Plans for 2024

A little while back, the Needle Girls started talking about To Do lists for 2024...and the Sunday Stitchers Group is having a UFO Progress Challenge, so I have been writing things down in preparation . . . 
I already had a spreadsheet that I had created and used years ago - so have updated that - there are a number of new projects to add to anything that was left over from 2023...or 2022...or etc.
I have a few projects where there is one block a month, so when I itemise all those - the list gets very long.  (No number will be mentioned....)

THEN along comes a Chooky Zoom meeting & Deana suggests a 10 item UFO list...and even though I wasn't in the Zoom meeting at the time, I was roped in . . .
Easy I thought - I have things on the To Do List that aren't required by a specific date, I'll add them....but the "hint" was given that #3 could be EPP (none of that), #4 - a panel (I have one but it wasn't on my 2024 list), #5 a Kiwiblock or quilt (well, that is new, but one block is easy enough), #6 - Anni Downs bag from Scrub Stitchin' 2023 (mmm - I hadn't included that before...) and #8 - the free Anni Downs stitchery for 2023 Christmas (that is an extra one too).
Oh well, I'm in - I have updated my SideBar to make myself accountable.

They may not all happen, but I will give it a good shot.

It's a great idea Deana - hope I can stick with it!!

I have also started my PlannedProjects for 2024 and posted the SS UFO Progress Challenge list. #9 is the project for January.

On a side note - my eldest daughter is visiting from Townsville....she saw my collection of zippy pouches, so I showed her what was in each one.   She left the room - shook her head at her father and said "So many projects!!!".    She saw a mere fraction.....LOL.

Wish me luck!!!
(Who needs sleep????)

Christmas Get-togethers

Loose Threads

For our Loose Threads gathering, we each brought food to share - ham, chicken, salads, and pavlova.

We did a Secret Santa Swap - 3 Christmas-related items, and a Christmas-themed fat quarter.

I gave - a pair of silly sunglasses, a packet of gift tags and a packet of Christmas serviettes.

and received - a drink bell to ring (for someone to bring me a drink??), a rudolph glass and a peppermint lip balm.

Sunday Stitchers

This is a much larger group and again we all brought food to share..cold meat, salads and pudding & custard for dessert.

We have two Christmas swaps.
One was to make a Christmas-themed postcard and to wrap it in a fat eighth of Christmas fabric.

I made this one 

and matched it to this fabric

and I received this one from Anita.

It is beautifully made.

We each had an envelope, kindly decorated and provided by Anita and we had a special post box to put our envelopes in. 

Our traditional swap is to decorate and fill a bonbon.  This year we included a fat quarter, a treat, a reel of thread, a decoration, and a small zipper charm.
Mine went to Sandi

My bonbon was from De.

There were many small gifts given.

Notebook with name from Anita
Decoration from Norreen
Small tree from Sue
Bag of pens & bobbin huggers from Juanita
Red Gingerbread man from Michelle
Tiny - beautifully stitched magnetic decoration from Marilyn
Soap from Alison

Ceramic gingerbread man 
Scratchie from Cheryl.

Bag of buttons etc from Lynda

Santa decoration from De
Little house & chocolate Santa from Maria

After Dinner Mints from Sandi

Everyone is so kind with the gifts.

Needle Girls

Our present this year was to decorate and fill a Pringles tin for each person.

Here are the 5 that I received.  We all agreed De should win the prize for the best decorated -she did the nutcracker one - very clever.

This year we decided to eat out at a new tavern in Jimboomba.  The food was great - plentiful - a few took doggy bags home - and we returned to Sandi's for some sewing time and dessert.

An Aussie style Lamington Wreath.

A fun day!

SIMS

This is a group of just 4.   We went out for lunch and there were no specific swap rules.

Inca's gift was a lovely pack of rose & lychee soap and hand cream
Maureen made a sweet little lavender sachet - I'm keeping mine in a sewing cupboard.
Sue gave us a wooden magnetic needle holder

I made a scissor holder from an old wooden cotton reel and added a heat erasable pen, some static stickers, a candy cane flavoured Chupps Chup and a bag of Haigh & Koko Black chocolates from Melbourne.

I am lucky to have these groups to go to and be able to share my sewing projects, plans, hopes and fun times.  
I won't mention the encouragement to add more projects to my never-ending "To Do" Lists...You know who you are!!!

Granddaughters Quilts.

Guilty of lagging behind, dragging the chain . . . . . again . . .still . . . .

I should have had a quilt ready for GD1 (Peyton) when she turned 2 (August)...My Bad! as they say . . . and I should have had a quilt ready when her younger sister (Montana) was born (a week before GD1's birthday in August) . . again!!! My Bad!!!

Finally, both done & handed over...

GD1's Quilt 

I Spy on one side and a "map" on the other side.  I think Peyton prefers the map - but it was turned over several times when I was there...LOL

I quilted the outside of the roads, and the buildings, 

did lines for the trees and benches etc...
If only I could FMQ well.

GD2's Quilt

When GD1 was on the way - my daughter (DD2) asked for a Toy Story Quilt.  This time it was her partner's turn to choose a theme and he chose Jurassic Park Dinosaurs . . .challenging for a girl . . .
but after some online shopping DD2 found some fabrics . . I added more . . .and one thing led to another and we have double sided quilt. .  .I don't like to make things easy.

One side is mainly fabrics from Spoonflower - a couple of Spotlight ones and 2 machine embroidered blocks to show the Jurassic park logo.

The other side features an alphabet panel of dinosaurs - yes the common ones like Tyrannosaurus Rex, but a few odd ones . . .including a "Fukuisaurous".  In fact, a Fukuisaurus (meaning "Fukui (Fortunate) lizard") is a genus of herbivorous ornithopod dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous in what is now Japan.

I quilted dinosaur shapes, dinosaur feet in two sizes, 

a couple of suns and cloud shapes, 

using the embroidery machine.

I did hand these over in October and am pleased to have them both done & dusted.

FNWF - December

The last FNWF for the year !!!

I had a busy day sorting some gifts for Christmas, and writing tags.  Then dropped my husband to a Christmas party.   I stopped on the way home to get some dinner - and the heavens opened...I waited a while - but still got drenched getting back to the car.  It has helped reduce the temperature - today has been a real stinker - hot & humid.

Tonight I did a bit of crochet while watching TV 

and then sorted some fabrics for a Mystery Quilt I will be doing next year.

Wishing all FNWFers a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2024.