Thank You No. 2 - Secret Santa Christmas Swap

The Secret Santa Christmas Swap run by swap-muma Chooky Blue is always wonderful and this year lived up to every expectation. This is a round robin swap so I only knew who I was making for & not who was making for me. It ended up being a very exotically international affair for me this year!

 

I was in awe to see on my parcel that my partner that made gifts for me was Martine from Bizzy Martine all the way North in Belgium! It's quite amazing to think I now have beautiful gifts in my home that were stitched especially for me from all the way in Belgium - wonderful!

 

My first parcel to open was the Christmas decoration & Martine has made me the sweetest Christmas kitty, waiting by the tree, maybe for Santa Paws to come.... Purrfection I say!

 

 

My Christmas day presents were just as lovely, including a gorgeous snowman stitchery on a table mat. I have to admit to a bit of a soft spot for snowmen (ironic given our Christmas weather) and fabric with mittens on it. I really should live in the Northern hemisphere & have snowy Christmas every year. It is on the 'bucket list' to experience a bunch of winter Christmas's in the years to come. Look at my packet of fir tree biscuits too - all the way from Belguim - I think by now it's a little obvious that I can't believe I have gifts from Belgium!!! Thank you Martine, I love my stitchery gifts & they will be a part of every years Christmas decorating from now on. xx

 

 

 

 

Now this years swap was truly an international affair and there was purrs all around when Mia, HB & I found out our swap partner to send to was Florence & Princess Nounouche! Don't tell Mia but I think HB is a bit smitten by the beautiful French Princess.

 

First there was a decoration for Florence. I know she loves our Aussie designers so this stitchery by Gail Pan from the book Sew Gifts was perfect for this swap.

 

 

We had a family conference and after many meows it was decided the Princess could not be left out either so a decoration applauding her beauty was made and a little frame decoration filled with a picture of her and added too.

For the Christmas present I made up my favourite angel block with stitchery embellishments, adding a sleeve so Florence can use it either as a wall hanging or table mat. I love that sparkly Michael Miller white fabric, perfect for a background for an angel.

For a few added bonuses I added some Christmas fabric and a couple of Aussie patterns too. They were all wrapped in gold & white Christmas owl fabric & ribbon. A big sigh of relief and haha to Mr Australia Post when the parcel came in at 498 grams too!

Naturally I was very happy to hear that Florence & the Princess loved their parcels. So big thanks to Chooky Blue on organising another wonderful Christmas swap. I think it might be time for a cup of tea & a sampling of  Belgium fir tree.....

Happy stitching
Tracee xx

Thank You No. 1 - Mrs Martins Swap

I am surrounded by beautiful Christmas gifts that I want to show thanks for but if I do it in one post it will be as long as a piece of string so I am going to do lots of small posts so each can star and I can show how much the thoughts and beautiful creations mean to me.

I decided to put my little white tree up again on my big coffee table with lots of Christmasy crafts around it & then all my presents so I could admire but not touch! Mia had other ideas and her style of helping did hold things up for a few days.

Eventually everything was in place and the piles of presents were overwhelming!

I like to decorate in this corner of the lounge room as it is mum's corner where the photos of her & us together are displayed. That way she is still part of the celebrating with us. Pride of place this year was given to the Christmas mini frame and the gorgeous mini quilt I got in the Secret Santa at Ballan from Christine from MacDonald's Patch. (sorry yellow pics - maybe the flash was on Christmas leave???)

 

 

Now to the pressies & thanks yous! First off our final present for 2013 in the The Mrs Martin's Let's Celebrate Swap from my partner Glenys (no blog). This is the seventh swap that Glenys & I have done for 2013 and it finished off for me just as perfectly as it started.

 

 

This T'was The Night Before Christmas stitchery kit is wonderful - preprinted design and the felt needed for the reindeer & fir trees too. Yes the chocolates are empty - it is the 27th & there has been a whole lot of episodes of Revolution to catch up on. HB & the remainder of the chocolates were the perfect companions in the wee hours last night doing this.

 

The rest of my parcel just made my heart boil over - three Christmas buntings, wishing Joy, Peace & Love and a little bag of bells to sew on the points too. I just love these to bits! Thanks you Glenys, spot on as always! xx

 

 

Now to what I sent Glenys. I have to admit I love this little guy, I think he needs to go back on the to-do list again for next year & this time for me. The original pattern is by Cleo & Me and is a table runner featuring 3 x Rudy the Reindeer.

 

 

For this swap I made Rudy into a wall hanging with built in star hanger & added a Christmas snow flake button & two bells to his ribbon. I love that green with red spot on the border & binding. That was a perfect purchase made especially for this from Gail's Patchwork Emporium in Ballarat while staying with Shez. That shop is such an overwhelming wonderland! I also enclosed a large edible box of chocolatey goodness, no photographic evidence taken. I'm sure there was more but photographs & memory alludes me..... It is the silly season.

 

Thank you to Karen our swap-muma from Mrs Martin's Quilt Shop for hosting this year long swap & keeping all of us elves in line! Thanks again to Glenys - it's been a great year!

 

Off to take more pics, plan the next post of thank yous, add to the sewing & postage schedule for 2014, update the dreaded UFO list that grew instead of shrinking last year & make up a monthly projects list so I know what's up first for Friday Night sewing on Facebook tonight. Everywhere could do with a good clean up too starting with the cutting table area....

 

Happy stitching

Tracee xx

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

HB, Mia & I wish all our loved ones, family and friends,

a very Merry Christmas & big purrs for the festive season.

We hope 2014 is the year that we get to meet, greet, love,

laugh and make many dreams come true for all of us.

 =^..^= xxx =^..^=

Back soon with lots of news, pics & the usual laughs.... xxx