Thank you Jo ... and Maisy Mouse

I would like to send the biggest thank you to Jo at Sparkly Green Knickers! I won Jo's birthday giveaway of a basket in my colour choice. And I just love it! It has been in use from the day it arrived. Love it.

Jo filled the basket with all these extras, fabric and mostly op shop finds. How lucky am I. There is just so much goodness here, and zips for me to try out using too!

And also a thank you for Maisy Mouse who kept Maya entertained for 40 minutes while I finished off 12 more pinwheels yesterday evening. It's big pressure time at the moment while I finish of the last of the reporting for another multi-national. Only 2 more working days to go, and I am on leave from the "real job". Phew.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year! All the best Bloggers for 2009 xx

My SSCS Santa is ... May Britt!

When the package arrived from my Santa, I hid it between 2 UFO's knowing I wouldn't be working on those before Christmas. Matt saw me and thought I had gone mad, hiding the mail between quilts!


I just didn't want to "accidently" find out who it was from, but lucky me, it was from May Britt from Abyquilt in Norway! There was this beautiful wallhanging that my photo does not do justice to. I love the fabric and beautiful stitching.


And all the extra's, a sweet Tilda stitchery "love to sew" that I have never seen before. Tilda is so hard to find in Australia. Also a postcard, buttons with Christmas cutouts, gorgeous chocolate and a pattern for "The Real Santa". This will be one of my applique projects this year.

Thank you so much May Britt. I love it all and appreciate all your time and skills. Thanks too Chookyblue for all the organising on this one. It has been wonderful.

My package arrived too at Marica's in Sweden amd pic's are up on Marica's blog.

We had a lovely Christmas, and the kids santa sacks are full. There is a big new trampoline in the yard and lots of leftovers in the fridge. No cooking tonight - yay!

Joy ..

Merry Christmas from the monkeys to you xx


Wishing you a Season filled with joy

Chop chop..

This weekend, after a trip to see a Wiggles show with the kids at the cinema, and a visit to Santa for photos, my whole fabric stash was tipped on the floor.

I have a 20 litre tub of fabric. Yes there are other little stashes around the house but this is the bulk of it. I really am a scrap quilter so to see anything as large as a fat quarter is really a bit of a challenge. Any pieces of fabric less than an inch wide was thrown out - so hard!

I had a bit of a talk to myself about how I had bought/swapped this fabric to be cut up and used, not stashed, so chop chop. More pinwheels.


For the Butterfly Collector Quilt borders. I have made 53 pinwheels now, so nearly half way!

slowly, slowly stitching

It's end of quarter report writing time at the "real job" so not much craftiness going on. Lots of extra hours to do. Did someone say it was nearly Christmas too? And school holidays. Goodness!

I've finished the first 3 blocks of Rosalie Quinlans Patchwork Village using a blue thread, dmc 334. Maya has also made some very cute glitter covered pine cones at creche.

And the biggest Thank You to Renee who awarded me the Kreativ Blogger Award. I'm thinking of all my 7 responses .... Renee has also stitched some Russian nesting dolls as Christmas gifts too from my pattern. Cute!

Goodies ...

I just love Katy's baby quilt that she has made, so took a visit to Saffron Craig's site. Saffron has an offer of a free fat quarter when you sign up on her mailing list, and this cute, cute fat quarter arrived today. I'm thinking of making a little table runner with this one.

And Kane lost his first tooth too!

Gumboot Chic ...

I've made Maya's dress. Lined with red polka dots, 8 buttons up the back, a bow that ties at the front or the back. I don't care if it looks homemade!

She can catch bugs in it ...

and it's even good with gumboots!

Kane was a very good sheep at the nativity play on Friday and Callum did manage to stay awake and sing their song during the service. It was a bit close though, very tired Grade 2's but oh, their teachers must really enjoy being with these kids to organise a school sleepover on the second last day of school. Good on them!

Ayden had a farewell year 9 barbecue on Friday and all the learning mentors cooked the kids breakfast. They have been looking after these kids between years 7 and 9. A few teachers upset as the kids go off to the senior school from the middle school. Not Ayden's!

The kids received lovely presents from their teachers. Callum's teacher had all the kids pose in a very casual "footy pose" and had the photo made up into magnets for all the kids, along with some other bits and pieces. Kane came home with a kit to make rubber bouncy balls - perfect for him. Fantastic teachers this year.

Not a single Christmas card written yet ...

Hooray!

While the sewing machine has been away, I made some very tragic sheep ears for Kane for the Nativity play, as modelled by Maya. I hope she doesn't realise that there is one of her hair bands under the batting...

And worked on my stitchery.

But can you believe it .... my sewing machine is back! Somehow it wasn't too bad and was quickly fixed and I was only charged half price. I feel so much better. Hooray!

Callum and Kane finish school tomorrow. Kane's last day of being a preppie. Tonight Callum and all of the Grade 2's are having a sleepover at school as a treat for being good kids all year. Very brave teachers, but we all have to pick up the kids at 7.30 am and then get them back at school by 8.30 am. They need to be sparky, presentable and awake for the Church service. Ha!

My machine has left home ...

My sewing machine is not very happy. The stitches are a bit funny and cleaning it and changing the needle just isn't enough. Last year it broke down just after Christmas when all the repair places were closed and, sniff, at the start of my annual 4 week holiday.

So it's off for a service and my fingers are crossed.

It's a shame I forgot about Kane's sheep costume for the Nativity play on Friday though!

After reading Lesley's blog, I've dragged out the pattern and fabric I bought last year at the sales to make Maya a summer dress. This is on the soon- to-do list now too.

Ayden is the poorest thing. I think he has eaten his own body weight in yoghurt and pureed fruit. We were warned that his bite was "difficult" and he now can't close his back teeth and his front teeth rest on the braces brackets. I'm glad they are finally on but he isn't - yet.

The Lions and Santa in the Fire Truck - take 2

Last night the Lions were finished from Lynette Andersons Noah's Ark block of the month. Another really sweet to stitch design and I just love the whimsical blue birds on the lions backs. This block will be finished 4" by 2" to give an idea of the size. Tiny!

Another Santa arrived in a different Fire Truck on Saturday for Maya's creche Christmas picnic. Maya was even nearly brave enough to accept her present from Santa, but not quite.

Tomorrow, after 2 years of review at the orthadontist, Ayden has finally grown his 12 year old molars (at 15!) and is getting his braces fitted. I'm nervous for him.. and he is such a healthy fresh food eater that I have no idea what he will eat. Don't ask what I eat... (EDIT - sorry - I have braces too)

Starting stitching Rosalie Quinlan's new design "Little Patchwork Village" tonight x

The first Santa of the Season ..

The kids had their annual junior school fundraiser today, all encouraged to hold a stall to earn money to sponsor 2 overseas children.

Santa arrived in the Australian traditional fire truck and tossed lollies to the kids. The first Santa event of the season - 2 more before lunch tomorrow.

Kane bought himself a succulent plant for $1 to add to the kids collection. Pretty pleased with himself. There was the jumping castle, sausage sizzle and stalls everywhere! Perfect day for it today.



And I have finished the first block in redwork from the Red Delicious block of the month. Something a bit different for me. Esther has shown the block in applique but it is suitable for redwork too.

In print....

Hooray, Homespun 9.12 the Kids Special is out! I promise to keep quiet now...


Projects here too by Leslie at Onegirl, Tiel at tsk tsk, Fiona at Hop Skip Jump, Claire from Matching Pegs

Big Thank You's!

I would like to say a huge thank you to two very generous bloggers, Lisa and Martine.


Martine in Frace offered to send me a postcard as a thank you for her Russian Doll stitchery pattern and sent along with the postcard these stunning Christmas stars. Martine's mother has crochet these for the four wise monkeys to hang on our Christmas tree. Just beautiful.

And Lisa offered to send me a Matrushka Doll as a thank you for the pattern. How could I say no! So cute and in colours that I would have picked myself. Thank you so, so much Martine and Lisa x

I haven't managed to get much finished this week. Work is frantic heading towards International Volunteers Day on Friday 5 December.

Maya and I did sneak off to the Ballarat Patchwork Sale to pick up a few bits and pieces to help finish off the "Sunshine in your Pocket" quilt. I have a nice 1930's stash happening and I am pretty happy with this pink spot for the borders and sashings.