SSCS Received and sent..................

Look at this gorgeous wall hanging...............Dagmar @ Quilts and More in Germany excelled...............she sent to me in the Secret Santa Christmas Swap (SSCS) this year............

She sure does follow my blog doesn't she.........you must check out her photo shoot with the quilt here.......looks like she had fun.......

"Lamby and friends"..........

I'm pretty sure is it Lamby, Goatie and Lamby's lamb.............

some Christmas serviettes which were put straight to use............and a fat 1/4 of Paris fabric...........thankyou so much..........

&&&&&&

And onto what I sent for the SSCS to Gail @ Gail' Place in the USA..............

Gail is making a Lucy Boston quilt too...........so I got some 1/2 inch pieces and made a block...........and then made it into a needle book and hand quilted 1/2 and 1in Lucy shapes into it..........

Then I made a home for Lucy............while she is growing she needs a home.............I've had this lovely elegant print for awhile now and thought it would be perfect for this bag.....Lucy is very special......I fussy cut two big vases (front and back) and added some linen............

Now once Lucy starts to get joined she can live in here...........

Thankyou once again to both Dagmar and Gail for being part of the Secret Santa Christmas Swap............and to all the SSCS girls I look forward to seeing all your posts of gifts............i'll be calling around soon.........

Catch you later.......

Chookyblue.........

The Make it, Bake it, Fake it Swap goodies.....

Absolutely awesome gifts.....We are the best..... The best goodies done..... 

The brief was if your 'making' it had to be a small 'Anni aka Hatched and Patched' project...... 

OMG look at this display............

Dawnie @ Itching for Stitching received my swap gift............

A needle book from Anni's book The World as it Should Be

I got Kate @ Show and Tell's  swap gift..............

Catch you later..... 

Chookyblue....

Fat 1/4 birthday club.........

Hey blogland.......how is everyone today................

thanks for all your suggestions on crap day fixes..........amazing how good life is after a good night sleep.........but my naughty treats were good too.........

&&&

thanks also for my birthday wishes............I know i am a little late with this post but hey life happens..........

OMG my birthday cake...........wished I had taken a side profile...........

double story carmel mud cake with caramelised nuts and popcorn on top..........

it looked AMAZING...........and was so yummy............

&&&

this year I have been part of a fat 1/4 birthday club.........

lots of beautiful fat 1/4s' and a main present from one of the girls............

I had numerous choices as to style so mine are very varied..........

Sharon @ Lillabelle Lane

lovely civil wars........... 

Yvonne @ Yvonne W Designs
thinking of fussy cutting from this print..........

Ondrea @ O Sew Crafty

this fat 1/4 matches perfectly with one from Peg below...........

Illene @ Ret Dairy Queen

Some Bonnie and Camille....the little heart smells so devine..........

Peg @ Happy in Quilting

lots of bits from Peg..........that girl can't help herself.........but all very much appreciated...........

except the chocolate got demolished in the PJ day I had yesterday.........

Claire @ Claire-Bear Quilts

some more Bonnie and Camille......they go well together.........

Simone @ Quilting is my Down Time

Simone knows I love EPP........a lovely bright fabric and maybe that chocolate is on the hit list today.........maybe it would help if I didn't eat the whole bar in one day like yesterday.........

Michelle @ Michelle Ridgeway Designs

When I was in Brisbane last month Michelle actually gave me my parcel then..........
and told me "don't get to excited about the parcel it's not much"
well she is a big liar............OMG
Above are the extra bits she added in............
below are the goodies she made for me..........

about a 5 inch hexie this stitching pouch is beautiful...........Michelle designed and stitched the stitchery just for me..........it is so me...........I love it.........

and inside she has a few pockets and some thread...........
As if this wasn't enough there was more...........

This is a 3in hexie.....included a needle pad and some needles and scizzors with a little hexie scizzor fob on them.........and of course blue scizzors........

I sorted out some projects yesterday as everything was so mixed up I could not work...........so now they are off in various projects...........

thanks to all the girls in the Fat 1/4 Birthday Club...........

just one more parcel to arrive..........hope it isn't lost..........

and thanks to Dory for organising us........

Jenny @ Bird on the Border gave me this little parcel of cuteness............already used the notepad and need to think of something special for the christmas fabric.............

Finally my Mum gave me some money so I got Jenny Kingwell's new book..........

I have been eyeing it off............

OK must go...........

Catch you later.........

Chookyblue.......

a bonus SSCS parcel...................

My Secret Santa Christmas Swap Santa Sylvia @ Flickenstichlerei had an extra parcel in my envelope.............

This one said

"You never know what Santa is up to. He told me you have been such a good girl. You may open this on 6th of December or after"

Well as some of you celebrate Saint Nicholas on the 6th December I opened it then......

OMG it is a gorgeous needle book..........just so perfect for me............

a needle pad and some binding clips and some pockets below the binding clips for thread etc............

Sylvia I just love this..........it is so special..............

I've got some more blocks done for my blue lanterns EPP quilt.........

Not sure if I showed you my second block for my mystery quilt.........I didn't mean to use one of the fabrics in both blocks but oh well...............

it's just a mystery because I don't know what I am exactly doing yet........it will slowly develop.....I have some ideas and I am sure some will come as I go along.............not sure how fast but there will be lots more of these made.......well that's the idea so far................

And this is a project I am working on too.........been a bit slow on this one but this is Sandy's @ Shiralee Stitches first pattern........it's available here with or without a kit.......now the flowers are done I can move on............I've had too many distractions while working on this one.............

Catch you later

Chookyblue

Secret Santa Christmas Swap 2013 - sent and received..............

I made for Annik in Norway in the Secret Santa Christmas Swap..............

This is what I sent to her..............A Natalie Bird Red Home bag and a table runner.............the table runner pattern is available here for a donation to Cystic Fibrosis

a full pic of the table runner...............

and my ornament..................I wanted to put a wooden star button in the centre but it was missing when I went to get it and shops are not close so it missed the star button..................

Now for who sent to me..................I was totally spoilt.........

Karol Ann @ Sew Kalico in the UK sent to me...........

well all these goodies were wrapped in parcels in the stocking.............

needle book, little zipper purse, tissues, key fob..........

Karol Ann made hats for herself and her Mum when they went to the tennis in summer............the hats are reversible

Fairy Girl modeled mine for me..........

She even included a parcel for Fairy Girl..........needle book and tissues in this little pouch.........

not the best pic but this is on a coat hanger........so I will hang it in my cupboard for stocking or the like to keep them together...........

And this wonderful bag.........it made it a bit heavier fabric.............a great size..........

and she even stitched my name on it................how special.................

just a reminder of the ornaments she sent to me.........

thanks so much Karol Ann for the goodies you sent to me.............love it all............
thanks to everyone for being part of the swap I am hoping to have the pics up in the next day or so of all the gifts exchanged........
I am really behind in checking out all your posts too but it's been a little hectic and stressful here so have not had time to get around yet........BUT I will get there....promise.......

Catch you later

Chookyblue

Needlecase Swap..........

I mentioned back a few posts about Fairy Girl and the other Little Stitchers [finally have a name for them] (links in this post)......this time the swap project was a needlecase.........anyway finally we can show you what Fairy Girl made and sent off to Tink...........slightly adapted version of a Hatched and Patched pattern...........

This is the first time Fairy Girl has done blanket stitch and she did so well.............lots of patience from me but we got there in the end...............

This is the needlecase that Angel sent to Fairy Girl..............now Fairy Girl also has her own needles and needle threaders.............thanks Angel she loves it............the girls have sent emails back and forwards it is so much fun for them.............

this is some of the fabric that Fairy Girl received for Christmas........Santa was very kind............

Take Care til next time..............

Chookyblue for Fairy Girl...........

Stitching kit.........

I know you're shocked I have got some more finishes but hey don't get used to it because it is about to come to an end for a bit...........I am not the kind of person that works on something til it is done and then starts another one...........I don't even want to think how many projects are in various stages............I have lots of projects on the go though............if I don't like what I am working on I can just move onto something else.............

The lovely Cardygirl sent me this pattern Nellie's Sewing Bag because apparently I didn't see any of these bags at GDITC this year............I must have had my eyes shut.........lol.......to busy chatting probably...........another Rosie project..........

also teamed it with a Anni Downs Hatched and Patched needle case

I love this stitchery..............it is from her book "The World as it Should Be" and called My World Needle case............now Anni warns in the directions it is difficult to turn the needle case thru because of the stiffer interfacing but persist.........well Anni persist I did and it was difficult but so worth while in the end........the stiffer effect is great..........

I think most of the fabrics are from the Chocolat range..............

another gift for a friend that i didn't want to part with...........lol.............

Take Care til next time..............
Chookyblue

PS I know I know I have been doing lots of Rosie and Anni at the moment..........but I am loving it...........

Christmas in July sent............

In the Christmas in July Swap organised by Stephanie and Linda (thanks again girls for organising the swap) I made for Cheri. Unfortunately Cheri doesn't have a blog but her daughter Terri showed my swap parcel here..........(Terri also showed what she received in this post too)

here is the whole package I stuck some of my cards and a note pad in there too...........

the stocking - I made up the pattern as I went along.................Cheri can pick her favourite side

The needle case you will recognise as a Rosalie Quinlan Design Welcome Friends from GDITC @ Nundle this year..........this is the second one I have made and I have another one I am currently stitching for Fairy Girl........you can't see too well but it is stitched in green thread........the first one I made is here............

Take Care til next time..............
Chookyblue

PS the response to my last post was good - thanks for heading off and commenting on some other blogs......seems we all love to get comments......make new friends online............i even got some comments from people who had not commented on my blog before...............thanks girls..........

Welcome Friends Needle Case........

It's done.........finished...........and I love it..............Rosalie Quinlan Designs Welcome Friends Needle Case............one of our projects from the Girls Day in the Country.............

It is a bit hard to see but there is a little pocket inside (on the left below) and when I put it together I thought I had sewn it on the outside by mistake but it just needed to be flipped over the end...........lol........

I love the fabric we used................Holly Holderman Rose Petite...........so pretty and it has a little spot on it to you can hardly see in the pic........

Take care til next time...........Chookyblue

Added: this pattern will be available about 20th June