Things I made for Christmas gifts....

As much as possible I gave this Christmas a hand-made-with-love theme. Below are some of the gifts I made for loved ones - and mostly all my own designs.

For 10yo Calab, a huge pillow of his own because he always uses the one's I've made Kezzie in the past...

 For 4yo Dee a dinosaur bag to carry all his toy dinosaurs around in (it matches the dinosaur quilt I made him last year)...

I also made Dee a dinosaur tail (from THIS tutorial) but Kezzie and Calab had fun with it too!

Using my 'Little Bird' stitcheries,  I designed a sewing companion and needlekeeper for Kezzie. She's just learning to embroider and wanted something special to keep all her bits in. I finally cut into my Denyse Schmidt stash for this present!

 For SIL Bert I made a sketch book cover because he's discovered how much he enjoys sketching. I also made a pencil case but forgot to take a photo, however, I also put pockets on the front of the sketchbook for pencils.

I made a very special mini pillow for Blossom, but it would be perfect as a large pin cushion if she wanted to use it that way. The beautiful stitchery design is by Candlelight Creations.

I also make sure that every year I make jars of my famous Plum & Cinnamon jam to give away, so Kezzie and Blossom both took one home with their gifts.

Remember my Shabby Bag from Issue 5 of Elefantz HOME? You can see the original HERE.

I made another one as a Christmas gift for my dear friend, Fee, and this time used a romantic colour scheme...

For my swap partner Dale, I chose a stitchery design by Tricia Owen and made it into a table runner with lovely Bliss fabric strips...

Now to something made FOR me. 

My sweet Blossom stitched this "Partridge in a Pear Tree" design ( by Julie Lembit) using prim colours and gifted me with it. Isn't it beautiful?

And Kezzie made me a whole bunch of coupons for facials and massages that she is happy to give when I have need...that could be very soon!

 ~~~~~

Because this was a fairly photo heavy blog post I'll wait until tomorrow to do some show & tell photos of what lovely bloggers have made from my designs. 

Right now, I'd best get back to stitching some more of my new free BOM for 2012. More about that soon...

Hugs

Jenny

xxx

Gifts

Making good friends, through this wonderful craft I enjoy so much, has been the icing on the stitching cake, so to speak.

With so much going on this week, my head in a thousand places, and a magazine to publish in 7 days and not a word yet written, time to quietly sit and give thanks for my friends all over the world is cherished indeed.

Let me share with you today these photos of gifts I have received this week from beautiful and appreciated hearts. Every gift sent with love, kindness, and a knowing of what tickles my fancy; every gift so beautiful, so cherished...

From Peg in a private Six Item Swap....

(visit her blog to see in close-up every special gift!)

 From Joy, Shell and Vikki, these treasures...

From Melody....

From Carrie...

From Linda (no idea why there is an empty Turkish Delight wrapper - it wasn't when I opened the present)

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, dear friends!!

~~~~~

Yesterday Mr E took us on a ride to Ayr so I could visit with my friend, Wendy! It was a long, hot ride via Townsville, but worth every minute to see my good mate.

Last year Wendy and I both spied a table runner pattern in an issue of Country Threads magazine that we wanted to make. With no time left before Christmas last year, we made a pact to make this design for each other as gifts to swap this Christmas time! 

The pattern is "Stars of Bethlehem" by Karen Gledhill, and this is the one that Wendy made for me....

This is our favourite block of all...

Wendy's stitching is beautiful, and she added little tiny beads along the ribbon trim. This will decorate our dining table on Christmas morn because I'm not taking the chance of putting it out now and dropping something on it. ;-)

I completely forgot to take a photo of the one I made Wendy, but it's obviously the same design, but I added 80 year old cream ric rac braid as my trim. 

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One of the gifts Peg gave me was a journal, and so special is it that I have decided to use it for the next year to record one thing to be thankful for every day for 365 days. I started on Tuesday when it arrived...

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If you're still feeling stitchy this pre-Christmas week, Wendy has designed the sweetest little stitchery design that she'd like to share with you for Christmas!

Just pop along HERE to her blog to download, and remember to leave her a comment and say thank you. :-)

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Do you like the pretty prim stitchery that Annie designed? She has used it to embellish a needlebook, and the pattern for it will be in Issue 7 of Elefantz HOME (which I have to write in the next few days!!! eek!!)...

I really wanted to stitch this up before the next issue so I could show you how versatile this design is. I finished mine today, all in shabby pastels - 

I am using mine to make a pin cushion. It's such a cute stitchery - thanks Annie!

There is still time to subscribe. Just visit the magazine webpage HERE.

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I may not post again until after Christmas, so may I wish each and every one of you the most joy-filled, and treasured Christmas ever!

 From our home to yours - be blessed as we have been blessed with the richest of all gifts, Jesus.

Hugs

Jenny

xxx

It's very green up my way!

The wet season is well and truly here, and our little town has certainly taken a hiding in the last few days. 

On Friday night the rain flooded parts of Kezzie's house, and she lost power for hours. A number of trees came down and a neighbour down the road lost their roof.

On Sunday Mr E and I went for farewell ride with a teacher friend who is leaving town, and though it was fine when we left home, by the time we'd ridden 70 klms the rain bucketed on us. We stopped in Townsville for a while to enjoy hot cuppas and good Aussie meat pies, hoping to dry out a bit before the return trip.

 It doesn't really show, but our friend Adrian is saturated up to his waist. He was wringing the water out of his shirt, and later emptying his boots.

Heading home we rode through even worse rain and wind. Mr E was still squeezing water out of his wet-weather jacket on Monday! We all discovered wet weather gear doesn't always do what it's supposed to. 

The upside of the rain is the greening....

I took this photo today when it looked as though the sky was clearing, but an hour later the wind and rain tore through town again. Kezzie rang to tell us that our Vet Surgery had a huge gum tree come crashing down through the roof. I think that a lot of trees and houses here will experience troubles over this summer. In February when Cyclone Yasi tore through town it weakened a lot of structures and trees - I imagine we'll find out how much as these storms increase over the next few months.

~~~~~

I can't show you the gifts I have been making because I have nosey children and friends who will come snooping on my blog, however, I can show you some Christmas stitcheries I've been enjoying.

A while ago I found this pattern in an old issue of Handmade and I knew it was going to end up on my wall this Christmas...

The designer is Lesley Purdon. 

I found some pretty blue frames for $2 each at a garage sale, so chose to stitch it in blues and pinks...

It looks gorgeous on our dining room wall!

Bronwyn Hayes has generously shared some beautiful free Christmas stitchery designs on her blog the last few weeks, and as soon as I saw this one I had to scurry to find some nice backing fabric and  my trusty DMC 347 red thread!

Visit Bronwyn's blog HERE. She is always showing lovely ideas, and sharing her unique talent!

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The lovely Gail Pan has also shared a gorgeous free Christmas stitchery!

 Head over to her blog HERE to download. It is only available this month.

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Another special lady who is sharing her talent is Kaaren from The Painted Quilt. She has a redwork Woodland Santa, and as soon as I saw him I thought of St Nicolas!

 You do know that today is St Nicolas Day don't you??

Visit Kaaren HERE.

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Now while I am a redwork roll, you must visit my sweet friend, Allie! She is sharing a set of seven redwork Christmas stitcheries. 

 They will stitch up quick and be perfect for decorations!

Say hello to Allie HERE.

~~~~~

With no children in the house anymore, we've decided not to put up the big tree this year. 

I wasn't sure what we'd do until I saw this on Marg Low's blog the other day...

It sits on a table. 

Marg made the tree skirt and added ornaments of her own design. Isn't it pretty?

You can visit Marg's blog HERE. She has such lovely designs!

Today I tell Mr E I need a little tree, and he finds me one at Overflow that is barely 6" high.

Not a tiny tree, a little tree, I say.

I hope we have luck with finding one.

~~~~~

If you're new to my blog this year, you will have missed this free design I shared for last Christmas.

I made it into a door hanger for Kezzie.

 You can download it HERE.

With storms around today I've been sorting out my sewing room, so I'd best get back to that.

 Miss Sophie on the other hand has not been working...

The perks of rainy days.

Hugs

Jenny

xxx

A free design, and a new quilt for Sam!

Bless your hearts for the prayers and hugs over Mr E returning home for good, and putting mine life behind him. 

It was not an easy thing for us, but above all else, we cherish our marriage, and it is far more important than being apart most of the time in order to purchase a house.

"Home" is where we are together - whether in a rental, in a tent, or in a cottage of our own one day - it doesn't matter the place, it only matters in the heart. He is my home on this earth.

I think I'll have to design a stitchery to reflect that sentiment, don't you? He has already applied for some teaching positions for next year, and God-willing we'll have an answer before Christmas.

In the meatime he's looking for some casual work locally to keep bread and butter on the table. Bless his precious heart!

~~~~~

Our darling 19yo son, Sam, has been waiting patiently these past few years for me to design and make him a guy quilt. There have always been plenty of quilt designs around for young boys, displaying trucks, cars, boats and the like, but he wanted something edgy - something that reminded him of a favourite book I read to him and Blossom, "The Lord of the Rings".

Finally, I have done it, and he is thrilled!

Let me show you my latest quilt design, made especially for my boy...

*GOBLINS*

 

 

And the fabric on the back was perfect for him!

Do you like it?

For my fellow Aussies and Kiwis, the pattern will be available in Patchwork & Stitching magazine around mid-April next year.

I will however, also list the pattern in my Etsy shop for my overseas friends (or for those of you who cannot wait till next April), sometime this week. I'll let you know when.

It's a great teen quilt, especially for someone who likes medieval books!

~~~~~

As promised, I'm sharing a second free Christmas design with you today!

~*~ The Stocking Tree ~*~

This runner is easy to make, and so very cheery with the dancing Christmas Stocking tree!

You can download the pattern HERE, but only until Christmas Eve and then it disappears. 

~~~~~

I've been asked if there will be any more Give Thanks verses in my BOM this year.

Yes, two  more in fact. 

I'll share them in the next week or so, and I suppose I'd better get my thinking cap on about what free BOM I can share next year!

~~~~~

Tomorrow I'll be showing you some gorgeous Show & Tell photos from bloggers who have been making my designs their very own. 

Until then, I have a husband to enjoy, and a sewing room needing some attention. 

Hugs

Jenny

xx