... end of 2015

It's so hard to believe it is the end of the year .....

My SSCS parcel arrived post Christmas... although I had been anxiously stalking the postie it is rather fun having a parcel after everyones have been and gone!!!

I was sent my pressie from Lyn in New Zealand.....

Firstly I opened my ornament ..

Lyn especially made it to suit me in my new home...isnt it lovely and I will be having it up all year round.  A very cute mobile fob and postcard came with it....

then for the main gift... a project folder 

My picture is not that clear but there is beautiful hand stitching all over the front ... just lovely and so much detail...

Inside are lots of lovely pockets and Lyn included a great magazine and some pretty New Zealand themed fabric... its the NZ Christmas tree I think and we have just planted one in our garden

I have already filled it with my Sampler Block things as its the perfect size and I am always forgetting things when I go to sew....

Thats the pattern book and my note book on one side and my block holder and then various pens and cutters etc in the smaller pockets...

It's just perfect Lyn, I love the fabric, the work done and its already in use.... thanks so much and thanks to Chookyblue for organising this fun swap - it is so appreciated and enjoyed....

A few years ago I joined in with a 9 patch block swap... a bunch of us made blocks and they were sent off and shared around so that we all ended up with an assortment of blocks.  We ended up with a good number of blocks

I have used some of them to start this 'manly' quilt ... here they are with the first line of sashing on... they will be placed with more sashing and blue corner stones to make a single bed size quilt ..

A little while ago I showed off a finished mini quilt I had made using a vintage doily... then I decided it wasn't finished so I added numerous beads... (gosh they take a long time to do!!) and after several evenings of sewing it really is finished!!

A fun project... I really love doing the mini quilting on doilies...  (not so in love with the beading side of it though!)

Widget decided he needs to learn to sew on the machine...  he adores our little dog and wanted to make her a quilt... I persuaded him it's probably a good idea to start with a small project...

we needed a little stool for the pedal (which I put on slow as he likes to drive foot flat!!!)

I was very impressed with his concentration and care...

... he was careful in choosing colours and designs to decorate the edges...

... Tarka gave him big wagging of tail!

A dog mug rug... or bowl mat maybe?

Very sweet ....

Righto, Gotto Go.. those 9 patches aren't going to sew themselves down!

Wishing you a very very Happy New Year... may friendships grow, stitching be done, happy memories made and lots of love spread around....xx

A productive break.....

I can see around in blogland that the fat man in the red suit has been and spoilt so many of us....  

At our house we did our main Christmas feast on Christmas Eve with our youngest daughter and her new squeeze and young widget.... we had some fun and far too much to eat including this lovely pavlova that she put together....

they went off on Christmas morning after breakfast and we feasted on left over ham and pavlova for quite a few more meals!!! haha 

before the feasting started my daughter went to town in my car... somebody didn't look where she was going and Uturned straight into her!

Of course I am very happy both her and widget were unharmed though very shaken up ... but I am so very pissed off about my car which is not driveable (the wheel has collapsed in).  Guilty party has no insurance but her car is still okay to drive!

Grrrrrrrrrr

The very best thing over Christmas is our Facetime and Skype calls,  and facebook messages with family and friends spread all over the world.  As always I am very grateful for technology that enables me to do that.

I was so extremely spoilt with pressies from Marc in the FHFS group that I play with -  I blogged about it HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE .  Thanks my friend - I will be thinking of you lots over the years when I play with all those lovely goodies you sent.

I finished quilting my scrappy quilt before Christmas.... I chose to do fairly loose but still custom quilted focussing on the different shapes in the design

this is how I did the HST squares.... 

... a double orange peel which is a bit like a pomegranate look for the 9 patch squares

and my latest favourite orange peel with a twist in the neutral 4 patch blocks....

.. the quilt is 108" square and the binding is on... just waiting to be hand sewn down .... might take a while!

I didn't have a lot left of this hand sewing to do ... this is one of Rosalie Dekker's Scandanavian designs..... I was lucky enough to be given a set of the linen transfers ...

silly me squirted the steam on the iron and have stained the top left just above the design (I may tea stain the whole thing lightly to hide it???) 

My hero Hubz recut my perspex extension to make it fit onto my new machine... I do like working with the extension table so I'm very pleased to have it fixed up now... thanks Hubz

Done a few bits in the garden, have had some very welcome rain and had to stay indoors a bit... so I have been sewing (SURPRISE!)

A couple of things I had made and sent off at Christmas

This is the main present I sent to Cheryl in the FHFS swap..... (I did make other little things but forgot to take pictures!) I've really got to do some of these Natalie Bird designs for myself!

I couldn't resist making up this ginger flat cat for Toni who loves her ginger cats

I think it's so funny ... 

Righto, Gotto Go.... my addictive personality is in overdrive and I'm still sorting through half done things and am working on my Reproduction 9 patches today ......

Have a great day! xx

 I have finished my little mini doily piece.. it's 12" square...

tiny feathers and 1/4" lines around the edge

I'm still wondering about putting a few beads on it....

.. can almost see the design better on the back....

I have also been doing some quilting.... a soft meander for this flannel quilt and going around the stars....

 I sewed the binding down by machine so a relatively quick finish.   It looks Christmassy though that wasn't the original idea..

.. also backed with flannel... it's nice and soft and snuggly ....

... and I pinned this huge scrappy quilt....

I had planned to start sewing a new quilt but thought I should get some finished first.... and I do love quilting (incase you didn't pick on that!!)

I do love presents... I really do.... still being pensive and thinking about the other things that bring us happiness at Christmas ... family, friends, generosity, kindness, time, laughter... 

.. may your life be filled with what makes you happy....

Righto, Gotto Go... I think you can guess what I'll be doing.....

FNSI and Christmas ......

Thanks again to Wendy for hosting us on Friday Night..... and thanks for a whole year of fun.... I do admire people who make the effort to do things like this and adding a bit of fun to blogging and sewing.

In the afternoon I played with some mini quilting on an old handstitched doily ... lots of tiny little feathers...

and in the evening in front of the TV I carried on stitching one of my Scandanavian stitcheries by Rosalie Quinlan

It has been hot here in Queensland.... but at Christmas I do think of snowmen....

(well it was a good effort???????)

Earlier in the week I finished of my new Christmas apron... design by Toni and given as a free design on this post

Bev sent me a couple of her machine embroidered specials....

I think this one would be good for a journal cover?

... and I was thinking of this one for a mini quilt ... for those days when I am just not in the mood for cleaning (which is everyday!)

thanks Bev, I'm going to enjoy playing with these.... 

by the end of Friday I had finished feathering and made a good start on 1/4" lines for the border...

... and this is how far I got with the hand stitching....

... I also hung up the bunting made for me by Christine.... there is a tutorial HERE on her blog (easy no sew bunting) so you can make your own 

thanks Christine, I love it and it has brightened up this window

So much happens at this time of year ...and we get a lot of fun and joy with pressies and decorations.

I want to especially say that I am thinking of those people who are sad for whatever reason... sickness, bereavement, memories, loneliness, depression, fear, distance - some I know of, some I suspect and others I have no idea

Not to be a grinch but I know some people find Christmas very hard

Righto, Gotto Go.... we are going to be doing bits in the garden in the cooler and some chilling out when it's time to be indoors

Free Motion Quilting Challenge

I didn't manage to get November's challenge done last month so I was determined to get mine done this month....

This month at QuiltShopGal we had Wendy Sheppard from Ivory Spring.  I have read her blog for some time but then lost (and forgot) the link when my feedly disappeared - so I'm glad to find her again.

Last weekend I sorted out to practice some new quilting and make up the cushion...  Wendy showed Jester's hat quilting. ( I did quite a lot of doodling on paper which they say is good but really it doesn't help me practice - I find it quite a different movement when quilting)

If you see the bottom right the shapes are a bit wide and wobbly but definitely improved as I went along.  I think I will do some more of this as its a great filler. Thanks Wendy for the clear instructions and great tutorial and thanks Darlene for hosting these very welcome tutorials..

(Wendy has heaps of ideas and help HERE on her Thread talk)

Since I had not managed to do Novembers I used that tutorial (by Sarah Vedeler) to make the back of my cushion.... These swirls are lovely and will be great for borders and sashing... I do need lots more practice to get the gaps between the lines a bit more even.  Thanks Sarah for the clear instructions for this one.  If you are a machine embroiderer I think you will especially like to look up Sarah's page.

So here is my cushion --- the December side....

... and the November side....

I like a soft not very full cushion behind my back when I sit at my chair and handstitch so this is my new cover (the old one was very daggy!!!)

That's the end of the year for these challenges but if you like linky parties and getting ideas from others keep your eye out at QuiltShopGal.. there is always lots going on there - and many times she has sponsors with prizes!

Righto, Gotto Go..... it's the last morning sewing day with the Thursday gals at The Quilters Angel for the year and I can't miss that!