Not missing - busy planning to go missing

It is with some shock that I see how long ago it was that I blogged. I have not fallen off the face of the earth but I have been planning to circumnavigate it. For some eight years we have been planning a grand round the world trip and this is now to come to fruition in November. Originally we had grandiose plans to visit every continent but

(a) Dennis retired a little earlier than planned so we have a slightly lesser fund

(b) we realised that we might be taking on too much

So, it being Dennis' retirement trip he got to choose his favoured destinations - Australia and New Zealand. Well, fine. I mean no offence, but whilst they are beautiful they are not exotic. But of course you get stopovers. So I was able to add San Fransisco. Not exotic but with very exciting benefits ( read on), so why do a 2 days stop over. How about 12?

Coming back - a few days in Hong Kong. Six actually. And I always wanted to go to Japan so, as flights go into Narita from Sydney why not do a couple of nights in Tokyo before Hong Kong? And of course ,once you are in Japan you have to use a train, so since I always wanted to go to Kyoto we could pop in for a few days. And then its not far from the Peace Park in Hiroshima and that Miyajima island with the shrine, the picture of which have fascinated me since I was a child.

So I managed to get the trip exoticised just a little bit! it is now going take just shy of three months with Christmas with relatives in Tasmania. Since New Year we have been able to start booking elements of it and planning how to spend our time. We used Trailfinders to sort out the round the world ticket, and have added on some short internal flights and one between Osaka and Hong Kong because we ran out of miles on our RTW ticket.

Florentine, our agent, rang to say that when we looked at our travel plan on line we could see a flight from HK to Gulin. She said she knew we weren't going there but the cheapest way to bet the flight from Osaka was to buy an airpass which required the purchase of at least two coupons. So she bought the cheapest one she could find for us to no show on, because it was still cheaper than the next fare up for the Osaka flight. Dennis thought that made sense. I thought that I was paying something for a flight I was not getting on and maybe there was a flight on this coupon I would want to get on! Turns out for £57 we can go to Shanghai - China here we come! And best of all that means the long flight home is not a night one but departs mid-morning!

So, I have been having great fun micromanaging the details of this trip - an activity which will continue for some time to come. This week I was practically hyperventilating with excitement about California. The plan is to start in San Fran for three days, then we go to Berkeley where Diane is going to meet me after we look at all the bookshops and take me shop hopping in the area with at least 4 shops included. You can't do that where I live. We are going to go to her house for 2 nights and she is going to invite all her quilting friends to bring show and tell. then I get to go through Napa Valley and Sacramento to my penpal's in Auburn. She wants to take me quilts shop hopping. Well, if you insist. Then Dennis gets his turn and we go to Salinas for the John Steinbeck library and to Monterrey for the coastal road and the largest aquarium in the USA. He loves fish. I am happy to watch him watching fish. After I just pop to the quilt shop I found 2 miles away... then back to San Fran for dinner with Julie and another 3 nights in the city. Some stop over!!

So California is pretty much done. I am also grateful that Helen and Erica and Lisa have offered to meet up for quilty things in Wellington and Sydney. I have also found a textile artists studio with a flat above that we will stay in in Nelson. Jenny has offered to give me details of all the textile artists in the area to visit and says I can come and see what she is doing too. She is just down the road from the World of Wearable Art.

But, if you have any details of quilty things - or even just things Dennis might like! - so food, politics, general culture shopping etc in any of the destinations I mentioned ( or more specifically, for Down Under, New South Wales, Tasmania, Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Queenstown and Te Anau) please leave a comment. It would be appreciated.

So today, Dennis is going out to watch rugby ( he must be mad it is white out there!) and I get to book car hire and quilt. Is there something wrong with me that both are as fun to me as the other?!) The quilt at the top of the post is for my City and Guilds and was taken a few days ago. Today I intend to make progress. I shall report tomorrow!

Giveaways/ bead, sequin and charm trade

In the process of reorganisation I have collected some bits and bobs I am happy to shed. Some are nice and light to post but others will cost a bit, especially internationally. Since I don't want to pay a lot of get rid of things, here is the deal:

Three things are just giveaways and are marked and shown as such below.

Others - the heavier ones and the ones that have had some work put into them are up for trade with beads, sequins or charms because I am trying to build up a stash of those. I will post the item out and when you receive it please take note of the postage I paid. Post me back a bag of beads, which can be bought for about the price of the postage, converted to your currency if need be. The beads, or charms should be fairly insignificant to post but if you need to, take that into account in how many beads etc you send. If you feel the item is worth more to you than just the postage you can add more but you certainly do not have to do so. Beads/ sequins/ charms can be a random selection from your stash or a new pack. Simple or feature-full- matters not.

If you want anything leave a comment. I will choose recipients this time next week so feel free to pass the post link around. You can bid for more than one things of course.

Giveaway - charcoal pencil refills



these fit the C3081graphite marking pencil ( which I stood on and so no longer have)


Giveaway - hardly used beeswax
It has had about four threads pulled through it, if that.

For Bead Exchange - Country Blocks





There are actually 19 sets of blocks, 4 in each set, all in similar country colours. They are made from 5" charm packs in cotton and brushed cotton






Giveaway - Ugly Fabric 1

I know, I know, its all in the eye of the beholder!

For bead exchange - Micro Stitch tool

I am a dyehard spray baste girl!

For bead exchange - Ugly Fabric 2 - two FQ's

For Bead Exchange - whole set of Brown ugly fabrics! 2FQs and some lesser bits

For Bead Exchange - whole set of pinky-purple ugly fabrics!

For Bead Exchange - traditional quilt top

I didn't make this and can't actually recall where it came from ! It has one seam which needs resewing. It measures 34 x 43 inches

For Bead Exchange -contemporary quilt top

Quilt top I made when messing about - good for cleaning your machine out with?! Measures 26 x 29.5 inches

For bead exchange -

Set of Marti Mitchel 4 inch square Perfect patchwork templates set B

Finish Up day with Jennifer

Today Jennifer Weeden and I are having a repeat of our day last year (Feb 8th if you want to look back over the posts). She is in the US, I am here in the UK. We are both working on getting done things we don't want to face and we checking via blog/ email from time to time to cyber-nag/ encourage.

This is my totally unrealistic list of things to do - all little bitty things I can easily do but have been avoiding and now they are hugely annoying tag ends! Mostly quilty but not all. I shall be editing this post as the day goes on with comments on what I have achieved. - maybe even adding photos periodically ( although that is timeconsuming!) If you have time to communicate with Jennifer and I as we go along we would both appreciate the encouragement .

NB as I do things the pictures are all in updates below so as to keep the list easily readable

1. Varnish scratches out of jewish quilt/ wallhanging poles

13.10 in progress

Done 17.00
2. Finish the design book for Jewish wallhanging

(Done!! This was the longest job so far! 16.53.)
3. Make a label for Hiding Place Quilt

(Done 9.55)
4. Make a selection of sample labels for City and Guilds course

(Done 9.55)
5. Make sample borders for C&G

(done - 12.25)
6. Make sample curved binding for C&G
7. Display tassles and braids already made for C&G

Done 18.02
8. Print photos and start design book for C&G bedquilt
9. Make button samples
10. Put the rear light on my bike.

13. 10 Delgated to Dennis!

11. Order threads from Barnyarns
I cheated on this one - done 22.51 last night! (Yes this post was pre-written!)
12. Source and order items on class list of Sue Bleiweiss' More Journal Making class

Done as much as I can do online - some things are better with a trip to the local art shop. 18.31
13 Put away stray quilting items still in Berber basket

(done 15.50)
14. Put unsorted scraps into colour coded drawers

(done 15.50)


Ha! No chance all in one day.

Update One - 8.07am

Woke up and reaslied I also need to
15. Finish beading and sleeve on Jewsih wallhanging quilt. Arrgh! Out of interest - does this keep popping back up on Google Reader / Bloglines when I edit it.

Update two - 9.56

This label has been waiting since September - why do I hate to do the last little bit of jobs so much?

City and Guilds sample s- you will notice a 'bare minimum' attitude going on here.

I have designed borders and chosen the fabric. Now for a cup of tea and get cracking on that! Jennifer is not going to be pleased when she wakes up to see I started without her!

Update 3 - 12.26

Jennifer is up and playing ( well no actually she is working hard on clearing up!) and my border samples are done - they took way longer than I hoped but they are done. I decided rather than just to do strips to make a kind of mini quilt top in the hope that it will be useful for somthing after the course. The block was handmade in Amsterdam in the summer.




That sea green is not sean green at all but a very bright green. Dennis is helping - he has taken to coming in periodically as I am sewing and popping chocolate fingers straight in my mouth.. no time to waste!!

Update 4
Have delagted the bike light to Dennis - blowed if I can get it on! Poles will need several coats but are a work in progress. Time for lunch.

Update 5
Design books for Jewish quilt well underway. It comes to something when I have to do my two tiding up tasks as a break!

Update 6

I have done the design book and all the assesment material for the Jesih wallhanging, but I seem to have lost every single one of my samples. They must be somewhere and until I find them ( or add another task: remake them, sigh!) the book is not really finished but for today it is as finished as it is going to get! Now at half past 4 it is time for a tea break.

Update 7

I've had enough! I'm going to stretch my poor back with a little yoga then have a bath. Still some tasks undone:

6. Make sample curved binding for C&G - a quick job for another day

8. Print photos and start design book for C&G bedquilt - well I might get the photos done later!

9. Make button samples - I have no enthusiasm for this task - I knew I'd dodge it!

Tutorial - How to organise your stash space

So what is this that the delivery man brought?

No, not just a lifetimes supply of bubble wrap...... read on and see!

Now, some people go to parties on New Years Eve. Me? I cleaned out my cupboards. BUT - in doing so I got to stroke every piece of fabric I own and I ended up with a huge sense of achievement and a lovely neat place to start my New Year afresh. So, let me tell the story and give you some hints combined. Some steps you can skip. some, marked ** I really don't think you should.

1. Start by reading Julia Morgenstern's book Organising from the Inside Out. You can get it for a song on Amazon marketplace. Or don't, because I am going to spoil it for you and tell you the key things anyway!

2 ** For each space you want to organise she suggests you think about

(a) what works- no need to change that

So for me these plastic drawers I keep to my right side at the machine were a great buy - bobbins feet etc always to hand. I keep a small container onto to dispose of needles and bent pins.

(b) what doesn't and why

For me it was that I had items split between up- and down-stairs and that I didn't feel the dining room I sew in reflected my creativity enough. Plus my fabric was starting to overflow. I didn't do as much design work as I would like because my supplies were never easily to hand, especially as I had stored a lot in the garage which is nice to paint in in summer- but not now!

Upstairs, my deep shelves were too deep and the lids won't stay on these useless Ikea boxes stuffed with scraps



Downstairs these files and spray baste cans had a tendency to fall on my head

One deep canvas box is stuffed with fusibles, interfacing etc.

3. ** Think in terms of zones. She gives the example of a kindergarten room where the kids know that each activity has an area - the water play area, story-time mat etc. So you are supposed to work out what activities you do in the space concerned - these can be very small categories.

So, for me, considering both storage rooms, I had zones for: cutting, piecing/ quilting, design, fabric storage and embroidery.

You then gather all you need for each activity together as possible. This sounds simplistic and I wasn't too far off with this step already but not only was it a significant change for my art/ design stuff but I realised that small movements of things made a difference. For example, I was storing scissors in the cutting box Dad made for me but then when I wanted to cut something whilst at the machine they were out of reach.

4. ** Measure what you have. JM makes the point that people rush out to buy containers ready to organise then find they what they have doesn't work. So, measure your things first and then figure out what size and type of container you need Now, this step took us ( yup, I roped Dennis in) some many hours. It shouldn't but I started late at night and refused to stop for fear of losing track. Plus, I am good with space but bad with figures. Dennis is the exact opposite. He is imperial, I can do both imperial and metric and I am numerically dyslexic. And think out loud. So he had to cope with questions like, "If I have a, no, I tell you what one of those earlier boxes, and if the shelf is 161 long and that box is 350mm and we already used - what did you say we used? - how many inches is left? Eventually we got there. Note the categories of items you are storing and the size of boxes you decide to get for them

5. Work with the way you are.

This is another very good point JM makes. If you have a pattern say of kicking your shoes off at the door, store your shoes near the door not miles away. For me I realised that I like to design sitting here in my calm sitting/ storage room upstairs where I can put my mind in a different place from the 'production line' downstairs. I am also not naturally tidy and often pressed for time. I end up with piles of things waiting to be out away. So I created places to store things which need sorting later. So I have coloured coded boxes of scraps but also a drawer where I sew of 'scraps which need sorting' later.

I have some yoga and travel magazines still in their shrink wrap going back as far as Dec 2006 which I do honestly want to read. But I have them by my bed where they sat unlooked at because I tend to stay up quiting until I can't keep my eyes open!. So, when I freed up one of the wicker baskets next to my bookshelf in which I kept fabric and which is where I sit to do my hair, I moved them in there. I like to have something to scan while I blow dry and already I am making headway into them. A pile of back copy Quilter magazines now live in the bathroom.

6. **Get your containers. Did you guess that was what was in the boxes?

I ordered everything from The Really Useful Company because I already had some of their boxes and they are extremely sturdy, good sizes for my shelves and I like everything simple and matching. But again, work with yourself. If you like lots of colourful boxes then get them. But make sure you measure and use the space you have as well as possible.

The key here is to think not of storage but of retrieval. Make it easy to get to stuff. And if you can't imagine when you would need to retrieve the item then you don't need the item!

Also, think about expansion space. What zones will need more space in the future? I am happy now to maintain or grow very slowly my stash of fabric but I know I will be producing and storing quilts and sketchbooks. And my bead stock is likely to grow. So I bought containers which are big enough to store A4 spiralbound sketchbooks but which I can use temporarily for fabric.

7. Either don't tell your spouse what you spent on boxes or, as I did 'fess up and appreciate the fact that he didn't mind. Or at least he said he didn't mind as long as I stopped saying how much I'd spent on plastic boxes and called it something that sounded worth the money. So, we now have an Ergonomic Efficiency System.

8. ** Take everything out of the room you are sorting. Everything. This is how our bedroom came to look like this. Beware. This is going to take you longer than you think. I started this about 4pm on New Year's Eve becausethat's when the boxes were delivered. Not smart. I finished at 11.35 and had to be called out of the bath to look at fireworks!

9.** Sort your stuff into categories. Toss anything that really belongs in the bin or which you want to give away. Place the remaining items containers. This is an activity which will make you hungry. Have snacks to hand.

10. I decided to iron my scraps. It is a good idea in that they fit into much smaller containers when flat rather than all scrumpled up and are ready to use. It was a bad idea in that it took forever. To give you an idea, I did watch two episodes of The Quilt Show on my laptop whilst I was doing it and gave up with three or four boxes to go! I did discover the quilts of Sandra Smith though - love them. See her gallery here

11. **Label the boxes. Because I have very deep shelves and have stacked boxes tow deep, some of which go behind a wall beyond the cupboard door, I have a little list on the cupboard divider of what's where for easy retrieval.

12. Put the boxes away!

Look! How neat and tidy! I went for some drawers for two reasons (a) I can wheel them out to get at the boxes to the right. (b) When in a rush I have a tendency to be too lazy to even open a box. So a drawer is easier to shove things into!

Upstairs here is all fabric storage and design materials. I have my books and sketchbooks for inspiration on the bookshelf there with current journals/ sketchbooks being used for various purposes ready to use between bookends on top of the chest of drawers. My Twelvebytwelve quilts fit in the drawers ( which also has yoga equipment in it - another 'zone' for this room!) and big quilts are now stored in these trunks to the right hand side of the cupboard. There is then Dennis coats then my wadding roll tucked out of sight at the back of the cupboard.

Downstairs I created more room by moving stuff upstairs. The layout of the cupboard is little changed: Before

After:

save that the middle three shelves are now my 'embroidery zone' with all hand threads, hoops etc there. It also has boxes for current quilting projects. Bead boxes and some more embroidery thread boxes are still to be delivered.

The second cupboard has lost some items which enables me to store basted but not completed quilts up top and also some finished quilts to boost the creativity feel in the room. It is my quilting and piecing zone with all machine threads here and items such as fusible, interfacings, cutters etc all stored in categorized boxes.

I've just realised - that file and spray baste are still there - they should now be in that empty box lower down!

The main benefit of all this? There has been room to create some special tins and drawers as a reward......!

One final problem remained. I have moved my design area to a room with no table and no space to put one and still keep the floor free for my yoga mat. So I have ordered this foldable table which will store behind that little sofa bed until needed.

I hope this inspires you. Now all I need is to keep it this way.

Christmas update - look what I got!

I am having a slothful time hence the lack of a blog entry. Here are a few photos to tell the story of the last few days:

The table:Before Christmas

During
After!

And yes, that is how it looks after three days of quilting in there! So far so miraculous! I've just noticed that one of the drawers is open. Could be becuase that,s' where I have stashed some of the Christmas chocolates!

I am so glad that I hit on the idea of making a quilt sized to hide my dining room chairs. That quilt makes such a difference. In fact it is not quite finished becuase I ran out of thread with two strips to quilt! I don't want to put the lights away either - they make the place quite cosy. I shall have to source a pretty lamp of some kind.

Presents were plentiful - here are is a sampling of stuff you will be interested in:

Lucky bags of machine and hand threads from Oliver Twists, a heat gun, colured scrim and silk and recycled sari yarn and ribbon.Experimental pack from Stef Francis embroidery, fabric from Magie at AfricanFabric Shop, paint stylus ( to go with some paints which are coming my way when a lost in the post parcel gets replaced!)
and, just one of my presents from Dennis.. 25 King Tut threads!

Got to love a man who can not only source thread but knows where to get a discount on it!

Help- Advice needed!

I am right in the middle of re-organising my quilting storage space. I have a big cupboard, half shelving, half hanging. I need to retain some hanging because that is the only place Dennis' coats can go. But most of the hanging is taken up with some suits and dresses I had tailor made in Bangkok at least 8 years ago if not a little longer They are in pristine condition, beautifully made to measure... the woman I was then! Some are of suiting material, most are of good quality Thai silk. They no longer fasten over my hips. I know that it is stupid to have them cluttering up this useful space.

So, do I

(a) Fold and store them in the attic and diet - on the basis that if my hips were that size once they should be again, then when I am thin move them to my wardrobe

(b) Give them to charity - on the basis that no one is fooled by the diet plan and I should stop selfishly hoarding them because someone night need a good suit.

(c) keep them downstairs but folded in in with the other fabric in the new boxes I am about to order on the basis that if my some miracle (a) happens I can wear them but if not I could cut them up and quilt with them.

(d) get real and just chop them all up now to quilt with on the basis that whilst that might seem like a criminal waste I did pay for them to start off with and might as well continue to get money's worth from them?

Auntie for a day

Normally I discourage posts about kids (being a grumpy childless-by-choice crone-to-be) but, since I only see my nephew but once a year and since this tale ends up being textile related, I grant myself an exemption.

Neil lives in Northern Ireland. Last time I went he was keen to play board games. Not now he is twelve. His first question to me: "Does your phone have bluetooth connectivity?"

It does and I am now the proud possessor of a Mr Bean ringtone ("I'm ringing, I'm ringing. It's in your pocket!) and some Monster Hamster hiphop MP3s. (Actually 'Country Roads' speeded up Pinky and Perky style with some backbeat but it makes for a very good alarm tone.) I am also pleased to say that my two year old Sony clamshell phone has officially been pronounced 'cool'.

On day two of the visit he arrives at his Grans after Sunday School and comes sidling up to me. I am doing cross stitch and playing at 'how long can I put off the moment I have to go and lose at Playstation again'. (Does any adult understand what you are supposed to do on those games?) He asks sensible questions about cross stitch and gets a little explanation about how I am doing the City and Guilds course. He only rolls his eyes once when I ask if I can draw around his hand to use as a template for a fabric book inspired by Nelson Mandela. He has no idea who that is and even tolerates an explanation. Then his eyes light up as he realises he has the perfect way to get his Auntie's undivided attention.

"Blue Peter were showing how to make sock monsters," he says.

"Oh Yeah?" (See how cool Auntie can play this)

"Yeah. You sew them." (His emphasis.)

I crack under the charm pressure and send him off to get the requisite things. But we are short on cotton wool for stuffing and have to go down to the Spar to buy some. Despite the fact that at this stage my 12 year old style guru pronounced my coat 'embarrassing', the cotton wool winds up costing me £16 as mysteriously the bill includes a top up for his phone. ( This I do not regret as you will come to see later in this long tale).

We return and he spreads his equipment on the table. I eye the pristine pairs of socks. "Will Granny let you cut these up?"

"No," he says. "But if you ask she'll let you away with it."

I ask May, my cool-as-BenandJerry's- MIL. She shakes her head in a combination of despair and resignation and we are away.

"So," I say to Neil, "What were the instructions?"

He shrugs. "I don't know I didn't actually see the programme because I was in trouble with Granny and she was telling me off."

"Oh. So how do you suggest we make them then?"
He shrugs again, "I don't know. You're the one doing the course."

Right.

So, I get him to draw an impression of what a sock monster looks like. He draws an amoeba like blob with appendages and insists that it is a very different thing to a sock monkey. All he can recall is that you use the ribbing from the top of the sock to make a mouth. Ho-Kay then!

We start to figure it out and the phone rings. He says, "OK" and "cool" a lot then puts it back down.

"I am away to my friends," he says.

"What, and leaving me to do the monsters all by myself?"

"Aye. But I'll be with you in mind."

Cheeky beggar. My prototype monster was a bit ropey. The second was better. I planned to blog about it. But blogs without photos are boring. Especially when you can't see the monster. But wait! All is not lost. I know a twelve year old. A quick request for a picture message from his phone and - voila! Un sock monster.

Oh yeah and the photo of the crisps above was mostly so you'd keep reading, because I have this theory that more people read a blog post if there's a photo high up. But also its there because the other reason it cost me £16 at Spa is because Dennis asked for a multi pack of Tayto cheese and onion crisps which taste of his childhood. He meant the 6 pack. I only saw the 12 pack and decided to be kind and get two. So that's him regressing for the next month then!

What does it mean?

I am not a download fan. I mean I down load Annie Smith's quilting podcasts but that its about it. However today I downloaded my third ever song ( the first being the Hollies version of Boulder to Birmingham, and the second being Kid's Rock's All Summer Long). Just occasionally a song gets into my head and I could happily play it over and over. This time it is Human by the Killers.



But unlike the other two I actually have no idea what the song is about. Can anyone enlighten me as to what these lyrics mean?!

Start of Christmas

It is a tradition for us to pay a Christmas visit to Bents garden centre. Not for gardening stuff but to view their Christmas displays, maybe buy a new decoration and then eat an enormous cake. The photos in this post are all from there. ( I picked that giant Vienese whirl on the second shelf)The meme has been doing the rounds so you may all be very bored with it but as I am full of head cold and can't be bothered being original I thought I'd join in. Anyway, sometimes it is nice to belong to a crowd!

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Chocolate - I don't even know what eggnog tastes like. The chocolate has to be Cadbury's made with milk by my husband. No one makes it like him.

Does Santa wrap presents or set them under the tree?

Well both of course. Where would the surprise be if they were not wrapped and how would you find them in the morning if they were not under the tree?

Colored lights on tree or white?

White. I do decorations as uncluttered and as un-tacky as possible.

When do you put your decorations up?

This year - today, but it varies. Up until my mid teens I thought that the proper day to put decorations up as Twelfth night, which is of course the night to take them down. But we always put them up on 12th Dec. Set in stone. It was ages before I realised that that that was because 12th was my Dad's birthday! So now it is never earlier than that but often later.

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

I like the pickings of all the leftovers of buffet type food that I get to eat in the period between Christmas and New Year. Including Sour Cream Pringles. Yum. And, perversely, Matzoh which is a kosher passover cracker. Great with the pork based Ardenne pate!

Favorite Holiday memory as a child:

Until recently the big (BIG) Derby match in Rugby League between St.Helens ( my town ... "Come on you Saints, come on you Saints...) and Wigan ( ssssssss! Pie eaters!) took place on Boxing Day with the return match on Good Friday the venues alternating. Boxing Day meant dressing in as many layers as you could get through the turnstiles wearing. My cousins and all would go and we'd meet at the scoreboard end. One year my Grandma died just ten minutes into Boxing Day ( at home peacefully with family around her). We were all at the match that afternoon, red eyed and saying, "It's what she would have wanted." And it was. Sadly the season has changed now so the match no longer exists.

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

I don't remember at all, but I may have contributed to some other children learning the truth when at the church Sunday School party I hit Santa. Well, he was my Dad and he tickled me when I was on his knee, what did he expect!

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

Oh no, no, no, no, no. That's spoily!

How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

Gold beads, white and scarlet baubles, gold butterflies. Understated and matching! In fact our tree is small and false and every December there would be great stress and unkind things said as we tried to remember how to fit the base together. Then one year I realised that the secret of a happy marriage is to forget returning the tree to the box but instead to shroud it with a black bin bag and shove it up in the loft still errected. The next year we realised that you could do that and leave the decorations on. So now decorating consists of removing the bin bag, hanging one Christmas quilt, throwing another one over the sofa, setting out a Germanic velvet cloaked wooden based Santa on the mantelpiece, three ceramic snowmen on the fire base, two wire reindeer on the windowsill, plugging in a modern menorah and a set of lights in a vase and handing a heart shaped wreath on the hall door. Done. No arguments. Time for a Vienese Whirl!

Snow! Love it or Dread it?

Depends if I have to go out. If I can stay in with the pickings ( see above) and a good book its pretty. But I hate to walk on it - I am afraid I may fall and break my teeth.

Can you ice skate?

I could when I was a student. I assume it is like riding a bike in that you never forget.

Do you remember your favorite gift?

My Mum used to look after an old lady and when 'Aunty Nancy' died ( I am sorry this is so morbid!) Mum got a very small inheritance which she spent on my sister and I. I got a 'music centre' as they were then called for my room. I was about 13 or so and felt very grown up indeed. My parents were actually quite good at anticipating things that we didn't quite know about yet but were about to get to the age of craving!

What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

The whole present opening thing has to be done with my little sister ( who is now 35!) and my parents on Christmas morning. Its no fun without Jen there. Then I like that 'blank time' from Boxing day on when there is time to use the gifts you receive and plan ahead for goals in the New Year.

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

I hate Christmas pudding so I get Cartmel Village Sticky Toffee pudding instead. (Must be that brand. There was a nasty moment one year when we realised just as it was time to cook it that Mum had mistaken the packaging and brought the wrong brand. Very disappointing!) Also for Christmas Day tea there must be home made meringues, one white, one pink, sandwiched with cream, decorated with sprinkles and set in a fairycake case. That's a cupcake case for you Americans. (Gerrie - that should save you heading for your English to English dictionary!)

What is your favorite tradition?

Being together for the present opening. Also getting Dennis an advent calender as although he pretends it would be OK if he didn't have one, the little boy who lives inside him gets very excited by them. This year I kind of lost track of time and between finishing work and coming home on 1st Dec visisted 13 shops to try and find one. (including the small newsganets staffed by an Iranian who had only been working there a week and had no idea what I was talking about). In the 13th shop I had a choice of High School Musical ones or the very last, slightly bashed ertzatz Winne the Pooh one. Phew. Next year I buy in August!

Which do you prefer, Giving or Receiving?

I like to make sure my Mum has lots and lots of gifts because she never buys herself anything but I'd be lying if I didn't say I like amassing my piles of things around me! I am blessed with a husband who buys in piles and knows where the online fabric shops are! (Den, if you read this and its not fabric this year, that's fine too!)

What is your favorite Christmas Song?

Noel Noel for the descant bit

Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?

Well they are OK but I never buy one. I'd rather gorge on Thorntons Dairy Butter tablet, a concoction of sugar and condensed milk.

Ever recycled a Christmas present?

Only in that nasty trinckety stuff will go straight to the charity shop. I don't have it in the house and no one who knows me well would buy it me if they thought on it so I feel no compunction to keep it if given me.