I BELIEVE IN FATHER CHRISTMAS...
(RIP Greg Lake, listen here)
Gosh I love this song - we play it all the time with band and the main tune is taken by the euphoniums. It's so gorgeous I end up listening to them and not paying attention to where I should be ;-)
Band has been bonkers so not a huge amount of crafting has been done...in fact the desk is bare!
I did buy a couple of fat quarters though, someone wanted a doggy bandana in blue and I had every colour but! Well, it's a good excuse eh?
Funnily enough, there's very little blue Christmassy fabric around this year, mostly Scandi and traditional. So when I spotted these, I thought I'd replenish my stocks.
But these were looking gorgeous too and it wouldn't have been fair to leave them on the shelf now, would it?!
And that's it craft wise because of the following - dip out now if you're here for the crafty stuff!
I was out playing with the the band a few times:
We were at the Christmas tree fair in the village where I used to live...it was damp. I had to dry my music out when I got home afterwards and then iron it flat again!
And on Sunday, G and I met up with our boys in Winchester for G's birthday lunch. The Christmas market was on and we had a quick mooch but the crowds were too crazy to really shop in earnest:
There were Hogwarts-esque cauldrons of mulled wine..mmmm, the smell was delicious.
This steampunky machine was making spanish churros doughnuts..that kept us entertained for ages.
You could smell this stall way before you arrived there....
...and this lady was doing a grand job building up the mountain of chocolatey goodness.
I fell in love with this window display - I want it all!
I don't normally do kitsch (ask Julia) but oh my goodness, these are so pretty! I'd love a little twinkling village of the houses :-D
But the most incongruous sight of all was this:
Verily. the mind boggles!!!
And on that happy note, I shall bid thee adieu. Have a great week!
27 comments:
er what? I am still half asleep, bananas?? You are sharing some great photos this week, love the look of Winchester's Christmas market, somewhere I have never been! I did thank that sweatshirt said wear a pineapple though.... oh dear... Happy WOYWW Helen #?
Mm Lunch Lady Jan, at first I read it as bandanas, being topical on your blog, then realised it was bananas and it made me even more puzzled.
Love your new materials very needful, and my uncle used to play the euphonium. The last time I saw one being played was a brass group on the steps of the opera house on Le place d'etoile in Paris. It was lovely.
Thanks for sharing,
Shaz in Oz.x #7
{Calligraphy Cards - Shaz in Oz}
Love your new fabrics - I was surprised that there wasn't much in the way of blue Christmas fabric around this year when I recently visited our local fabric shop.
Super photos of the market and those houses are adorable.
Still chuckling (and puzzling) over the sign LOL
Thank you so much for the card.
Have a lovely week
Toni xx
What a lovely post. Gorgeous photos! I love the 'village' I would definitely like that - I have a little Christmas village set up and I could find room for that one as well!!!
Traditional colours in everything Christmassy seems the norm this year!
The sign is very puzzling :-) Anne x #13
Wow those markets look stunning and the little village scenes are gorgeous. I can't even imagine what the sign is all about.
sandra de @15
Your desk doesn't look empty to me! Gr8 pix and I must confess to curiosity about those bananas for hire too!
Happy WOYWW
Kathyk
#10
Hi Jan, Loving the fabrics.
The market looked fab, but no doubt expensive.
Dying to know what the Cathedral sign means.
Happy WOYWW
Sue #17
Hello. I'm missing in action today....having a much needed break away for a few days. Just wanted to call in on a few of my fav blogs to see what you have all been up to. Love all your fabrics this week and as for the sign in the cathedral the mind boggles. Have a great week.
Hugs,
Annie x
Maybe the Cathedral has heard about your prowess in making things for doggies and mis=spelled bandanas? Otherwise I have not a clue, if you find out please do let us know.
Great pictures of the market (belated birthday greetings to Gordon) and I will never look at a machine again without thinking Steampunk. I love steampunk!
I too would be in love with the little villages and want one, but which? Think I would go for the white one if I was only to have one of them.
Well Jan, thanks for your visit earlier and Merry Christmas to you and yours if I miss out next week. Although i will do everything in my power to be posting as I hate to miss. Besides which Julia needs our support now numbers are dropping.
Hugs, Neet 6 xx
Well Jan, I just choked on my coffee on that one!!! What on earth do they need to hire bananas for - are they real or.... Oh no I won't even think further!! I agree on the lack of Christmas fabric - it's all gone a bit up market but we all love a bit of traditional Christmassy stuff don't we. xx Jo
Hiya Jan, that last one really made me laugh! ReallY? I am at a loss here, I'm assuming someone didn't spellcheck, d'you think? Lots of lovely goodies in the windows, and I bet those wreaths smelt amazing. Funny how Christmas colours go in cycles isn't it? All about whats the 'in' colour each year, I suppose. Lots of love and huge hugs to you all, Shaz xxx
LOVE your new fabric! They should totally make more blue Christmas stuff! I had to google the bananas and found this: http://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/home/christmas-at-the-cathedral/ice-rink/childrens-parties/ Solves the mystery! :) Happy WOYWW! zsuzsa #21
How funny! Even taking bad spelling into consideration I still can't figure out what it should have been! We haven't done Winchester market this year, but I do love it. And yes, I LOVE those little Christmas houses, I would want the whole village too though!
Hope you have a great week,
Hugs,
Diana xx
I'm totally at a loss on that sign. But I just love all that blue fabric! I really enjoyed your photos and the window villages are gorgeous! Hope you have a great week!
Carol N #26
OMgosh! I wonder what that sign means? The mind boggles. You look like you had lots of fun out playing - so seasonable. Another thing I miss about England. Shopping here is very...the shops are mostly separate so it's basically driving from one shop to another. Except if you go to the mall which is a horrible thought in itself and no bookshops inside! Love the fabric. The blue is gorgeous - it is one of my favourtie colours.
Happy WOYWW
Sharon K #27
Oh Jan, what a fun post, so full of entertaining photos! I love them all! Fabric-wise, I particularly like the far right-hand one of the red Christmassy collection - beautiful! Your remark about the euphoniums reminded me of a girl I used to work with whose hubby was in the police band and she said he played the euphorium! Lol! Love the sign - I really love wacky stuff like that!
Thank you for your visit and your kind words - so glad you like my project!
Happy WOYWW,
Shoshi #18
Oh my gosh I love that white window display too and the sign is so fun. I love seeing all these shots they are so interesting and very different from what we would see around here. thanks for sharing them Jan, ~Stacy #31
Love all your fabrics. I have never seen a churro machine like that one. the churro stalls in our markets consist of a very large frying pan, and a lady with a large metal piping instrument and a wooden stick to press the batter out. Will photo the stall next time I am at the market.
Bananas? The sign is definitely that! Love those hexagonal patterns in blue and grey. No chance of an afternoon nap. Picked up my Mum as soon as I'd had lunch, went over to wish my brother a Happy Birthday. Took Mum home at 3.30 and headed straight on over to get my girl. It was chaos, as they'd shut a road, and the 30 minute journey took an hour and 10! Home and straight on with the dinner. Now in oven so grabbing coffee while I can. It's entirely my nap will be during the film!
Those villages are so far removed from kitsch that I don't know what they qualify as! Gorgeous, and would look great on a deep windowsill wouldn't they! I think you did well with the blue fat quarters, I like the random snow/polka dot. Bananas? Something is. Do we have time to go investigate?
The Christmas Craft show you went to looks amazing. I have yet to attend one this year - but I want to! That blue fabric you picked up is so beautiful - great find! I have no idea why there are bananas for hire at Winchester Cathedral - what could they possibly do? Did you ever listen to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra? Thanks for your visit! Lindart #35
Oh, Jan, such a pretty Christmas post. Lovely to see you all bundled up and playing your hearts out. I can almost smell that kettle full of goodness too. I only tried mulled wine once....lets just interject here that 'mrs. santa' was almost asleep aka passed out when she realized she had other obligations to fulfill before morning.....LOL. Keep smiling and creating {drooling over your fabric} Best of the season to you and yours.
Lovely post Jan, really Christmassy. I was slightly distracted by the chocolate Lol! Thanks for the visit to mine, have a great woyww and happy crafty week, Angela x 12
I am so glad we play inside! Last concert was Monday; then we just have First night groups. Your holiday fair looks so fun! It's a shame it was too crowded to enjoy properly..but it looks like you got to explore a bit. And I need to know; what does that sign signify? Have a great week.
-K #43
Jan, I LOVE all that fabric...yes more blue for sure, but what you acquired is gorgeous! Oh how I wish I could have gone to market with you! We don't have anything like this where I live and it just sends up nostalgic notes for me! Just such spirit! My daughter would have been in heaven with that chocolate! LOL I'm off to check out what Zsuzsa discovered...I'm always up for a good mystery! LOL Happy Christmas! Felicia, #38
Hi Jan,
The new fabrics are great! I've stayed out of the local yarn/fabric store for a while now. I actually should take in some of my finished projects for sale.
The Christmas window displays are lovely; I can see why you'd want everything in the one.
Hugs,
Kay
Love that red snowflake fabric it's stunning against the brown and love those little houses I want them all too lol Late getting around hugs Nikki 8
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