Still around

Absent but not idle. So many luncheons so many school functions, Christmas shopping it all gets very busy around this time of the year.
Firstly I have to show of my very cute Christmas swap gift from Selina. I have had the parcel for a few weeks now but was reluctant to open until she had recieved my parcel. Unfortunatly my parcel still has not arrived so I am now in the process of remaking. Thank you Selina I love my little elf hanging ornament and he is now happily hanging on the tree.

My gift to Selina will hopefully be on its way again soon. Trust Australia Post???????
A beautiful card came with the little elf .

GS Ryan graduated from Pre-school this week and is very excited to be going to big school next year. Don't you love them in their cap and gowns in his certificate.

During the week I made this gift for GD Kaitlyn's teacher. I made one similar last year for her year 2 teacher and she thought her teacher this year would just love to have one too.

Another Christmas wreath for me this time. I had so much fun making the blue and silver wreath I just had to make another. I only used approximatly 70 balls this time I think the blue one had over 80 balls. I just love these.

This year at the quilting group I belong to we had a challenge. The challenge was to use a fat quarter of the blue fabric and to add up to three other fabrics and embellish with braids, buttons or whatever you wished to use. You could create anything you liked it didn't have to be quilt related so I chose to make this adorable little baby outfit. I chose the extra fabric to be white and added rick-rack and yo-yo's with buttons for my embellishing. I won viewers choice and most innovative category at our end of year Christmas dinner function last night.

I also had to make a gift for GD Kaitlyn's physicul culture teacher Tracie, so I made her a diary cover in her favourite colours of greens and purples and added a purple pen.

A small embroidered piece for Christmas is still on the go just have to sandwich the top and bind hopefully before Christmas is apon us.

Stocking charmed and finished

Another Christmas stocking is finished. I sometimes think it takes just as long to put all the charms and trims on the stocking as it does to do the stitching. This stocking is for my DH and as he likes to garden it has a garden theme.

Where has the time gone

I really feel life is passing me by too quickly. Surely last Christmas was only a few months ago!!!!
I have been fairly slack with my stitching but did manage to make this wreath for my eldest daughter. I picked up a bag full of the blue balls from a Vinnies shop recently for a few dollars and purchased the silver balls and tinsell from the Reject shop. I had seen one similar on another blog and knew I could make it. Unfortunatley it went from a circle to an oval because of the weight but Danielle thought it was wonderful so I am very pleased with my Christmas wreath. GD Kaitlyn thought Christmas decorating had to be done so last weekend we decorated. She has great fun finding all the decorations in the boxes and putting them around the house.
A few decorating photos.

We have picked our first harvest of carrots. Kaitlyn is amused by all the strange shapes and sizes. I don't think we had a normal straight carrot in the bunch.

A few weeks back we took the two Munchkins to Bondi for the day. They so enjoyed the day together. We walked around the foreshore and looked at all the "Sculptures by the Sea"

This was their favourite. Lots and lots of sand covered shoes coming down the hillside.

Swimming and board riding was the best part of their day. Kaitlyn loves the beach and helped Ryan to enjoy himself in the surf. It is so nice to see them enjoying each others company.

My Secret Stitchers Angel gifts have arrived

My parcel arrived this morning from my Secret Angel whose name is Nancy from Norway. How exciting it was to recieve the parcel.

Inside was this gorgous little dilly bag so beautifully stitched and finished off. The choice of fabrics and colour are just wonderful.

Such a clever lady is Nancy I am lucky enough to have recieved one of her newest designs. This is a machine needle folder to carry all those little packs of machine needles. What a fantastic idea as I am always trying to rattle through the box to find the correct needles.

As well as the needle folder there was a cute little scissors holder. I don't own one of these so it will be used often.


As well as these beautiful stitched gifts in my parcel was a chocolate, a little embroidery pattern with thread, a little pin tin and a tube of handcream.


How lucky have I been. Thank you Nancy I am absolutley thrilled with my gifts and will treasure them and think of my Secret Stitcher Angel each time I use these.

More craft.

October Blocks of the month completed. How cute are these two designs. I can't believe that when I started these that 10 months of the year has already passed and I have actually kept up with every block.
Ellies Quiltplace block Bunny Hill designs block

I have made myself a thread bag Teresa, I was very inspired after I saw a cute little bag on Teresa's blog All things Vintage. The fabrics used here were left overs from a jelly roll so I was glad to be able to use them up. Thanks Teresa for the inspiration.

Had to go snd see how our vegetables were progressing today in the 35 degree heat. This carrot was asking to be pulled but came out with its little friend entwined together. Could it be Mother and babe......

What have I been doing over the weekend

A free weekend....... my DH left on Friday on the annual "Camp Quality Bash" and by all reports so far they are having a great time. My Grand daughter is at her Dad's and DH is working so I have been here all alone and doing as much sewing as my heart desires or as much as my hands can cope with.

I started with making some Christmas Penny Pockets with thanks to http://www.happyzombie.com/ for a great tutorial. I thought they would be quite difficult but the instructions were very clear I then made these very cute yo-yo Chrissy decorations courtesy of http://www.polkadotpineapple.blogspot.com I really had great fun making these and am now ready for the Christmas decoration swap with Daisy Quilts but will decide which I will send when my partner in the swap is allocated.

Also inbetween stitching I have been hand basting this quilt together for a very dear friend who has unfortunatley broken her fingers on her left hand. This is a mystery quilt that she made at classes at The Seventh Day Adventist Creative Activities where I help out occassionally.

PUMPKINS.. PUMPKINS... PUMPKINS.....
I have also had a great time creating Pumpkins. There is a Halloween shop open in one of our local shopping centres but the pumpkins were very pricey so decided to try my hand at making some. We don't usually do Halloween but Kaitlyn ( GD ) loves to decorate so just a few things around does'nt hurt and she is happy so she will love my little collection of pumpkins

I love this pumpkin especially... again a great tutorial from www.polkadotpineapple.blogspot.com

She is a very talented designer and offers so many wonderful tutorials

This is actually a pumpkin pin keep so will be useful after Halloween
A great collections of pumpkins for our very small halloween decor.

Lastly for this post. On Friday I sent my "Secret Stitchers Angel Swap" parcel to Monika in Germany. I hope she likes all the goodies inside. Thanks to Helen from Hugs from Helen for organising this swap and to all the designers who created some beautiful items. I enjoyed making my gifts and am looking forward to recieving from my Secret Stitchers Angel.

Secreat Angel Swap.

A sneak peak at my Secret Angel Swap items ready to be sent of to my recipient in Germany. I hope she likes what I have made for her. My box of goodies is all ready to be posted.