Christmas ABC Part 12 - W*X* - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

 

I think I mentioned (way back on H for Holly) that my mum used to make wreaths for a florist each Christmas. A little extra money to help the family budget as she was normally a stay at home mum. Joan, the florist, had a little shop attached to her home, and after school and on those last few days before Christmas when school was closed, we'd be welcome to go and 'help' - or at least, not hinder! It was there where I learned how wonderful Aga stoves were - you can made toast on the hotplate - and I leanred also how to cut flowers to make them last longer. But it is the smell I still remember. First of all the slightly musty and autumnal scents of the bracken used for the bases, echoed in the smell of the jute twine used to bind them. And then the crisp green smell of the cypress and pine boughs. And all this mixed with the shop scents - chrysanthemums and forced hyacinths...

Christmas pudding was never really big in our household growing up. My mum didn't - doesn't - like it and neither my sister nor I were really given the chance to get to know it! Trifle was the Christmas dessert in our house - and it still is now, with leftovers for Boxing Day breakfast :o) However, my dad is quite fond of Christmas pud, and especially of the rum sauce that goes with it LOL. So, he would often get a little individual shop bought pudding of his own which could be left to steam away quietly. Dinner would generally be about 2 or 3 o'clock, after my dad had had his post night shift sleep, and sometimes at this point, my mum would be a trifle merry after visiting our neighbours for a drink or too at earlier. One year, I think they'd been on the homemade wine, which was always inordinately strong, so dinner was a little more slapdash than usual ... Ma goes "oh, the pudding! It isn't in the pan" - and picks it up and drops it from a great height, going "whhhheeeeeee!" as she does so ... causing all the water to leap out of the pan, extinguishing the gas flames. Let's just say, my sister and I took over at that point, and Ma had to go and have a little lie down...;o)

If you would like copies of the charts, please comment below with your email address and I'll get them sent out to you. If you do stitch either of these designs, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for each one I show on my blog!

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

Edited to add: As of Twelfth Night (6 January 2010) this chart is no longer available as a freebie. It may return at some point as a chart for sale to raise money for the MS Trust

 

This pattern is offered for personal, non-commercial use only. Items made from this pattern may be sold on a small scale basis such as on Etsy or at craft sales. Sales for charity are positively encouraged! This pattern and the text and photos contained within, may not be copied or reproduced for any purpose other than personal use. Please direct people to this blog rather than forwarding the pattern, thank you! Copyright 2009 N M Wray