Le Challenge: Ink

Last month over at Le Challenge the theme was 'X'. I made a start on this, but failed to finish in time. I was lucky however that the fabrics I had chosen work well for this months challenge: Ink. 

I used the great tutorial by Svetlana for this drawstring bag, and while I was at it I decided to turn two other orphan blocks that I had into bags as well. 

So three Christmas presents made, all from scraps, and already filled with little gifts for three gorgeous girls who we are visiting this weekend.

 

Linking up with Le Challenge and Scraptastic Tuesday.

A year (plus a bit) in the making!

 

A few stitches here and there while watching soccer, or sitting in traffic jams. Embroidering a whole block on the evenings my husband was out of town.  Hand quilting while watching episodes of 'The Paradise'. This quilt has been a long but completely enjoyable process. 

The pattern is from the book 'S is for Stitch' by Kristyne Czepuryk. Initially I was following along with Liz's Stitch Along, but I couldn't even keep up with stitching a block a week and in the end just took it at my own pace. 

I used fabrics sent to me by the lovely Hydee, and added in a few of my own. I hand quilted using a light grey perle cotton. The backing is a fun chevron print and the binding is a plain Klona cotton.

And then, thankfully, my sister had a baby girl and I knew this was the perfect gift for her!

Linking up with TGIFF and Finish It Up Friday. 

This is my fourth finish for the 2014 Finish Along Quarter 4. 

It's nearly Christmas!

I decided last week that it was time for me to make an advent calendar that would last! Over the years I have made advent calendars from envelopes, toilet rolls, muffin trays, cardboard boxes.. and those are just the ones I remember! This year I wanted one that would mean there would be no more panic at the start of advent in the years to come!

I also wanted it to be small and light as some years we don't have Christmas at home. I found this great tutorial by Trillium Design and thought it would work really well because when we are travelling we can just take the stockings for the days we are away.

I used fabric from a Christmas fabric swap that I was involved in earlier in the year, and the numbers came from a scrap pack from Maze and Vale (I realised too late that I didn't have all the numbers so I had to make some of them myself with a Sharpie pen!). 

I have had the pegs and tinsel wire for a while. It is supposed to be for hanging up Christmas cards. However we seem to get less and less of these as the years go by so I decided to use it to hang up the stockings instead. 

Each stocking contains a Bible reading, an activity (this year chosen by my boys so they include things like a family nerf gun fight!) and of course some precious sweets or chocolates from home. We all look forward to reaching the end of dinner and enjoying this precious family time, remembering the true meaning of Christmas.

Linking up with Sew Cute Tuesday