Last week of 2025

Christmas is all over once again ...... and I look forward to some gentle days watching the Boxing Day test match and eating left overs!  (oh and Hot Cross Buns have hit the shelves - my favourite part of end of Christmas)

We had a lovely day, relaxing and filled with love and laughter.  Thanks to technology chatting to family in other parts of the world.

This year I did a dozen Sashiko decorations to send out......

This is the Garment Bag I made for local daughter.    Over the shoulder handle and a big zipper pocket on the outside

I joked that this was made with love for about 20 minutes, from then on it was made with scowls and swearing.... It is so much easier making a quilt!!

To be fair the pattern was great and going step by step.  It is the Garment Bag from Caroline at Sew Can She.

Zipper all the way down the front and ties to hold the coat hangers in and small handles to hang or carry

I initially started this as she had a job requiring a fair bit of travel, curve ball has arrived and suddenly she is very ill but it will wait till she can make use of it.

I have finished quilting Sylvia's Bridal Sampler.  The binding is added but still hand sewing it down to be done....

Yesterday I did the last 4 flowers for my 2025 Blackwork SAL.  Each flower is different and this was a test of endurance!!! haha

I've ordered a 35cm hoop which is what I will use to finish it off.....

Righto, Gotto Go, Christmas Day was at our house, and there is still some tidying and sorting to do.... there is always so much paper and boxes to get rid of.

Have a lovely time betwix one year and the next.... We'll catch up in 2026.

Third Week of December

I do feel more unready for Christmas than other years!  It has come up so quickly.

Fabulous mail has been landing in my post box

Some gorgeous Tilda ornaments from Michelle....

A lovely postcard from Maria,

Cute reindeer ornament from Karen,

... and a pair of Angels from Susan (an extra one specially for Debs)

I am well behind on a gift I have been making.... panels have been quilted - you can see better on the back (supposed to be gum leaf shapes)

This is the pretty fabric I am using (it's actually backing but just what I wanted)

Quilting of my Sylvia's Sampler is ongoing though I am at the last few rows....

.. and I have picked up the crochet blanket now more blue yarn arrived, it is very hot in the evenings so it's going slowly.....

Wishing everyone an amazing Christmas week..... 

Righto, Gotto Go..... another ridiculously hot day ahead..... and I need to make progress on that gift.

First week of December.....

It's really hard to believe it is already a week into December....

Hand made ornies have been received...  I haven't put my tree up this year but I so love hand made ornies so these will add to my collection...... (grinch (from Michelle) is not handmade but he makes me laugh with his patchwork bag) The angel arrived today from Susan, the others are from Tuesday sewing girls...

Today I cut up Field Journal into hexagons for self framing - I have been procrastinating doing this but want to have it all ready for next year ....

Hubz has been trying to do this 2000 piece jigsaw! Apollo the cat is never interested in lying on the table unless there is a jigsaw....

I finished commitments so put this quilt on the frame... a ribbon meander which is quick but also makes it soft and looks pretty....  I used a quite bold orange thread.....

I was given a partially made quilt pack.... the EPP had all been done (by a friend who has passed away) and most appliqued to the background.  I had 3 hearts to applique then I found sashing and borders in my stash which is why it is a bit scrappy but I'm happy with it....  Sadly there wasn't enough final border to do mitred corners which would have been nice but then I would have had to fiddle to make the lines meet properly....  Robyn's stitching was very very neat ....  This quilt is about 43" square - will be quite a nice wallhanging.  I was so pleased with finding that pink sashing which I was able to fussy cut with minimal waste ... pity there wasn't more....

I did the binding (all by machine) and now StarPop is a finish (StarPop designed by Quilty Love).  I've made it before and I will make it again....

Some of the Tuesday girls are going to do a UFO challenge next year..... number the UFO's and each month someone will draw a number... we work on that number.  I got the idea from Sunday Stitchers in Brisbane (thanks ladies).  

I'm supposed to be coordinating it but will be away till late January so my list is prepared.....

I love this notepad!

Meanwhile handwork has been doing a few more Sashiko style blocks.... 

I made white Rocky Road to take to sewing on Tuesday.....  I love this mix...

1 bar white chocolate

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 cup pistachio nuts

1 cup cranberries

Melt chocolate and pour in the rest... mix and pour into baking paper lined container to set in the fridge ...

Easy Peasy Yummy Scrummy..... though I think I will add coconut flakes too next time....

Righto, Gotto Go.... I will be taking a break from blogging but will read and comment when I can .... may even do an odd blog post too... Daughter and Grandson are looking after 'their' cat and our house - great to have them here.  One bag is packed ..... fly out very early Sunday morning.....  half past 12 early!   Means that we leave on the 10th, fly 24 hours and land on the 10th....

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas break... xx

3rd week of November

This week I have made progress on my Table runner embroidery.....

Slow but steady...

On Tuesday one of the girls walked us through making folded stars ..... these are the ones I made...

The next day I wanted to do a couple of Tilda ones... so my cluster grew....

Then I couldn't resist one more......

It just happens it's little.... but took twice as long!!!

If I keep going there can be a constellation.... or even a galaxy....

Righto, Gotto Go.... stinking hot so I'll go and hide ....

Have a lovely lovely weekend.....xx

Finishing Up The Year ....

Amongst my tidy up/sorting for the year I found I hadn't posted a few things this year.

This top is recently made and all out of the scrap bins.

I'm really happy with it and most likely will do something like this again.... great for using up lots of those smaller pieces... 

I didn't get as far as I had hoped with Civil War Bride this year - I had hoped to have all these blocks done and be starting on the borders....

I made Pop Star with friends this year using a Tilda fat quarter pack I had with some background and shadow fabric...

In fact there was enough fabric to make 2!  These two tops are waiting to be finished!

Sunday Stitchers kindly invited me to join them in a sweet little foundation pieced project.  People made a bunch of the same 'friend', wrote the name and then they got shared out.  I have put my circle together but still undecided as to what to make with them....

Over the last few weeks I have done a few more Field Journal blocks.....

I have a plan now for the shirt quilts (shirts given to me in UK pre-owned by son and daughter in law to make quilts for their 2 daughters)

I will make one in this broken dishes block...

and the other in square in a square block (maybe there is a formal name for it)  There is a mix of colours so each block will be different...

These are the decorations I made this year - I made 20 altogether ....

Today sewing with friends I hand sewed down the binding for this Granny Square quilt.  I used a French General range Jelly Roll and some plain solid....

The top was made in 2019 and so it's been waiting in the quilting queue for a while....

Close up of the quilting I did....

Grey Toile backing ..... just right...

I have updated my pages, and done some counting.  This last year I really wanted to make progress on my too long list of UFO's which included a number of quilt tops that needed quilting..... 

Pleased to say I got 21 quilts done... many of the tops had been done previously but there were a few new ones this year.    These are shown HERE on this page if you are interested.....

Righto, Gotto Go.... still sorting the UFO's to make  my list for next year..... I pretend it helps to keep me on track!

Wishing you all the best for 2023 .....