Done & dusted!

Finally added the children's name tags to their Christmas stockings, roll on Monday when we start to hand them out before we finish up for the year......another tick on my to-do list not much left on it now :)

Stockings finished!

this weekend saw me sewing like a mad woman to get these 19 stockings over the finish line.....mission accomplished! phew!!!  now I just need to finish stitching the name tags, attach them with a hanging loop and then I'll be able to wrap them and hand them out the last week of work.
 I only needed to make 16 stockings but I had enough lining fabric to make an extra three so thought what the heck another three wont make much difference to the scheme of things lol.....I think I'm a glutton for punishment but this stocking tutorial I found makes them so easy to whip up I'm thinking of enlarging the pattern and making one with a stitchery design on it, what do you think am I crazy or what to even consider making one more stocking??? :)
Edited to add the tutorial link as a few have requested where I sourced the pattern from: http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/2010/12/easy-stocking-tutorial-today.html

FNWF.... the results of hard labour!

 Friday night saw me cutting out and making up one of these stockings, still need to hand sew on the ric rac and name tag but I wanted to get an idea of the size before I.......

 cut out 18 more as well as......

 18 linings....... so this is what I did with my time last night now for some time at the machine today and tomorrow and hopefully these other 18 will look like the first and be that much closer to being finished :)

 I also had a coffee break to refuel and opened up the parcel Cheryll sent me and was gobsmacked by these lovely individualised drink coasters if you look closely she's personalised every one of them! Thanks Cheryll I love them but most of all I love your kindness and thoughtfulness XXXX

 Also arriving at my door stop was a couple of swap parcels, this gorgeous paper pieced stocking is from Carol in Cheryll's Santa Sack Swap......wasn't I spoilt but wait it's also full of pressies but I can't open them till Cheryll says we can :)

 Here's a close up of Carol's stitching aren't the stitches soooooo tiny! I love it Carol, the colours are just sooooo me! :)

Another swap parcel also landed this week from Leanne my partner in Mrs Martin's Celebrate swap, don't you just love the felt bell ornament. Thanks for being my partner for this swap Leanne it's been great fun exchanging parcels with you throughout the year :)
Now to get cracking and finish those stockings, maybe a coffee or two thrown in as well. Don't forget to check out the other girls who joined me stitching last night at http://stitchingcubbyhole.blogspot.com/ and see what they got up to on their crafting night :)

Christmas.....it's getting closer!

 The trees been decorated......in traditional red, white and green with a touch of gold

 The sideboard decorated for Christmas......in pink :)

the crystal cabinet has also been decorated and a mini wall hanging hung above it.....it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas at my house, how about your home?? :)

OPAM finishes for November.....

Here are a few pictures of things I've managed to finish for OPAM for this month.....

 Red Brolly Christmas table runner for our Mill Rosie lucky dip swap.....

 X4 "Rudolph" hexie candle mats......

 Hemmed X 2 Christmas table cloths ready for Christmas dinner with the children at the centre I work at.......

Mini wall hanging made for Shez for our one on one swap for November.....

I've also made quite a few other things but as they're for swaps I can't show a picture of these till after Christmas so I wont add them to my November tally :) It's certainly been a busy month for me.....so a grand total of 8 finishes for November!

Mill Rosie gifts from friends.....

 This is what I received from Shez for Christmas, a bottle of white wine which I'm saving to have on Christmas day with my hubby on our picnic, a yummy jar of vanilla & peach jam and relish both made by the lovely and talented hands of Shez. I also received a lovely snowman tea light candle. I can't wait to start decorating my house for Christmas this weekend :) Thanks Shez I love everything you've given me :)

 But wait there's more, Christine spoilt me with this gorgeous sewing pouch and let me tell you it's already being put to good use with my current stitching project, Thanks Christine.....I just don't know how you guessed how much I love red and white together when you decided to use this colour scheme for my gift lol :)

 Sharon also spoilt me with a lovely Christmas coffee cup, gooey marshmallow treats and a gorgeous ironing board organizer I'd love to show you it in action on my board but I think I need to make myself a new cover before that will happen lol. Thanks Sharon I love them all :)

 Melody also gave me a beautiful Chrissy gift, a pretty handmade Christmas bag, a Christmas fat 1/8th, antique buttons and a Santa lolly pop which I have to admit didn't last very long. Thanks Mel I've certainly been very spoilt this Christmas and Christmas hasn't even arrived yet :)

 This is a pretty display Melody made up of the gifts I made up for her, Sez, Chritine and Sharon. I forgot to take a group photo shot so I hope she doesn't mind me pinching her picture from her blog :)
All the girls received a "Rudolph" hexie candle mat, a scented candle and some peppermint bark I made and put into a tin bucket as I know they like the tins but I'll try and remember to buy an extra one for Mel's grandson for next year as I hear he loves Mel's and keeps taking them home lol.....

Here is a picture I did take of all four of the "Rudolph" hexie candle mats all together before wrapping them up :)
I'll try and do another post soon with all the makes I've finished for this month but some I can't show photo's of yet as they're swap gifts and I'd hate to spoil the surprise for the recipients :) Barb.

I'm still here.....

 I'm still here I've just been a bit unwell for the past few days so have been a bit silent on the blog front and very late with posting photo's of all I've been up to :(
This is a picture of the girls at my table for the Christmas gathering I attended with my sister Anne, we were lucky enough to have Gail Pan happy to take a photo with us all :)
At the back from left to right is Claire, Sharon, Anne, Vicki, Mel and in the front from left to right is Shez, Ondrea, Gail and myself. The day was filled with lots of chatting, laughter and I have to admit not too much sewing on my part lol.

 Then onto the Mill Rosie gathering the following Saturday and these handmade biscuits are what I decided to make for all that were gathered there for our Christmas breakup :)

 I also took a box full of goodies and played Santa and handed out a few bags of pressies while I was there but I'll post a reveal photo later of what was in each of the bags when I can pinch a few of the recipients blogs as I forgot to take one individually before I wrapped them and handed them out....

 Here they are all ready to give to Sharon, Shez, Mel and Christine.....

 A few photo's of the day......

 Tracee from Quilt kitty came all the from Perth to visit us and it was soooo lovely to finally meet her in person :)

 This is the item I made for our Red Brolly red & white swap, I already have orders for a couple more of these to be made up and of course I just have to make one for myself.....It nearly didn't make it into the swap I loved how it turned out and nearly left it behind accidentally lol....

 And this is who got my runner, I think she looks pretty happy with it???

 This is what I came home with from Tracee herself......I just love red & white together and anything Christmas so it's very welcome at my house and already hanging on my mini frame :)

 Shez and I are involved in a craft forum and Shez was to send to me and this is the gorgeous Christmas tree door stop that she made for me and I LOVE IT!!! Thanks Shez I was very spoilt by you in this swap :)

 Shez and I also do a one on one swap at each Mill Rosie get together and this is what Shez made for me, aren't they just delightful! But wait......there's more....

 See I told you I was spoilt, I'm going to look for a Christmas tree that these can be hung on and any other ones I get from friends or in swaps....thanks for the idea Cheryl :)

I had to pinch this photo from Shez's blog of what I gave her in our swap as in my haste to get everything ready I forgot to take a photo before I wrapped them and gave them to her DUH!
I'll be back later with photo's of the gifts I gave to the founding members of the Mill Rosie group when I can as well as what they each gave to me, I'm a bit tired now so I'm off for a cuppa :)

FNSI

Just a quick post to show you what I was working on Friday night and part of Saturday I'll post again tonight after the family BBQ about yesterday at Mill Rosie and also about the Christmas gathering this week has just been a blur for me :)

Look where I'm heading off to today!!!

I'm off to this lovely gathering hosted by the equally lovely Leanne Beasley & Gail Pan with my sister Anne to meet up with lots of other fellow bloggers and friends for a day full of Christmas fun, activities and maybe a surprise or two OH MY! :)
Wooooo Hooooo it's finally here!

FNWF, Celebrate swap and secret stitching OH MY!

 Last night saw me stitching up a few more squares for my gelato blanket which has been sadly neglected with all my secret sewing I've been working on lately....Just had a quick look and I haven't done a thing with this blanket since July tsk, tsk, tsk......Must get a hustle on!

 I also did a few more rows on this, I've nearly finished the last ball and will have my first finish for November hopefully by the end of this weekend wooo hooo....

 This is the gorgeous block that Leanne sent to me in the "Let's Celebrate" swap we're in, my favourite colour combination of red and white :) Leanne also sent me the leftover red to use to finish the block of with as well as some beautiful Christmas ribbons. Thanks Leanne I love it all!!

 Remember I showed you a sneaky peak with a prettily wrapped pink parcel well these two blocks were hiding in it as well as some fabric etc... but I forgot to take a photo of them all together, maybe Leanne will on her blog, at http://lizzie-the-quilter.blogspot.com/ like Leanne I also sent her the remainder of the fabric I used in constructing her blocks and used it to wrap her blocks up with it with the same thinking that she could use it to finish her blocks of with it. Leanne's got back to me to say she loves her blocks so a big PHEW! here and wiping sweat of my brow lol......now onto the next section of our swap :)

Friday night found me finishing off the last of these stitcheries in preparation for my Christmas giving, wish me luck I now have 16 .......... to cut out and sew up before Christmas, so my Friday was a very productive one for me :)