Handmade Market Christmas

Yet another incredible event was organised by Julie Nichols and her band of Christmas fairies and elves over the weekend. The Wool Shed at Yarralumla in Canberra, looked every bit the part of the great Australian image. The rustic wooden shearing shed with its iron roof, rose out of a field of golden grass turned to straw by the recent hot and dry weather. Talcum powder dust was all that was left of the approaching drive and car park. All we needed was a host of sparrows under the eaves to complete an image of one of my favourite Australian Christmas carols -

CHRISTMAS DAY

The North Wind is tossing the leaves,

The red dust is over the town,

The sparrows are under the eaves,

And the grass in the paddock is brown;

As we lift up our voices and sing

To the Christ-Child the Heavenly King.

The tree-ferns in green gullies sway;

The cool stream flows silently by;

The joy bells are greeting the day,

And the chimes are adrift in the sky,

As we lift up our voices and sing

To the Christ-Child the Heavenly King.

Thank you to everyone who came to visit my stall and support my work and to learn about making Paper Quilts. There are some more photos up on my website http://www.wrensneststudio.com/ (just click on Handmade Christmas near the top of the page) which Bill took. I took a few photos too. We had a great time - now it is a day of rest - except for tidying my shed and unpacking the car. Oh dear!!! No rest for the wickedly untidy.