Swaps, swaps, swaps, swaps...

Ok, so I'm a bit mad. Last I checked I needed to send/make 4 Christmas swap parcels (as well as my giveaway parcel). This means I need to get a shake on, but all the swap effort will mean that I have a thoroughly crafty Christmas - yippeee!

Speaking of swaps, my Angel Stitcher's parcel arrived in Italy (forgive the terrible photos!):



The parcel for Cristiana included an embroidered tote bag, a large cosmetic bag, some fabric, some ric-rac...



A hand stitched heart...


And a beaded handbag charm made by my mother...


(one down, 4 to go LOL)

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!

There has been crafting...

Happy Halloween!

I managed to lightly quilt and then bind these 2 panels that Toni sent me. The long one is hanging at the front door and the smaller one over the fireplace...



Little big boys are big into crafting too especially when it's on my table in my sewing room and means that there is access to all sorts of trims etc...



But I'm very proud of the results...



I also decided to put the leftover blocks together from my 'Butterfly Blossom' quilt that I gave my brother and his wife. DH couldn't leave the layout of this lap quilt alone and so in the end we compromised and used half his idea and half mine, but here he can be seen rearranging...



I discovered a new use for selvages: row numbers for pinning!!



I also finished the borders on my Double Delight but that will go into my lottery winning wish pile for longarm quilting LOL. I am almost finished the borders on the above butterfly quilt, but this one I plan to back with fleece and quilt myself for use by my Mother when she visits as she's always complaining that it's so cold here - compared to South Africa, I guess it is :-)

My drawing is now closed and I'll announce a winner in my next post - thanks for playing!

EDIT - As I didn't give a warning, I was going to close my giveaway drawing, I'll leave it open and will draw a 'Lucky Dip' winner on the 4th of November. (Hopefully by that time my children will be well and back at school and nursery which will give me time to make up the winning parcel)

Are you feeling lucky?

This is my 300th official post (that excludes the odd deleted one LOL) so if you're feeling lucky leave a comment and introduce yourself especially if you've never done so before. Who knows you may be the recipient of my 300th post giveaway. I have decided not to show what the prize will be as it will be a sort of colour co-ordinated 'lucky dip' LOL. Let me know what colours you like and why and that's what colour the prize may be... It will be a bag of some sort like a tote bag, evening bag, sling bag etc filled like a 'lucky dip' with some quilty or crafty goodness...

Lately, I have been helping a friend with her sewing which has inspired me to be more creative in my own sewing...



So I made these pencil cases/cosmetic purses using an assortment of trims that I have been collecting for some time now. Christmas is coming (Ho Ho Ho) and I'd like it to be a crafty one. I was telling another friend that I may make her something for Christmas and she replied "Yes, I like the whole Mother Earth thing". Mother Earth!! Huh! An apron for her then!!!

I have also made a little girl's birthday present:



A gift for a new baby boy in the village:



And I have also been working on my hexagons again.

I always seem to work on them after a hospital visit or whenever I get new rose fabrics in the mail. This time it was a combination of both.

On the house front, DH got the floor up, so that we could get a new floor down (long story!) Hopefully completed kitchen pictures to follow!!



And look at the leaves around here... the seasons are changing - such a metaphor for life, eh?

This, that and t'other

I have had limited computer access as I still have not had my computer fixed, nor have I bought a new one so I am behind on keeping up with little people joining their brother at school ...

(only in the nursery that is!)

And the weather turning colder..


I didn't even manage to blog that last weekend I was kindly given a place to do a Shibori dyeing workshop which I thoroughly enjoyed...

Ode to Vicki W: my attempt at hearts! :-)

Love this one: looks like a dental x-ray...



Then Thursday we had a flying visit from my wonderful brother.


What a treat!

Thanks Bro!!

And thanks for bringing zips and buttons from Mom!


I am always on the scrounge for zips and buttons ;-)

This week I also managed: 'A gift for a poorly person':


Our dear friend and neighbour is in hospital and we are thinking of him... (Come home soon!!)

In the meantime, I made him a bag to fill with hospital essentials like water, the newspaper, sweets...


And my dear friend Vicky gave me a super kitchen present. Gorgeous red spotty mugs in a gorgeous polka dot bag.


Thanks Vicky! I'm saving the mugs until we've had our first cup of tea out of them together. (The chillis are from a friend and I made 'chilli confusion' i.e. it was meant to be chilli jam, the ingredients are, according to her husband, chutney-ish, but it's more like a sauce. However, it is YUMMY!(even if I say so myself!)

Mummy makes a present

Today my littlest boy is three years old!! Where does the time go.

The other night we had 'Postman Pat makes a present' as his bedtime story.



He said that he wanted me to make him a present for his birthday. I offered to make another cake. No, he wanted something made. (And wrapped up with a ribbon!) All hopes of making and finishing the boy's a quilt each by this birthday flew out of the renovated window so I only managed a backpack and matching wallet...




Don't look too close, it was my first attempt at a wallet without a pattern

And here's a photo of a birthday present bag that got delivered to a little friend who had his party on Saturday...

On the nose front, I have been having a few early nights as I've really felt like I have been knocked out, but I'm sure it will pass.

Good luck, bad luck, frozen peas...

The Good Luck?
I have been undeservedly spoilt again!
Not 1, but 2 random acts of kindness!

Thanks Jodi for inviting me to join the Hedgehog revolution.



Actually, in this house they are called 'Hehodge's', but that's because some people in this house are only little :-)

Thanks also to Kandy. Kandy offered to send me some bobbins, but sent me lots of other lovely things too!


Look at the size of this gorgeous Log Cabin.

I love Log Cabins, but scrappy mini ones are even cuter!

The Bad Luck?
Well that's why we needed the frozen peas! Yes, there was blood on the trampoline!!! I was playing with the boys when DS1 ran into me as I bent my head over and hit me full on the nose with his knee. I heard a crack and was suddenly gushing blood. Blood ran down my arms, covered my hands, I thought I was going to choke, I had so much blood in my mouth and throat, but I remained semi-calm. I sent him in to get daddy, held my head back, used my sock(!) to stop the flow of blood and cried and laughed at the same time!! DH said not to bother with the hospital, just lie down, put some frozen peas on the swelling and not to worry as it's not too skew LOL.



(It's not easy taking a shot of your own nose ;-)
It looks ok now, so there's no more lying down for me. I had better get cracking on my made gift for DS2's birthday!

Back to being a bag lady

I do love making bags!

I bought this pattern at the Harrogate quilt show in September so it's not been sitting around too long :-) It's a 'Melly & Me' pattern and I used some yummy green silk for the lining and added an inside pocket and a cord for your keys.

Now to try it in another colour scheme...

A little birthday blanket for baby cat

Happy birthday my super-softie!!

My biggest little boy is 5! I had hoped to finish his dog quilt, but with weddings, overnight guests, renovations, birthday parties etc etc, I just couldn't get to it. We had previously had a conversation about Mummy wanting to make him something and him wanting something shop bought. I told him Mummy had no money and he suggested I try and find some LOL. Then a few days later he comes to me and says "you can make me something or you can buy me something, but just get me something" LOL

Then last week we were driving back from swimming and he asks me for a 'little blanket for my baby cat'. I can do that! I had made a hoo-hah about wanting to make him something surely I can make a toy cat a blanket in a few days?

I sewed together some orphan scrapbuster blocks. Basted it, quilted it, bound it, wrapped it and all just in time for the big day...

I think they like it :-)

And as I yet again had tension issues with my machine while quilting this mini quilt, I am pleased I didn't tackle his single bed quilt!! Looks like I may have to bite the bullet and get my machine serviced. I have tried new needles, adjusting the bobbin tension, adjusting the needle tension, changing the thread, cleaning the bottom of my machine... Any tips for tension problems???

Giveaways

I won a giveaway! I've been so busy I forgot to blog it. Thanks Caryn - it's so cute!!




I'm inching up to 300 posts so I better get thinking what I'll be giving away in my giveaway!

T.G.I.O.

Thank Goodness It's Over!

We had the boy's combined birthday party at home yesterday. (DS1 will be 5 on Monday and DS2 will be 3 just over a week later.)

Yet again there was much baking in this house! A homemade 'Ben 10' cake. DS1 wanted a shop bought one, but when I went to buy it I was told that it was best to order them a week in advance. Unfortunately I didn't have that much time so out came the icing sugar and an attempt at 'Ghostfreak' LOL



DS2 wanted a smartie cake. I added the pigs as an extra. (It's unfortunate that pigs are pink as it made his cake look a bit girlie, but then again he is only 3!)



Not a single cupcake was left begging even with their ugly faces (and their wheat-free bases LOL)

The new kitchen came in handy...

Now I can put my feet up for another year!