Christmas Item....

This snowman wallhanging ......

... is my 1 Christmas Item this month hosted by Narelle .....

..... it is also my Christmas gift for this month so I will be linking it to Anthea's Christmas Through The Year...

The pattern is called Snow Buddies by Natalie Bird at the Birdhouse and I think they are lovely little fat snoweys so I might need to make another for myself!!!

Thanks Anthea and Narelle for the motivation to get things made.... you are wonderful to host these ...

Righto, Gotto Go... I wouldn't mind a bit of snow... another hot humid day  - I need to go and have a look about next months Christmas makes....

Christmas Fever......

Most of my Christmas sewing has been secret stuff!!!!  

..... but I can show you this one I made for me.....

This is from a pattern in Handmade (sorry I tore the pages out so I don't know which issue) but the designer is our very own Michelle from Rag-Tag Stitchin' ....  the heart is about 8" tall and has some holly at the top and a tinkle bell on the bottom and I love the feather stitch detail.... 

I also made a bunch of mini Santa decorations....

These are little and relatively easy but fiddly and took longer than I thought to make ... foundation piecing for the main piece... the pattern was found HERE.. and there are heaps of fantastic Cross Stitch and other patterns on her site HERE - also links to load of sites - I wish I had looked there earlier

these are my Christmas items for Allie's 1 Christmas Through the Year and Narelle's 1 Christmas Item a Month.

Thanks to both Allie and Narelle for the motivation and lots of inspiration to get things done

I feel I have done lots... but I still don't feel ready for Christmas .... EEEEEEK

need some Christmassy inspiration - have a look HERE where Narelle has a page of things people have made

............ and now how about a gift for you? .................

I did love making my Doggy Quilt shown HERE.......

The pattern was from Australian Homespun and designed by Toni Alexander... she has had a few patterns in the Homespun and I have one on the todolist for next year......

Anyway... Toni has a lovely blog too over HERE... and she kindly sent me some patterns to offer as a giveaway.....

.... aren't these just awesome? .........

These make up into good size quilts and I can guarantee they are fun to make.....

So ... if you would like to go in to win one of these... just let me know via a comment on this post which you prefer (or either) and I will chat to Mr Random for 4 names in a couple of weeks ..... 

Toni has set no conditions for this giveaway - but I would really love you to visit her blog... and have a look at what she has in her shop ... drop in and say Hi, you can sign up for her FREE 2012 newsletter and get inspiration from a lovely (relatively) new Ausi designer.....  you will not be disappointed...

Thanks Toni for the patterns... love, love, love them

Christmas is coming .....

One of my special projects is making each Grandiebaby their own special unique Christmas stocking..... I love thinking up what they might like and adding special little pieces to them....

This is my latest.....

(no prizes for guessing who it is for!!)

I used an angel from Nancy Holvorsen's Angels Among Us ....

and a special daisy button for the dot on the 'i'

(I just love that background fabric)

.... ringing bells in the stars and ric-rac under the patchworked sock turn...

the little hand charm on the bottom of her skirt says 'hand made'

Lovely little Maddy is ready for Santa..... 

I make the stockings nice and big... since it is not my responsibility to fill them....

We are waiting on the next baby... so there will be another stocking to make
Today is due date... hmmmm, waiting, waiting....

I saw some lovely gift tags HERE made by Tarnyia... go look see as she explains how quick and easy it is.... and it really is... I did these ones.... thanks for the idea Tarnyia

So these are my Christmas Items for Allie's Christmas Through the Year and Narelle's 1 Christmas Item per Month...

.... I did other Christmas things......

like this .....

and this....

and posted these.....

I still had more of the 'tag' blocks but these are on felt for a different project...

I still don't feel in the slightest bit ready for Christmas though.... 

we're on the countdown... less than 2 months......

Pincushion, Patterns, lovely Post and a bit of Christmas.....

I am doing Some Kind of Wonderful in the Stitch-a-long and couldn't resist stitching this cute little pincushion

I did find the littleness of it a challenge ....

 I have taken my first step in the lovely quilt from the book and started doing a bit of needleturn - I have been learning by using freezer paper previously but thought I would go without this time.... doing the jeans first as there is lots of straight lines!!

supposed to be 'blue' jeans but the colours I chose haven't got blue - and I love the floral jeans

(they just have to be HUGE flowers if I were to have some now!!)

I photocopied pages so that I can cut templates and trace the pictures with the light box underneath ..... and wanted to keep the patterns stored ... so I was very happy to see a tip by Bobbie on keeping these nice and safe in the back of the book  ....

 Have a look HERE for Bobbies step by step instructions.....

I stitched this pretty little tag from a pattern by Michelle Ridgeway..... 

(I bought her cute little Christmas Fixin's designs book) 

rinsed out my pen marks and see what happened....

a bit disappointed... it is one of the 'good' threads.... (but at least it is not a big stitchery)

No bleeding on this design from the same booklet...

I won a prize on Allie's Christmas Through the Year last month....

the cutest little zipper purse (who doesn't love cupcakes?) with three gorgeous fat quarter Christmas fabrics and a cross stitch to make up....

I think the reindeer stitchery and the fabrics look like they were made for each other?

I've got a bit of handsewing to do....

just a peep... this is my SSCS (insert item here) for (insert name here)

which is coming along very nicely.... now to think of a Christmas decoration 

(since my redwork heart will not do!!)

How are you doing with Christmas presents? - not long to go

Jingle Bells...

When I was little itty bitty way back in those olden days.... I was very scared of loud noises (I am still!!) but thunder storms really frightened me and mum says I used to just disappear - nowhere to be found....

From October onwards humidity would build up and the most amazing storms could happen..... To try and allay my fears mum and dad would tell me Father Christmas was getting himself ready for Christmas and banging around with the parcels....

I am waiting to hear those sounds of Santa getting ready.....

However, as Santa's helper I am beginning to sort parcels too.... this year I have joined in with Chookyblue's SSCS... over the last year of blogging I have seen this event unfolding on other blogs so I was excited to join in the fun this time ....

We all have an overseas partner {mine is (insert name here)} and so I will make something special as well as add a pretty Christmas tree ornament.

I've chosen my fabrics and I am going to make a (insert item here)

you may see some of it over the coming months... but it is SECRET.... so no telling okay?

Narelle from Pins and Whiskers has been reminding us about Christmas for a while

you can add your item and leave your comment HERE 

Allie also challenged us to just have fun each month and link up HERE  .....

I have a couple of Christmassy goodies to show

I did already show off my Christmas Stitch wallhanging finish in more detail HERE

and this week I finished this Hot Pot Mat

 I find I never have enough mats to put things on in the kitchen

How are you getting on with Christmas.... only 3 months to go!!!

Get those bells jingling