving so you can now go and collapse into a glass of your favourite tipple.

May I wish you a very Happy and Healthy 2016 and leave you with a blessing that I borrowed from the internet.