A Little Pre-Xmas Stash

I ordered some stash over the last two months and it's only just arrived recently. The first lot was from Stitching Bits and Bobs. This I ordered early October and because one chart had to be ordered from the supplier, they hold back your entire order. This can be a bit frustrating, along with my priority package taking three weeks to get here! Anyway, the main thing is I have finally received it safely. I ordered some Victoria Sampler charts for Mum as part of her Xmas present. Another one of theirs she wanted to buy as she already had the accessory pack. This, I think, was the chart I was waiting on (Heirloom Nativity Sampler). These charts aren't in the photo.

Stash from top left clockwise: Plum Street Samplers - Hares' Christmas, LHN - The Family Sampler, Sarah Street ~ Faithfulness, Pumpkin Hollow Farms, BBD - Honeysuckle Manor book, and Farm House.

The next lot I got from The Rocking Horse. All Shepherds Bush kits.

Our Hearts Pin Cushion, My Land, Liberty Scissor Fob, The Journey, Lucky Sheep, Liberty Pin Cushion, My Pins, and Blue Snowman.

All lovely kits with beautiful supplies included. You probably won't see me stitching them soon, but one day I'll get to them.

Well, I've calmed down a bit since Oprah has left the country. I wasn't one of the lucky ones to actually see her show being taped in Sydney, since I would have had to have taken about three days off work. December isn't a good time to do this since it's our busiest time of year - no one is allowed to have any annual leave for all of December where I work. Plus you had to go into a lottery style draw just to get tickets! Knowing my luck, I wouldn't have got any. So I just kept up to date with all the news on the TV. Those at the first show's taping were given a necklace that you can actually buy yourself. Worth $AU450, it's not cheap, but it's certainly lovely. An Australian pearl hanging within a silver 'O'. Only available for a limited time, you can buy it from Kailis Jewellers Australia online. I'd love to buy one myself, but it's a bit too expensive for my budget.

So I hope everyone's gearing up for Xmas and are all organised. I've purchased all the presents I needed to get and tonight I'm going to sit in front of the TV and watch Carols In The Domain (live from Sydney), while wrapping my presents. It's a little tradition I've started and gets me in the festive mood.

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas!

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

I hope everyone's having a lovely Christmas Eve. I'm going to be watching Carols By Candlelight on TV while wrapping presents. It's a little tradition I've started doing over the past few years. I feel it's more like Christmas with carols in the background along with presents being wrapped. I'm sure you all have your own type of tradition this time of year.

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve... one more sleep to go!

Oh Christmas Tree

As promised, here is a picture of my Christmas tree.

Christmas 2009

It's not a real one unfortunately, but I've compensated for that with ornaments. I've been adding more to it since I put it up, with some decorations bought only recently and some over the past ten or more years.

decorations on my tree

Guess what showed up today? My package from the US which had Mum's and Dad's Christmas present in! I'm sure they'll get a thrill when they see it because it's the type of bird feeder they've had before and are unable to get it here anymore. Now all I have to do is wrap it!

Goodbye 2008

This will be my last post for 2008 and I hope 2009 will be a safe and happy year for everyone. May there be lots of productive stitching ahead of us, and some beautiful new patterns brought out by our favourite designers.

I am about to go shopping online for some new stash through The Silver Needle. They're having their annual New Year's Eve sale, which I have participated in for the last few years. I end up getting most of the things I order and it's a fun way to get some belated Christmas presents for myself. I'll be sure to let you know what I get when my order comes through the mail.

I'd like to show you some pictures taken on Christmas Day at my parents house. A few handmade items go on show around this time of year. Lots of needlework Mum has made, and Dad has even created some paper mache 'Wise Men' after seeing them on the cover of a Shepherd's Bush chart.

Christmas Day 2008

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a safe, happy and joyful Christmas!

It's Christmas time

I've had a busy weekend in all and today I would have got some stitching done except for the fact that I hadn't put any Christmas decorations up. So I thought I'd better solve that problem and decided to hang a wreath on my front door and put a Christmas tree up. Now, the tree is a small one. I do have a larger six foot tree, but haven't been bothered putting that up for a few years now. It takes all day to do it and it's too tempting for small pussy cats to play with. This smaller tree I've placed on top of my antique Singer sewing machine. Hopefully high enough away from the cats. It's starting to feel a bit more like Christmas now.