Table runners for Christmas 2015....

I took part in Wendy's Let's Start Christmas Stitch Along that started in August with the last stitchery in Ocotber! I managed to get the stitching and piecing done before Christmas but not the quilting and binding. I was determined to finish them this year and here they are......

The blue one is for use most of the year - it's going to be used for the first time on New Years Day.

And the red one is for Christmas 2015. I did have a slight mishap quilting this one - I couldn't work out why it "felt" different - only stitched a serviette to the back!!! At least it was paper and easy to remove the stitching acted as perforations lol.

I love both of them and am pleased I persevered with them and didn't let them join the growing pile of UFO's....
Hugz
Melanie
xxx 

Chooky's SSCS 2014

The other swap I took part in this Christmas was Chooky's SSCS. My parcel was sent by Lynn. Again I was truly spoiled with 3 gifts...

A calendar tea towel (there is a colony of bees that I walk past every day so this just reminds me of them)...

Some bunting (this will be a perfect replacement for the Christmas bunting we've been using at markets).....

And a fabric holder for a very cute Santa Spatula and a gingerbread man cookie cutter.


Thank you Lynn for the gifts and Chooky for organising this worldwide swap.

Hugz
Melanie
xxx 

Santa Sack Swap 2014

I took part in Cheryll's Santa Sack Swap. My partner was Jo, one of the best things about this swap is getting to know your partner a little (fingers crossed I'll get to meet Jo early next year). Jo certainly made some perfect gifts for me....

A bag, a table runner, oven gloves and a pot holder, dishcloths, necklace, buttons, decorations, brooches, basket with goodies......

 A beautiful stitchery in the middle of my table runner reminds me of the mittens I used to wear as a child in England; love the traditional colours...

Jo is very talented; a crotched Santa, a cross stitch song sheet, a knitted bell, a beaded garland and a dolly peg angel (I did forget her as she was already on the tree)...

Everything I need to make a delicious cup of hot chocolate (really appreciated as I'm trying very hard not to drink coffee at the moment)....

Knitted dish cloths (I'm going to ask Jo for the pattern for these as they are awesome)...

A button necklace and some Lynette Anderson buttons (I just looove buttons so this is extra special. Lynette Anderson is a favourite designer too)....

A fabric basket filled with chocolate goodness (haven't yet fathomed how Jo made this but I will).....

A Christmas pot holder and oven gloves to match....... and finally a new bag 

this is such a happy bag (if a bag can be happy) - yellow just happens to be my favourite colour.

Thank you so much Jo you really, really spoiled me. Also a big thank you to Cheryll for organising this swap. You can check what others sent and received here....

Hugz
Melanie
xxx 

Merry Christmas

I would just like to wish each and everyone of you a very merry Christmas and a safe, peaceful and healthy 2015.

Hugz
Melanie
xxx 

Christmas gifts

I just had to share the gorgeous quilt my dear friend Kelly made for me.....

This is her first ever attempt at quilting. She knows I love buttons and the fabric she used is scraps from our business projects - I'm so thrilled with it. Kelly of course doesn't like bits of it but we're all really critical of our own work.

These are the gifts I made for Kelly - 

A sewing folder, the travel iron tote and a pin cushion/thread catcher :) Only 1 more sleep and I can open my swap gifts, yippeee. (DD2 wasn't too pleased that I'd opened my gift lol).

Hugz
Melanie
xxx 

Friday Night Sew In

This was the last FNSI for 2014 and I was very productive (it's amazing what having a deadline does to the motivation!!). I finished some off today but on Friday I started a travel iron tote, 2 taggie blankets, an I-Spy bag and a car roll.

I've finished the travel iron tote - 

The taggie blankets - 

and the car roll.

The I-Spy bag will be completed tomorrow. I've only 2 other things to finish by Tuesday, a pin cushion with thread catcher and a sewing folder. If (big if) I get time I'll make a 2nd I-Spy bag for the gorgeous Miss Scarlett but I have already made her a fabric book.

Check what everyone else got up to here there's some wonderful projects. 
Hugz
Melanie
xxx 

Happy mail - Chooky's SSCS

I've received some very happy mail - my parcel from my secret partner in Chooky's SSCS. My partner spoiled me well and truly. Not one, not two but three presents and my ornament wrapped in the tissue paper.

Ornament swiftly unwrapped .....

This cute, very Aussie mini to hang on my tree. He is certainly a happy Santa.
On a different note took DD2 to the orthodentist this afternoon to have braces fitted. I did a bit of speedy shopping while the work was done.... Any guesses for the colour she chose???

Red!! It is a the right colour for the time of year she tells me but it looks like she has bits all over her teeth.... still if she's happy with them.... Hope they don't give her too much pain; she's on a 3 day scout camp (mum had to go and collect her; have the braces done and then take her to the pool to continue with the camp!). 

Hope to see you all at Wendy's Friday night for the Annual Christmas Friday Night Stitching Party. I'll make some delicious guacamole with veggies to dip plus I'll bring something fizzy to drink... oh and some stitching.

Hugz
Melanie
xxx 

FNWF - early finish for me....

I had a great time joining Cheryll and lots of others for FNWF but I had to leave early due to an early call (leaving home @ 5:30am tomorrow) but I did some secret creating (can't show much....) and some sorting of fabric to piece my 2nd table runner... I hope to finish both runners next week.... 

Have a look at what everyone else did here.... I'll check them out Sunday night when I have internet access again. Hoping to have a busy weekend at a market (keep your fingers crossed for us please).

Hugz
Melanie
xxx 

How am I????

Lots of you have asked how I'm going - thank you. The truthful answer is better than I was but still a long way to go but I think the light's getting brighter......

I'm now on my 6th anti-depressant and 4th medication to help me sleep but I think this combination is starting to help - especially the sleeper and maybe that's why I'm feeling a bit better just getting some quality sleep. I have been naughty and tried not to take the sleepers but regret that decision by 2am as it's too late to take them then!!

I'm still not back at work and the anxiety goes through the roof when I see anyone from work or when I go to see my GP (co-located with the hospital) but I do have strategies to do that help me get through it. 

Longer term I haven't made any decisions - just concentrating on the here and now (Christmas is a big enough challenge for me at the moment).

Thank you for all your "cyber" support. My blog is a place where I feel I can  be honest about how I'm doing without feeling judged.

Hugz
Melanie
xxx 

Busy, busy, busy.....

My blogging mojo had gone AWOL but I think it's back now. I have been reading others just not posting on my own. As I mentioned in earlier posts I've started an Etsy shop with a friend. Well the shop itself isn't doing great (not too bothered as we know it takes a lot of time) but we have now done 3 markets and we're in profit ..... yeah (not a lot but a profit is a profit). We've got a big market this weekend in Adelaide - Etsy Christmas Grand Bazaar - there's over 100 Etsy Store Owners plus the usual Flinders Street Market. We think we've got enough stock (really hard to know) and have practised setting everything up (final run on Friday)...so anyone in Adelaide at the weekend please drop in and say hello. 

Hugz
Melanie
xxx