Rest and Relaxation

The "Call the Midwife" marathon is still continuing! So stitching just seems to go so well with it along with rum balls, shortbread and Christmas cake!
I have been working on Angels Story and have completed Harriet the Homemaker.

Do you have to have a little preview after finishing a few blocks?  Me too!

Pot Planting Penelope is now underway....applique compete and stitchery happening.
My friend FIONA From BubzRugz was very generous and sent me a whole lot of gorgeous 4 inch squares before Christmas to contribute to my Clamshell Quilt stash....

I love to take the clamshell to stitching group....you see I can talk and stitch and not concentrate as much lol! Well! I am a gifted chatter...what can I say! Anyway I have cut out and prepped a whole lot of my new stash all ready for 2018.

Loving the vintage look of my clamshells. So all set here ready to go.
I received a lovely surprise yesterday.....with Christmas days slowly receding I was not expecting any more packages....BUT I received a very heavy parcel from my friend SUE From Kiwikid. Sue knows Hubby and I are extremely partial to a particular brand of Chilli Jam only found in Queenscliff Victoria at a beautiful shop called....Maggies Kitchen Store. We loved just about everything there when we visited. If ever you go to Queenscliff, do yourself a favour....or flavour!
In my parcel was?? Not one but THREE jars of Chilli Jam......

Woohoo! Happy dance here! Taste tested already.....YUM! Sue also popped in the cutest gingie towel....

Thank you so much Sue....our taste buds are in heaven!
A little surprise in the garden too....several small spikes of this orchid are popping out here and there.

Ok kettle is on.....and DVD watching and stitching awaits!
Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Christmas Break and SSCS Unwrapped

We had a very quiet Christmas Day and celebrated with our Family on Boxing Day. It was a bit of a warm and humid day after the storm on Christmas day. We enjoyed our time together and of course ate too much lol! Queensland Christmases usually involve a swim in the backyard pool for us and of course silliness. Mostly by the BIG kids in the family!!
DD snapped an action shot of DS teaching the Grandsons the art of silly jumps! The rest of us were swamped in the backwash lol!

I think the apprentices are learning tooo well! All good fun!
I have been very happy this year to just relax....I reread one of my Christmas favourites.....

I really enjoy revisting this lovely story each year.
I have also been binge watching this......

For some reason I didn't think I would like it....error in judgement there...loving it!
SSCS GIFT has been opened.
I was sending to LAILA From Jacobs Quilt in snowy Norway. I made a wintery wall hanger as she was experiencing snow when I went stalking her blog! I meant visiting her blog!

The ornaments that I sent.......a touch of Aus.

I popped in a couple of little extras too....Laila loves Malteasers.

This is such a lovely swap. Helping to make the world a smaller but more friendlier place one stitch at a time. Kindness does create lots and lots of beautiful ripples.....

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

My Lovely SSCS Gift

On Christmas Day I got to open my main gift in

My lovely Secret Santa was MICHELL From Michell's Place across the Tasman in New Zealand. Michell made me a beautiful table runner. I have a long dining table and it is a perfect fit.....couldn't wait to try it out!

I borrowed a couple of piccies from Michell's blog....hope you don't mind.

I just love it! Michells piccie of the ornament she made me was much better to show how lovely it is rather than mine....so pretty!

Thank you so much Michell for your spoiling, I hope you have caught up on some well deserved sleep. Thanks also to CHOOKYBLUE for organising this wonderful swap for us  and to Denice for helping out.
My partner hasn't posted yet so I will wait to share what I made for her until later.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Merry Christmas Everyone

I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May you find peace and joy this festive season.

To have the gift of the love of Family and Friends is no small thing. Appreciate each and everyone of them. Whether you are having a quiet celebration or one of huge proportions, I  wish you the heart of Christmas......LOVE.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Final FNSI for 2017

Last night was our final cyberspace get together over at WENDYS at Sugarlane Quilts Thank you Wendy for bringing us all together from all over every month.
So what did I work on......well....I built a little house....

Began to grow some lovely trees.....

And got little wings on an Angel and almost got her dressed.....
My Angel Story Quilt block....Harriet the Homemaker....

This little Angel is a bit tricky.....her sleeves are embroidered and I have teeny little hands to needleturn holding a teeny handbag. As it was designed for fusible applique these tiny bits are working my brain and the dexterity of my fingers lol!
I received more lovely mail from friend Cheryl.....a very cute Rudolph ornament and card.....

I think many of us have said many times how much our lovely handmade ornaments and decorations mean to us......thank you dear friends.
Today is "Pineapple Fruit Cake" day. I am baking two, one for us and one for dear Father in law. It is his favourite and I have made him one every year for about 35 years now....

My family don't enjoy the richer traditional Christmas cake so I go with what tbe do enjoy. Most Aussies know this cake from the back of their crushed pineapple tins!
So I  best get baking....

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

A Bit of History

This folks is unrelated to the festive season but wanted to share it for posterity. Our Son is a painter and has recently been painting the main stairwell of our historic Parliament House Building.

They have had scaffolding up to reach the very high ceilings.

No 1 Son working hard....

It is has quite beautiful detailing on the ceiling.

These are some photos of the completed work.

Beautiful stained Glass....all the while Queen Victoria kept an eye on their work.

Great work guys! Just a little detour away from the tinsel for a moment.
Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

More Jingling!

I have been spoilt some more with Santa's sleigh stopping by my house again. Lovely friends have sent me some sweet parcels in the post.
Friend FIONA sent a lovely French General ornament and gorgeous felt pouch with beautiful applique ( I shall have to put something special in there) and a festive dish towel....that should make my wiper upperers happy on Christmas day lol!

I love that cute handmade card too.....thank you very spoilt!
My friend KAREN from way south of the border sent me a gorgeous Frosty ornament and beautiful handmade card....Karen is so clever at both. Thank you Karen....he is beautiful x

Today was a small gathering of my art classmates and teacher for a BBQ lunch for our Christmas breakup.....very nice and chilled out and relaxed. We did have a Secret Santa and this cute set of 3 tins that go together to make Santa was mine.

Sewing wise I have prepped this project but will explain in a later post.

Enjoy your evening folks......tea and toast for me.....too much PARTY!

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Sunday Stitchers Christmas Party

Yesterday I had a wonderfully festive, fun day at Sunday Stitchers Christmas Party held at SANDI'S FROM FOREVERMORE lovely home. Very photo heavy folks!
Sandi has decorated her home beautifully. Christmas wherever your eyes looked.

Want to see more? Thought you might.......gorgeous collections everywhere.

How sweet is this.

The table was set sooo beautifully.

We had gifts at the ready.

Delicous food.

Two very festive Birthday girls...Helen and Noela.

If you were especially good you got a hug from Santa with your gift. It is so Christmasy there apparently Santa lives there permanently! !

We had Secret Santa and we kind of had a theme....we could choose from several items or choose "whatever". I choose the Block Keeper as I have never owned one. Lynda made mine and it is gorgeous.....I am so thrilled with it!

So beautifully made. Here are all the Block Keeper girls! All so lovely!

Here are the girls who received different items.

Everything was so beautifully made. I was making for Helen who was happy with whatever I wanted to make. I know Helen loves pretty teacups and morning tea so I made her a table runner with pretty teacups. Photos a bit dark...look above at Helen for a truer idea of colours.

Lots of lovely cards and little gifts were exchanged with the other girls. I made some little stitchery hexie decos to pop in their Christmas cards....

They were fun to make....aren't hexies versatile. We had several games which were also fun, one of which I was out in the first 5 minutes lol!
It was such a lovely day and I really enjoyed myself. Huge thanks to Sandi for spoiling us and sharing her home with us all......including her very own personal Santa lol!

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx