Poncetastic Preamble thread

[AtChristmasWeFeast]

I'm looking forward to the Poncetastic Thread.

In the meantime I'm starting to formulate my ideas for our Christmas Tablescape this year and also the more general scheme. I'd love to see some of yours for inspiration and also hear what you're planning. I think I'm pretty sure what I'm going to do and now the challenge is not to be silly and end up buying lots of new things to fit the theme. Barring one, or maybe two, special things, and possibly a few charity shop bargains, I'm committed to using what I've already got.

Please share your trees/tablescapes/themes.

(I've got to dig mine out but I'll try to post a few)

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

No problem, lovely. I was actually wondering how you were doing as I thought I hadn't seen you post for a few days. I know you've said before that you struggle to be the 'owner' of a thread, so that's fine. I'm happy to check in and help out so to speak. I know I always find it useful when you do the same on the CC thread.

I'm just looking at the Christmas planner now. (Again) haha.

Namechanged but I love the Christmas threads. Last year was a bit of a washout because of work, family stress, house being in a mess etc., so I’m trying to do a big declutter, and hoping that now DD is at secondary school, I’ll have more time to ponce this Christmas.

I’ve stockpiled so many decorations/cards/wrap etc. over the last few years that I must absolutely NOT buy anything else this year. I’ve also got some stockpiled presents for all the little relatives I usually buy for (books, mainly), and enough stocking items for DD to sink a ship. And I’ve decided that I’m going to send my family online wine gifts this year to cut down the present stress. So what I’m planning to do instead is to make the house poncetastic and do some proper crafting and getting Christmas organised instead of ending up rushing around at the last minute! (Hopefully…best laid plans and all that… 😂)

I've been working my way through some cross stitch Christmas decorations as part of my pre-season poncing. It's mostly a relaxing exercise until I realise I've made a mistake somewhere and have to rip half the bloody stitches out. I've also been adding some Christmas carols to my usual repertoire of nursery rhymes while singing to my toddler DS, though he's not been too keen on the idea ('not that one Mummy! Wheels on the bus!'). We have loads of brown paper sitting in the wrapping paper stash... perhaps some poncy wrapping is in order for this year too.

Welcome to all 💐

@lucysmam glad you're here - I always enjoy seeing your poncing projects, probably because somehow they're quite gentle. I love the idea of making a crochet village but I still haven't learnt how to crochet well enough to follow that kind of pattern.

@RainbowZebraWarrior thanks, I appreciate it! I have the best of intentions but life gets in the way sometimes. 🙂

I bought an autumn wreath!

Wasn't supposed to spend for the remainder of the month.😳😳 Fingers crossed it's nice because I'm quite picky about faux foliage and prefer to see in person before I buy. Might attach some little pinecones to it as well. It's the one in this pic.

Now you simply must buy the Christmas Planner so that I can feel less bad about succumbing to temptation. 😆😉

Hi

Can I join please? I have often seen the threads but never posted on them. I have just ordered some dried fruit in this weeks shop as I am trying to spread the cost and this year am planning on making a cake and pudding (I didn't bother last year)

@AtChristmasWeFeast please don't apologise. Everyone's combined efforts make a thread happen.

I've loved this thread over the years. Maybe it's got a bit diluted by some of the lovely musings on the Chronicles thread?Hopefully there is a space still for some OTT preparations whether that's craft , food or decorations that are much more full on than the lovely Nigel's pared back approach.

@lovelylight Your expression Pre-season poncing has really tickled me!
I’m an ex rugby player so it’s conjured images of us all running laps round a field in driving rain to get fit for the poncing season. Collecting foliage in tasteful wicker baskets as we go, of course.

A few years ago now I bought a couple of double sided Christmas duvet set in the sales in used the fabric to make table cloths. The fabric is a bit thinner than a typical table cloth but we use them all between Christmas Eve and New Year so they’re not getting heavy use and they’re cheerful and fun.

I’ve been meaning to get round to making napkins from the matching pillow cases but I probably never will.

Thank you for the julehygge videos!

I'll probably end up watching them more than actually doing much poncing.

I have my table runner all laundered and folded from last Christmas. It's a white on white embroidered one and if you look closely you can see the faint trace of a small blob of (homemade) cranberry and orange sauce from two years ago. I usually cover the blob with a candle.

This year I'm hoping to finally get around to making rhubarb vodka.

I might get a Christmas duvet cover this year to add some festive cheer. This would look lovely in our grey, white and silver bedroom
https://www.therange.co.uk/christmas/christmas-home-and-accessories/christmas-bedding/snowy-cottages-duvet-cover-set?position=13&s=8914852#8914852

@Beforetheend I made a quilted table runner and matching napkins last year. I will try and take a photo later but this is the style napkin I made. They are just semi-circles folded but look good

https://hellosewing.com/christmas-tree-napkins-tutorial/

This is a wonderfully hysterical image. (I imagine it rather like French and Saunders sketch)

That is very pretty. Sadly only super king left in stock. I need to go and dig my Christmas / winter one out as I put it on from October time. Although I do have a fancy for a new one.

@RainbowZebraWarrior happily that's what I need :)

I needed a king size, so have managed to get it from Argos - I dug out my old one and decided it was dull and boring - I had a look around and this one was the prettiest by far. (plus I needed a light colour as I have a ragdoll cat and his white fluff gets everywhere) Thank you for sharing the link.

Has anyone used the website cascade for wrapping paper?? Keep getting adverts for them on social media. Very nice designs but not sure what the company is like to deliver the things

@CrushingOnRubies can't say I've heard of them. There are a couple of websites; one spelled cascayde and a Canadian one called cascades. <not terribly helpful>

I want a Fortnums Halloween hamper. I may be being entirely unreasonable, but this is the 2nd year I've coveted one. I may look at what I need to get rid of and see if I can raise some funds via selling on ebay to justify it.

@RainbowZebraWarrior well now I think the Fortnums Halloween hamper looks glorious. Which is definitely unreasonable because I can’t eat anything in it and the magnum of claret is available separately.

Fear I’m becoming ever more Margot when I aspire towards Barbara

Thank you @HannahDefoesTrenchcoat but I have to clarify I'm not the original creator nor the current guardian of the Poncetastic threads. I just opened this one because I was feeling impatient to see everyone's wonderful creations.

The official thread should appear this coming week.

There's usually quite an overlap on the two threads - so much so that I often get confused about where I've seen or posted something. To me it's the perfect interplay between two extremes. Happy times!

Looking forward to Christmas poncing in the form of fancy/fanciful foodstuffs, I found this book recently, secondhand. Will read it throughout November. I'd normally discard the dust cover but I find the illustrations so charming, I might have to keep it.

I bought the first thing for crimbo today. Some bags of sweets for my candy buffet :) although Dd who has the nose of a truffling pig for sweets spied them almost as soon as they crossed the threshold..

And I've downloaded the Finch Bakery recipe for brownie Yule logs, I'm thinking I might sell them this year. Im going to try making one tomorrow

https://www.finchbakery.com/products/yule-log-recipe

Hi again everyone! Those look good @StiffyByngsDogBartholomew.

We should see the official thread today or tomorrow!

Oh my god I can't wait

@RainbowZebraWarrior I covet a F&M hamper every year but as yet I've never had one! I was thinking I might order a reasonably sized one this year. I'd fill my own, definitely. We have very low key Christmases anyway and this year my children are elsewhere, so it would make a nice treat for DH and me.