One Xmas Item A Month, OASS & Some Blocks

Finally finish my items.  I started them a few weeks ago then lost my mojo and put them aside, but today they are finished.  This time I made 3 Charming ornaments and found the pattern here at A Spoonful Of Sugar.  Though they took me a while to finish they are nice and easy to make.

(Trying to take the picture was a bit hard as every time I thought I had it right a breeze came up!!!!)

I have also made my item for my partner for the OASS swap.  I am sending to Peta over at Just Crafting My Day Away.  For her a made this basket.  I had made this pattern before in another swap so thought to do it again.  If you would like to make one just head over to Geta's Quilting Studio. Will be posting away tomorrow.

Then over at Our Craft Forum I am participating in the 2012 Monthly Block Sampler Experience and we got sent our first block at the start of the month.  This month  it was the Baby Bud Block chosen by Jeanette and here is my one finished

Baby Bud Block

And finally, this month for the Australian Block Swap I sent to Cate and one of the blocks she requested was Square in square. Her colours were green, orange and turquoise so a made her this one.  Hope she likes it.

Square in square for Cate

OASS Received

Just the other day I received a swap it the mail.  It was my OASS item I have signed up to.  The idea of the swap was to make something with the Autumn theme - here in the southern hemisphere it is nearly that time of the year.  Parcels are to be posted by the end off the month, so I need to get my sewing boots on and get mine completed.

My sender was Raelene from Raelene's Ramblings.  The tablerunner has now taken pride on my dining room table.  The colours are divine and she tried to get them as much like civil war reproduction fabric and has done a wonderful job at that too.  Also along with these I received a bundle of autumn coloured pens too.

Valentine's Day Swap Update

Recently I joined in the Valentine Day Swap that was being held by Amy over at Sew We Craft.  My swap partner was from over the ditch as we say and I hope she has received them.  It was a secret who we are receiving from so I wonder how long she will realise I was her sender.  Anyway, I made her a set of four heart coasters and I hope she gets to use them lots.

1 Xmas Item A Month - January

Having lots of Xmas items around the house at that special time of year it great.  I do have some, but not lots.  Miss 15 before Xmas came home from a friends and all she could go on about was how their house was just full of Xmas items......everywhere she said.  She said her friends mum even gets the tree professionally decorated. So I thought I need more so Miss 15 can go on about my house....lol.  I have bought some lovely ornaments while they were half price, but also homemade ones are just as good.  So when I saw Narelle from Pin and Whiskers was hosting "1 Xmas Item A Month 2012" I jumped at the chance to join.  

This month I have only made one item but have plenty more on my to do list.  I got my picture from here and used it as a stitchery.  Once I stitched it up I turned it into a cushion.

Quilting Block Swap Australia Update

Wonky Square for Fiona

This month I sent to Fiona and she asked for either a Wonky Block in eye spy prints or any type of star in abstract prints.  I chose the Wonky Block.

And this is my Pinwheel Star Fiona sent to me.  I am getting a few now in my collection. Well on their way to being put in a quilt.

Pinwheel Star from Fiona

Also over at Our Craft Forum we have completed the last swap for the 6 1/2" block swap.  This is what I will be sending over to Sharon. 

I will also take this time to thank both Sharon and PennyBee for participating in this swap in the last 6 months.

To Sharon

SSS....Finally Received....YAY!!

Last year...wow that seems weird as it was only 2 1/2 weeks ago......I joined up to the Secret Santa Soirre.  My parcel was sent to me early December, but I don't know what happened with the mail men, but today finally it arrived...YAY!!!  Better late than never though was getting worrying there a bit. My secret partner was Joy from Joy and Comfort and she sent me a lovely box of gifts.

 So I opened the box and poof....all this make believe snow came at me.

Under all that were some lovely wrapped gifts.  I wonder what they are?

Yes, I had a bit of a squeeze.

They weren't wrapped for long.

Now who found out I liked pens.  As a nurse you never have enough, though hubby has been eyeing them up too.

Some cute little charms and lovely hand quilting cotton.  Very nice.

And last but not least this delightful book called 'History Repeated' and signed by the authors too.  Ain't I very lucky and love it.  The quilts in it to make are divine.

Thank you very much Joy for being my partner.

 Now I must toddle of to bed as need to go to work early tomorrow and must take a couple of those pens.  I know that no one else has any like it work so if they go missing they will be easily discovered....lol..

RIP Rab's

Rabs 2003-2012

Heartbreaking day today.  I had to get our rabbit named Rabs put down.  Poor boy had a horrible infection in his eye and was not getting any better...only worse and nothing was working.  It was a hard decision to make but he will now be at peace and pain free.  Miss 15 and I started bawling our eyes out when the vet nurse went to take him away.  She must be use to it as out came the tissues and another patting frenzy.  He lived to a grand old age as a rabbit...approx 8-9 years old. The vet said 7 years is average.  My son rescued him from the SPCA many years ago.  Rabs was also a rabbit that made us run.  When ever he got out we all ran to get him and living on a farm he had a big wide world to run in when he could.  We even learnt to sprint up hills and jump fences.....electric ones too..... when he got out.  Must have been why he lived so long, he was fit, and amazing the cats never got him.  We would come home and there he was hopping around the lawn happy as Larry.  Luckily the cat was too lazy and never saw him...lol.

RIP Rabs

Rabs and Snowy

Now onto a happier note.

I finished these blocks from 'A Civil War Love Letter' a couple of weeks ago but have not yet got around to publishing them.  So without further ado

March to Winter Quarters

Liberal With Furlough

I also finished this little UFO last week and you can read about it here on my other blog called Michell's Cross Stitch.

Homemade Apricot Jam....yummy

A few days ago I went and picked some apricots from our neighbours trees.  What to do with them after we had eaten our share I thought.  Apricot jam came to mind.  So out came the trusty Edmonds Cookbook . Found the recipe and made some. 

Now in the pictures below you will see my Edmonds Cookbook is very tatty.  Obviously it is well used.  On my Xmas wishlist was a new one and Master 14 bought me one.  But I will never get rid off this one. It is not done.  I have four off them now, with one being a microwave one. My earliest one is from the early '80's, and in it chicken was just becoming more popular and only eaten on special occasions, so it had a whole section on ways to cook it.

My trusty Edmonds Cookbook

So I rummaged through my cupboards and luckily found enough jars and lids to go with them.

Jars washed ready to be sterlised

 Then came the washing and halving of the apricots.

In the preserving pan ready to be made into pulp

 Miss 15 saw how much sugar was being used and said she is never eating jam again as it is so much...lol

Wow!! 12 cups of sugar

After slaving away over a hot stove, on a hot day I finished.  I thought I had ten jars, but ended up with only eight.  Though I have a jug of the jam in the fridge to get into straight away.

All finished and labelled

 Very delicious it is.  

Next on my list is the ever so popular Tomato Relish.  next week I will get supplies for that.

Now on to other things.

Just before Xmas I entered in a Xmas Stocking Giveaway and lucky me won a gorgeous one from Sue over at supermomnocape

I received this delightful stocking filled with goodies.

Lots of goodies

 This delightful angel was made by a local crafts person.  Isn't it gorgeous.

And this Redwork Angel is also delightful.

Finally, here it is the present I made for my swap partner over at Our Craft Forum for the Xmas Advent Swap 2011.  If you remember I forgot to take a photo, but Sandy has and this is what I made for her. 

Xmas Advent Swap 2011

A String Block Pillow

While doing a bit of blog hopping yesterday I came across a neat cushion over at Ellesquare she had made using String Blocks.  So I had a look at the tutorial she put a link to which is over at FilmInTheFridge.  I then went and made one myself using fabric in my stash.  Not perfect, but a good attempt.  Next time I am going to do a scrappy one with different sized strips so I don't have to sweat over trying to match the seams.

String Block Pillow

Here's the next couple of blocks also for the Quilting Blocks Swaps Australia .  This month I sent to Tarnyia.

 I had two choices. A red star with a blue/aqua background or Scrappy Spiders Web. Well the scrappy Spiders web just scared me as it look a bit beyond my capabilities currently, so I made the Friendship Star instead.

Block for Tarnyia

Tarnyia for me this month made  a Sawtooth Block in reproduction fabrics.  It's still flying it's way to New Zealand so I snagged this picture she put on the Quilting Block Swaps Australia blog.

Block from Tarnyia

And here are some random pictures of my garden.  I love it when the agapantha's flower en-mass.

One thing about summer here, is there is freedom camping so currently for a couple of months this is my view out the kitchen/ding room window and this only some.  They go further south and further north.

So this view of the farm looking north is more appealing