Lets focus!! and Lola

I really do need too focus!  I've been jumping around from project to project and not ever finishing anything. So today I've gone through my box of UFOs, taken out all the completed tops that need to be layered and quilted and put them in a drawer out of sight!  And I feel so much better!  They are going to be my baby quilts when my friends children start to have babies.  The next job I set myself was to break down my To Do list into quilting and embroidery/textiles (again it seems much more manageable).  I think I have something like 16 projects on those two list and I am determined not to start anything until I have ticked off at least 8 of those projects.  I've also set myself the task of finishing 2-3 projects by the end of January.  I've picked two really achievable ones and another one that may or may not get done by then.

 My sunflower Art Journal is the one I might not finish, although I have done a bit more on it.  The hinges have been added and since this photo I have put six of the pages together.

This will be the front page.  I have stamped some more sunflowers and added bullion knots to the main flower.  My plan is to mount this as a 6 x 4 inch piece onto a full page.  The problem is I am now unsure as to what else to do!  It maybe needs some greenery on it, but I didn't expand the leaves on my pages so I can't really add them in now.....or can I?

Anyway as they say work in progress!!

And to finish up here is a photo of the lovely Lola (now seven months old) waiting to go up to bed last night!!  So cute!

Winchester

 We spent a very pleasant night away in Winchester - made all the better for having both the children there with their respective partners.  Our hotel was right next to the Cathedral so when they said with Cathedral view they weren't kidding!

We have looked around the Cathedral before but last time we were there (nearly a year ago) the crypt was flooded so we weren't able to see Anthony Gormleys statue.  The statue normally stands in several inches of water (last year it was in several foot of water) but as you can see its been particularly dry so you don't get the benefits of the reflection, which is a shame.  Its still good though and you can just see the statue and arches reflected in the water!  The artist was in-cased in a plaster cast, complete with straws up his nostrils so he could breath while the plaster set.  However several inches were shaved off his waist for the actual statue!

It is a very beautiful building and they have just had their fund raising topped up by the National Lottery to 19m, so lots of work is planned.

Jane Austin, who lived close to Winchester is buried here and there is an exhibition of her life.  She sadly died at the age of 41 without getting the recognition she deserved!

Happy New Year!

It's a tradition on New Years Day that people go for a dip in the sea!  I have no idea if this is something that the English do, or something that they do elsewhere in the UK.  In London people go in the Serpentine and here on the Dorset coast they do it at Steamer Point!!  There's always a bit of a gathering to witness this madness and today unfortunately it was cold and really windy.  It's well organised, you have to register with the lifeguards and there are two or three out in the sea (which was really rough) on surf boards.

There are lots of people who just wear their swimming costumes (one women had on a bikini - madness) but others don their wet suits.  No one stays in very long!!  I can't imagine why!!  For us it was a great walk along the beach and then into the cafe for hot chocolate and some great entertainment!!

Happy New Year - may it be a good one filled with health, happiness and lots of sewing!