Merry Christmas to Everyone

'What a wonderful day we had yesterday spending the morning with the newest member of the family and spending the afternoon and evening with the eldest.  Almost 86 years of a difference in ages but both have brought such delight to me.  Of course every one else is important too and each in their own ways have added to a lovely Christmas and filled me full of pride and joy.

I am now able to show you some of the things I have been making over the last few months. I am not going to show them all today but these are just a couple of pieces I made for my Grandson.  Of course the Santa Sack has been made for some time however the last minute name tag was only completed at the beginning of this week!

Inside were a few handmades, a red christmas cardigan knitted in the newborn size, really cute but a little large for him, I may re knit it if his Mum will let me ( I wasn't happy with the pattern).  My pentagon ball was a big success, I used bright colours and patterns (I know babies  don't see colour just yet but the patterns were bold) and of course the jingle made a lovely sound.  

I know the burp/washcloths will come in handy for mopping sticky face and hands.  I made up a changing bag His and Her style for Mummy and Daddy, enclosed in each a changing mat, wipes, muslin and burp cloth which can mutate into a bandana bib there is room too in these little pouches for nappies and a babygro!  Each was made with little significant icons, Mummy's have her favourite elephants and Daddy's has fishes and trees!

These are only a few of my finishes but unfortunately when I look back through my photos I seem to have forgotten to take a record of some in all the rush to get things finished and wrapped up and gone off to recipients. Ho hum!  That's life.

I hope you have all had a lovely Christmas Day and haven't indulged too much.  Now we start to get back to normal routines but today will be a relaxing one I hope for everyone and I for one am hoping to sit down and do a bit of hand stitching of my third block of my Night Before Christmas Quilt for next year!  Enjoy whatever you are planning.  

 

A Baby Boy

Struan Ian Paterson Mackie arrived on Sunday morning 14.12.14 at 05.35am weighing in at 6lb10oz. Parents and baby are all well and now home from hospital.  What an exciting weekend - is there any wonder I missed posting on my blog?  We are delighted, over the moon, overjoyed, and thankful to welcome our first grandchild into the family. This little bundle is a real cutie, just like his parents he has long legs, long fingers, long feet and just perfect!  I can see a few problems in the future when coming to buy school shoes just as I did with his Dad.  What a wonderful Christmas present we have been given - the most precious gift of a beautiful Grandson.



Maybe now you will understand why I have not been showing off any of my finishes over the last few months.

I asked throughout the pregnancy if there were any specific items I should knit or sew and was given a blank canvas and free rein. There was only one specific request -  just last month, to knit little black and yellow bootees to match the baby's coming home outfit - a strange request I thought at the time, but in true Grannie fashion I did what I was asked.  I did make a couple of other pairs just in case Mummy changed her mind on the day, however all became apparent when I was sent a photo of him in his bumble bee coming home outfit. So cute!

Well here are a few of the finishes I've had to resist showing you over the last few months

..........The big knitting project - hours and hours of concentration, and worth every single minute.

..........The first of many quilts, this fabric you have seen before, I bought it some time ago in Canada and have been saving it for a special event.  This quilt was made earlier this summer as was a quilt for a girl just to be on the safe side.  The little girly quilt will head off to Project Linus to give a hug to a less fortunate family.

.......... And all the little knitted cardis, mitts and hats, carry bag etc I've produced. I am so glad I'm a knitter  - it's so nice to have some traditional handmade items to pass on to the next generation but it's good to try out the more modern styles too.  Many of the patterns I have used were knitted 30 years ago and looking back through photographs I see my own two boys wearing similar garments knitted by my Mum.  Old traditions are lovely but it's also nice to make new ones for the next generation.

........... Last night was our class Christmas Dinner, what a lovely evening we had, enjoying the chat and a lovely meal.  I can now reveal what I made with the fabric I showed you last time.  These two little items were really fun to make.  What a variety of lovely projects appeared for our lucky dip, all sporting a piece of this fabric.  there was a cushion, a little bag and purse, scissor keepers, book covers and a glasses case, a table topper, mats and runner.  What good fun we had sharing our projects.

Hopefully you will have another update soon but I may not have time to sit and blog - I will be too busy cooing over Struan and doing what Grannies do! So forgive me if I miss a few instalments. 

Negativity

I am sorry to say I have no news for you this week - so rather than witter on I am just going to say sorry, no news, no photos (ok I've managed one), no inspiration. Unfortunately I have not been feeling 100% this week.  I have had a horrible head cold which I  am pleased to say is now getting a bit better.  So to everyone out here who is feeling a little sorry for themselves and has a cold my sympathies are with you.  Keep cosy, drink lots of fluids and do nothing. Relax and listen to your body until it mends itself. (Maybe someday I will take my own advice).  I think we are needing a good frost to kill all the germs out there at the moment, lots of folks with colds and tummy bugs.  Having seen the weather forecast though maybe the wind will blow the germs away - I think we are set for a stormy week.

Here I am, doing just what I said I wouldn't do - wittering.  My stitching last night was a little project for our Secret Santa for our Christmas night out a week on Tuesday.  All our class members were given a fat eighth of this fabric which was used in one of our colour tutorials earlier in the year and each gift must include at least a small  piece of this fabric.   It will be fun to see what ideas everyone has managed to come up with.

 

Keep cosy this week and perhaps by next week I will have something finished I can show you - or then again .......maybe not.

Chaos!

The country has gone mad!  What was traditionally the start of the holiday season shopping after Thanksgiving day in the US - Black Friday and Cyber Monday has arrived here in the UK only to cause all sorts of problems and issues over people trying to pick up a bargain.  I understand why human nature is such that reduced prices and sale items will always attract interest like bees to a honeypot, but why oh why does there need to be violence and angry scenes.  The roads were so busy on Friday and shopping centres and supermarkets filled to capacity.  My original plans for Friday, while waiting for Dad on his hospital visit, was to have a  pleasant wander around the shops - that all changed when I saw the local news and realised the centre I had proposed visiting had called in police to curb angry and exuberant crowds.  Plans changed.  Well I hope some folks out there got the bargains they were looking for without being hurt in the rush.

Sadly once again I cannot show you what I've been working on this week - all soon to be Christmas pressies!  I don't want to spoil the surprise.

Today I've had a lot on my to do list and I have managed to get through some of it also having time to sit and enjoy my coffee and my knitting.  I cannot believe how quickly this year has passed.  December tomorrow - I hope you have all got your Advent Calendar at the ready.  Techie will be looking for his but I have bad news - I forgot to pick one up for him!!

Have fun this week whatever you do.

 

Project Linus ......

.........Providing security and comfort to sick and traumatised children and young adults through quilts.

I am delighted to report that 11 little quilts were handed over to E,  the Regional Co-ordinator of Project Linus for Lanarkshire and Glasgow East, this week. As you will remember our Exploding Block tutorial produced quite a few blocks which we then pieced together and produced four quilts.  A few of our ladies made their own contributions too.  I was so pleased with the results and am sure these will provide a hug and some comfort to a few more children coming up to Christmas.   E gave a very interesting talk on her work with Project Linus and would be delighted to receive any donations if there are more quilters out there wanting to help this very worthwhile cause and can be contacted via the Project Linus website.  She even brought along some lovely pieces of fabrics and fleece - these were given out to some of our ladies who have kindly agreed to make them into quilts for PL.  There are so many youngsters out in the community needing a little extra comfort.  We often think of little quilts being needed for babies but in actual fact PL help all ages, tots to teens.  She demonstrated an easy and quick way of how her group make 'whole cloth' quilts using novelty fabrics and fleece from fat quarters, a quick and easy way to produce a warm and cosy neonatal blanket.  However, I am a quilter first and foremost and I just love cutting and piecing, so I won't be using her 'quick fix' method.   I will continue to cut and piece and layer and quilt as that's how I get my buzz and it will be a pleasure to hand them over to her to distribute.  I am also continuing to support Marie Curie and have a few more ready to deliver next month for their fundraising.  

This week there is a display of our quilting projects in the local library.  We have been asked again by the staff to set up a Christmas display.  Although a little early it was felt we all needed our projects returned by the beginning of December as some will be gifted and used to brighten up our own homes during the festive period.



Those Carol Singers are so Cute



Such a variety of techniques



Once again thank you to all our ladies who have contributed and help set up the display.

The sun is shining this morning and I seem to have lots to get done.  Housework seems to have been ignored this week, so I will try and rush through the chores so that I can get some sewing time later.  I have a number of little projects which need some finishing stitches - these are all destined for Christmas gifts and shouldn't take too long to complete.  I also need to get a baby quilt started, I've found a pattern and some fabric arrived in the post yesterday which I didn't expect to receive until next week.  Plush Addict is a good online site I use, they have always had a quick, efficient and well packaged system which works for me.

Have a good and productive week.

It's Getting Busy

A shopping trip was necessary yesterday to replenish Dad's freezer of ready meals.  It was not a very nice morning when I headed off to do the shopping.  Where did everyone come from?  I reckon everyone must have had the same thought as I did when I opened the curtains - miserable day I'll head to the shopping centre!  I guess we are now on the run up to the festive season and perhaps everyone is preparing early this year - or is it normally like this?  Oh well I got everything I needed and had a good wander round the shops spending a little here and there.  It was a typical November day wet windy and dark but although the Christmas lights are not yet switched on everyone seemed cheery and bright - no shopping frenzy yet for the masses, everyone seemed quite relaxed.

What have I managed this week - sadly not a lot really.  A lady from Project Linus is coming to visit our group this week and I have working on a few quilts to get them finished off so that she can distribute them to the children.  I think she will be pleasantly surprised by our little bundle of quilts. Here are just three of them. I will tell you next week how many we actually give her.

The Exploding Block Again!

 

I have been hand stitching small things this week, I have finished my 2nd BOM. Here's part of it.

One Little Stocking

I am trying to empty some of my baskets and complete some WIPs.  I did manage a few more Farmer's Wifey Blocks this week. No more new starts this week until I get something finished.

Four More

 

I haven't made my list of things to do yet for next week so again I will fly by the seat of my pants and see how my progress goes.

Have fun and this week whatever you are doing. 

   

Activities This Week

I've had a good week this week, achieving most of my goals and a few more.  It's been bright most days, which helps get the chores done.  Tuesday was my day for the housework as I had to stay at home as some parcels were being delivered.  Fortunately they all arrived in good time and I could have headed out but I had got myself engrossed in sorting again - this time family photos.  Well I am happy to say that exercise for this week is done - lots more to do but I have run out of photo sleeves for the moment.  I guess that will be another delivery next week!  

Sorting Photos

 

I have also sorted all the embroidery threads, saving most other than a few which I had managed to get in a proper tangle.  I thought at one point I was going to have to buy another storage box but I managed to fit them all in. Strangely there doesn't seem to be two shades the same, how awesome it that?  I also told you I was doing some rearranging in my sewing area here is my new storage for my quilts.



Tidy for a wee while

 

I managed a bit more of my BOM.  I didn't however make any progress with the Farmers Wifey blocks. My Mini Mosaics book arrived with my fabrics so the half moon modern quilt which I am calling 'Charmed' is now finished. I like this one bright and cheery and the inky black gives definition and makes the charms pop.  I love the spotty binding.

Charmed

 

The huge knitting project is finished too and it's gorgeous, even although I say it myself.  I loved doing it although at times I didn't think I was ever going to get it finished.  At one stage there were over 700 stitches in the round, or did I miss count, I did say it was a large project - it just needs to be blocked now, I will show you it soon. 

Today is my day for technology - I have just updated my operating system on my iPad and now need to do the same for my phone.  Then I will reorganise some files on my PC. It is so easy to forget to back up your system.  I lost everything from my PC a number of years ago, photos, patterns,  documents - all gone.  I try now every couple of months to back up my computer to an external hard drive.  Doesn't cost a lot other than a few hours preparation, I would be very upset if I lost all my stuff again.  If you don't do it perhaps you should consider it.  Although with the 'cloud' some things are stored there anyway.

The sun is shining this morning and as I sit here drinking my cuppa I see that I should really clean my windows, perhaps I will get that done too.

I hope you have a busy and productive week.