Christmas 2021

 Hello friends. I do hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas celebration with loved ones. After an emergency hospital visit for my 93 year old father-in-law days before Christmas, we were able to be all be together at our Sons home and had a really lovely day......all our favourite dishes, happy smiling kids, loads of laughter and love....oh and a Santa gift or three.

This motley crew are the dearest in my heart......

Since then Hubby and I have been very quiet....he watching the Cricket and I finishing off the 52tagshannemade challenge and with my pencils.

Our last tag of the year was a Macrame Christmas tree.....I really enjoyed trying this technique. 

So finally its a wrap.....challenge complete! It is not a great photo but here they all are!

Oops forgot to show the preceding tags lol!

Tag 49 - Captured Memories.  All the beautiful wild places I have been fortunate to have visited with my husband was what I wanted to capture. I  chose a feather collected on a bush walk as the centre piece.

Tag 50 - Circles....a combination of suffolk puffs, button and applied circles!

Tag 51 - Wreath.  I only did a half a wreath as I wanted to feature Aussie designer Barb Smiths cute Santa button. We also could cut a frame for our wreath which I did with red cardboard....

In my art group, Sandra our teacher and mentor set us a challenge. We all received a plain laser cut shape in our Christmas card with instructions.....

I was still in Christmas decoration mode so that  is what I made.....for my Christmas tree. I sprayed the shape with glitter, added a button and stitched it to a felt set of ovals. 

And I have also spent a little time both before Christmas and after with my pencils. The first, as a collector of Royal Doultons Old Country Roses, when teamed with a sweet Robin was irresistible to me.....

Lastly, a Pale-headed Rosella. These shy birds visit my bird feeder several times a day.....sometimes they just perch on my verandah railing and rest. I really love them.  I have never been able to snap a suitable reference photo but thankfully a lovely friend gifted me one. I have set the bird in low dead branches with seeded grasses close by.....their favourites. 

Well I have still managed to waffle on even though I had planned on a quick post....lol!

Thank you so much for your kind thoughts, prayers and comments this year. I have appreciated every single one. I have had some lovely comments from a lady called PAM...sadly I couldn't respond to your comments as they came up as a no reply blogger.....I have had several like this. Please know I appreciated your comments also.

I have no plans or  expectations for the upcoming year. More time with my beloved will be my dearest wish.

So friends......I wish you good health and happy stitching.

May the long time sun shine upon you,

All love surround you and

The pure light within,

Guide your way on. 

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

December Roundup

 

I thought I would share a post before Christmas is upon us. Another long epistle folks! Sorry but this seems to be the way of things these days. 

Santa's helper has delivered some very cute and  festive mail from friends across the land.

All gorgeous. Thank you Karen (Sunburnt Quilts) Sue (Kiwikids Page) Liz and Maria (Life on the Block)

My friend Sue in the UK added to my Beatrix Potter collection again this year with this sweet card.....adorable!

I missed a lot of my usual festive gatherings but did manage to go to lunch with my sewing friends earlier in the month and I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it.

Love, laughter and spoiling took place.

Luckily I had gotten an early start on my Secret Santa before our life turned to *#%#

I loved the fabric and decided it needed to be the star.....so I  made a Hexie table centre.

Once again I enjoyed stitching ornaments for friends and family. 

And had my first attempt at making some Christmas cards.....simple but effective was the limit of my abilities. 

We are fortunate enough to have a beautiful Kiwi expatriate that pays a weekly nursing visit to hubby.....last week she gave us some very cute Christmas ginger cookies....which were soooo delicious! 

I couldn't make it to the Sunday Stitchers Christmas breakup this year. But these wonderful ladies sent a lovely Elf called Alison to my door with beautiful treats and gifts from them all. So special and so kind!

At Sunday Stitchers we were taking part in a SAL of Heartstrings by Natalie Bird. Our tops were to be completed by the Christmas party.  I made the deadline but not the gathering.

So here is my version.....mid hand quilting.

I did my own thing on the final border as anyone who knows me knows that I am not a big fan of machine piecing.

I placed a EPP heart in each corner....

2 little birds, a heart, Heartstrings and Hexies and Hexie flowers for the top border.

Repeated the same for the bottom border but excluded the heart for the cute pincushion. 

Side borders were similar but with a single hearts and little birds.

The target now is to have it quilted and bound my next Christmas! 

Some milestones in our family too....our youngest grandson finished Primary school and is off to High school next year.....my oh my! Where did that little boy go? He cut quite the dashing figure at his graduation.....red shirt and red shoes.....

His little sister had her first dance concert and did an excellent job....

Yesterday my dear friend and hairdresser extraordinaire, Katie came and gave Hubby,  Dear Daughter, Youngest Granddaughter and yours truly some Christmas hair styles....I was boring and had the same do. What can I say.....why change what you love.....but the other girls decided on big change and  had all their long tresses cut off and they look fab!

Ok I have waffled long enough. If you stayed until the end, thank you....I do have tags to share with you but as there is only one more to go I shall save them all for next time. 

I would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and the hope you get to spend it with those who are the most important to you.

Stay safe and well.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx