Christmas 2018

Christmas celebrations started on 22 December with a party for my brother's children and grandchildren.  Such a lovely afternoon and great fun for Mum to spend time with 9 of her great-grandchildren.  Little Abel is the second youngest (at the moment) and he's such a lovely little fellow.

The only hand-stitching this Christmas was a decoration for each of the little sweethearts - Annie Downs designs.

Finally a stocking for Kurt - it's about time.

Jenni and Kurt arrived on Christmas Eve and we settled down to watch The Carols with Raspberry & Cranberry Frozen Cocktails.

Christmas Day was relatively quiet with 6 for lunch.  Jenni decorated the trifle.

Boxing Day was a bit more lively with the whole family over for lunch plus a cousin or two - so happy they could join us.  Raspberry and Coconut cakes for sweets on Boxing Day.

Gorgeous shopping bag from my cousin - lovely surprise present.

Friends visited Boxing Night and, as always, it was a lovely, relaxing night.

I think these were popular presents this year.

During the days between Christmas and New Year I've had some sewing time (in between spending time with my family).  "All Wrapped Up" quilt top is together.  Love the sparkly fabric for the sashings.

Made two "Long Time Gone" blocks - taking my time with this quilt because, although I'm looking forward to having a finished quilt, I really enjoy making these blocks with the birthday fabric from Elizabeth, Matt and little sweetheart.

"Trip Around the World"

"Plus a Star"

Blocks roughly in place where they'll be in the finished quilt.

Latest sewing has been "Patchwork Sky" - these fabrics were cut out last October.  This is a great design for chain-piecing while catching up on tv shows or watching sport.

Layout next and then sewing the blocks together.

Tonight Lynell and I are off to the Opera House to see "All You Need is Love", a show featuring 35 Beatles songs with great singers and musicians.  Makes coming back to work a little easier.

To finish off - Gulli and Michael playing with one of Gulli's Christmas presents.  The Hawks should sign up Gulli now - after their very poor show on New Year's Eve, the Hawks need a new star shooter.

More Presents

We had a lovely Christmas.  Lots of time with family and friends - what more could we ask for?

Elizabeth and Matt opening presents

Peta and Jenni opening presents at Peta's Mum and Dad's (we went there for Christmas lunch)

And this is Boxing Day sweets - Caramel, Choc, Banana Trifle - the recipe is in the latest "Family Circle"; DE-licious

This beautiful tablerunner is the Christmas Day present from Christine for our on-line group's swap.

I don't have photos of all of the presents I made for Bec.

Some are - fun:  one of these punchneedle lollipops wrapped in a machine-embroidered tea towel.

Tree:  one of the reindeer star decorations.

Christmas Day present - Brigitte Giblin hexagon bag made in Fig Tree fabrics

On Christmas Eve just after dinner there was a huge lightning strike.  All the power went out and, luckily, it came back on when we flipped the circuit breaker/earth leakage switch.  Found out later that our wifi had copped the bulk of the lightning strike and it has blown.  Thanks to Chooky I can now access the internet through my mobile phone till we get to the shops to buy a replacement.  I am most thankful that no-one was on the landline phone at the time.

What's in the bags?

One of the Christmas presents I received from Diann:

Proof that it's not my fault I shop so much.

My shopping from Anni's Shop - Hatched and Patched

Three Country Keepsakes doll patterns and three Hatched and Patched patterns plus a H&P kit and Anni's new book "Some Kind of Wonderful". I also bought some threads, a Theodora Cleave button and some purse snap frames.

A punchneedle set for my friend's birthday present, pin cushion kit, wool felt, Fig Tree fabric on great sale and some fat quarters of Anni's fabric range.

Pretty good haul in the short time I had there while John was checking out a nearby motorbike shop.

I also bought a 10" punchneedle frame. Didn't realise they came in this size - much better for the piece I'm making at present.

Rosalie Quinlan design.

I did some stitching while we were travelling.  More Rosalie Quinlan.

"The Two of Us" a small bag design.

The finished, unironed design.

On our way back down the North Coast we stopped at a fabric shop in Macksville and I bought the striped fabric to make up the Rosalie Quinlan bag, the spotty fabric to make a basket liner and seat cover for my bicycle and the floral stripe just because I liked it.

I also finished off this block for my Gingham Girls "My Favourite Things" quilt - there are pearls and buttons to be added once it's quilted.

When we arrived home a parcel was waiting for me from Jenni - she had bought this for me for Christmas but it didn't arrive in time.  What a lovely surprise!

Will look fantastc in my sewing room.

Swap Opening

Friday night was opening night for our on-line group's Christmas in July swap.  This year we decided to make each other Christmas stockings.

Jo made this beautiful, original stocking for me featuring bells, yo-yos and a perfectly stitched tag.

I love the tag Jo wrote and attached to the front of the present:

Wrapped inside the stocking were some other goodies - Toblerone, bath bombs and hankies

Thank you so much Jo.

My other partner was Leanne.  The stocking I made for her was based on a Kookaburra Cottage design and I made a tag featuring a Hugs 'n' Kisses angel.

I also included a punchneedle lollipop - fat-free and sugar-free.  I really like these lollipops and think I'll have to make a few more to decorate with at Christmas-time.

I did a some sewing later on Friday night before starting to dismantle the sewing room (so we could install the new wall units).

"Pinwheel" for on-line group's 6-1/2" BOM

"Lincoln's Platform" Not Quite Civil War Quilt

"Calico Puzzle" Not Quite Civil War Quilt

And just to break up all that pink sewing I finished off the Pirate Quilt Top.  I love making children's quilts - the fabrics are so happy and colourful.



Where did we go?

A couple of secret sewing projects were finished on Saturday afternoon.

One needs to be posted straight away and the other in a few weeks.  Then I started sorting through my Fig Tree fabric stash to organise backings for two of the quilt tops in my pile waiting to be quilted.  It will be pieced backings for Floral Bouquet as I don't have one piece of fabric large enough and I've made another pieced backing for Whirlygigs.

Yesterday John and I went for a drive to Ikea.  After 4-1/2 hours of shopping we were ready to come home along with some goodies I bought for the sewing room.  I need to do some sorting/chucking out/tidying before we assemble these purchases but I think the room will be much neater and my stuff will be more accessible in its new home.

We also had a look at all the great things they have to organise wardrobes and kitchen cupboards.  I thought John did really well lasting so long - I did let him have lunch at the cafeteria, and his patience at the check-out was miraculous.