I've Signed Up...Have You?

Soon it is the Quilting Galleries 4th birthday, so to celebrate they are holding a Blog Hop Party to celebrate. To join along in it all you have to do is host a giveaway on your blog from the 9th Dec to the 17th. If you want to join along in this Blog Hop just click below for all the details

Xmas Is Nearly Upon Us

A couple of days ago while looking through my blogroll I came across this really easy Xmas stocking pattern FabricWorm had posted about.  So as I was contemplating already on making my nephew Jesse on the Sunshine Coast a stocking to send over with his other little gift, I decided to make this one.

You can go to the tutorial here

Also I got my gift in the mail today from Kirsty who was my swap partner for the Handmade Gift Exchange over at Craftaholics Anonymous.  She sent me a lovely vintage style album with little sleeves that you can take out and put photo's on, a little cushion and a sweet little bag.

Also in the mail today I got my next lot of blocks from Sharyn in Our Craft Forums 6 1/2" block swap

Another Block Completed....On Time..... And Some Books I Just Got In The Mail

Well it is amazing.  I have finished Penny's 6 1/2" blocks on time.  They are due by 15th December, so heaps of time, though being Xmas and all, they may take that long to get there.

This month the block we had to make was my choosing and I choose The Little Cedar Tree from Quilters Cache.  Penny likes her blocks to be all the same.  Will be in the mail tomorrow.

On Friday I opened my large mailbox and not only there my Xmas Present sitting in there from my mum, and  some material from the Fabric Shack (my fav online store), but two books I am itching to read. First up is the new Vampire Diaries book 

The Vampire Diaries The Hunter Vol.1:Phantom

Phantom kicks off the new Vampire Diaries series arc, The Hunters. Will Damon stay dead forever? What will Fell's Church be like, now that Elena and her friends can finally return home? And with Damon out of the picture, will things finally go back to normal between Stefan and Elena?

The other book I got was 

Stefan's Diaries Vol. 4: The Ripper

Stefan Salvatore thought he could escape his violent origins in the peaceful countryside of England, but when a murderous " Ripper" known as Jack surfaces, Stefan fears darkness will always follow him. Drawn into the investigation, Stefan assumes the worst: this is the work of a vampire. And the more he learns, the more he becomes convinced that the killer is someone close to him—and that he can never outrun his past.

So looking forward to read these. Have just finished reading The Secret Circle books by L. J. Smith and thoroughly enjoyed these too.

Another Finish

So I found a teabag caddy pattern and thought I would make one and also send it to Kirsty in the Craftholic Anonymous  Swap.  Hope she likes it and the parcel will finally be in the mail on Monday

Two Swaps Finished....Yay

First swap finished is my Craftholics Anonymous Handmade Gift exchange which I am participating in.  My partner is another New Zealander, Kirsty.  I am sending her these coasters I have made and a little zippered pouch I also made up to put them into.  Hope she likes them.

I also finished my 12 1/2" block I am sending to Erin in Australia.  I had two selections of blocks to chose from and three different colours.  I ended up chosing the Birds In The Air block and made it in yellow and pale yellow.  Will be sending it on it's merry way soon too.

I Love Giveaways

So I thought I might post about some giveaways for international entries in my spare time

Thanks to all that are hosting them

Made During Quiet Time is giving away a Lovin' Loulouthi pillow kit. Drawn 18th November.

Click here. 

Red Pepper Quilts are giving away a Fat Quarter bundle of The Woodlands by Khristian A Howell

to one lucky person. Closes Friday 18th November 2pm EDT (Australian time).

Click here. 

By The Bay Needleart are giving away A Stitch an Inch Christmas Chart and Frame. Drawing Friday night. Click here

Fabricworm is having their weekly giveaway and this week it is 10 french inspired Fat Quarters of J'Adore by Dear Stella. Close 8.30am PST Monday 21st November.

Click here

The Jolly Jabber is giving away a Bunny Hill’s Designer Select Fat Quarter Bundle. Closes one week from post date which is November 15

Click here

Over at Want It, Need It, Quiltjane is giving away A Walk in The Woods Layer Cake. Closes 30th November AEST time.

Click here

Interlocked Squares Blocks Finished

Yay!! Have finished my blocks this month for Sharyn before the 15th and will post on Monday to her. Sharyn wants her block in bight colours with a yellow background.

This month we had to make four Interlocked Squares blocks.  

Here is the pattern if you want to make your own.

A Mysterious Swap Completed

I have had the pleasure of being in a Mystery Swap over at Our Craft Forum.  We had to make something that was a mystery for our swap partner.  For Judestuff I gave her the items below. I made 4 coasters, a mug rug and a coffee cup cosy.  I also there in there was some yummy treats and a fat 1/4.

And then from TrishJ I received this sewing caddy

Finally I have received and completed the last block pattern in the Mystery Charm BOM 2011.  I may make all the blocks up into a table runner but I will think on it.

Then I was playing the other day making a little gift for my Secret Santa Sorrie partner and made one for my self.  A pin cushion.  Real easy to make it was.

Nearly Finished and A Swap

This is the second to last block in the Mystery Charm BOM 2011

Everyone has received their last block and I will make mine over the weekend

Great friends here. Snowy is probably amazed that something smaller than him will not chase him.  The cat usually chases him around....lol

Now also don't forget to enter the swap below.  This will be my second of Craftaholic Anonymous swaps I have participated in and they are fun.  I have got my partner already and am thinking of what to make now.

Sign up are from Nov 1-7 and item to be posted by Nov 30th

Giveaway Winner

So random.org done it's thing and we have a winner for the Celerbratory Giveaway

Off to email you now

A Celebratory Giveaway

To celebrate the fantastic Rugby World Cup won here by the All Blacks, I have a little giveaway.

You will win this fat quarter and ribbon

Just leave me one comment and I will do the draw on November 1st.

International entries are welcome.

Please ensure I have a way to contact you. If not I will have to redraw.

Good luck

 And here is Snowy today.  Aint he a cute boy

And this is why is feels like Summer is on it's way today



RUGBY WORLD CUP WINNERS!!!!!!

WAAAA HOO!!!! THE NEW ZEALAND ALL BLACKS ARE THE RUGBY WORLD CUP WINNERS AFTER A HARD FOUGHT GAME WITH THE FRENCH.

It was a nail biting game right to the end with my heart pounding and the screaming happening. Miss 15 ran out of the room with 2 minutes to go screaming "I can't watch it", but saw the last few seconds.  So much excitement here and New Zealand will be partying hard for days to come.

 

A Bit of Sewing

Well the excitment of the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup are over but the excitement of the Finals on Sunday are building.  The All Blacks are playing France which will be exciting.

Anyway at the start of last week I was frantically sewing as I had to drop of my entries for the Home Industries section at the local A&P show.  Didn't help that I was on night shift to so was not 100% in the right frame of mind, but I got there .... just.

I entered six items.  First up were some pickled onions and tomato relish which I got 3rd placings for and also when I took them into be entered Master 13 panicked as he thought that I was not getting them back.  Guess who really like eating them??

Also I entered a Premmie Baby Quilt which I got 2nd placed for

A table runner

A teatowel topper

and a Small Wall Hanging which I adapted from the first pattern in the Christmas Stitch-along. I got 3rd placing for this.

A very good weekend was had and a bit of sunburn to go with it.

Onto other things.

For the September Austalian Block Swap 2 I received this block from Sue V.

Then over at Our Craft Forum I was in a mini-swap for a mug rug and received this one from Samelia's Mum

and to her I sent this one



Also at The Craft Forum I have participated in a Down on The Farm Swap where we swapped something with the farming theme.

I received this from Mumof6

and sent her this along with a farm themed fat 1/4

I also have participated in the F-R-I-E-N-D-S swap and my partner was Tone all the way from Norway.  You can have a look at her blog here We had to send a gift starting with the letters from the word FRIEND

I was very lucky and received all these



 

and to Tone I sent these

Tone also collects thimbles and one of the items was this thimble

And finally for the 6 1/2" swap this month I received these blocks from Sharyn

and sent these to PennyB