SSCS 2013 - Landed in Norway...

The Australian and Norwegian postal people did their thing and delivered my SSCS parcel to May Kristin...the little parcel she was able to open containing the hanging ornament was a...

...felt Father Christmas (a Ric Rac design by Jodie Carleton for Daylesford Craft Experience a couple of years back - teeny tiny beads for eyes kindly donated to the cause by said Jodie Carleton while cavorting at Crafty Hijinks, thank you Jodie for both the design and the "eyes"). May Kristin decorates with red and cream for Christmas, so the jolly red costumed one seemed appropriate even though he is mostly red and only a little bit of cream.

I've had a lovely email from May Kristin and she tells me the Santa will hang on their kitchen Christmas Tree - so glad you like him May Kristin.

Now to wait until Christmas Day for the big reveal of the main present...

Happy Stitching...

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...

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...

Squilters Christmas Swap - Part 2...

So what did I send to Tracey over in Western Australia, my partner in the Scquilters Christmas Stocking swap (for an explanation of the swap see previous post)...?

First up Tracey also requested a stocking...

A closer look at the stitchery panel...

I've shown most of what I sent as I made things over the course of the year...realised way too late though that I didn't take photos of the things I included that weren't handmade, oh well, descriptions will have to suffice...

 Mug Rug...(there was a mug to go with this...not the pink one modelling)...

 Christmas Angel hanging cushion decoration...

 Digby Dog pincushion...(and a box of pins of course)...

Fun dog fabric on the back of Digby...

 Applique tea towel...

 Journal cover with fabric flower band...(with notebook and a lovely white metal peacock bookmark)...

 Scissor keep...(with pretty scissors and a beaded hanging scissor charm)...

 Hexagon thread catcher...

 Mini ponchette bag...(with a tape measure in a tin)...

 Hexagon needle book...(with sewing needles, a couple of skeins of embroidery floss and bobbins to wind the floss on)...

 Make-up purse...(with emergy boards...and a tube of hand cream)...

 Mug Bag...under the pinned fabric it says Tracey's...I forgot to take a photo without the name blanked out...oops!

 Button Life's Memories Together bag...

...there was also a photo frame and a container of lace, ric rac and buttons...and I attached a small Christmas decoration to the outside of almost every parcel (well until I ran out)...

Tracey she tells me she liked her goodies...

Happy Stitching...

SSCS 2011 - The Big Reveal...What I Sent...

Finally, finally all can be revealed...the agony of waiting is over, parcels are opened, paper and ribbon cleared away and tah dah! What I made for Nancy who lives in a place far far away across the seas near Philadelphia...

Stalking of Nancy's blog revealed she is a William Morris and civil war fabrics girl so I combined the two and came up with my slant on William Morris mets civil war Aussie style...appliqueing civil war fabrics (hand blanket stitch) in a William Morris bird design from Michele Hill's book "William Morris in Applique"...with a pattern by Leanne Beasley of Leanne's House...thereby incorporating two Aussie designers into the mix...to create...

A block keeper

A few little parcels went in the stocking ornament with instructions they weren't to be opened until Christmas Day...a piece of civil war fabric I came upon when buying the ribbon for the block keeper ties (which I seriously contemplated keeping for me but was strong and didn't)...some Victorian-made Aussie chocolates...a little triangle pouch in the same fabric as the block keeper for hiding those little things like a thimble or a reel of thread that we need to tote along sometimes but don't want to take the whole sewing bag shebang - or hiding some sneaky chocolate treats...and a pocket sized Birds of Australian 2012 calendar so Nancy is never without her stitchy dates to hand...but which her husband has decided I sent for HIM! so Nancy is being very good and going to share by hanging it in the house (she is good to him, hope he appreciates the sharing!!)...

I hope you enjoy what I made for you Nancy as much as I enjoyed creating them for you.

Thank you Chookyblue for once again hosting this most awesome of swaps.

Happy Stitching...and Merry Christmas!

SSCS 2011...The Ornament...Incoming...

Parcel Guy came by this morning and left a box in the door...from over the ditch (New Zealand that is)...marked "SSCS"...wahoo!!!...turning the box over revealed it was from Nicky...inside three very prettily wrapped presents and an envelope housing Rudolph who told me the small one was the ornament, the big one the present and the middle one I could choose whether to open now or not...I'm being good, it is residing under the tree with the big one...we'll see how long that lasts *LOL*..

And the ornament...Oh. My. Goodness. Such teeny tiny cross stitching...really teeny tiny...the whole ornament is only 7.5cm across and there are two reindeer in that star!  Can you see them, they are perfect and so small...I think I'd go blind trying to stitch that teeny tiny...thank you so much Nicky I Love It...it immediately went across the room and took up residence on the Christmas Tree...looks pretty darn good...

Happy Stitching...