Halfway

Half of the "All Wrapped Up" blocks are made and I doubt there will be much, if any, progress until after Christmas.

I've had a lot of help from my Christmas Elves with Christmas decorating this year - it's been a lot of fun for me and, hopefully, for them as well.  I have some great photos and videos of the little ones from this lovely time of year.

Wonderful friendships and memories are attached to so many of the ornaments, wallhangings, dolls etc.

Loungeroom:

Family Room:

 

Fun Few Days

On Saturday I went to a party to celebrate my friend's Dad's 90th birthday - it was a lovely afternoon and so nice to catch up with so many people I've known forever.

After the party Mum helped me finish off the Christmas decorating - 

Family Room

Family Room

"Christmas Belles" - my favourite Christmas quilt

Loungeroom

Loungeroom

The following day Robyn, Lynell and I went to IKEA - we were hoping to buy a couple of Christmas presents but came away with a bagful of shopping each and no Christmas presents.

 

Always a good day out with these girls.

Last Christmas I received one of the best presents ever from Helen.

 

A bagful of beautifully painted heads.

I made up one of the dolls straight after Christmas

Wishs Do Come True

and that was as far as I got till last night.  "Angel Gatherings" is finally underway

and I'm hoping to finish her off tonight.  She is so sweet and will look wonderful with all the other angels and santas in the loungeroom.

The Lori Holt Instagram SAL wallhanging is together - hoping that my backing will arrive this week so the wallhanging can be quilted and hung in the family room - there is a space waiting for it.

First Saturday in December is the day John traditionally goes to the Christmas Tree Farm to chop down a tree. This year my brother and his family were staying at our place while they were here to celebrate Mum's birthday, so John, Philip and Ziggy (our dog) drove off to the tree farm and came home with a beautiful tree. I'd spent Saturday afternoon packing away all my bits and pieces from around the house to make room for all the Christmas goodies. Sunday Mum came over to have breakfast with us before Philip, Tracey and the boys left to drive back to Lake Cathie, so I talked Mum in to staying for a while to help me decorate the house and tree. She left after 3.00 pm. I love Christmas. By Monday night I was reasonably happy with how everything looks - a bit of tweaking here and there and I'll be thrilled to bits.

I'm in finishing off mode at the moment - I have a collection of quilt tops and, after buying myself a roll of batting, am making an effort to finish off some of these quilts. Don't get much chance to sew over the weekends lately because the eisteddfod is running until the end of September. Most of last week's free time was spent machine quilting "Mary's Floral Medallion" until I ran out of the thread I was using in the bobbin - couldn't believe I didn't have another spool in the drawer!

Last night and early this morning I quilted "Christmas Belles", a quilt I've been making as a BOM with some stitchy friends. Will sew on the binding tonight and then there'll be a little hand-quilting to do around the "Belles" before it's finished. Which quilt top to layer and baste next? "Everyday Angels", "Sharon's Roses", 2006 Friendship Quilt, Row-by-Row Quilt; the list goes on ...

The days are beautiful - I love spring. Looking forward to Friday - going shopping at Peter's of Kensington and to Bondi with my first baby to buy her birthday presents (she will be 28) and I'll take Mum with us - should be a lovely day out.