Relaxing at full tilt

Oh Boxing Day - I love it! The fridge is stacked with all sorts of goodies. The house is reasonably tidy and clean. It is also cosy and homely with all the Christmas decorations still up. I'm not one of these that has the tree up early. Mine usually goes up when school finishes and come down as we return so I have fourteen days of Christmas. I put the star on top on Christmas Day. I'm not a believer but I respect it is a Christian festival and hate the commercialisation of this time of the year. But don't get me started on that..... So anyway - no meals to worry about for a couple of days. Visits have been made and returned. No guilt for taking a couple of days to relax and create.  The dilemma is - do I lie back and relax or do I get busy and relax? Silly me! I can do both!

So I sandwiched a quilt ready to sew this week.  The design is very simple - there will be a square in the plain blocks and then quilting in the ditch. I have written a pattern for this which will be available at High Street Quilting after the New Year.  I've been quilting away when I can this week but the light has been so bad and the pattern doesn't lend itself to squinting!

I have also nearly completed a pattern for the colour block quilt - yet to be photographed.

So many squares!

My big resolution for 2017 is to produce proper saleable patterns for the quilts and projects I make. I firmly believe that most of what you achieve is down to how hard you work to achieve it. I just feel as though I don't get myself into gear like I used to - is it age? Is it fitness? I don't know but I'm going to put my efforts into 'Achieving' this coming year. My to-do lists for the weekends worked reasonably well in 2016 so I'll have to develop the habit further in 2017.

2017 is a prime number (why I should get excited about prime numbers is a mystery, but I do) and for me that's enough to make an effort to make it special.  I've got a lovely diary to help with this:

It runs alongside my electronic diary at work. I think both have a place and I don't mind duplicating the entries. The electronic one is accessible across all my devices as they say, and I can set reminders that flash up,  but it doesn't have beautiful flowers. Perhaps there is a gap in the market! 

Alex is staying this weekend for New Year (traditionally quiet in this house). She and Will are spending the evening with Will's best friend. I think I've got Ben - not sure yet but I'm so chilled after this break I feel like a new person. I only worked one day during the holidays and that was to clear my office of Christmas Fair and PTA paraphernalia.  

I've missed having my best friend this year - it's been so quiet! She wanted to spend Christmas with her son who is flying the nest in 2017 (again!)

So at the weekend I'll do a quick photo tour of some of the things I've been doing during the Missing Weeks.

See you on Sunday xxxx