Christmas in the Summer time.

Hello my friends.
Sit down for a few minutes and visit with me.

These last few weeks have flown by as they have been so busy.

This `Santa Trio` by Disa Designs I made for one of my friends 

as her Birthday Christmas gift .

She doesn`t have a blog but was so excited I made them for her. 

In the pattern they didn`t have noses but I added those on.

So cute.

A thankyou  to Chookyblue for hosting this years SSCS.

Peg of Happy in Quilting blog parcel had these lovey 

gifts for me:

An Angel table runner,  

Peg I love your lovely hand work.

A tissue holder (this to go into my stitching bag),

some chocolates, a satchel (this will be in constant use)

and Leanne Beasleys `Butterflies and Blossom` pattern

with fabric and rick rack. I am looking forward to making this.  

Thankyou again Peg.

This was my gift and  for Jan of  Little Red Hen

with a chocolate star. I forgot to take a photo of that.

Merry stitchmas tree was the ornament for Jan.

Now this would be a very long post if all gift shown today!

Katrina of http://kiwistitching.blogspot.co.nz/

   put my gifts in this cute bag.

For some reason the photo has turned on this

Joy ornament. On the tree it is straight!!

These Christmas balls stitched in this ornament.

A beautiful pin keep,

`The Nativity` by Country Cottage pattern,

(a must to stitch for next Christmas)

and a wall hanging `We three kings`.

Thankyou Katrina for my lovely gifts. 

Kath of http://sheepiegirl.blogspot.co.nz/

 gave me two stitches cushions,

a table runner made of `Holiday Medley`

Lovely `Silent Night`.

And `Follow the Light`,

shown in this basket with a little room for more.

Table runner made with Holiday Medley fabric plus

a pack of the same for me to play with :)

Well must go Hubby waiting on lunch.

Thankyou for visiting.

Happy Stitching,

Clare.

The Sleigh came by today.

Hello my friends,time for a visit.

To day the SSCS sleigh came by.

Peg of `Happy in Quilting` sent me these two parcels.

One to open now and the other for under the tree.

That will be when Miss Tilly kitten is in bed Christmas Eve.

Other wise she will open it for me!

The little green parcel held these delightful ornaments.

They are so cute.

Thankyou Peg for these lovely gifts and

 Elf Chookyblue for organizing this lovely swap.

This is the ornament I made for Jan of

`Little red Hen 08 as part of my swap for her.

Yesterday this happened to my clothes line 

while hubby drove the trailer round the house:(

Here is the lines wrapped with the # of pegs for each round.

Hubby promises to have it back like by the weekend.

I still have the lines in the carport

 but would not want that long term.

At least we are with Summer weather! 

Time to go and get some speacial projects further on for completion.

Thankyou for your visit.

Happy Stitching,

Clare.

Countdown to Christmas

Hello my friends.
Today has been lovely so we can fit in a visit.

Time for smalls again.

Thankyou Heather of Stitching Lotus for 

organizing this though the year.

My `Smalls` for November  are from 

a favourite magazine I get.

Stoney Creek magazine Vol 25 # 2. 

I changed some of the colours:

DMCs 498 to 221

           699 to 986

          701 to 500

         703 to 989

I changed the finishing as I like this look.

Max is waiting to go for a ride to get fire wood.

Miss Tilly is trying to be noticed.

I think she would love to go as well.

She didn`t get her way.

Well time to go and stitch some more of my Christmas Gifts.

I have loved visiting with you.

Happy Stitching,

Clare.

In the mail today

Hello my friends.

Thankyou for visiting with me.

Love the comments you write so thankyou for those,

they can brighten my day.

I finished a few days ago my secret stitching.

Today I posted to my partner her gifts.

I pray they travel safe and should arrive in plenty of time.

I look forward to my partner letting me know she received this parcel.

They are all wrapped and labeled.

Miss Tilly with her toy mouse.

She hide this in the strangest places 

so was surprised to see her like this.

I stitched this BBD in 2012 but recently put together.

A project needing to be completed

and in the Christmas box.

Hubbys been back at work for a few weeks now.

Tomorrow we see the surgeon for a checkup!

Well best get onto some other Christmas stitching.

Happy Stitching,

Clare.

It happened again

Hello my friends.

So glad you could come for a visit.

Hubby went to work for four nights and then back to see the surgeon.

The following Monday they operated again.

This time another tear was mended,
a ring stitched in place to hold shape and oil

in  for two years.
Hubby has two weeks off then back to work next week,
his vision is improving each day.
He has a checkup six weeks from operation.

My smalls this month are these delightful mini cushions.

I stitched with DMCs .

The pattern from a `Country Threads` magazine.

I used this lovely trim that I brought when on holiday years ago.

The fabric are `Thimbleberries`.

Love this colour range

This tone on tone is a `Thimbleberries` as well.

I used it for the backs of the three cushions.

Jack was needing shearing.

Before and after.

Next door asked if Jack could have two friends to stay.

He has company for a few months.

These twins lost their Mum.

We had a cold snap with heavy rain.

This little one came inside to dry.

Of course Miss Tilly had to check this out.

The lamb seemed to perk up.

Sad to say she died in the night.

Her brother is keeping close to Jack now.

Thank you for the lovely comments.

Please visit again.

Happy Stitching,

Clare.

Preparing for Christmas

Hello my friends.

Please join me for a visit today. 

This is our turn tree growing in the centre of our front garden.

The leaves come out in this beautiful colour in the spring.

A closeup to show the shades of pinks.

Pity it is not like this at Christmas time!

I have joined Chookyblues SSCS again this year.

I have nearly finished one of my gifts for my partner.

I need time at my sewing machine.

Hubby has had his clearance to return to work

on Monday.  In six weeks there is to be a small

procedure to remove the last particles of oil in his eye. 

With preparing for Christmas I am sorting patterns,

threads and fabrics. Plus I have a book where names are 

put and then the gifts for each are written beside them.

Once made and wrapped I mark these off.

I am at that stage now.

I am looking forward to `Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments 2014`

to come as some of those ornaments will be used.   

I was looking for a piece of fabric for my swap project 

and found this part made kit so I finished it.

Once the Christmas decorations are out in the shops I will 

buy something for a hanger.

So till then into the Christmas box.

This pattern is `A Whimsical Gift` by Cinderberry Stitches.

I brought it a few years ago from Grandmothers Garden

as a kit.

Thankyou for your lovely comments and hope you enjoyed your visit with me today.

Happy Stitching,

Clare.

A Delightful workshop

Hello my friends.
time for a visit with me.

On the 3rd of October I was able to attend a delightful workshop.

Natalie Bird of `The Birdhouse` came to New Zealand.

She did a workshop class for her `Mouse Pincushion`

 down in the south Island last weekend and then on the 2nd traveled to

Hastings where she had her projects on display at Delbrook patchwork shop
from 4 pm- 6 pm.

Then the 3rd from 10 am-4 pm  we had our class at 

Keirunga Gardens in one of their lovely rooms out at Havelock North.  

When we arrived we had our pattern and a little bag

set up on our table by our chairs.

These patterns where in mine.

Plus this stitchery to do.

We are to put our name above the date.

I think I will put mine on one of the `Spoil Me Purses`

once made.

This was my kit colour way.

I stitched the mouse but went back to add crosses.

My daughter said this mouse needed whiskers

and a front paw as we didn`t finish this in the time.

Natalie drew in my mouse tail ready for me to stitch.

That was so lovely. 

These where the fabrics with papers to make the hexagons.

Natalie came round to show us her way of putting these together.

She showed two ways.one with tacking and the other with glue pen.

Once I laid this on mine I felt to cut two more 

from main fabrics to bring all sides together.

So took two out to replace with these.

This side shows the scissor holder.

I have ordered a pair of scissors for this and 

there is a pocket for threads.

The mouse looking up pass the flower at the button pins.

Also the side view of the needle book above the hexagon strip.

Natalie and me.

The other ladies at work.

There was about 15 of us.

These are the displays of Natalie`s work.

The quilt hanging up is her latest  BOM which 

Christine from Delbrook is starting at the end of the month.

Looking forward to working on this.

Showing more of  Natalie`s work

I loved the star table runner. I may get that pattern at a later date.

Christine was taking orders for the patterns and books 

that had sold out.

We also had lovely biscuits and slices for morning and afternoon teas.

Plus a lovely fulled roll for lunch.

I enjoyed my lovely day.

Happy Stitching,

Clare.