My December sewing

Here are the finishes i didn't get to add to the OPAM 2009 because of being offline for that month. Anyone who knows me knows i love Bronwyn Hayes' patterns.

Here's Santa riding his reindeer from Bronwyn's Christmas Hanger pattern.

Jolly Santa from Bronwyn's Christmas Basket pattern.

Santa in his sleigh full of pressies from Bronwyn's Christmas Buckets pattern.

 Snowmen having a party. Bronwyn's Jingle Cone pattern.

Santa again. Boy he sure gets around. Also from the Jingle Cone pattern.

This stitchery was sent to me by my Christmas in July partner. Yvonne also sent a Christmas fat 1/4 so i used it for the sashing & binding.

Oh look here's Santa's  Reindeer. 2 Rudy's from Melly & Me pattern. Aren't they so cute. These were made for my daughters. But they wouldn't let me pack them away. They've taken them to their room so i'll have to make another now for display next Christmas just for me. :)

Last but not least these gorgeous little stitchery patterns from Lisa.

All 12 were needleturned onto felt. I didn't have enough room to hang them so at the after Christmas sales i discovered a Christmas tree on sale for 1/4 of the price it was before Christmas. So i snapped that bargain up & it's bigger than my old tree. Though i may have to put both them up this year. lol :)

Hugs, Jeanette

Gifts from a good friend

 

Last year my good friend Kim who lives in the USA emailed me to say an Advent parcel was on it's way to me.  This is how it looked when it arrived.

As each day progressed i opened all sorts of wonderful goodies

I was even spoilt with a box of choccies that had cherries in the centre. Yummmmm. Kim must have been reading my mind as i was about to buy more stringbows when her parcel arrived & voila i opened up a packet. Blast. You can't see them properly but on the green Christmas fabric is a lovely little crystal angel for hanging & a cute bookmark. I just loved the pen(in the front in plastic bag). If you twist the top it lights up blue. Must say i entertained myself a while playing with it & showing the family. :) To many yumy recipes in the recipe book.

 My lovely Christmas apron.

Some goodies for my tree. Socks to keep my toes warm in winter.

Some wonderful smelling soap, shampoo & conditioner which i've used up. The cloth that is underneath has a white tiger machine embroidered on it which Kim made especially for me. :)

And this is what i found on Christmas Day. A gorgeous round table cloth.

So who was a lucky girl then. :)

Hugs, Jeanette

Gifts I received in the Advent swap, SSCS Swap & the Angel Swap

Week 2 of the Advent swap saw me opening all these lovely gifties from Jenny. Lovely fabrics, DMC threads, ribbons & lavender handcream,

Week 3 saw me opening a lovely box of notecards, coffee mug, plaque,bauble for my tree, rose incence,

 quick unpick & a lovely pattern of a mouse to hold my needles & cotton reel & on it's tail.

Week 4 i opened up more lovely fabrics, some tassles, red buttons & a roll of ribbon. As Jenny put the ribbons, tassles & buttons in small bags i have them as an added present to. :)

And for the main present?

This gorgeous bag with an embroidered panel & i just realised you can hardly see it but on the right is a tea bag folder Jenny made to match the bag. But wait there was one more surprise in my main present.

This delightful bag was included. The bags & tea bag holder were wrapped in another lovely piece of fabric, tied with a green ribbon. Aren't i a lucky girl to have recieved all these lovely gifties. Thanks Jenny & thanks to Fiona & Jo for running the swap.

This is my present from the SSCS swap. It was made for me by Missy in the USA. An apron done in my favourite colour. Thanks Missy. It will find a lot of use in my home.

 Now for the lucky last photo's. I was minding  my own business on the 4th of January when i heard a noise out the front. Thought to myself "that soumds like the parcel man but i'm not expecting anything". As i walked up the hallway to see i saw the parcelman leaving through my front gate. " Ahhh he did deliver to me" So out the front door i pop to discover a rather large box on the stairs. So there i am retrieving the box wondering who on earth sent me a parcel. Boy was i so excited when i read where it was from. Guess what had finally arrived after 2 months of waiting. You see my lovely Angel Jacqueline had emailed me to say my parcel had been posted on the 29th of October so where the parcel has been in those 2 months i've no idea. Apart from being opened by quarantine all arrived safe & sound. Here's what i found in the box.

Pincushion, needle holder, scissor holder, & a covered tape measure. All in purples just for me. :).

These gorgeous china clogs, windmill & bowl with a beautiful card

These lovely edible goodies. Only the box at the back hasn't been eaten yet.

Last of all are 2 pieces of fabrics and a pin that is shaped lik a cabin with a log cabin block on it. The bottom says "The Log Cabin Hillensberg 1997-2007". So i've been very blessed with all the lovely things i've received.

 Hugs, Jeanette

PS: Don't go away as i'll be back with more tomorrow. :)

photo's of gifts i made for swaps, gonna be long as there is so much to catch up on.

This is one of the gifts i made Jenny in the Advent swap ran by Fiona & Jo.

White dove made of felt to hang in her tree

A covered tape measure.

I wanted to give Jenny something china & decided to combine china with a pincushion

Couldn't resist making this set for Jenny & Blossom for their special teas. It's a lovely teapot cover & coasters from Janelle Wind

This table runner was for the main gift.

A potpourii holder. I made 2 to give Jenny 2 different smelling potpourii.

It was hard to decide what to make or buy so the next 3 photo's are of teatowels that i appliqued,

I had such fun making these gifts for Jenny. There was a crosstitch book mark as well but seems i forgot to take a photo. Also thought there was another tree hanger but seems i didn't photograph that either. :(

These 3 tree hangers were made for 3 swaps i was in. One by Robyn & Clare which i sent to Wendy, one to Deb in Chookyblue's SSCS swap & the other was for a swap in a yahoogroup i'm in & it was for Khris. But now i can't remember who got which one.. :(

Handmade cards to go with the Christmas swaps.

And last but not least the gifts made for Deb in the SSCS swap

Come back tomorrow for the next installment of photo's.

Hugs, Jeanette

My week part 3

Now i will be offline for a week. Internet issues. Just had to add these photo's to my posting. Be sure to scroll down the whole page to see all the postings. Coming back from being in town the other day we stopped at the pet shop. Well you know how that can be a bad idea. Yes we went back & purchased this cute & adorable puppy. Her name is Gypsy. Mind you when we left the shop it was pouring rain. The pet shop is a 5 minute walk from my home so we walked down & it wasn't raining then. Poor puppy had to be carried home in the rain.

Now i normally read back through my postings for typos before i hit the publish post button. Being so tired i didn't quite get them all this morning & i'm very embaressed about the typo in my part 2 post. Sorry Wendy it should have read "now proudly " not "not proudly". I'm so embaressed. So here's photo's to show you it's on my tree along with Melissas ornamnet.

And yes i've checked this posting for typo's

Ok slinking off now in shame. :)

Hugzz, Jeanette

my week part 2

I hadn't been having a very good week with personal issues & migraines & the only hightlight of my days has been opening all those lovely little gifties Jenny sent me in the Advent swap.Each day has brought forth lovely things. A gorgeous silk bag coloured purple with purple buttons, a tin full of yummy lollie, lavender soap, a cute little flowered shaped retractable tape measure & yes it's in my favourite colour - purple, a beautiful ceramic holder with a candle & todays offereing?  a gorgeous Christmas button. Ok if you are counting you'd know i've actually opened 7 presents not 6. Well Jenny had an extra in the box & sadi to me to open it if i was having a bad day. Turns out the last week was mostly all bad but i opened it yesterday.

The Thursday my ornament swap arrived from Wendy along with a handmade card. It's now hanging proudly on my tree. Then Friday the parcel man came not once but twice. He brought me the first time a parcel from America from Melissa who was my Secret Santa in Chookyblues swap.

This is what i pulled out of the box first. See the lovely "J" all in beads. Imagine my delight when i noticed tucked in the bottom thes small packages. totally unexpected. I've opened these ones along with the ornament.Here's the beautiful ornament Melissa made me. Such a cute cat. I love it. Thanks Melissa. Here's what i discovered it all the other little packages.

A Christmas notepad, Christmas tissues, Christmas stickers, a bath bauble, might need that relaxing soak Christmas night, & a thimble. Aren't i a lucky girl. Now you are probably wondering about the 2nd parcel. Well that is a special present from a very special friend in America. She sent me an Advent style parcel. I'm going to save the photo's of these special gifties for another posting. Big hugs & thankyou Kim.

Huzz, Jeanette

my week part 1

Forgot all about showing these 2 finishes from Novemeber & these 2 books

Gorgeous notebook covers i found in an issue of Handmade. Very simple to make.

A while ago i saw this book on Jenny's blog. It peaked my interest so i investigated & decided to buy it.

At about the same time i ordered this book & it arrived over a week ago. Thats how far behind i am in blogging. :( I finished reading it the same night. Great read as usual but now i have to wait until May 2010 for the next one.

Hugzz, Jeanette

Today is the day. :) finally

Well the 1st of December has finally arrived & i can start opening all those lovely gifts sent to me by Jenny.

Look at all these lovely gifts. All wrapped in gorgeous butterfly print paper except the main one which is in a lovely piece of Christmas fabric. Jenny didn't number the presents so i get to have a lucky dip. woo hoo.

Here's number 1. No i didn't take it first 'cause it was a big present.. I just stuck my hand in & that is what i pulled out. :)

And this is what i found. A lovely candle cover. Tried to get a clear photo. It has frangapanis etched around it. Aren't i lucky to get such a sweet gift. Thankyou Jenny.

Hugzz, Jeanette