Your Place or Mine? - month 3

I've finished month 3 of the 'Your Place or Mine?' block of the month. It's a farm yard scene which will sit on top of the main centre block. I loved making the sheep - they are so cute!!

Time to finish month 4 now which arrived before I'd finished month 3.

Christmas Tree table runners

Merry Christmas everyone.

New Zealand is one of the very first countries in the world to celebrate Christmas each year, and our day will nearly be over before some of you even wake up!

I made these table runners to give to my mother and mother in law for Christmas this year. I saw the pattern here. Instead of using selvages, I just cut stips from some of my existing Christmas fabrics and placed them randomly. I'm pleased with how they turned out, and hope the recipients like them too. I'll find out today when they open their parcels.

Beaded Angels

Aren't these angels adorable?

I went to a class to learn how to make this decoration. There are six panels, which are completed individually in peyote stitch and then joined together at the top. They drape beautifully over a plain Christmas bauble. I have another kit to make another whole set, but they are very fiddly and I'm afraid I have forgotten some of the intricacies required to move from row to row. Maybe I should make it a priority for 2014.

Secret Surprise Christmas House

I made this little Christmas house yesterday. The roof opens up and you can put lollies inside it. I lined the interior with Christmas themed paper left over from making my own Christmas cards. The exterior is covered in Christmas fabric - I had plenty to choose from in my statsh.

If you would like to make one, the pattern and instructions are all available at  Heather's Sewing Room blog.

Embroidered Christmas Ornaments

Here are some little houses I made with patterns from The Victoria Sampler. I enjoyed using different coloured linen to make these - so often everything we do is on white or cream linen. Little phrases run around each house - "Home Sweet Christmas Home", "God Bless Our Christmas Home",
"Our Hearts Come Home at Christmas", and "Home is where the Heart is". Tiny beads just finish them off nicely.

and another view...

I've got them hanging on the tree now, but thought they looked good in front of our wooden advent calendar.

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Embroidered Christmas Gingerbread Village

Last year I started to make a gingerbread village which I will display each year at Christmas time. The designs are by Thea Dueck of The Victoria Sampler in Canada. Since I made these, Thea has also released patterns for a Candy Cane Cottage (which I'm currently working on), and more recently, a Bakery which I have ordered for Christmas. By Christmas 2014 I hope to have the Candy Cane Cottage and Bakery finished to add to my collection.

The Gingerbread Church

   

The Gingerbread Stitching House - the roof lifts off and sewing supplies can be stored inside. 

The house and church together.

This biscornu fits inside the Gingerbread Stitching House. I found the beads at a shop in Wellington and just had to add them because they look like lollies.

The scissor case is also part of the series.

Welcome...

Welcome to my blog. I really enjoy reading other peoples' blogs, so I've decided to start my own and post updates on my quilting and embroidery projects. I aim to finish quite a few of my current WIPs (works in progress) in 2014, so stay tuned for progress.

My main project at the moment is 'My Place or Yours?' by Wendy Williams. It is a block of the month from Material Obsession in Sydney.

Your Place or Mine? centre block

It's a combination of machine piecing and hand applique and I'm really enjoying it. Of course the Kaffe Fassett fabrics just set it off beautifully. The photo above shows month 1 and 2 finished.