Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all.



Until next post...

...cheers...Jewells

Christmas Cloth Swap

I was in another swap this month, and that was Jellyware's Christmas Cloth swap, and look what my swap partner, Sharon, sent to me!



Sharon sent one of the stars that Jellywares had shown on her blog, and I now MUST make some for myself.

Thanks Sharon!

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

My BOM and Hot Chocolate

The is my December block to Linda of California. I was starting to panic, as I was running out of time to make it, but I managed to choose the fabric last night, cut the pieces out in my lunchtime (I come home from work for lunch) and then soon as I got home from work this evening, I sat at the machine and sewed the block together. PHEW!!!



I saw this recipe for Hot Chocolate on a blog last week while surfing the net and thought I'd make up a batch for presents. I have also made up a few bottles of Irish Cream and will be giving both as gifts...alcohol for the parents and hot chocolate for the kids.



I have been having trouble with my server the past few days, as I couldn't get onto Blogger...hopefully all is fixed now.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

3 special packages in the mail!

I had a lovely surprise when the mail was delivered yesterday, the first was this kit that I won on Sheryl's blog, One for a Wish... I can't wait to make it...thank you Sheryl!



The second package was from the same swap, a block from Quilting Block Swaps, and this block came from Marie of Devon Meadows Australia:



and lastly this package came from Linda in Bakersfield USA:



Wonder what will come in the mail tomorrow?

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

SSCS 2010 Received

Look what I got!.. Chookyblue's SSCS 2010 from Caroline in Netherlands. This is what I pulled out of the posted envelope:

The note told me to open the little package for my ornament and this is what I saw first:


So I opened up the scroll and look at the cute little ornament it unveiled. A cute hand stitched tree with beads sewn on the branches and a star on top.


Now I have to wait till Christmas to open the other package!...

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

Green Tomato Pickles and Cloth Swap

I took today off work to catch up on things at home and one was to make up 4.5 kilos of green tomato pickles!... you see in my vegetable garden I had 3 big tomato plants and the rest were cherry tomato plants. The 3 big tomatoes were hit by fruit fly, so they were pulled out and the tomatoes that weren't affected were kept to make the pickles. I ended up with 18 assorted sized bottle of pickles.

So in the last few days I have made 18 bottles of pickles and 9 bottles of Plum Jam. My fig tree is loaded with figs yet to ripen, so hopefully the fruit fly will stay away from them, as I have sold or given away all but 2 bottles of last year's fig jam, so I have room for this years!

I have learnt to number my bottles and lids before I sterilise them to make it easier to match the correct lid to the bottle, so much easier and quicker!



Also I am packaging up my cloth and tea to my partner in Jellywares Christmas Washer Swap. We had to include the partner's favourite blend of tea (English Breakfast, which is also my favourite tea) and a Christmas cloth. I am sending the Angel cloth that I designed.

Until next post...

cheers...Jewells

Another Christmas Gift...or two

I received another two Christmas gifts today, and this first one is from another swap I am in, this time it is Coffee Time Stitches, 3-2-1 Tote Bag Swap. My parcel was received from Teresa in California. Teresa went by a theme of winter with blues and greys and includes a little nod to their winter rain...and look what I received!



A wonderful tote bag with an embroidered Sunbonnet Sue holding up an umbrella in the rain with her little dog, plus a crocheted hat,bundle of fabric, a patchwork scarf(well I think it is a scarf with a flannel backing), and a real umbrella! Thank you, thank you, thank you!.

Now the second gift I received today is from my friend of a few years, Vanessa. I sent Vanessa some of my herb spoons a couple of months ago and put a note with them saying "an early Christmas present"...so, she has so kindly sent a gift in return, which included some Gingerbread Buttons and a 5" pack of Moda "12 Days of Christmas". This fabric will come in handy, as I am doing the Fat Quarter Shop's block of the month and it is in this same range of fabric.

Thank you to you too Vanessa... I am certainly blessed with wonderful gifts.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

A gift received from Christine

The postie brought me a parcel today at work, so I waited IM-patiently to take it home at lunchtime, so I could photograph it as "before" and "after". The sender was Christine. As I have joined a few different Christmas swaps, I had to do some detective work to see which swap this one was from, so I looked up Christine's blog (she mentioned it on her enclosed card), and there it was... On My Verandah's "6 Item Swap".
Here is what I was presented with when I opened the package:



Of course they didn't last that long in the pretty wrapping, and here is what was in the parcels:



They are: 5" Posh Moda squares, Tissues and cover, a book on Quilting Quotations, applique and quilting needles. ric-rak and a Singer tin.... aren't I a lucky ducky?

THANK YOU Christine for such a wonderfull stash of goodies...

...it's starting to look like Christmas!

Until next post...

cheers...Jewells