HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas


Best wishes from Sue. x

Sue W- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Getting There

Not much made, but getting ready for Christmas.  Getting food, shopping for presents.  I did do a workshop day last Friday but haven't yet uploaded photos to show what I've made.  What I can show is the Secret Santa for a colleague at work for whom I bought a mug with sachet of hot chocolate and marshmallows in a set which I thought needed something else....

I actually made this before I made the one for Merrill (in my last post) in red and white which went really well with the mug.  She was pleased with her pressie and I quite enjoyed both the little mug rugs that I made, quite quick and easy.

I can now show the last postcard that I made for the birthday girl of the year, Rosemary, which I made way back in September, her birthday due very soon.

Looking back in the album of birthday swaps in the Yahoo group it appears I have a thing for birds as I've made several bird themed cards this year.

1st week of Christmas

This last week has found birthday merging into Christmas as I was receiving both birthday postcards as well as Christmas ones from the Big Christmas Swap (well it was called that but in the end there were 12 participants in this swap)  so here they are:

 The last of the birthday cards, top left clockwise, from Jane, Marian, and Jan

The first of the Christmas cards from top left clockwise again, Jane, Jacquie, Diana and Pascale.

A lovely package I received on Monday came from Merrill, my swap partner for the Christmas Stocking swap

As well as the gorgeous little stockings a desk calendar of Australian flowers and a little ceramic Scottie dog.

So here's what I sent Merrill.  To my amazement it only took a week from the local post office to get all the way to Melbourne!  Some of the post in this country takes a while to get anywhere so I was staggered when I got her email that she'd received it.

A spotty mug rug (was going to make a Christmassy one, but at least this can be used all year round)

I had a chance to use the Christmas lights fabrics that I couldn't cut into before

I'd also popped in a baking liner which is used as an applique mat, which always comes in handy for helping to stop the iron being marked with Bondaweb sticking to it.

I also joined the facebook page for the quilting swaps and there were some really lovely stockings to see there, but it is a closed group.

Better Get Ready for Christmas......

I'm sure that I'll get in the Christmas spirit soon, but not just yet.  I've got some Christmassy things done - I've finished the postcards to send out for the big Christmas swap, done and sent the Christmas stockings in the swap with Merrill on Australia (can't show that just yet, not until she's received them) and I've done the Secret Santa swap present for a work colleague for the Christmas lunch next week. December birthday presents are almost sorted (yes, people have birthdays in December!) so maybe I'm more prepared for Christmas than I thought.

David and I went to Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth Saturday afternoon/evening and saw the Christmas lights there, I took photos with my i-phone. I'm making no apologies for best bit about Christmas, the lights!

 The Spinnaker in its rainbow-y brightness

A rather lovely reindeer, but it turned out a bit fuzzy.  I also managed to get another present sorted which came in this lovely carrier bag.  Never mind the present, I'd just be happy with the carrier!!

Yesterday was a stay-at-home day.  Bit of tidying and sorting out. Bit of sewing, bit of baking (cake to take to work today). Having signed up to a Craftsy class "Traditional Blocks Made Easy" I had a go at making this, called "Anita's Arrowhead Block"

This block was trimmed to 8.5" square.  Although I'd not made up gallons of starch to soak all my fabric in I did spray the fabrics really well so that the square I started off with really stuck together well and made it easy to sew and cross cut.  Rather like the effect of this block, might keep that in mind to use up large scraps.

Before I forget, here are my Christmas postcards, one of which is on its way with the Christmas stockings to Australia

 Perhaps I am getting in the Christmas spirit after all!