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!)

Highfields Retreat

The Qld Covid gods were smiling the last weekend of August and we were able to have our Sunday Stitchers Highfields Retreat.

We had 14 people gathered and started sewing sometime Friday afternoon and went until Sunday night.

I had a few things planned and was able to achieve all of it.

First up was to make a collection of left over bits into a quilt top.  
This is the result of 2 main quilts I made many years ago (in  2011) - plus one more that is "just sitting".  I made that one in 2020.
It's not very big (30" x 42")
If I find something I can add to it I might do that - else I may keep it to finish off as a doll quilt for Miss Adorable Grand Daughter.

I had reserved Saturday for a "Volunteer Leave" day.  My employer gives us 2 days a year that we can do volunteer work - what better way for me to use a day of it than sewing??
This year I made placemats to give to Meals on Wheels - yes more than 7 hours of work and I'm very grateful to Norreen for finishing the bindings for me.

They carried over into Sunday as we made our Secret Project on Saturday afternoon.

Directions and instructions were kindly passed on by Marilyn.

This is mine (it looks a bit wishy-washy here - better in the next picture)

and this is the group of them - what a colourful bunch!

I had taken a bundle of blocks and fabric along as Helen had volunteered to turn it into a child's quilt - the SS group are donating quilts to a Domestic Violence Shelter and we thought this would be a good one for a child.   So I helped a bit with that - three rows had been joined - but this is mainly Helen's work.

I also did some hand stitching and some crochet to fill in a bit of time.

A really lovely fun weekend and we are all grateful that we were able to go.

KQ - Christmas 2020

Time for the second sewing Christmas gettogether....I haven't posted about #1 yet as there "might" be stuff that I want to keep hidden for now . . LOL

The KQ group celebrated the end of year / Christmas with lunch at the Tingalpa Hotel.

We had decided (mid-October so not much time to do anything special) for a gift that we would use a gift bag and put the following in it;  a treat, 1 metre of lace, braid, or ribbon, a fat quarter, a reel of thread and a Christmas decoration.   

I gave these:

We did a random draw - and I was so lucky to get my gift from Pat.

She gave me these;

• An angel decoration
• Blue/green/purple fabric
• Purple thread
• Colourful butterfly braid
• and my treat - a hand made rope bowl

I suspect that if Pat had known who her gift would go to - she wouldn't have changed anything....I'm very happy with my loot!
(And lunch was excellent too.)

Happy sewing/preparing to everyone.
I'm still in "stress" mode....my To Do list is sorted by Date Required.

Back to it!

FNSI - May (for real)

I was more than happy to gather with everyone for a FNSI - always plenty of projects to choose from!

I finished off two sets of Birthday gifts for my KQ group - which I can't show yet

...and then I spent time organising my bits for two alphabet books I want to make.  I cut several of the letters which I had already fused and selected some of the fabrics for other blocks.   I have a plastic pocket for each letter so I can keep everything together and hopefully this will make putting it together easy and I won't lose too many pieces..
I am all set for my day at KQ on Sunday....

Big thanks to Wendy for organising us and keeping us on track

I may not be sewing much this week - my daughter is in Brisbane from Saturday Night to Friday afternoon - with my gorgeous little grandson who is growing up too fast already.

There could be a bit of cuddling happening .....

Isn't Piglet cute - made by a friend of my daughter...
this completes her set of Winnie the Pooh characters