Being busy and the end of year swaps.

First tulips of the year.

Thank you for your kindness re my last post... It seems many of us have had or still do have family issues.  Your comments really lifted me . Yes I'm still being called "Tiger" by the most handsome boy in the world..of course I am biased he is my boy after all!!!  Another little calf who looks so little has appeared..he's now called "Charlie" .  When they get nearer in the field to us (they are a bit far to get a decent picture due to electric fencing at the moment) I will introduce the herd properly .  We haven't
had any snow or fog, still more rain , maybe we have avoided snow being nearer the sea, I don't
 know.  One of the kid's taxi's got trapped last week in the dark in a flooded lane he didn't see the water until it was too late and needed a local farmer to drag him out, thankfully he hadn't picked any of the children up yet.

I have struggled for ages to find my sewing mojo, dear Jacquie from My Journey told me to have a look in the cupboard as it might be hiding there...oh that made me laugh...that's what is so great about you lovely people , highs and lows , we all pull together.  I have sort of got it back..I spent a few hours tidying in the annex and I enjoyed that and found inspiration again, it must of been hiding as Jacquie said in one of the cupboards!!!!

I found a little tub of tiny patchwork squares and I remembered a post on Pinterest where it was mentioned how to , like a jigsaw puzzle iron the squares onto fusible interfacing.  When that is done
you machine in straight lines on the reverse side and like magic the squares line up really quite
fabulously. Here is what I did

easy and a great way to use up those scraps 

A really clever idea that some someone kind  shared.  great for small projects , probably wouldn't work on quilt size projects , but these rectangles are probably destined for smaller projects like place mats , purses or similar.  A great way to use up little bits of fabric that otherwise might be time consuming to sew up the usual way...I know I will be using this method again.

At last, thank you for your patience , I can now post my Christmas swaps.  Well it took me a few days, a hour snatched here and there to "find" misfiled photo's and to do some photo grids otherwise this post would of been soooooo photo packed!!!


First was my swap with Diane (The Cheshire Quilter) , what a beautiful maker Diane is..I will
treasure the gifts she made for me...

Diane made me a wall hanging,

A tote with umbrella

Two purses filled with goodies

and also biscuits, pens, hand cream and balm, and a spotty dog tape measure.

I sent 

I so enjoyed making the little house coasters

I may have to make some more.

Then there was 

2 swaps from Melanie (The Patchwork Robin)

The first was the Creative Chaos Christmas swap

and then the secret Sewchat secret swap

From Melanie , the Creative Chaos swap 

The secret Sewchet swap 

What I sent to Melanie for the first swap

I also posted to Megan from Pigeonwishes the secret swap

I have searched but cannot find the photos 

but I sent fabric and sewing notions

and lastly the Twelve Days of Christmas swap

I was,paired with Cath from the blog Clicky Needles

First is what I sent 

And then what Cath sent to me 

A huge thank you to my partners and the 

Ladies who organised the swaps.

Right time for a cuppa

xxx