MERRY CHRISTMAS and THANK YOU SSCS 2008

Good Morning and Christmas Blessings to you and your families...

WOW - opened my SSCS 2008 package this morning from the USA - from the bottom of my heart - thank you BETH - go here to check out her blog...

I am SO glad that I kept my fingers away from opening the package before Christmas Day... my package was filled with such delicious goodies... a beautiful tote bag (lovely PINK fabrics, devine hand stitching panel - how do people stitch that little?? and beautiful sewing); cat emery board; cat tissues; cute cat gift card (looks like Licorice); gorgeous gift cards (much to nice to use will frame and place in my sewing rooms!); BEAUTIFUL fabrics (so spoilt), a great pattern to make a skrappysak; reel of cotton, and a cute key ring.

I LOVE IT ALL - thank you so much again Beth for your kindness and generosity xox.

Thank you again to Super Elf Donna for organsing such a fantastic Christmas Swap.

Christmas Blessings to you all in blog land - and look forward to reading your christmas new over the next few days.

Big Hugs

A little bit of Christmas...

from my home to yours...

DD Kait insisted that this year our Christmas tree was 'themed' and silver decorations it had to be... I haven't admitted out loud to her... though I have to agree it does look rather cute!

Yesterday, I went and brought a 60cm tree to place on the table in our entrance way - and have placed my santa's and snowmen decorations on that... I can now how the number of christmas trees in your home grows - so each tree can be themed...

These so cute Santa's were lovingly made by MumS and live at my home :)

I'm off now to clean the house, and get preparations underway for tomorrow...

Wishing you and your families a wonderful christmas and look forward to reading your blogs on Boxing day ...

Merry Christmas Hugs

"Tatty Teddy" Quilt for Junior Witch update...

I don't think I've posted any photo's of the stitcheries I am doing for Junior Witch's quilt - there are 3 more stitcheries to go... Jnr Witch wants to keep the quilt simple and not busy - she has given me strict instructions, so one must be obeyed if you don't want a spell placed upon your sewing machine LOL...

The stitcheries are looking so cute... and are fun and quick to stitch...

Hugs

My mother-in-law is just the best...

I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful mother in law - I lovingly refer to her as MumS... she has a heart of gold, and is always there for me, I love her to bits xox

I came home the other day to a surprise package - it was labelled "this is not a christmas present... though sending you christmas love" I opened the package and it is just lovely, a christmas bag filled with goodies ...

Thank you so much MumS - so looking forward to sharing Christmas with you...

winfabric.com - new website link

A great new online store, WINFABRIC.COM is giving away two yards of FREE FABRIC every week beginning January 2, 2009. Simply visit the site at http: //www.winfabric.com and enter the drawing. You could be the first winner! Plus, in addition to great fabrics at the best prices-5% off all purchases will be donated to charity.

Here is a Chris' blog http://www.winfabric.blogspot.com/ which is also a great read.

BFF Gold Card...

I have been a little slow in adding my newest award to my blog...


Susan from Hanging on by a Needle and Thread awarded me this Blogging Friends Forever Award.

The rules are as follows:

1. 5 people are allowed to receive this award
2. 4 dedicated followers
3. 1 new follower to your blog who lives in another part of the world
4. Please link back to the person who gave you this award.

I will give this award to the following lovely ladies, who often place words of encouragement, and kind thoughts on my blog...

Lisa @ Spoonful of Sugar

Deb @ The Angel & The Pukeho

Loulee @ ManxGirl

Peg @ Happy in Quilting

and a newcomer to my blog ...

The Quilt Buddy, from the USA

Thank you Susan for this lovely award - it is such a buzz to receive these awards, and to realise how far around the world our quilting friendships have spread...

Big Hugs

A little bit of crafting...

I've recently got into the groove of making these fab bead and thread scissor tassles... they are fun and quick to make, and a lovely small something to add to the christmas cards...

I've also been stitching up a storm trying to complete the tatty teddy stitcheries so I can then start piecing the top of Junior Witches quilt... have taken pxts and sent them to Jnr Witch to show progress, though realised I haven't taken any photo's - so will do that tomorrow and place on my blog then... the stitcheries are looking rather cute :)

Hugs

DH's new artwork...

All he wants for Christmas...
... is a new tattoo...

Art of a different kind, though in a way a form of quilting - needle, free motion... just ink instead of thread, and skin instead of fabric !!

Here are a few pic's - first up is Roger and Chris with Chris' quilt inspired by the dragon (Roger's logo)...


Then a few pic's during the two hour process...

Roger gave me a photocopy of the drawing (stencil) he made of the gecko that was tattoo'd onto Chris' arm - so I am going to give this a go to freehand machine quilt - will post a pic at a later day at my attempt :)

Hugs

At Rainbow Bridge... inspired by a Norse legend

I received a lovely card from our Vet's today to acknowledge the peaceful passing of my old clonky cat Holly last Saturday. It has been one of the hardest decisions that I've ever had to make, dear Holly was 14 years old in August - she had been getting skinnier, a little more odd in her behaviours, and in search of water constantly, and I made the huge decision to make the visit to the vets. Holly is now home at peace in the garden, by the clothes line where she loved to sleep under the ferns in the bush in the sun. Beck's and I placed paua shells in a cross ontop of her grave... I cried and cried most of Saturday, and I miss her terribly, however I know she is with Amber in pet heaven and they will look after one another.

Here is the loveliest verse that was on the card...

By the edge of a wood, at the foot of a hill,

is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.

Where the friends of man and woman do run,

when their time on earth is over and done.

For there, between this world and the next,

is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.

On this golden land, they wait and they play,

till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,

for here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.

Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,

their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They rompt through the grass, without even a care,

until one day they start, and sniff at the air.

All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,

then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;

Together again, both person and pet.

So they run to each other, these friends from long past,

the time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they fet while they were apart,

has turned into joy once more in each heart.

They embrace with a love that will last forever,

and then, side-by-side,

they cross over ... together.

Bless you...

Baby still has no name...

Our friends wee baby boy born on 8th December still has no name :(

I had said no photo's of baby until he had been given his quilt - though I can't give the quilt until I have a name... and I just KNEW you'd be wanting to see a pic of the wee boy. Just TOO cute...

We are going to visit on Sunday - with the quilt stowed in the car (with pigma pen so can complete the label LOL) just in case a name has been decided (fingers and toes are crossed)...

Hugs

Last stitch has been stitched in the nick of time...

Our friends baby has arrived today ... baby boy... 5 pound 5 oz's ... no name as yet - though I'm channelling "Hunter" into their thoughts :) Mum and Bub are doing well, Dad is exhausted!!

And the last stitch went into the baby quilt binding at 10.15pm tonight - label is nearly complete - have named the quilt "Star Light Star Bright" - now just waiting for the baby's name so can add that to the label...

Next photo of quilt for the blog will be with new baby in picture frame... ah another round of patience required for...

Can't wait to give the new mum a hug and have my first cuddle of baby, new dad will get a slap on the back for a job well done LOL

Baby Quilt update...

Have worked over the last two days trying to get the baby quilt finished - the mum & dad to be are having a C-section tomorrow - so I'll have wonderful news soon...

Well yesterday lunchtime I was still blanket stitching around the dragonflies on the top, and had yet to sandwich, and pin, which am pleased to say had completed and well into the quilting last night - after unpicking the large stippling as it looked all wrong for this quilt. I did a little more quilting this morning, then took Beck's and her friend up to Harcourt Park, while they were there I went and visited Yvonne at Sawmillers Quiltery - shopped a little (well how can one resist), had a cuppa with Yvonne while cutting threads off the quilt ready for the final quilting when got home late this afternoon...

So the quilting was all finished by 9.30pm tonight - don't the dragonflies look so cute now, and then it was sorting out fabric for the binding, cut, stitch, iron and sew onto the quilt - yeah all done by 10.30pm - ready for handstitching tomorrow night - phew!! Another UFO can now be taken off the to-do-list...

Oops nearly forgot - haven't done a label yet - mind I haven't thought of a name for this quilt yet - I keep thinking of ... Starlight Starbright... hmm not sure...

First off ....

Some pictures from the garden... I'm quite the lazy gardener with a few lovely roses in pots that often get neglected or over-loved, and the rest of the gardens have been planted in very low maintenance plants...

This yellow rose the girls gave me for mother's day, I already nearly killed it by over watering - eek - though after realising I was relishing too much love on it - held back the watering and its finally come away again - phew...


Cute little caterpillar crawling up the mis-happen table that holds the washing basket and pegs...

Jazz (Kaitlyn's cat) being silly...

This lovely rose, my wonderful Mum-in-law (MumS) gave me not long after we moved into the house...

And look who are FEASTING on my rose buds !!!

Any suggestions on a non-toxic spray that will encourage the 'little buggers' to leave my roses alone?? In the past I've just left them to it hoping the birds and bigger bugs would take care of getting rid of them - much to the detriment of the poor roses, so this year I'm going to 'love' my roses and take better care of them... my sister (junior witch) said they love chopped up banana skins sprinkled around their base - so I've got the kids saving the skins for chopping...

What about this amazing cloud formation from this afternoon - looks so luscious and fluffy...

Righto - next post will be some stitching progress...