Have a Happy Christmas

There's More to Christmas...
There's more, much more to Christmas
Than candle-light and cheer;
It's the spirit of sweet friendship
That brightens all the year;
It's thoughtfulness and kindness,
It's hope reborn again,
For peace, for understanding
And for goodwill to men!

Christmas Makings

Mug rugs for my two sisters.  Love those spots !!!  Individually wrapped mini melting moments and little tins containing chocolates .  And mini Cath Kidson hand creams , also with spots – just little dainty ones.

 

Christmas boxer shorts for our younger 4 Grandsons –  I make  them for the boys each year.  Harry’s were in the post before the other three had been finished, hence the separate photo.  Love the Australian Christmas fabrics – from Spotlight.  The boys wear them to bed all summer, they dont worry about it being Christmas fabrics.  .

 

Gorgeous book

Way back on 22 November, I found out I had won a giveaway – a book – from Angie at A Quilting Reader’s Garden. I received the book a couple of weeks ago, while I didnt have internet, so have been very slow in acknowledging it. I received this book,

which contains some beautiful table toppers and runners in it.
Check out this – almost good enough to eat.


Thank you so much Angie for the Giveaway.
I also received a lovely little gift from Wendy a few weeks back. I was fortunate enough to meet up with Wendy some months ago.

The colours are not quite true, they are a little more burgundy than shown here. Wendy chose the colours well for me. Just love that little scissor fob.

Kai and Charlie

Last night I was looking at this photo taken in December 2007.

Here are the same two boys in February 2011 – with the younger one on the left.

And just recently.  Again Charlie, the younger one is on the left, and Kai is on the right..

It is not surprising that so many people think they are twins.

Christmas party and Sewing day

Friday night saw the customers dressed up and anticipating a brilliant night of fun, food and good company.  We were not to be disappointed.  The team at Sew This and That were up to their usual standard of putting on a memorable Christmas Party for the customers and members of their Sewing and Embroidery Clubs.
The tables were looking very festive.

.

The contents of our beautiful bags were:

Colourful fat quarters, a “rose” fold up shopping bag – doesn’t it look beautiful. And some chocolates – which didn’t last very long.
The highlight of the night’s entertainment is the auction.  Throughout the last couple of months and again on the night, different activities, quizzes, etc are held and we can earn Auction Dollars.  On the night, there are many lots, donated by the shop and their suppliers, which we can bid on – at exorbitant prices.  3 of us combined our dollars and bid on one lot which contained 10 machine embroidery discs, 11 fat quarters and a basket.For this we paid $16000 auction dollars.  We then bid on, and won another lot which was a carry bag and rotary cutter – another $6000. 
My share of those goodies were

and the basket, which I haven’t photographed.
Today it was back to Sew This and That to sew bags and small cushions for breast cancer sufferers in the local hospitals.  It was such a wet day today, and some of the ladies stayed home, but those of us who were there still managed to produce a good number.  I think  we will have around 60 when all are completed.  We do this once or twice a year, and usually achieve twice this many.  It makes you realise how many people just in our local area are undergoing treatment.  Anita is busily packing all the completed bags, with cushion enclosed, into boxes.
                                                    
Just to tempt us, some cupcakes were being sold as a fundraiser for breast cancer.

              
Red velvet cakes with cream and the pink ribbon emblem made out of icing.  Yum !!!

Second Graduation, and maybe a squabble

 

Yesterday it was Kai’s Graduation ceremony – he has graduated from Prep.  Kai is Charlie’s older brother.

(“Oh Mum not another photo – Must I smile? Oh alright then.”)

In the meantime I think there has been a bit of a sibling spat in our house.  We are NOT talking to each other.

These two are the same age and came to live with us within a couple of months of each other.  They have always tolerated each other – I thought.  Now I am not so sure.

Graduation Day and Progress

A very special day for the young ones.

With caps  and gowns, medals and certificates,

they celebrated the end of their time as Preschoolers at Childcare.

4 year old Grandie, Charlie loves his teacher.

  One day he saw some goods being sold to raise money for an African country.  He saw a doll for sale, and had to have it, because he said it was Miss R.  She was in tears as my daughter told her the story, because of his understanding and acceptance, and that he thought of her even when not at Childcare.

Special memories, and special times.

I have now joined all the blocks of my Christmas ornament runner, apart from a little tweaking in some of the corners.  It has gone together surprisingly well considering there were 20 blocks from 20 quilters.  Now to work out some borders for it, and have it quilted before Christmas.

Bloggers meet

Beautiful location:

Gorgeous view:

Wonderful company:

Friends:

(Michelle and Maree)

( Joy and I)

Yummy food:

A very enjoyable day.

Using the Leftovers

I had a piece of this left over after making the Christmas Card Compendium.

This is what it has now become - a matching journal.

Next UFO

My weekend stitching - 3 years ago I took part in a swap of Christmas ornament blocks, and also a Christmas fabric strip swap. (these were 4 1/2 inches by approx 20 inches).  I have 20 of the ornament blocks, so put together they will make a good sized runner or wall hanging. 

The swap included quilters from USA, UK, Canada and Australia - all of us were members of a quilting forum.

I am using the strips for the sashings and cornerstones.  There should be enough for a pieced border as well.

It was a change of pace yesterday, when we went to our Son's property, which we share the caretaking of, for Hubby to do this

while I made these.  (well I did weed some gardens also).

Never forget.

So organised......

A couple of years ago at Sewing Club at Sew This and That we used some of the 1 inch grid iron on base (I dont know what it is called).  To make it up required what seemed like hundreds of 1 inch squares.  It was good for using up the little pieces of Christmas fabrics lurking in my scrap drawer.

These little squares finish up at 1/2 inch.  At least using the base made the stitching much more accurate.

 I have now finished the project I decided to make using the piece.

The class project was a Christmas stocking.  I decided that was too much cutting and sewing - after all I couldn't make just one when I have 6 grandchildren could I?  So mine became a Christmas card compendium.

Now there will be no excuse for lost addresses, no stamps, which card to choose.  It is all in one place.

I swapped ...............

This

for this

That is - this

(yes there is proof - dust on the pedal, mess behind the machine)

for this

(yes, dust on this one too, but that is because it HAS been used.)

I have just spent over 2 weeks away, mostly at my Son In Law's and Daughter's new sheep property down Lightning Ridge way (a 9 or 10 hour drive from here.)  Not a stitch of sewing has been done while there, but we did work hard, as well as spending lots of time on the quad bike exploring the property.  I hadnt been on one before then, but fortunately it is not difficult at all to drive.  Such fun.

Now it is back home, and catch up time. 

Tonight these fabrics will be cut up and a table runner will be under construction.