Secret Sewing

Christmas Eve:

All the candles in the house are alight

Elizabeth made us Gingerbread Cocktails to enjoy while watching the Melbourne Carols

Elizabeth ready for the "Hallelujah Chorus"

This year's Christmas table:

All the presents have now been opened so I can show some of what's been happening in the sewing room over the last few weeks - the embroidery machine was running non-stop for a while.

Christmas Tags too add my children's presents

Doorhangers for the Stitching Girls

Towels for dear friends and a new little baby

The main sewing/stitching has been for our on-line group's Secret Santa.  My partner to send to was Cathy - Cathy has a fabulous sense of humour and, as I wanted her presents to be a true secret, I posted them to Leanne who was able take the presents out of the postpack and deliver them to Cathy.

It took Cathy a couple of days to work out who had sent them and that was lots of fun.  I was very careful not to post photos of what I'd been making for other people or presents under the Christmas tree but I knew that the little Christmas cake would give me away.

For Cathy's Christmas Day present I made her Bronwyn Hayes's "My Little Teahouse"

Photo from Cathy

Photo from Cathy

A little thankyou for Leanne - she was a great help.

Had a lovely time last night - friends and family came over for a bbq and Christmas leftovers.  It was a beautiful evening and we were able to sit on the verandah - little shower every now and then to cool us.

Mum and I are heading to Canberra this afternoon for a couple of days then I have a week off before going back to work - hopefully a week of seeing family, reading and lazing around.

Presents!

My Friends in Stitching Secret Santa part to receive presents from was Helen - Helen and I are old friends having met via the internet many years ago and we've met up in person quite a few times.  We also went to Melbourne together this year to the Quilt Show.  So, it was a lovely surprise to find Helen was my partner.

Helen sent me fun presents for the 5-day Advent

 

For Christmas Day this was one of the packages to open:

We both love Country Keepsakes dolls but I really struggle with painting the faces/heads.  We've chatted about this a couple of times. So, my imagination went into overdrive when I read the tag.  I was hoping, hoping, hoping that it was a bagful of heads. Would Helen send me a bagful of heads?  Oh yes she would!

My kids couldn't believe how excited I was about this present.  Helen also included some patterns.  But that wasn't the main present.  She also made this beautiful sweetie for me:

"Sugar Plum"designed by Anni Smith Country Keepsakes

 

Christmas Day was wonderful, truly wonderful - family and friends here for breakfast and lunch sitting around the table enjoying each others' company.  What more could we want?

Maybe a little entertainment from this gorgeous girl?

Jenni modelling her new shower cap - a melted icecream cone.

Gearing up for tonight when more family and friends visit - best time of year.

A Bit of Fun

Flipagram is a fun app:

Some of my sewing stuff

Some fun times in 2013

Last Finish

Sewing for 2013 is all done - the sewing room will be tidied this afternoon (well, that's the plan) and the door closed until well after Christmas.  All the machines have their covers on - think they deserve a holiday too.

I started making the "Sit Me Up Donut"in early November but put it aside when I ran out of fibrefil.  The pattern says it takes about 1kg or 2 pillows worth of fibrefill - I've put in almost 3 kgs.

This will be delivered tomorrow - it's not a Christmas present.

Merry, merry Christmas!  It's the best time of the year.

Parcels Have Arrived

Tuesday night the stitching girls met up for the last time this year - no stitching that night.  We really enjoy each other's company.  Karen brought out all the good china - she has such a lovely collection of various Royal Doulton tea sets.

Karen, Paula and Rhonda

Last Saturday night I had a bit of a production line happening:

and made Fig Tree's "Everyday Zips" for the girls using some of the Fig Tree "Avalon" fabrics I won earlier this year from Di Mill.

I'll show what was inside the purses after Christmas.

A trip to the post office yesterday morning to collect my parcel for our on-line group's Secret Santa. Lots  of exciting packages to start opening tomorrow.

Some more present shopping tonight and I need to find some Christmas Bush.

Parcels Have Left the House

Secret sewing is all finished - phew - and the last package was posted this morning.  Can't show photos yet but there was a lot of activity in the sewing room over the weekend and the embroidery machine was running non-stop.

Last week Christmas cakes were baked and taste-tested:

This is the first time in 34 Christmases that we dont have a real tree - was a big deal for me to buy a fake tree.  A mystery parcel arrived.  Elizabeth sent me a special candle so the house would smell Christmassy when I arrive home from work.  Even unlit the scent is really strong.

Saturday week ago the stitching girls came for lunch - I have no photos of the day - only took one and it's too dark.  We had such a lovely day and we did a very little bit of stitching.  That night my friend, Lynell, and I went to the basketball - a great night when the Hawks win (especially against the Kings).

Selfies still not great but are improving.

There will be lots of photos after Christmas when the parcels have been opened.  Another busy week with pre-Christmas activities.

Just a few more ...

Christmas tree in daylight:

Willow Tree Nativity:

Prim Tree corner:

Family room to kitchen - bench tidying tonight:

Family room:

Stitching Girls coming over tomorrow - it's going to be fun.  Basketball tomorrow night with a girlfriend and, hopefully, sewing/stitching for some of Sunday.

Lots of Photos

Life in Wonderland, along with everywhere else, is busy, busy, busy these days.  New chairs, a couch and cupboard have arrived:

 

The embroidery machine has been whirring away non-stop stitching out more lace bauble covers:

Fruit for the Christmas cakes is soaking:

Last Saturday Mum and I had a big day - we went to Schools Spectacular in the afternoon (fantastic show) then in the evening we went to a Christmas Party with Michael, Peta and Elizabeth.  Peta works part-time at a shop in Redfern (Seasonal Concepts) - the party theme was Fairyland and it was magical.

 

Saturday night Elizabeth came home with me to start decorating for Christmas.  Mum and Jenni also popped over so all the Christmas Fairies were put to work:

Mum needed to keep up with the golf

Mum turned 86 yesterday - she's such a bundle of energy - puts me to shame.   Mum's finished masterpiece.

 The Santas have a new spot this year:

Once again "The Wish Quilt" is not finished - no further than it was in 2012 or 2011 - there's always next year.  A bit more to be done in the loungeroom and family room.  Hopefully the decorating will all be finished before the Stitching Girls turn up on Saturday.

Sunday night I went back to Sydney with Elizabeth - we went to see "Show Queens" - the most fabulous fund-raiser for World Aids Day.