As Midnight Draws Closer...

And as the last hours of 2012 wind down...there is absolutely no doubt about it...even if I cheated and used extra Northern Hemisphere hours (which I can't anyway as I have to spend a lot of those hours at work tomorrow so no stitching going on)...I'm not going to have my Stitch-A-Long Some Kind of Wonderful quilt top anywhere near finished...so I'll be continuing on with the quilt top from the SAL sidelines as midnight tonight was the final extension granted...so where am I up to?

I don't think I posted the suitcase and bird blocks even though they were finished a while back...I changed the locations on the suitcase labels to places I've actually been to...that makes all the blocks for rows 1, 2 and 5...the house would be finished if I hadn't gone and done renovations...just like the real thing they are taking way longer than anticipated!...the shutters are still being installed...

The rest of the blocks for rows 4 and 5 are in various states of appliqué/stitchery almost done to oh draft I forgot to back baste yet...I'll just keep on stitching away on those as time and motivation levels permit...the various squares and rectangles that make up the background of the quilt top are all cut out ready to assemble once the blocks are finally sorted...

Happy Stitching and a Happy and Stitchy 2013 to Everyone...

A Little More Angel'ing...

A call for help came from Mrs Martin a few days before Christmas - one of our Christmas Angel number, who had duly sent out her swap goodies, had not received anything in return (three weeks past the deadline!)...that Christmas Angel was lovely Shez...very disappointing...I was able to contribute "Small Applique Wall Hanging" from our item list and popped it into the post as soon as possible the next day...

*hanger not included - for modelling purposes only as it is already employed elsewhere

I was hoping it would arrive Christmas Eve (I posted it on Saturday so fingers and toes were crossed) but unfortunately it didn't quite make it in time for Christmas Day. It did make the next delivery day which was yesterday. Shez is happy with her little present and that is all that matters.

Happy Stitching...

SSCS 2012 - Sent: The Main Present Edition...

As Christmas Day arrived and it was time to open the main present in Chookyblue's SSCS (Secret Santa Christmas Swap) Miche'le has opened all the presents I sent to her...

It wasn't all that easy to wrap!...

A very odd shaped arrangement.

Instead of a card I stitched a hanging tag...

And what was inside that strange shaped parcel?  Well, I had a plan which, even though I had chosen fabric and gathered all the ingredients, just couldn't get started, then Miche'le posted about a cloth doll she made mentioning she loves cloth dolls...that sent me scurrying into the sewing room to consult the bookshelves of magazine-y inspiration, the place of fabric procurement was especially visited the very next day and getting started was no longer an issue...presenting...Greta Jindi (Miche'le has named her Jindi, how lovely is that!) (based on Greta designed by Lynn Hyland of Li'l Blokes in Bendigo, the pattern published in Australian Country Threads Vol 2 No 4)...

And here she is showing off the design on her dress...

In the small parcels Greta took a couple of little "extras" along with her...a notebook cover using Melbourne fabric and holding a cute Marg Low notebook...

...a block of chocolate to help Miche'le keep her strength up during the Christmas rush and a Christmassy (but anytime really) mug/plate mat...the soap ended up being attached to the ornament present...(mmm...now that I look at the photo I think I picked up a different soap when I was wrapping, oh well, it's just the ribbon colour that is different)...

I hope Miche'le enjoys her presents and of course, huge huge thanks to the fabulous Chookyblue for hosting the best swap of the year...

Happy Stitching...

SSCS 2012: What Santa Brought...

The red and white polka dot parcel tied up with red ric rac from Cheryl is taunting me no more...the contents revealed...

the ornament - a cute gingerbread man...and he brought along with him...a tea towel,  way too fun to wipe dishes with and the snowman's nose is a teeny tiny little button, so cute...a gingerbread man table runner, more cute buttons...and a pretty Christmas tree small quilt (wall hanging or table quilt size so perfect for Christmas decorating)...

Thank you Cheryl for your lovely gifts, they have eagerly joined the Christmas collection.

And of course, thanks to Chookyblue for once again running her fabulous Secret Santa Christmas Swap.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

Happy Stitching...

Buttons, Felt & Ribbon...

At Kilmore Quilters Quilt-In at the beginning of October I bought four cute Theodora Cleave buttons from Marg Low, mainly because they were just too darn cute to leave behind not because I had any grand plans of what to do with them...they sat on the sewing table for a little bit and then...a bit of felt and ribbon later...

Hanging decorations...fun and easy...the Father Christmas ones have winged off to live at other houses...the reindeers are still making up their minds where they want to live...

Happy Stitching...

Christmas Angel Swap...What I Sent...

*Spoiler Alert: Holly as you haven't opened all your presents yet...look away now!

Early this year Karen from Mrs Martin's Quilt Shop proposed a Christmas swap with the year to prepare. In 2009 Karen hosted her first swap, Christmas in July, which was one of the earliest swaps I played along with. As with that first swap Karen provided a list of swap items. Some were specific and some not so much...fun!  The partners were assigned by early February with parcels to be mailed late November.  My swap friend Holly hails from a very warm area of the USA but loves winter, snow, snowmen...cold cold cold is her favourite kind of weather and, for her family, Christmas is celebrated for its meaning rather than the commercial trappings, Father Christmas and the like although she does love to decorate so I tried to bear those things in mind when I was making for her. I also tried to use patterns from Aussie designers. So, what did I send to Holly...(the headings are the items set out by Karen on the swap list)...

*A Christmas Postcard...

I used a piece of wintery fabric for the front and embellished the fabric print...quilted the hills and scattered seed beads all over for snowflakes...the first fabric postcard I've ever made, it was fun.

*A Christmas Decoration...

 

I choose the penguin stitchery from Natalie Bird's 'Tis The Season booklet (again, yep do like me this little book of patterns) to make this little hanging cushion.

*A Stitchery to fit a 4" x 6" frame...

I put mine in a frame.  I wanted something more personal than just finding a nice stitchery pattern and as Holly told me she really likes Waldorf dolls I thought that was a good basis to work from.  I found it interesting to research as I hadn't heard of this style of doll before and as Waldorf (or Steiner) dolls have no or very simple features I drew up this little design. Good thing they are simple dolls as I'm not exactly awesome at the drawing thing. Holly Days Closet is the name of Holly's blog.

*A Small Applique Wall Hanging...

I so enjoyed making the mini quilt from the applique panel that I received from the original Mrs Martin's Christmas in July swap that I searched out the magazine the pattern was from, yay for the magazine library in the sewing room, and made it from scratch for Holly.  I just love these trees.  I think I could make this little design up multiple times and never tire of it, it just lends itself to so many fabric/colour combinations for a different feel each time. Hand blanket stitch appliqued, machine pieced, beads for tree toppers and Christmas holly buttons to decorate and hand quilted with big stitch perle thread quilting (*hanger not included).

*A Candle Mat...

Pattern by Bareroots...given Holly's love of snow and cold the snowman model was the obvious choice.

*A Christmas Tag...

From a design by Vivian Robinson and featured in Homespun Vol 38, Vol 7 No 6.

*Something Sewing...

Holly is a voracious crocheter so rather than something specifically sewing I made a project bag based on the pattern in Anni Downe's Some Kind of Wonderful book using Melbourne (capital of my State) themed feature fabric and a little roll-up pocket to keep crochet hooks in - couldn't send it empty now could I *LOL*  I also attempted an amigurumi crochet tea cup pincushion.  Why a tea cup? The "something to nibble" will explain that choice.

I popped the crochet hook roll and tea cup pincushion inside the bag and then wrapped it in a fat quarter of pretty Australian bird fabric.  The next item of a starter kit also being themed to go in the project bag.

*A Starter Kit: include a piece of fabric, a button and some trim...

I purchased this little needlebook pattern from Karen's stall at the Monbulk Community Quilt Show back in March and then put the requirements together during the year.  The pattern is from a Victorian designer.

*A Santa Sack or Stocking...

As Holly doesn't do the Santa thing but she does like to decorate and she does like stockings I made her a linen Christmas Pocket using Natalie Bird's pattern and snowmen stitchery from her 'Tis the Season booklet.

*Something to Nibble...

Holly told me likes white chocolate but where she lives it is seasonal...what's with that?...so white chocolate Tim Tams seemed the logical choice to me.  She also loves tea, so to go with her Tim Tams, some yummy Tea Tonic tea to enjoy.  And of course a cuppa needs a mug/plate mat put your cup and biscuit on.

Holly chose silver over gold on the swap questionnaire so I wrapped each list item in silver tissue - except the project bag where I used fabric...

and then stuffed as many of the parcels into the pocket as I could fit, along with a cake of vanilla scented soap...

It was fun to have a box in the sewing room all year that I popped items in just for this swap.

Hope you enjoy what I put together for you Holly.

Happy Stitching...

SSCS - Sent: The Ornament Edition...

I just love Chookyblue's SSCS (Secret Santa Christmas Swap) and look forward to it each year.  This year I sent to Miche'le, across the pond in New Zealand.

The rules of the game - a small hanging decoration for the Christmas tree, to be opened immediately the posties' do their job, and a handmade main present to be opened Christmas Day.  Miche'le has now received her parcel and opened the ornament present I can show what I sent for that part of the swap...

Miche'le ended up with two tree decorations as a felt decoration I made using a cute Theodora Cleave button cried out to identify the ornament parcel...along with a pretty cake of vanilla scented soap, just because...

Inside the gold tissue...a felt Snowman (from Rosalie Quinlan Design's Petit..Noel booklet)...

OK so I'm biased, but I think he is just the cutest little snowman...

Miche'le tells me he is hanging out on the tree in her shop, I'm sure he is enjoying the company of her customers.  Glad you like him Miche'le.

Happy Stitching...

Christmas Angel Swap Received...

I was paired with the delightful Holly, who hails from the USA, in Mrs Martin's Christmas Swap.  Being a direct swap, emailing each other was encouraged and we had long chatty emails to get to know each other better.  Parcels were to be mailed by 1 December and the box of goodies Holly sent to me was delivered in double quick time, lucky me!...I slit open the sticky tape holding the box lid closed to be greeted with a rainbow of tissue wrapped pressies...and some yummy looking lollies!...

Tissue was duly despatched to reveal...

How cool is that Christmas Cactus...it may not be showing up in the photo but it is "strung" with strings of beads...pretty fabric postcards, backed with vinyl or leather a great idea for postcard backing...a gorgeous cross stitch...Holly is a crocheter and so my stocking is crochet hexies and in one of my favourite colour combos - aqua & chocolate...tree decorations including crochet baubles...a pincushion (can never ever have too many of those for all over the house, or is that just me?), red ric rac, fabric, fabulous hand quilting cotton, a stitch ripper (this one is going into my "take with me" sewing bag of hand stitching supplies, I've been thinking I needed to get it one)...a candle to go with the candle mat...magnet and key ring from Holly's area...and two kinds of yummies, which yummies are still in their packets unopened possibly only because, well, I haven't been here long enough over the last few days to rip into them!

I actually received my box of goodies last Thursday but the Universe saw I had plans and laughed so hard it cried, a lot!, while it set about making sure those plans did not come to fruition.  Here it is five days later before I've been home and awake enough to take a photo and write a post, so apologies to Holly for taking so long to publicly acknowledge her swap presents...thank you Holly, the Christmas tree and assorted decorating paraphanalia was going to be put up on the weekend (you can guess that didn't happen!) so when that finally does happen your decorations will be joining the family of handmade swap friend decorations and very happily so...

It seems my parcel to Holly is still in the care and control of the posties...along with my outgoing SSCS parcel...come on sleigh driver, stop lounging around on the beach and deliver!...

Happy Stitching...

and I hope to be back sooner rather than later but with the Universe having such fun playing chicken with my world no promises!...