Fourth Box of Fun

This fourth goodie box is HUGE! When I opened a fabric package from Sue I was delighted, but had no idea that it was one of two packages!

Box two was filled with sewing stuff:

Threads, button packs, lots of felt, ribbons, cording, a yo-to maker, wool and a knitting video.

AND

Loads of paper craft goodies:

Stencils, shrinkie sheets, coloured papers and cellophane, stamps, card blanks, flowers petals, paint brushes, sticky glue dots, glue and washi tapes

Sue: this is amazing, thank you so much!  I've got Kids' Crafty Church this afternoon, and Crafty Church next Saturday - they are going to have a great time!!!!

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I love my postie

Look what he brought me all the way from Croatia. The lovely Stanislava is now revealed as my other swap partner.

(I am blogging this from my iPad, so I hope this post does justice to the yummy goodies she sent me)

A beautiful postage stamp mug rug with two hearts,

and a notebook cover from the same scrummy fabrics.

Such a sweetie, she also added sachets of coffee, and tea bags, and a FQ of beautiful pink and red fabric.

Thank you so much Stanislava. (and she has a great blog at www.quiltsofmanycolours.blogspot.com, - lots of hexi love and inspiration happening over there, really worth a visit)

Lucky lucky me

I was so caught up in making things for my Goodie Swap partners, I'd sort of forgotten that I would also receive two packages.  Well one has arrived . . .

Beautifully wrapped (but not for long . . .

Just look at the yummy goodies my partner Caroline sent me: as well as the Mug Rug, she made a lovely little pin cushion (much needed) and the sweetest little pouch with . . .  a zip!!!  I am so in awe of anyone who can do zips!

Here is a close up of the Mug Rug - I love the rainbow circles, and the spotty binding, and the quilting is great

Thank you Caroline, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I love it all

I haven't been at the computer or the sewing machine much - I was offered permanent work at  the school I've been temping at, but it includes earlier mornings and learning a new computer system, so my brain has been reeling this week, and I've mostly just crashed in front of the TV of an evening.

 I have a growing pile of strips waiting to be basted, but I loved the brown flowers (to be called Flower to the Power of 9, or

             9

 Flower

(not easy to do on Blogger, but mathematical minds will understand the pun!) Thanks to Katy at the littlest thistle who came up with the name, so I started another version of it:

 

10 minutes here, 15 minutes there. . .

10 minutes here, 15 minutes there . . . does add up to some sewing and embroidery!

I did these embroideries for a customer, for her son and his fiance's wedding.

I made these scissor tags for the Mug Rug swap goodies

And this is the starting of a mug rug for a partner who likes autumn shades: hope she likes it

And a lovely Thursday

Today I went shopping with Niki.

We started with a Starbucks - hot chocolate with LOTS of cream!

We bought far too much staff (daren't show it here in case 'he' pops in to have a look!) but tops, trousers, shoes, bras . . . in our defence, mostly from Primark, so negligible costs!

We then came home to find Mr Postie had delivered these great storage boxes: ideal for lesson planning, so I know all the samples and printed sheets are together for the next group

And these from Jaycotts - brother embroidery threads, a new hoop, a stitch ripper (where do they go?) and a cant-leave-the-blade-out rotary cutter for classes

I also got the first Goodie swap mug rug finished, including hand quilting and binding.  One more mug rug and two 'goodies' to go, but I've got three weeks, so even I should be OK!

What a lovely Christmas (and an awesome surprise)

As well as having  5 lovely days of Christmas with my mum for the first time in in about 25 years, we had a really unstressful time with family and friends (and we managed to assemble at least 4 items from Ikea - thank you mummy!)

I got some lovely pressies (including the box set of Lost :-) but I want to share my crafty pressies:  I did two Secret Santa Swaps with the members of the Yahoo group; BQL  My 'purchased' gift was this cup that I can make a quilted block for, to put between the two layers - it came wrapped in this great crazy patch paper, so at the moment this is the design!  Thank you Secret Santa

This is the BQL 'made' gift - a tardis-like toile bag with perfect length straps and an inside pocket - lovely :-), thank you again Secret Santa

We also do a Secret Santa with husband's family - but not always quite so secret!!!  From oldest nephew I got this book - he was drawn to it by the 'with attitude' part of the title! Thank you Scott!

From Plum I got this lovely Rug Mug (thank you Plum)

And Niki got me this lovely Sew and Save sewing kit.  Ideal for hand sewing - especially as I need to get a project ready as we embark on 89 (!) hours (plus bonus footage) of Lost!!!

My lovely Jackie sent me a goodie bag of treasures ...a felted necklace, a to-be-stuffed-and-decorated Christmas tree, and a very sweet snowman mug rug ... all of which I will show you when the camera has new batteries!

And now for the surprise ....

I have been a follower of Stash Manicure for ages.  It's one of the blogs I look at each morning before I get up - it has some great ideas from guest bloggers as to how to use up scraps etc. When the blog editor, Madame Samm, posted some Christmas giveaways, I added a few comments, and today she announced the winners --- and one of them is ME!!!

Day 2 Winner
#48 SlikStitches ( from England)
you have won Carrie's patterns, Carrie Nelson

BONUS DAY IS YOURS.
Lot's of extra goodies to you...
Congrats...#2
Layer cakes, extra patterns, notions,
cuppa cozie, thimble its ( love those)

layer cake...Value PRICELESS..!

Not only have I won two quilt patterns ... 'my' day was the bonus day - so there are other goodies coming to me too.  I think I need to lay down, in front of the letter box will be the ideal place!  My only previous memories are of winning a jar of hunny when I was 8, and winning a bottle of wine when I was so young that my mum had to go and collect it - and drink it!

What a way to end the year :-)