Happy New Year

I'd like to wish everyone a wonderful 2014 .... thanks for all the great times I've had with family and friends ....its been great reading your lovely comments throughout the year and meeting new friends along my blog journey.

                                               Stay safe and I hope to see you all in 2014

                                                                           Helen

Pressie and swaps

This lovely wall hanging was made for me by Cheryl  in Maree's 6 Item Swap and was under the Christmas Tree, I wish I had opened it earlier so I could have admired it a little longer...... thanks very much Cheryl its terrific.

This one I made for my partner Dzintra in the same swap.

This wall hanging I made for my partner Alison in our "Stitcher's Inc" group.

Lastly I made this primitive stocking for my friend Tereasa for her Christmas gift. This really was fun to make and so different from the usual things I've been making.

Well I'm back in the sewing room and making plans for next years projects..... I soooo love a plan......
maybe a cuppa might be a good idea before stitching...... see you all soon.

Christmas Day and Swap pressies.

We had a lovely Christmas Day with all the family together this year.

Photos are a bit random and I'm not sure that I have a photo of everyone.

June, Rob, Kenny, Mel, Liz and Jake.

A few nibbles before lunch.

Clayton having a bit of fun with his glasses/straw.

                                                             Jake

                                             I was feeling a bit tired by this point.

                Whats a gathering without silly photos...... June and Corinne.......

and yes there is another of me......

Gavan and Heather

Robert

                                  
                      Heather with her daughters.... June and Corinne

                                            Corinne and Kenny.

 Christmas giving was a bit different for us this year as we decided to have a secret Santa and I must say it was a lot of fun, there was a $25 price limit and a couple of rules..... no chocolate or gift cards and you had to spend all the money also everyone had to buy and wrap the gift themselves (aimed at the men of course) names were drawn out of a bowl 3 weeks ago so we all had plenty of time to shop....... 

It was a lot of fun to see some very interesting gifts...... we all want to do it again next year.....
it makes buying gifts less stressful .... more fun and cheaper too..... bit more like the old days.....
                                          
                I hope Christmas Day was a good one for you all too.

Our Christmas Swap for FIS was fun too this year, 5 small gifts using the word SANTA..... and 1 for under the tree. As soon as I found out  Lynda was my secret partner I knew exactly what I would make. 

                                                S...... was Santa
                                                               

A...... Antlers

N..... Nativity

T...... Treat

A..... Angel

Then the main gift, Lynda and I both have a love for Annie Smith dolls so I chose to make 

Sugar Plum for her.

                        She is such a cutie and yes I already knew she liked her.

I pinched this photo from Lynda's facebook as it looks so cute framed.

This is the fun part of Lynda's pressie.

I also had a bit of fun making heads..... yes heads, a bit odd I hear you say but I have been friends with  Lynda for a lot of years through the internet and we have also been lucky enough to get together in person too...... this is the part of doll making that Lynda dislikes and during our trip to Melbourne this year we had been kidding around saying " make me some faces " so I did....a bag of heads... I loved doing them for her.

I had a lovely surprise on Christmas morning when Lynda rang to say how much she liked the gift.....
I so loved making these girls for you and I look forward to seeing them with bodies soon.


I felt so lucky to have received my gifts from Jo in the FIS group, they are so terrific and how did she know that I love Christmas ornies ?........ well done Jo.

                                                       S.....Santa

A.....Antler

N.....Nativity

                                                           T....Treat

                                                     A.....Angel

 Love this mini quilt Jo and to get the quilt frame too was fantastic so naturally I had to find just the right spot for it...... there was also this Stitchery pattern so that will have to go on the list for next year.

           Thanks so much for my lovely gifts Jo...... love them......

I have a few more swap photos to show but I will pop back and show them tomorrow....
                               
                                               I think I need a Nanna nap now.

Merry Christmas

On this beautiful sunny Christmas Eve here in QLD I would like to wish you all a terrific Christmas and hope you have the best day with Family and Friends...... Thanks for visiting my blog throughout the year and leaving such lovely comments......


                                                                 BEST WISHES
                                          
                                                HELEN

50th Wedding Anniversary and FIS excitement

My goodness how time flies, 50 years ago today Gavan and I got married..... seems like only yesterday really...... I could be naughty and say " I wouldn't have got that long for murder" but I won't LOL..... its just as well Gavan knows me so well and would expect me to say such a thing.......

 No wonder our photos are looking so aged..... a bit like us I guess.

They have been great years together and hopefully many more to come.

I received a parcel yesterday from Jo in Tassie for our "Friends in Stitching" online group... its our Christmas swap and poor Jo has been in a bit of a panic as Aussie post was late with her parcel but all is good now.

Thanks so very much Jo..... I told you not to worry.

                                            5 parcels spelling the word "Santa" 

1 for under the tree.

S for Santa and you were spot on with this one Jo..... love my tree ornies

A for Antler and I'm sure you will be able to guess that this cute button will become a tree      ornie too.

Thanks again Jo.... I can't wait to open the next gift which is N for Nativity.

I won a beautiful cake from Devon Pixies where we have our High Teas and I'm picking it up at 12 noon today, just in time to celebrate our Anniversary..... I will show a photo tomorrow.

                                                              This is all so exciting.....

Stuck for words...... which doesn't happen oftem

This year we celebrated our Tuesday Girls Christmas party at Sandi's house, it was so festive and as usual we had a great time together. I think this time I will let the photos speak for themselves and I will shut up...... well I won't say toooooo much..... how's that ?

                                                           Gifts at the ready

We received this special parcel from Lynda, inside was 7 Christmas cakes... one  for each of us and Gavan.

Thank you very much, I'm sure we will enjoy them.

                                       Sandi's festive house...... beautiful.

Sandi gave  us a challenge this year, we had to make Bon Bon's and inside there had to be

fat 1/8th fabric

a button

a treat

a piece of ribbon or lace

and a little decoration

we also had to show a bit of imagination in decorating them

not too bad I think

                                                   The Bon Bon I made ....

                                     These are the contents of the Bon Bon I opened.....

                                             Beautiful gifts were given as well......

                           Thanks for these lovely goodies Tereasa..... love the little stockings kit.

Lucky me.... I now have a project bag and you can see the terrific calender there, Sandi made one for each of us..... love the little mat too.

Thanks Sandi

I couldn't get a good photo of this very cute little box that Teresa gave me, I will put my rings in it I think and it will look great on my dressing table.

Thanks so much Teresa.

Thanks Laurel for this lovely plate, it will be seen with goodies on it at one of our Tuesdays I'm sure.

Love this little teapot and cosy, good choice Norreen, Thank you very much.

                                    My mess on the table after opening gifts.

Tereasa's mess after she opened her gifts.

Who do you think is the tidier person ?

Hard question isn't it ?

I was so busy wrapping pressies that I completely forgot to take piccies of the gifts I gave so I will have to see if the girls have any I can pinch....... tut tut

Thats it for now .... I hope you are enjoying your swaps and Christmas get togethers too.