Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Wishing you all health, happiness and maybe a bit of wealth

I've done my blog housekeeping - tidied up my To Do list for 2021, renamed it To Do 2022 and have a DONE in 2021.  Done the same in a notebook I keep.  I have removed the DONE patterns from the magazine holder and filed them - somehow the box is no emptier.!!! LOL

It's not even January as I type this and already my dance card is full!!!

Cyber hugs to everyone

Susan

Happy Scrappy Village - SIMS Challenge

A while back I saw a quilt hanging in Quilt Craft at Toowoomba - and being the lover of - oops 'sucker for' - houses and buildings generally - I bought the pattern.  When I showed it to my SIMS group - we all decided we "needed" to make it...and the "challenge" began.

We decided we would select 3 fabrics each and give a square to each other - the aim being that we would have a little bit of each person in our quilts.

In January this year - I can see I was working on it...and we had a self-imposed deadline to have it finished - quilted etc - by December 2021.
I made it by the skin of my teeth.  (So what's new?)

Here is mine 

I grouped the houses I made from the fabrics given to me and mine - in the middle.

From top: - Maureen, Inca, me, Sue

On our Show & Tell day - we arranged them so we could see a section of each.

All the same - but all different!

Good to tick this one off the list - 

though I have plans to add some more quilting (and a label??)

SIMS Birthday Challenges

In 2020 - our Birthday gift to each other was a kit of some type to be made up by the following Birthday.
Here are my finishes:

House Cross Stich - from Inca
Christmas Decoration - from Maureen

Cat Pincushion - From Sue

We have a similar plan for 2022 - to be finished by 2023 - it sort of sounds a long way away .  . .but it will come round very quickly!

Christmas Celebrations

Warning:

Long post - and mainly for my "record-keeping"

Loose Threads

First Saturday in December my Saturday group - Loose Threads celebrated Christmas & the end of another year of sewing & fun.

At the beginning of the year, we decided to gift each other a small bowl with three things in it. - I find it very difficult when it can be anything - give me a list and that is easy!

My gift was a small shallow bowl and I glued magnets to the bottom so it could be used as a pin tray. - some pins to go in it , one chocolate treat, some quilting pins and a scratchie.   (I forgot to take a picture!!! DUH!!!)

I received this one.  The bowl is red & green - perfect for Christmas and inside was a set of nail files to keep in my handbag, a pretty small round tin and a roll of ribbon (perfect for the baby taggies I make).

KQ Girls

First Sunday:  This is a Sunday Group I havebeen going to for years - the group has dwindled somewhat from its original inception - and we no longer have a free place to meet in.  Over the years we have been very fortunate to have had space where we can keep supplies and meet whenever - and at no cost...So, sadly this Christmas - End of Year celebration is the last one.  We may re convene in another form sometime . . who knows???

We decided to do a random fat quarter swap.  I put this one into the draw

and got this one in return....Very good for some sewing projects.  (and of course it has my initials)

There were also a few gifts:

Square tin with buttons, thread and tiny fabric squares - Pat

Tree shaped tin - thread and yo-yos - Hilda

Tree bag & Serviette holder - Bev.

Sunday Stitchers

Second Sunday was Sunday Stitchers Christmas & End of Year celebration.  This is a bigger group - so there is a lot more fun - and of course gift giving.

For a few years now, we have had a bonbon to stuff full and then share with the others -  we do a random number draw on the day.

I filled mine with this: - a Fat quarter, a treat - Baileys chocolate bonbon, a skein of thread, a decoration and a surprise (the scratchie)!

Sandi received mine.

Here is the one I received - from Alison, I love the pink fabric - it may find its way to Peyton sometime.

We also did a tea towel and spatula swap - I did a machine embroidery stitchy bit on the tea towel and added a kangaroo spatula.

I received this one from Lynda - her spatula came with a matching cookie cutter!   Very clever idea.  The tea towel is fabulous - very good quality...(but too nice to use....lol.)

And as with most groups - there were plenty of small gifts.

(sort of left to right)

Button tree - Cheryl

Small Serviette holder - Sandi , Helen & Norreen

Santa decoration - Marilyn
Lip Balm holder - De
Pin Cushion - Juanita
Owl Hand Sanitsier Holder - Anita
Knitted decoration - Maria
Choclate in a tiny box - Sandi
Fabric Star - Sue
Santa decoration - Alison
Card with a packet of machine needles - Lynda

SIMS

This is a small group that meets once a month.

This year I made pincushions from selvages and added a Needle Minder.

The bottom ones are the ones I gifted.  I made the "Wildlife Art" for myself.

And of course, there were gifts received!!!

Stocking - filled with a cute tin of candy and some chocolates from Inca
Rectangular plate, threads and fabric - sewing & Christmassy from Maureen

Buttons, square dish with a beach house, a fabric sushi roll, a Nutrimetics mirrored and a fabric star from Sue
See that rectangle of Christmassy fabric??? our "Challenge" for next year - is to make something including that piece of fabric.  It can be anything - a bag, a tea towel, a postcard, anything.  Next Christmas meeting we will do a random draw and get a surprise!

In each group, I gave everyone a 2021 Angel

That is all the groups sorted - now I need to focus on family gifts - by the time this is posted - hopefully, I will have done most of the gift shopping - but to make it a bit easier - we have all listed some options on an App called - Giftser and DD2 has some Gifting Rules - Something they need, Something they want, Something to wear and something to read.   I think it's designed to stop grandparents from getting carried away!!! LOL...who me???

It's always a rush at the end of the year - for me anyway...maybe next year I will be organised??  probably not!

Seriously looking forward to post Christmas Day and I can relax a bit.

Merry Christmas to all (again for many of you!)

Crochet Blocks - December

Only a small collection (8) for December:

FNSI - December

It is definitely getting to the end of the year.

I have officially finished work for the year - and am on leave til 10th January.

Instead of the usual quick & easy takeaway -we went out for dinner to use up a voucher and after coming home I thought I better get some of my blog up to date....So, not a lot to show for it - but at least some "housekeep\ing" is out of the ay.

I do hope everyone had a great time for FNSI

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Please take care and stay safe.

And a BIG thanks to Wendy for hosting us.

Heartstrings top finished

A group of us in Sunday Stitchers decided to work on Natalie Bird's Heartstrings quilt - and the goal was to finish the top by the December meeting.

It was a push but my top is finished.  I did change it - a bit/lot.  "Patterns are just a guide".
I made the hexie border a bit wider and then I could put blocks in the corner.  That meant that the small border as per the pattern was not really the right size - and I also found it a bit busy - for me anyway.  So I re-jigged the border - made bigger blocks than the pattern and added hearts in the corners - they are from Natalie's Red Home book - so "keeping it in the family".

I think I will also add a narrow border  . . That might be a Christmas holiday job!

And here is the group photo - too many to fit in a decent photo!

We have decided to set a goal to have them 

quilted, bound and finished by December 2022 meeting - 

that sounds easy - (well now it does.)

FNWF - December

Gosh - I keep seeing Facebook posts about the number of Mondays etc until Christmas, but once the calendar shows December I know it's close!

So much "secret stuff" happening that I don't want to show - but as usual a bit of crochet to start off with

Then into the Sewing Space.   I make an angel decoration each year for friends, family etc and the first lot are due for delivery tomorrow - so hastily finished off the last tweak for them and the lot for Sunday.
That involved some of these things.

Obviously, another last-minute job.....

I swear every year that I will start these much earlier . . 
Oh well, I work best to a deadline!

Thanks Cheryll for another year of hosting us - giving us the opportunity to share our passions with like-minded souls - and "forcing" us to do blog posts.
I have been a bit tardy on reading the other blogs this year - but aim to improve next year!  (and spend less time on Facebook!!!)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to those who are reading my blog for the last time this year.
I am sincerely hoping next year brings a gradual return to the "normal" version of our world.