Secret Santa gift from me to Kerri

I got to make for beautiful Kerri in our FIS Secret Santa Swap! As soon as I seen this pattern, I knew I had to make it up for her (got to make one myself too!). I decided to make this one similar to the original. Here is the Retreat Seat (it was very easy to put together and easy to follow instructions):Great support while stitching, or taking away for a sewing day/gathering!

Handy pockets in the sides to put your bits and bobs in. Kerri even said it would be good for sitting on your lap while stitching. What a great idea! Didn't think of that!

It ties to the back of the chair:

And, I also made her a iPhone Pouch:

A magnet calendar (seemed to have made a few of these too!). I have one ready to put together for me too!

And, I made a Elicia wool scarf:

Glad you liked them all Kerri! It was a treat to make for you!

Ok, so that is the last of my December finishes! My total is 27! WOW!!

I would also like to wish you all a wonderful, happy, safe and of course CREATIVE New Year! Thanks for stopping by! See you next year :+)

x Sarah

Whats on the Gammill Friday & FIS Swap from Christine

So, whats on the Gammill Friday? Why its a Chook Shed quilt! This one is so cute, I made one for my Mum a couple of years ago!
Quilt design: Bumble Bees

Our online sewing Group had our Secret Santa Swap and this year was extra fun as it was held like an advent swap, with opening a little gift from the 20th. I was VERY lucky to have the gorgeous Christine make for me! Here are the first 5 gifts: Chocolate Orange, Note pad, Xmas tin ornie, sweet smelling candle and a cute handmade stocking:

My main gift is just AWESOME:

Its a Christmas Tree Skirt! I have wanted one for SO long! I have a daggy old panel one I made years and years ago, and each Christmas when I get my decoration's out, I think I must make a new one. But as you only just remember at Christmas time, you just never get around to it!

Opening this gift on Christmas was such a wonderful surprise! Thanks so much Christine I just *love* it!

*edit* I have had a couple of emails regarding the pattern for the tree skirt. Its a Natalie Ross design from her book Get Red Red Ready for Christmas which is filled with some gorgeous Christmas patterns!

Tomorrow I will pop back to show the last things I made for Christmas.

Advent Swap from me

Another finish for me! Here is the gift I made for De in the Advent Swap. I really, REALLY love this pattern. Ace Of Cakes table topper and uses a Layer Cake and some solid. I have made it for myself a few years ago (check mine out here), mine being random fabric placement, with De's I wanted a more uniformed piece and kept the grey blocks for the centre, red for flying geese and the darker grey/brown for the 4 patch triangles:
Quilting design: Debs Feathers:

Fabric: Rouenneries Deux:

And she received an iPhone pouch (which was one of the 16 I made):

A fridge calendar:

As well as a spring strip purse:

All the other gifts were purchased.

So, that's another 2 to add to the finish list for December! And, there is more..............

x Sarah

Advent Swap for me

I participated in the Advent Swap and what fun it was! I was quite lucky to have De as my partner, someone which I have actually met!

Here is what she made me for my Christmas Day gift.... A GORGEOUS hexagon Table Runner:
Very unusual and I *love* it! I just love table runners, I have heaps and I love to swap and change them around! This will look wonderful on my coffee table:

Here are a few of the goodies De sent me leading up to Christmas:

Check out these Snowman candles! They are SO cute! Too cute to use lol!

Thanks so much De for all my gifts xx

If you want to see other gifts from the Advent Swap (which I am sure you will be in awe) pop over HERE!

I will pop back tomorrow to share what I made for De.

Be prepared to be blown away!!

I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas! We did!

I have LOTS to share - what I made and what I have received, it is hard to decide on 'what first'! So, I thought I would show you this selection off goodies I made for gifts:

This Black Forest Bag for my bloggless sil Judy in 'Pure' fabrics. Turned out very nice and she loved it!
3 Ear Bud Pouches - 2 sil's and hubby! Seriously, these are SO quick to make and easy too!

I made a HEAP of these gift bags up. These went down very well! Everyone loved them! Pretty proud of myself lol

And...... I made 16 (YES 16) of these iPhone/iPod pouches! For family, friends and swaps! Mine is the second one, top row!

Here are the first 8:

10:

13:

16:

They were very quick and easy to make! Made from Janelle Winds' book.

Are you blown away..............

My gift

We have a new wine cabinet! I had wanted one for a while and found the perfect one from Chrisco! It came last Saturday morning, right to our door! We found a spot in the hallway, just as you enter the Dining Room. I now want to get a canvas/painting for just above it. We have spotted some we like, just have to decide which one to purchase. And, I thought I might make myself a black, cream and red table runner over my holidays, as the pictures we like had red in it..... Then low and behold, when we stopped at Calico Crossroads yesterday, Pauline surprised us with a gift.... A table runner - black, cream and RED!

It fits perfectly!!

I have a Christmas one on it at the moment, but come Boxing Day, I will put my new one on!

THANKYOU so much Pauline. I really, REALLY *love* it xx

I also wanted to wish you all a wonderful, magical Christmas! Don't eat too much!

See you Boxing Day with some pics of some goodies swapped!

x Sarah

What's on the Gammill Friday and gifts!

What's on the Gammill Friday..... NOTHING!! I finished the last Christmas quilt on Wednesday, so the others I have here will be done after Christmas!


But, I will show you this one..... One of the last for this week. This was made by a lady 'L' for her hubby as he loves Blue Willow. She managed to source some blue and white fabric and made a little lap quilt:


When she was looking through my pattern catalogue, she found this design called 'St Patricks Day'. She chose this as his middle name is Pat! Here is a close up of the quilting:

Turned out a treat!

On the way to Launceston to catch up for lunch with some dear friends today, we stopped into Pauline's shop for supplies and drop off a Christmas gift I had made...... I made the Retreat Seat from this pattern by Natalie Ross in the Buttons and Blooms fabrics:

I really liked the way it turned out, and think I might make mine in these colours too!

The pattern was easy to follow and quick to construct to! How handy would one of these be?! Glad you liked it Pauline! And Pauline surprised us with a gift too! A GORGEOUS table runner that fits on my new cabinet perfectly! I will take some pics and show you tomorrow!

A finish that I can share

Day 4 of my holidays, and I have nearly finished another project! Just have to sew up the hole, add some buttons and its good to go! That will be tonight's job!

The 'bigger' project from yesterday is now finished..... Hole sewn up last night and handles tied. Here it is:

A close up of the stitchery which was finished SO long ago! I do have one stitched out for me too. I will get to mine after Christmas I think!

I love these colours. Something that little bit different for Christmas!

Pattern: Christmas Cheer by Janelle Wind. Lovely, quick and easy to follow pattern. I can share it here as I know the recipient doesn't read my blog!

Have you seen this contest (HERE is the complete list)? Well...... I have found a super quick (well, looks it!) little pattern for an Ear Bud Pouch. Wonder if I can find myself a zip here and whip one up for Hubby!!!

More Christmas sewing

Day 3 of my holidays and I have managed to get heaps of sewing done! But I can tell you, the house is a total mess lol! You cant even see my sewing room floor.... SERIOUSLY!

Today, I have managed to sew up the opening and top stitch 5 little projects and nearly completed another project. Just have to sew up the opening on that and then that's a finish! Yesterday, I did manage to complete this BEAUTY:

Sorry, I cant show you any more as the recipient reads my blog! I will say, I love, *LOVE* it! I hope the recipient does too!

Best be off, I have a couple of orders to pack and I have to wrap Mum and Dad's gift and get them to the PO today!

Gift giving

My work does not have a break-up Christmas Dinner/Party, they whisk us away on holidays instead..... But, we decided to meet up for lunch yesterday at the local which was very nice! As usual, I make the girls on my shift a little something..... Usually something like a Christmas Decoration (last year it was the Christmas Goose Bags), this year it was something a little different!

I decorated some brown lunch bags instead of wrapping. Used some Stampin Up stamps and punches, ribbon and printed off the bauble papers from the net. Pretty pleased how they turned out and they didn't take long to do either.

I gave them each one of Janelle Wind's iPhone covers in their colour/style - I will say, these coves are SO quick and easy to make too.... VERY addictive lol:

And, a calendar for their fridge:

Day 2 of my holidays.... I just need to get this gift I am working on together today, so I can get the other 4 done! Luckily the others are only smallish ones.

What's on the Gammill Friday

Friday again. Can you believe there is only one more Friday before Christmas?!

Anyway, here is today's effort.... One of 2. Yes, only 2 today lol

Finished off, and handed back today! Quilting pattern: Faster Posies.

Tomorrow we are off to Lonnie, Christmas shopping time! I can imagine what it will be like too.... CRAZY!

Today is the start of my holidays! A whole month off. I have heaps planned, but will I get it all done........ Probably not! Maybe if I write it all down???

More on quilting

I have been sewing lots, but not much I can share yet, sorry. Though I will share this GORGEOUS quilt...... Like? LOVE!!



Its Clare's! Have you met Clare yet? Well, she is a designer of wonderful quilt and bag patters (and she has designed a Sarah bag after me...... Nah not really! After her GORGEOUS little bub!!), and I have the pleasure of quilting a lot of her sample quilts..... Including this one (I really REALLY love it! And, I have the perfect fabric for it too!)..... There is just something about red and aqua don't you think?! She had her very own booth at AQM for the first time, and did very well for herself I might add. So, you will see her patterns around lots! Anyway, if you want to check out her patterns, just click HERE. For the next 2 days, I am running a 'Congratulations Clare Sale', so if you purchase 3 of Clare's patterns, email me for your 4th FREE! You have until Friday afternoon..................

x Sarah

Sunday car show

Today, Dennis and myself took the car for a run to the charity Muscle Car Run from Launceston to Longford:

Talk about a HUGE turnout! There was talk there was over 300 cars.....

Rain had been forecast for Sunday the last few days leading up to today, but thankfully it held off..... Actually, it was quite hot (and I got a little sunburned! I have a 'white' star pattern on my neck from my necklace!) lol.

A friend and myself went over the Makers Market. There was some very nice stalls there! Might have to call again!

Whats on the Gammill Friday

Today I had a quilt marathon... Starting at 7am and finished my 6th quilt at 6pm. What a day! I'm pooped! Today, I will share with you one of the ones I did:

Not sure if it is a Chook Shed design. It is the second one of these I have done. Looked great when I finished.

It was such a hot *HOT* day here today (it was snowing on the mountains last weekend.... go figure). The weather goes from one extreme to the other. And, not one to suffer allergies or hay fever, there must be something in the air as I do NOW!! Oh, and I am NOT suffering in silence either. sniff sniff!!!!

Another Ornie..............

I have been doing LOTS of secret squirrel sewing, mainly all Christmas sewing (and popped in something for me too!), so I cant share just yet. But, I will show you all another Christmas Ornie I made for De to open on the very first day in the Advent Swap:



I have made quite a few of these Ornies. They are really quick to make and are fully hand sewn.... No machine work at all. Great for beginners too! The pattern is from HERE and those GORGEOUS buttons HERE.

x Sarah