Christmas is getting closer!

 I can hardly wait for tomorrow as I'll be able to open three of these gorgeous parcels that arrived at my door!! the gold parcel I'll have to wait just a bit longer before I can open it.....Thanks Cheryl.
I've enjoyed sending and receiving our parcles over the last few months it's a bit sad that it has to end :( ......But maybe next year we'll be able to do a one on one swap like we talked about????

I've also been working on this Anni Downs pattern which I made in applique for our Mill Rosie bloggy meet lucky dip swap....... I've nearly finished but it wont be in time for this months OPAM list of finishes :)

Another finish....

Finally managed to put this one together using scraps from some Butterscotch and Rose fabric I had leftover from another project.....I love using up my scraps :)

Another teaser and a finish....

 This box is heading of to Maria in the Canary Islands,it contains my Christmas ornament swap item,I hope she likes the little extra I put in for her :)

And finally another finish for November.....a mug rug to go into the gift box.I still have a few more of these stitcheries traced  and ready to finish up which will be on my to-do list this week!
Also I've finally sent of (emailed) my last two assignments for uni amd I've officially finished classes for the year and I passed my final placement so that's that!! Finito,done and dusted....two years of study over with and my stitching life back in my cross hairs!!!! Bring on 2013 I say!

Teaser alert.....

 This is heading to......

 and this also is heading to.....

As well as this is heading...... of to my santa sack swap partner Cheryl in the morning :) Sorry couldn't resist teasing you a bit Cheryl,hope you like the surprises :)

MillRosie get together!

 What started out as five members last September sudeenly swelled to sixteen by our November meet up!

 Here are a few photo's I've pinched from Melody's blog as I didn't get my camera out quick enough to get many shots......Lots of fun, chatting, laughing and stitching happened on Saturday!

 We also had a lucky dip and eleven girls particpated with this months designer being a small item made from an Anni Downs pattern. This is what I made for the dip, I'm planning on making myself one as well but in as a redwork stitchery.

 These are the gorgeous handmade items I got in the lucky dip, made by the very talented Marina,Marina also included a gorgeous crocheted flower and fat 1/8th's in my parcel Mmm........does this mean now that I have a zippered pouch I don't need to attempt to make one myself???

I also made up a little something for Shez, Sharon, Christine and Melody, handmade Rum Truffles with a Christmas ornament made from a design by Michelle Ridgway, a very talented designer.
I still have more photo's of our lovely bloggy meet so will post again in another day or two with more of what we got up to :)

What are you doing next Saturday???

                        Would you like to join us for a day of fun,laughter and stitching??
                        How do you become a member of the Mill Rosie Friends??
                        "Just come along" You don't have to even have a blog to join in the fun!
Bring along some handstitching and some show and tell so we can ooohhh and aaahhh over them,an Anni Downs themed present ( small and wrapped up ) if you want to join in our lucky dip swap,money for Lunch ( or bring your own ) and a mindset for lots of fun!
If you're interested pop over to http://millrosiefriends.blogspot.com.au/ and let Melody know in the comment section that you'd like to join in the fun,all the information on how to get to Ballan etc.... is on this blog.
                                                I hope to see you there!! :) Barb.
                       

Santa sack swap update etc.....

 These two parcels are heading to Cheryl's home as of yesterday morning.....I'm hoping she likes what I've sent her! I was a bit late sending November's parcels as I was snowed under with uni assignments,I now have one back with a mark of  high distinction,one more waiting to come back marked and one to put in this Wednesday.....but wait there's more! My final two assignments are due my last week of uni which is in two weeks! Bring on the end of November I say.
So thank you Cheryl for being so understanding in my being a bit late in sending you of this months pressies......I have an extra yummy surprise included in your next parcel which will be winging it's way to you for the final post in the first week of December,plenty of time to get to you before Chrissy :)

 I'm also in a fat 1/4 swap and my partner for this swap was Arlene, I'd asked for red and white or red for my fat 1/4's and she didn't dissapoint! I haven't seen either of these fabrics and they'll go nicely with the others I've been collecting for my red and white redwork stitchery quilt.Thanks for being my partner for this months swap Arlene.I'll be off for our Mill Rose bloggy meet next Saturday and I'm sure I'll find just the right fabrics to send your way.......with a little extra for my being late again whoops! I couldn't find anything at my local spotlight for the colours Arlene had requested so decided to wait till our bloggy meet to find them.

I've been slowly and steadely stitching my way through this Rosalie Quinlan stitchery,a few minutes here and there does wonders,it's also nice to take some much needed time out from assignments and just stitch!

Friday night with friends....

 Cheryl at http://stitchingcubbyhole.blogspot.com.au/  has started up a new stitching night and last night I got my trusty crochet hook out and started working on this ripple blanket,I've been so busy with study I haven't really been working on it or much else except for bits and pieces here and there. I love how quickly this works up,not long now and it will be a finish :)

 this is how it looks rolled up......yummy! I sooooo love red and white together.

 These were found on my doorstep yesterday by my sister when she dropped by for a visit,too late to take photo's and I was soooo good and din't touch the peppermint fudge till after this photo was taken this morning and I was really,really good and gave a sliver of it to my hubby before devouring the rest MMmmmm Thanks Cheryl it went down a treat and the two pressies are safely tucked away in my santa sack unmolested,squeeszed,sniffed,poked or prodded by me :)

 This is what Heather sent me in this months fat 1/4 swap, the chocolates are long gone LOL and the fabric washed and ironed and added to my stash. Thanks for being my partner Heather I love everything that you sent to me :) I forgot to take a photo of what I sent to Heather so why don't you pop over to her blog at http://seriouslycrazy4craft.blogspot.com.au/ and have a look around,she has a lovely blog full of yummy handmade things :)

This is another project that I've been trying to finish,I started swapping these hexagons with my craft forum and only now am I making them into a table topper.I still hav the final row to sew on and I'm thinking of adding a crocheted border but will decide after it's been put together. I'm hopeing to get back into this swap next year as I will have a bit mor time to participate in a few more swaps once I've finished up with my studies this year :)