Six Geese a-Laying

Five of the geese have laid golden eggs.  The sixth has laid a jewelled egg (beads and sequins!) and is looking rather pleased with herself - note her eyes ...

Five Go-old Rings ...

The Five Gold Rings decoration was the first to be completed.

It consists of five brass curtain rings on a red velvet cushion with beaded piping.  The long tailed tassel is made with metallic threads, some of which are beaded with small red and green beads. The hanging loop is made from the same bead as are used in the piping.

Four Calling Birds

The Four Calling Birds were one of the first to be planned (the Partridge in a Pear Tree was the first). Back in June, as I was starting chemo, I stayed with my sister for the weekend and we discussed the decorations in the light of the me having less energy over the coming months.

My sister had a pattern for fabric birds and thought it could be adapted without too much difficulty.  We then had a happy time going through fabric and beads.

The location, against the patio doors into the conservatory/craft room, doesn't make for a good photo.

Each bird's body is made from three different fabrics and the beak and wings are of net.  They are suspended from the curtain rail at different heights using beaded cords.

Three French Hens

My sister made the Three French Hens in the colours of the French Tricolour.

 She used waffle-texture tea towels and felt, with beads for their eyes.

On the Second Day

Two turtle doves

These too were not made from scratch but I bought them from a bridal section in a craft shop!  They have clips on the undersides, so we have clipped them to the curtain.  The number is tied on with ribbon.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Health issues rather overtook me again this year and from the late spring I haven't really had much time to spend on preparing for Christmas.  Fortunately our Twelve Days theme had been set and some things had been started.  My sister and her younger son pitched in and between us we have made a good display.

As well as having a decoration for each Day, we also themed Saturday's family dinner and many of our Christmas cards.  My aim this year is to a daily post, one day behind real time, of each of the decorations and then follow up with a few posts looking at the other aspects of our theme.

Here to start us off is the First Day. This one (as well as the Second Day) isn't entirely made by us as the tree I had already and the partridge I bought at one of the local garden centres.

Happy Christmas!

Twelve Traditions for Twelve Days

The last trio of traditions take me from the beginning to the end of the main festivities.

10. The hall and the table are always decorated in the theme of the year, so this year it was The Holly and the Ivy.  This will include decorations, garlands, napkin rings etc.

This is one of this year's napkin rings.  My sister crocheted the holly and ivy leaves, added beads for berries and sewed on the ribbons to tie round the napkins.

11.  We watch the New Year's Day Concert broadcast from Vienna.  The music of the Strauss family has always been a part of our Christmas and New Year festivities.

12. Twelfth Night.  While we don't always celebrate it on the actual day, we usually have a family gathering to put away decorations and celebrate my mother's birthday (8th January).  This mirrors our gathering together just before Christmas. The meal is a simple buffet and we use all the year's themed elements, which first made their appearance at our pre-Christmas get together, for one last time.

So - Twelve Traditions for Twelve Days!

Christmas Greens

The next three of my family Christmas traditions involve the use of greenery.   Over the years from my childhood onwards, various parts of the family have lived in houses with easy access to good holly, ivy and other greenery and we've usually had access to mistletoe too. This has made decorating our houses with seasonal foliage very easy.

7. An Advent wreath.  Many years ago I bought a simple metal Advent wreath form with 4 candle holders mounted on it and I can wrap greenery round the form.

8. We always have holly wreaths on our doors.  I now buy mine as making one takes me a long time and I find working in the gloves I need to protect my hands too difficult.  However, my mother always made hers until a stroke and loss of much of her sight meant she too now buys one.

9. Holly.  We always have holly (with berries) over the mantelpieces and on, near or over the front doors.   Some years we remember to put net around some of the holly to ensure that the birds leave us some with berries, but even when we forget there is usually enough!