Christmas Spoils

This year, I joined Chookyblue's Secret Santa Christmas swap

and was lucky enough to have Denice as my partner.

She made me these cute cinnamon star cookies.

They were so beautifully packaged as a pack of cookies,

but I forgot to take a picture before putting them on the tree...

 The tree was heaving this year 

as the children wanted to put everything on!

 Denice also made me this gorgeous table topper:

In the British Quilt Secret Santa that I joined,

I got Irene who made me the most stunningly modern table mats and coasters

They go perfectly with our new decor.

 Thank you Denice and Irene!

And a wonderful parcel arrived from a dear friend in Germany.

Birgit spoilt me rotten again!!!!

Beautiful fabric:

 My absolute favourite chocolates!

(Both the Mozart Kugeln and the Mon Cherie!!! Nom nom nom!)

and treats for the kids....

 I felt very lucky indeed!

Thank you Birgit!!

On the sewing front...

There's not been much activity with the house move

and the decluttering 

and the constant tidying involved in living so open plan.

However, I have started a baby quilt for a friend...

 And I've started Bonnie's Celtic Solstice Mystery

(part 1 not even nearly completed!!! Oh dear!!)

I'm borrowing my son's computer and feeling the need to be quick

so more to follow as there were quite a few photos on my camera that I should blog...

In the meantime:

Seasons Greetings!

Two tops done and a winner

Our combined quilting effort is now a top.


Pieced entirely from scraps left over from my brother's quilt, it should make Mom a great lap quilt for when she visits us. I hope to get it basted and quilted a.s.a.p.

And here are the borders on my Double Delight....



These 2 little trick or treaters, despite being poorly, had a grand Halloween thanks to our kind neighbours and their impressive stash of chocolates...



At last, a photo of our new kitchen. Thanks DH, you did a great job!!


(Even if you don't notice when it's tidy LOL)


The winner of my 300th post giveaway chosen by a random number generator of all the comments on the last 2 posts is The Calico Cat. Please email me your address and I'll pop a 'Lucky Dip' parcel in the post for you!

Phew! One down...

... A phew! more to go LOL

I have finished my Red Berry Crush a.k.a. Bonnie's Orange Crush Mystery Quilt.


Designed By Bonnie Hunter @ Quiltville


Pieced By Moi

Quilted By Chris @ Father's Heart



Bound By Moi

Helped and kept company whilst hand stitching the binding by DS2...
(or as my mother calls him 'Dennis...' I'm sure you can guess the rest LOL)

(He wasn't fussed the binding wasn't on, he just wanted to be under it, or stroking it - too cute!)

And hopefully loved by all our guests (as it will live on the guest bed when we have a guest bedroom, where we currently have the old kitchen...)

Here's a photo of machining the binding on...



She's a big girl LOL. (She's approx. 82.5" x 94" )

Double Double Delight

Here's what I would like...

I would like to finish my 'Double Delight' Quiltville.com mystery quilt this year.

I would like to piece a backing for the above quilt. (I like pieced backings and this will make it a double-sided quilt - a double double delight!!)

I would like to use the fabrics that I won in a raffle at Birgit's Quiltfest in Schönaich, Germany at least 2 year's ago.

Last year, I cut the fabrics I won and some that complimented them into 3.5" strips (don't ask me why!!) I would like to use the 3.5" strips that I cut as they are, and not cut the strips down, but I would like to use the 'Jared Takes A Wife' pattern from Quiltville.com which uses 2" strips...

I would like to show my block of the aforementioned pattern in 3.5" strips :-)

(Another double: these blocks are now double the size of Bonnie's blocks due to making them with 3.5" strips!!)

Now, I would like to make 11 more!!

ps I would also like to go to Germany to Birgit's Quiltfest this year in September!! I therefore would like to win the lottery LOL

Delightful to be done

Not done, done, but until I think about borders, my Double Delight is done. At least now I can go away and not worry that when I come back, I'll need to work out which bit goes where etc etc...

I've had another great post week. Joyce (no blog) who won my giveaway sent me a gorgeous scarf that she had knitted to say thank you to me! Amazing! Amazing!



I wore it straight away and even got a compliment on it! I shall have to do more giveaways LOL. Joyce also made a superb ATC with some of the extra bits I threw in to her parcel.


Thanks Joyce. (No blog!)

And Vicki W sent me some 6"rose squares for my rose hexagon quilt.


I only need 4" squares, but I would never complain about those extra 2" :-)
Thanks Vicki!

I am preparing for my blog break and actually quite looking forward to it. I actually sew more when I blog less (funny that!) So although I will still check my email while we're away, I won't be blogging much. We still have some time before we're off and if I get myself organised, I may manage another post or two, if not I'll 'see' you all in a few months. I hope to bring a few African fabrics back with me, so if you fancy swapping, let me know.

In the meantime, my thoughts go out to those affected by the devastating Australian Bush fires.

Where to begin?

I have been quite busy since my last post...


I have put together a charity quilt which just needs borders. I used orphans from the 'Heart Blockswap' that I used to do with the Blockbuddy's. These heart blocks were mostly made by Rochelle, Maureen and I. The postage stamp blocks were from Kate and were swapped for fabric. Thanks again Kate.

I have also made some more cosmetic bags... Forgot to take a photo!

I tried to make a camera case for our trip. The first was too big, the second was too small....
I'll keep trying and when I have perfection, I'll show them all LOL.
When I showed DH my various attempts he said: "why don't you just buy one?'
I said: "Because you told me to 'just make one'"
"I was just kidding" he said!!!!!!!!

My "Berry Crush" is ready to go to Chris, the Longarmer on Friday. (It's been ready for a while, but I have only just started driving again.) I decided not to piece a backing as Chris had a particularily lovely backing fabric last time I was there, and I decided if it was still there, it was meant to be for me :-) Also the top is very heavily pieced and therefore very heavy in weight so I decided a pieced backing would just be a bit much (well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! LOL)
And just as I'm ready to close the Orange Crush chapter, Toni sent me a fabulous parcel this week and inside was her Orange Crush UFO!! :-D

Here's what else Toni sent me:

DS1 loved all the Halloween bits and some things have already been feretted away in his room.

And I do love getting US mags, they are so different to ours! Thanks so much Toni. (your return parcel will be on the ship shortly LOL)

I have also finally made all the blocks for my Double Delight and am now ready to assemble them!!! Yippeee!

So it's been a busy few days, but I always get a bit frenetic before I travel, so no change there then LOL

Double Trouble

This is when you realise why a WIP shouldn't become a UFO until you've sewn all the parts!

I started Bonnie's Double Delight mystery before my operation not realising I would be having my operation when I did. Now as I am starting to feel better I decided I wanted to put the blocks together before we go away or I won't know where I am in this quilt when we get back.


Needless to say, I don't know where I am LOL.

Sewing, the great stress reliever

Yesterday the hospital phoned to inform me that I had an appointment for my leg surgery next week. NEXT WEEK!!!! Last time I spoke to the lady at the waiting list office, she gave me the distinct impression that I would be lucky to have one in the next few months!

My stomach has been churning with the news. I needed some mindless sewing, so I made some more units for Bonnie's mystery. When nervous thoughts crept back in, I put a block together.



Luckily DH was playing tennis so he didn't get his fingers in LOL.


I was hoping to get this mystery pieced before I go to the hospital next week, but I have a lot to do before Thursday (like stocking the freezer, spending time with the children, planning some small handwork, calming my nerves...)

Why the surgery?
In 1997 I had a bicycle accident in Germany and broke my femur. This was pinned. Incorrectly.




After the pin was put in, I went back to see the surgeon and complained that I couldn't walk without extreme pain. He looked me over, took x-rays and then suggested we 'shorten the other leg'. Call me crazy, but I didn't think that was such a good idea! I asked for my x-rays and said I wanted a second opinion. He said I could get a second opinion, but that I could not have the x-rays.


The doctor I saw for the second opinion, referred me to the University hospital in Tuebingen, Germany. Six months later the pin was removed and corrective surgery was done on my knee to correct the angle of the leg.




18 months later this knee plate was removed and more corrective surgery was required to correct the length. Bone was taken from my hip and put into my femur to lengthen the leg.




Both corrective surgeries were the result of the first ridiculous operation.

When I went to see my second opinion doctor again after it had all been relatively corrected, I explained that I still had the plate in my hip, he said "No problem, just come in one morning, I'll take it out and you can go home in the afternoon". Call me crazy again, but no thanks! I wanted just a tiny bit of TLC with that. So I have had this plate in my hip for a while.

Had, I not had 2 children, I could easily have ignored the constant pain, the limp etc, but it's getting to the point that I fear I will struggle as a little old lady. Also, having 2 boys means Mummy should really be able to kick a football around.

So next week I go off to have the hip plate removed. Wish me luck, wish my boys luck (Granny is here for a few more days, but has only managed 4 nappies in the same amount of years LOL) and just keep on quilting!!!

A time to break down, and a time to build up

I have sewn part 1 of Bonnie's Double Delight mystery quilt, part sewn part 2 and 3 and had a sneak peak at parts 4 & 5!!

I laid them out on the floor to have a little look at how my colours would work. I pronounced "I like it"!

DH walked past. "Have a look" I said proudly...



Well, he thought there was something not quite right :-) He tried a few variations replacing the 9 patches for 4 patches etcetera etcetera etcetera... In the end, he went back to Bonnie's original design LOL, but I changed the pinky-peach for red. I guess he's just not a pinky-peach kind of guy :-)))



I did make a few teeny-tiny little fabric purchases including the brown for this quilt to make my stash work. There were only 6 FQ's of the brown 'dinky diamonds' left in the shop which was just as well as I needed a yard and a half! Unfortunately one of my sneaky purchases was the peachy-pink!!! But I shall use that on the back with the now discarded 9 patches.


Building work has resumed. Walls have come down and dust is trying to settle in every single nook and cranny in the house.



We no longer have a family bathroom downstairs.



Just as well we now have a new one upstairs.


The children did some building too...




We no longer have a gingerbread house :-)

UFO's: Ending the year how I plan to begin

I made a mini list of my most pressing UFO's (in my sidebar) and last night decided to tackle the borders of my Orange Crush mystery quilt. The border pieces were half done and just needed putting into rows. Then the plain blue inner border and the plain red outer border needed cutting and piecing.

I read the instructions where Bonnie says something like "Now for some Maths...". Uh-oh!!



Well I just decided to wing it with her measurements. (I didn't even measure my quilt to see if I was going to be lucky or not LOL). And it all fit together just fine. Whew!!! My kind of quilting!!!

Now for the back. I plan to piece the back from strips I cut ages ago.



I haven't really got a plan with the strips, I know I had a few ideas, but can't remember which one I had planned to do as I had cut these strips so long ago.... I'm sure I shall think of something. But at least I am tackling those UFO's which is a good thing as an evil temptress has informed me that Bonnie is starting a new mystery called Double Delight on New Year's Day and I just love the sound of it so.... I have pulled fabrics and am thinking I may join in if DH's sewing ban is not put into place!

And while I was sewing last night, the others were doing a puzzle...



I have said if there's a sewing ban, then there will also be a puzzle ban, a tennis ban etc etc...

On another note, I did really well this Christmas. Sharon's gift went everywhere with my Hexagon's in. I have 2 fabulous bags for my WIP's from 2008 (one from Peg and one from Sharon - Thank you both again!) I also joined in the BQL Secret Santa and got a stunning folder cover for the 'Handmade gift"



and some cool notions for my "Purchased Gift"




Our neighbours returned from their holiday in New Zealand and surprised me with some great fabric and some fun panels. My favourite fabric saying was in this picture....




"Me Quilt? No, I just collect fabric!" Umm, well, yes, I guess so LOL

Kate also kindly sent me some blocks from a swap we did together a while back and as I still had some over from when I made my scrapbuster quilt (as seen in my header) I thought I'd like her spares to try something else a bit scrappy again... (Umm, about clearing those UFO's... well, yes, someday!)



The extra pineapple blocks are pretty cute too! Thanks Kate!


Now, it's just left for me to wish everyone a Happy, Hearty, Healthy (and most importantly handcrafty) New Year!!!