Christmas has gone….

Gosh …doesn’t time fly? Well Santa has come and gone

See…..he ate the Crunchie and drank the wine and Rudolf had some of the carrot.

My son’s master piece in front of their house.

The New Year is now here and its half way thru January already!!

 

We went to WA to my son’s and daughter in law’s place for Christmas this year, and it was terrific as its been 5 years since I had Christmas with my kids and grandkids. This was the first Christmas I have had with my son and daughter in laws baby boy. He is just so adorable!! I love him to bits and it was so good to have cuddles with him.

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My daughter is due to have her baby on the 20th January and so I am off to WA again….I am hoping to get there before she has her bub and so I will be flying out on the 17th January. I can hardly wait :)

Awwww you look gorgeous Zo :)

Happy New Year everyone and I hope this year is the best for you all and the next time I post I will be able to tell you what my new grandchild is!

Hugs To All….

You might want a coffee……

It’s been a couple of weeks since I last blogged…..where does the time go?

First of all…..I am going to be a NooNoo (Nanna) again.

My daughter is expecting her third child in January and I am so excited about it. More quilts and sewing to happen once she finds out if its a boy or a girl.

 

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I have been busy doing ‘life’ things and also in the sewing department too… I have done more blocks for the Sampler BOM that a few of us are doing at Our Craft Forum 

   

I have put these ones and the other ones I have done together into a quilt layout with EQ7 so I can start to get an idea with how I am going to put them all together.

The BOM is going until October this year and we started it in February which means that is 9 blocks. Each of us who joined in the BOM gave a pattern for a block from the Quilters Cache or other places and some of us have given more than one design, so we get to choose which blocks we want to sew up for that month. I have chosen to do a couple but mostly have done just the one. Since starting the BOM, I was only going to do a 9 block quilt…but since that, I have decided to do a 12 block quilt. So that means I can go thru the block choices and do extra ones.

I know the layout above is for 16 blocks but I can change it to 12 quite easily in the program EQ7. I just click on the Layout button and change it to 3 blocks across and 4 down and I then have 12 blocks.

So simple and I can change the placement of the blocks to suit the fabrics too.

Another fun quilt I am sewing is one made up of Granny Squares. This is what I want to make with the blocks of Granny Squares.

I am going to have all white for the borders and sashing and a striped edging.  

My blocks are coming together nicely and I am really loving sewing these. Here is strips of little blocks sewn together waiting to be sewn into the block.

With all of mine I have done a yellow centre one on all of them and white ones around the outside. But there is no order for the rest of them as I love no order sometimes. Maybe the next one I do will be more co-ordinated.

Fee and Dawn were sewing these and then Dawn got me onto them as well. I love them and they are such fun to sew up and so easy. The tutorial for them can be found HERE

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After looking at the pictures again, it has got me quite keen to sew up another lot for another quilt. It’s funny how that happens isn’t it? Does that happen to you? I know when one goes away for a retreat it recharges the batteries and going to sewing groups is the same. I don’t go to any sewing groups so I get recharged from blogging and looking at everyone’s creations and the main place I get my batteries recharged is Our Craft Forum as there are quite a few like minded ladies who pop in there everyday and chat about what they are doing and it’s like sitting in a group and catching up with each other in your pj’s as most times when I am on there it’s first thing in the morning and I haven’t got dressed yet lol. Someone said that Our Craft Forum wasn’t up and running again after the time it was down for maintenance etc.

Well it is up and running and even better than before and one doesn’t have to chat their heads off if they don't want to…..they can just pop in and read all the chatter or catch up on the swaps with just a quick …. ‘I am still alive’ comment.   I always find it amusing when people spread silly rumours about things they presume are what is going on about things. Those sort of people are really only destroying themselves. Their falsehoods come back and bite them on the bum eventually. Anyway I could go on but I don't want to go into all that went on a few months ago with certain vicious people. Lowering myself to their standards just isn't me.

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I have a few things waiting to be published soon and not only with Patchwork & Stitching from Express Publications but also Down Under Quilts from Creative Living Media and with Jenny in her upcoming magazine for this month. 

I will give you all a bit of a look at what is coming.

AND….My husband Tony, has been creative also and he designed a quilt and then I sewed it and Natalie of The Quilting Bug quilted it for him.

That is being published also and he is very excited about that.

Quilters Companion magazine done a little article on Tony’s, Natalie’s and my combined efforts and that was exciting to see.

They also talked about my quilt that I designed but this one won’t be being published. Doesn’t his first ever quilt he designed look great?

So …..a few things happening here and you can bet your bottom dollar that a few more things will be happening down the track also. It’s all good.

I hope to get onto looking at everyone’s blogs very soon…I have missed you all! Told ya you might want to get a coffee…lol.

hugs to all……

A special 2011 Christmas and Beautiful friends!

I do hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and spent special happy times with your family and loved ones.

My husband and his parents and I had a lovely quiet Christmas and of course we ate way too much. Roast turkey, pork and delicious ham with lovely salads and stuffing from the turkey. Pavlova was delicious too and we all enjoyed feasting on all these lovelies.

First in the morning we had the ritual of opening the presents. Of course I was delighted with all I got and was spoilt from my husband and parents in law.

My kids spoilt me also and I am truly blessed.

I was also spoilt from some of my special friends who are a special part of my life…

I will treasure this Diary and cover, soap and hand cream from Joy …Joy also gave me some delicious chocolates…but they didn’t make the photo session. *grin* Thank you so much dear Joy and I love them all.

 Fee sent me this gorgeous little wall hanger which hangs above where I sew so I can see it always.

Plus a cute little note book and spoon rest.

Thank you sweet Fee.

From my long time online friend Barb I was delighted to be given a cushion in my favourite colours. Barb knows me well.. Thank you so much Barb…I love my soft cushion which sits on my lounge chair.

I have been wanting to make a little pin cushion for some time so that it fitted in my little sewing bag I grab on the way out the door for when I sit at the doctors or where ever while I wait for my husband while he is having his appointments and Ondrea must have tapped into my thoughts. She gave me this adorable little pin cushion with this fabulous thread catcher made from hexagons. Thanks Ondrea…I now have a pin cushion for my second sewing bag I grab on my way out the door. Ondrea is another long time online friend.

I love nice smelly soaps and this lavender one from Dawn is so beautifully scented.

Dawn made me a gorgeous little bag with the cutest of buttons

and the choccies are gone now and they were delicious! Thanks Dawn for these lovely gifts.

Thanks everyone for making my Christmas a special one.

We won’t be going to any New Years Eve party but will have a couple of quiet drinks with my husbands parents. Probably be hitting the pillow at our usual time of 11pm.

Did I tell you that Bella (my darling pup) comes and stands and looks at me intently as if to say….Well ….its bed time now…. She does this at 11pm every night. She is amazing and every day shows me how intelligent she is.

I have never had such a dog as her.

We spoilt her for her Christmas too…she got some new toys and she loves them.

Hugs to all…..