Secret Santa ......

Friday night sewing group, a lovely bunch of friends, had a sewing time/Christmas party/secret santa time last week....

We all took yummy snacks to share (that was my Santa hats that melted and fell apart) and a small gift....

I found a pretty little sugar bowl and magnetic pad ..... and a fat quarter of Christmas fabric....

... but I turned the sugar bowl into a mini sewing kit.....

- made a pincushion in the top and stuffed a bunch of useful stuff inside the bowl....

... and all wrapped up in the fat quarter to look like a Christmas pudding! and added a hand made ornament

.... and there was a parcel with my name on it.... 

- it's hard to get a clear picture but there are these two really fun fabrics with a mexican feel.  I do love lizards so they are just right and lovely and bright....

- also a charm and earrings - 

I'm thinking a bag?

There was another lovely pincushion gift but mine needed a little nip and tuck so I will show you after it's plastic surgery is completed......

Meanwhile, back at home I continue with Christmas decorations... these lovely little reindeer are from a pattern by Molly and Mama... 

I only recently got to know about Lauren and her very cute patterns - they are 50% off (PDF patterns) at the moment.  Have a pop by and look at her work - you won't be disappointed.

Lauren is a local Toowoomba girl and is going to be one of the guests at next years Stitchers Day out at The Quilters Angel, I'm looking forward to seeing what she designs for us.

Righto, Gotto Go.... I've still got a few more decorations to finish off (they are actually UFO's that have waited a few years!!)

Sleigh bells ringing......

Santa's sleigh swung by here yesterday...... bringing a parcel almost from the North Pole - from Carin in Sweden....  Thanks Carin.....xx

This was organised through the SSCS overseas swap organised by Chookyblue.  Such a fun swap.  Thanks Chookyblue....xx

The smaller parcel was clearly labelled that I could open it right away so of course I did and inside was the sweetest handmade Christmas stocking ornament.... I love it.  Thanks Carin,

On Sunday I met up with a few bloggers .... including my friend Susan who hand delivered a sweet little angel ornament.  Susan annually makes lovely little angels and I have been lucky enough to exchange ornies with her for a few years now....

Isn't she sweet?  Thanks Susan....xx

... of course angels are best on top of the tree...... 

I also got a non Christmas parcel from Michelle - just because and it came with another wonderful ornament.... a wee gingerbread house..... too sweet

(in the parcel is an Anni Downs card pattern and some of her lovely fabric and a cute little Christmas tree button)  Michelle knows I am an Anni fan.....  Thanks Michelle xx

... well of course the ornaments had to go on the tree, expecially now there are 2 parcels under it....

It's going to be very hard to keep these wrapped for so long!!! haha

(PS I will get a bigger tree - I love hanging up my growing collection of handmade ornaments)

On my last post I mentioned my easy peasy yummy cheese biscuits and I've had a few requests to share the recipe.......

My mum used to make these and I have always enjoyed them.  

Cheese Biscuits

2 cups crushed cheese and onion crisps (I sometimes use salt and vinegar)

100g butter

1 1/2 cups grated strong cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups flour

pinch salt, pepper, dried mustard and paprika ( I like cayenne pepper too)

Mix all together using your hands to knead the butter in.  It should be a nice softish dough.  Roll into balls and place on a baking tray.  Press down with a fork and bake at 180 for 15 minutes until golden brown.  (do watch as burnt cheese taste is not great)

And I am pleased to say I have caught up on my Splendid Sampler blocks.....

I even did the new one yesterday.....

Righto, Gotto Go..... some quilting calls and I want to get some done before it gets really hot... heatwave going on here ...

I give up......

Being 'that' time of year there are parties and this week I duly did my bit of baking...

First some yummy crunchy cheese biscuits a bit more golden than I hoped....

... then a bunch of mini cupcakes (and a few big ones to leave at home for Hubz)

Icing is easy with the squeezie bag she said (DD) ......  till the end shoots off and there is a giant bleached turd shaped mess over the cupcakes....

... so after cleaning it all up and starting again I finally got my lovely santa hat cup cakes all ready to take out to the Friday night stitching Christmas party.....

a hot night and a bump in the road ...... 

not impressed!

Several of the girls were still kind enough to eat one.....   

so should I give up on the baking?????

This week my first Christmas swap parcel arrived for the 12 days of Christmas FHFS ..... obviously it needed a tree to go under....

... it's a handmade tree.....

... but I haven't given up on catching up on the Splendid Sampler blocks and I have got another bunch done....

... there are a few more that I have done too which means I have caught up (except for bonus blocks) and ready for tomorrows new one! woohoo....

Righto, Gotto Go... the sewing room needs cleaning up after that marathon block stitching event!

Busy week.....

This week I have been busy sewing lots of stuff .. things I have been wanting to do of my own...

I finished this cute set of decorations..... 

...and put the borders on the Wild Things..... and made the binding for it....

(more stripey binding!)

I got out my little vintage Elna, which has been service and we are now playing nicely together....

Us Tuesday girls got together, all of us with our vintage sewing machines and worked on Splendid Sampler blocks....

Lyn forgot her fabric so she kindly did one of the foundation piecing blocks (not my favourite technique) for me.... hers is the one with the 0 and X 's - thanks Lyn

There is still a long way to go with catching up but I am pleased with the progress so far this week....

Righto, Gotto Go... it's officially Summer and we have warnings for a heatwave,  it's December too and that means Christmas parties so I have some baking to do ... and I want to do some more blocks aswell..... 

Quilting and Binding.....

I had a fun weekend doing some quilting...... swirls and circles for the superheroes after going around  all the applique pieces in an invisible thread.

I used a variegated grey for the swirls and it has kept the quilt soft whilst giving it a bit of texture .....

then came binding...... sewing the strips together. (I had bought half a metre and realised the stripes went between the selvages so there was a lot of ends to sew together ....

.... I get excited at getting the ends to meet perfectly on the stripe ....

...most of the time....

I have a few old thread cones and they make useful binding holders....

... do you ever get the feeling you are being watched while you work???????

I have my evening hand work ready to do now....

Righto, Gotto Go....... I want to play catch up with Splendid Sampler blocks this week.... only 32 plus behind....

It's that time of year.....

... for visits to the Post Office....

This parcel is off over the sea for the SSCS hosted by Chookyblue....

.. and this set of parcels is travelling Southwards for the FHFS hosted by Peg and Shez...

... and I have been busy making up decorations for sending to overseas family ...

I love these Ausi themed hexagons designed by Michelle....

Last weekend Hubz and I decided to work in the garden....

This was the view from front of house......

...here is work happening..... (I was providing support and encouragement and a bit of supervision)

... and by the end of the weekend Hubz had done this.  We are getting some more blocks to level out the bed and once it is planted it will be a vast improvement.....

Just goes to show what a bit of support and encouragement (and a bit of supervision) can achieve!!!

Righto, Gotto Go....  I still want to get some more ornie's done....