Sunday Stitchers Christmas Party

The last Sunday in November saw me travelling south to Coomera for our Sunday Stitchers Christmas Party.
Unfortunately I had to leave early for a family function north of where I live, so a fair bit of time was wasted in the car.
Still the time I had with the Stitchers was great.... a lovely bunch of ladies....just wish I could have stayed until the end.

First of all, we can't forget the December birthday girls. Here they are carefully (or should that be painfully) opening each present together. 

 We swap presents. We got our 'name' early this year, but I still managed to be sewing it right down to the wire. I am not a model for organisation. As per usual, the presents were well thought out and very well made. There is a lot of pressure when you know the standard of the work of the recipient.  :-)

 And a lot in inspection of what others got.

 The food table always groans under the volume and deliciousness of the food. Not a time for diets.

 I received from Maree...a pocketed mat for under my machine...filled with extra goodies...and lollies and biscuits and a diary. This mat will be very handy. I have been thinking of making one as I sewed my secret sewing lately. My tools kept dropping off. Now I'll have easy-to-get-to pockets for them.

 We got extras again the year. Lovely ornaments to add to my tree, a pin cushion jar, more lollies and a very useful placemat with engraved cutlery. This will be very well used!

 I gave to Deb a block holder. The embroided centre is a Rosalie Quinlan/Dekker design. I used Lynette Anderson fabric as I know Deb loves her work. I believe it will be well used as Deb has another special project underway.

 I was very pleased she liked it. Now to make one for me!

Plans are underway for next year's meetings and sew alongs....looking forward to it.

take care,
Cheryl

Sunday Stitchers

 

 I enjoy our monthly Sunday Stitchers meetings very much. Our other members are far better bloggers than I am. They report on our meetings more thoroughly and regularly than I do.
Having said that... I was the birthday girl in June and the lucky recipient of all these FQs.
Thank you, ladies.

 (For them - to explain the request for red and white)
This is the first book I bought when I started my patchwork obsession hobby. As soon as I saw this quilt, it went on my 'to do one day' list. Maybe now I have all these new FQs, it will come off the 'one day' list.

 

 Our recent swap was a mini.  This is the one I made for Teresa. It's called the housewife block and I made it using Paris Flea Market fabric.

 The fabric range contains a stylised map of Paris. I had to use it as Teresa is very much a Francophile.

 Here are the ones swapped on the day. We are holding the ones we received. Mine came from Susan.
Thank you, Susan. It went on my new hanger as soon as I got home.

 We always have Show & Tell.
This is Alison, who's a worse blogger than I am. Let see if she reads this and goes crook at me. LOL

 Some of our group are hand sewing Trip Around the World.  They are looking great but I'm glad it's them and not me.

We received our names for the Christmas swap. So more snooping and thinking is in order.

Take care,
Cheryl

Sunday Stitchers - March

March's Sunday Stitchers meet saw 3 birthdays and our Easter table runner swap.
Here are all the presents waiting for the Easter Bunny and birthday girls.

I was really stressing out about this swap. Nothing was coming to mind. Normally our swaps are not one on one, but our fearless leader, Maree, set it up that way this time. Of course we were all clueless. Maria and I were paired. Maria and I also go to Sisters of Stitch at our library. So the funniest part was, we both thought to ourselves we can't work on it there as our swap partner would see it. We just didn't know both of us were thinking the same thing!  I even rejoined Pinterest so I could stalk and repin  her Easter pins. My Pinterest page was of no help to her as they were all her pins anyway!
Eventually, I thought of something. A major search of my books, patterns and even bits torn for old magazines yield my bunny from an elderly colouring-in book. I think he's cute. I did use satin stitch in parts. I held my tongue the right way and it turned out acceptable. So I was very pleased.

 Unbeknown to Maria, her green edged runner to matches my dinning table chairs and rug perfectly.
Thank you Maria.

These ladies are all very talented and it was fun to see what they came up with.
What I didn't get good photos of was our raffle in aid of our May's Biggest Morning tea. Check out Maria's blog as she won it!
Thanks (big thanks) and congratulations have to be given to Helen for making, donating and putting it together. It started to look like Aladdin's cave as Maria opened it. We all ended up wishing we had won it!
The next swap is a 12 inch mini. Better put that thinking cap back on.

Take care, everyone.
Cheryl

Pinned, Quilted and Delivered!

Using plastic tables to pin worked a treat. I am definitely not using the floor again!

I have since bought better clamps. Unfortunately the ones in the photo were too shallow to hold on to the table tightly.  DH will get these for his workroom, so he's not complaining.

 The quilt being pinned has been delivered to the birthday boy. I think he likes it.  My SIL does, as it matches her lounge room. LOL.

Our February meeting of The Sunday Stitchers saw us and friends having a workshop with the lovely Natalie Bird.

 It was a very enjoyable day. There was 'Show & Tell' of things made from Natalie's patterns.  We were very well fed. No photos of the food...too busy eating it.

I am pleased with how I have been getting through my heavy list of must-dos for this year. Everything is on schedule. Actually that is bit of a surprise to me. Just goes to show, I can achieve things if I focus.
There were  2 3 things on my 'if I have time' list. Two I have not achieved - the Queensland Quilters Challenge and last year's bag from GDITC. They were only hopes, so I'm not disappointed and the second one will get there one day anyway. The third was a go at an entry for the 'Lest We Forget' challenge for  the Australian Quilt Convention. I thought I had missed it but I got an email saying the deadline had been put back a week.
Now I know I am not an arty quilter! I have submitted my entry form and will be very surprised if I get asked to send it down. It was just something I really wanted to have a go at. More time and a bit more care would have made a better effort. There was no time for unpicking or finding a better/correct printer.  I figure the photos won't fade for a couple of years.
I used copies of the photos my Grandparents swapped when Grandad went off to WW1 and two of the postcards he sent back. I tried to mimic his handwriting and the greetings he used on the cards.
I was a tail end grandchild and therefore knew only the old man. These postcards give an insight to the 20 year who love his girlfriend (later wife).

 To Gran (my darling Meg) and Grandad (your ever loving Alf)

GDITC next week. Yeah!

Take care,
Cheryl