Happy New Year....

                      I can't believe that 2018 passed sew quickly and it's time to wish everyone
                                   All the Best wishes for a safe, Happy and Healthy 2019

Must away to make my UFO list for the new year...

Happy Stitching

Hugz  Maria 🎈

Last OPAM for 2018

First I'd like to thank Kris and Peg for keeping me on track each month since joining them for OPAM eight years ago.. This year is our Patch Group's Quilt Hanging sew hope to join the ladies again for 2019 and get plenty of finishes..

The Scrappy Bon Bon Quilt is now complete and ready for Christmas 2019.... we had a Southern buster today sew it was challenging to get a good photo..

                                                                                    I quilted in between the Bon Bons with strings of tangled lights and just stippled the Bon Bons         

                                       

through the year I worked on a few special christmas gifts for my overseas blogging friends which I can now post....

For Ellyn I stitched the "Carolers" as I know she enjoys singing....

and for Sunny I enjoyed stitching all the Aussie creatures having a typical fun "Aussie Christmas."

Also made several festive Gnome Rug Mugs....

I think that's it for December finishes sew 

Must away and make my list of 12 UFO's sew I can join my Queensland friends "The Sunday Stitchers"...

Happy Stitching

Hugz Maria  😘

Happy Christmas

                              Wishing everyone a very Happy and Safe Christmas .......

                                       Hope Santa leaves something nice for you all

Must away to do a few last things......

Happy Stitching..

Hugz Maria  ❤

Nearly there

only have the last borders to put onto the Christmas Quilt after joining Wendy for our last FNSI.
Thank you Wendy  for another year of enjoyable FNSIs , look forward to joining you again next year.

My DD challenged me to make a Christmas quilt from the fabrics in my stash LAST year.. (2017)

but I don't think it will be quilted and finished till next year.. ( I hope )

Must away and pop the kettle on for a cuppa...

Happy Stitching

Hugz  Maria  😘

Gifts....and Two Sign Ups

I was one of the lucky recipients of one of these cute foundation pieced "Christmas Tree Ornaments" that the lovely Fiona made...

as well as this lovely Santa Brooch from Jo....

I really appreciate getting these thoughtful handmade gifts from my friends ..








Thanks heaps to all who have sent me Christmas cheer.







This week Cheryll from Gone Stitching has invited us to join her for a fun Sew-A-Long in 2019 called "Bloom" Do pop over HERE and check it out...

I'm looking forward to make this sweet quilt .. Maybe you will too!!


 Also Wendy has put a the last Sign Up for FNSI for 2018 and as I'd like to get a Christmas Flimsy together I'm looking forward to sew along...

Huge thank you Wendy for keeping us sewing every third Friday of the Month. Looking forward to joining again in 2019''


                       Must away and take hubby to the RSL . Then I have some ME time to sew....

Happy Stitching

Hugz Maria..
😘

Christmas !!!!!!

Lots of people love Christmas BUT I find it can be the saddest time of the year......that's why it makes me happy to receive beautiful cards and gifts from friends .... also it's  important for me to share with others who don't have anyone......

When I checked our mailbox this week a beautiful smell wafted out of the box....

A gift from  Christine ,

some time ago I read on her blog she'd made sweet Lavender Sachets 

I was delighted to receive a set and they smell divine... 

A few days later the mailbox was full of cards and parcels 

One from my Texas friend Ellyn and the other from Susan ...

Cutest "Angel" Ornament for 

Susan

and Ellyn made a lovely pouch with some beautiful  FQ fabrics ..

                            Huge thank you to ALL for making Christmas special for me....

Decided  yesterday to made these to share and tomorrow I'll put up a tree and some decorations.....

Must away to put the kettle on for a cuppa..

Happy Stitching

Hugz  Maria  😘

Busy Busy and A few Stitches for FnwFs

Thursday evening was Christmas dinner with the girls from Patch...It was a fabulous with good company, a delicious traditional Chrissy Dinner with Pavlova and Passionfruit Cheese Cake for sweets



















The committee ladies decorated the tables beautifully. 

 
Friday morning I was up early for the four hour drive to the Big Smoke arriving at DD in time to go out for shopping and lunch before returning home for me to do a LITTLE stitching for the last FnwFs

Thank you Cheryll for another great year of organising us for FnwFs......
It is always fun to sew along with our virtual friends.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas.







then it was time to get ready to go the" Nutcracker" Ballet.

There was snow falling down outside the theater ??









Sitting waiting for the start......

Had to take a photo of the amazing ceiling . Would make a beautiful quilt..




We couldn't take photos of any of the Ballet but the costumes and dance was fantastic....





Today was DD dance concert which was sew enjoyable to see with sew many lovely dancers in their fabulous colourful costumes.... would have been good to have been able to show some of the dances but sadly this is the only photo I was able to take.

Must away now as it's midnight and time for some sleep...

Happy Stitching,

Hugs Maria 😘

Lovely Mail and Sign ups for FnwFs

The days are just flying by too quickly and each day I meant to post my first christmas card and beautiful Ornament that Shez sent ...

I've always admired Shez's gorgeous stitched ornaments and I am delighted to now be able to hang this one on our tree. Thank you.....


Also it's time to pop over to Cheryll's blog and sign up for the last FnwFs for 2018... Even though the lovely Cheryll and hubby are enjoying a cruise we are still able to sign up for a great evening of creating...

I will do some stitching in the afternoon as I'll be in the Big Smoke visiting my DD and family.
For my BD last month DD bought tickets to go to the "Nutcracker" ballet . I'm looking forward to spend a nice evening having dinner first and then the ballet with my DD and GD......


Must away now to shift the sprinkler......

Happy Stitching.

Hugz Maria  😘

Just in Time for November OPAM

I sewed all day to complete my Gnome BOM for November's OPAM ...

Remember last week I went to a workshop to make a Christmas bauble ?

Mine is the one on the far left...... well I enjoyed making it sew much I've made three more....

I left them in the local craft store for their Christmas display and maybe someone may buy them !!

Thank you to the lovely PEG and KRIS for organising us each month to get our finishes..They do keep me on my toes...

Must away now and do some secret sewing that's going in the post next week....

Happy Stitching.

Hugz  Maria 😘

Second FNSI for November

Just returned from my morning dip , the water was beautiful... always a great start to my day.

Yesterday I spent a lovely evening sewing along with our host the  Wonderful Wendy and 15 other ladies....

Was happy with the progress I made with the Angels....

 most now have been framed and I have the first three together, Still a lot to do and joining them is kinda tricky...  Do you like my design board ! It's the bed in the spare room......
Thank you Wendy for another year of fun and friendship sewing along for our FNSIs......
Will visit others over the weekend HERE....

Must away as I'm going to a workshop to make a Christmas Bauble......

Happy Stitching.

Hugz  Maria 😘

Sign up for Second Nov 2018 FNSI.....

The Wonderful Wendy is having another fun night of sewing again this week as next month it is Dec 21st and we will be busy getting ready for Christmas Day. Sew pop over HERE to join in the fun..

As I started to do this post I was thinking about how long I had sewed along for FNSI ..
I looked back on my posts and realised it was  back on November 20th 2009..
Heidi and her cousin Bobbi invited folk from all over the world to join them to sew along every third Friday of the month as they had done together for a long time.

Then in July 2013 Heidi needed to have a break from running the FNSI sew our Wonderful Wendy offered to take on the roll of hostess and has done since...

In all those years I don't think I've missed a night , I have loved sewing along with you all and have made many friends...

Sadly Heidi hasn't posted for a long time but I'd like to thank her and cousin Bobbi for starting FNSI and our Wonderful Wendy for keeping it going..... THANK YOU LADIES.....


Now this Friday I hope to work on my Angels ( Not sure if I like the cream second border but they'er staying )

Also I'll be doing some secret Christmas sewing..

Must away and pack a basket to take to Patch...

Happy Stitching

Hugz  Maria 😘

Lucky Me!

Look what arrived in the post today from the lovely Shez....

and inside a beautiful set of hand and tea towels in Blues and Whites, two of my favorite colour combos...The stitchery on the tea towel is sew pretty ..Shez also included a lovely quilt pattern to make at a later date

Thank you Shez for my gift ... Love it..

Now must away into town again to post blocks that are on my previous post.

Happy Stitching

Hugz  Maria 😘

FNSI

I had an early start to our FNSI with the wonderful Wendy and twenty other ladies .......

First I went through my scrap box and made these two Microwave Bowls

Then when I tidied the cutting table in the "Cave" and come across the FQs Sunny sent me. I thought one was perfect to make a pouch for my lightbox...

Had just enough left to make a pocket for the cord and charger... thanks Sunny....

next I put together this bag

     completed the blocks I'll send to Carole  for the  " Carolina Hurricane Quilt Project" 

and I did finish pinning the Gnomes which I hope to quilt soon.........

Thank you Wendy for another night of sewing and I look forward to another next Friday...
You can check out what others have done HERE ......

Must away to make a cuppa while I check out other blogs.........

Happy Stitching

Hugz  Maria 😘