An Early Christmas Present...

... posted about a little late.

I didn't say anything, because Kat might have got into a strop, but in actual fact I was one of the many lucky winners in the recent Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day. Some people Kat think I have been a on a real winning streak and just might have cheekily hinted at that on their blog. I am trying not to have a big cheeky grin on my face here, because I won again and Kat will be shaking her head in disbelief.

I won a prize from the lovely Vicky over at The Accidental Crafter. She makes gorgeous stuff and I was the recipient of some of it.

Ta-Da!

I was the lucky winner of this Anne Marie Horner voile infinity scarf. Then Vicky added all those wonderful other bits as extras. A length of elephant ribbon, two felt hair clips (which Emily seems to have acquired), a bookmark, and six pins for my bulletin board - Vicky made fabric covered buttons and then attached them to the thumb tacks. So Kat might just be right, I am one very, very lucky person!

The scarf is fabulously beautiful and will put a little much needed style into my life. I have never sewn with voile but am now seriously contemplating ordering some. It is soooooo soft, and the colours of this AMH are beautiful. And because you just have to loop the scarf around your neck a couple of times and it instantly falls into a nice draping, elegant way I no longer have to stand in front of the mirror struggling not to look like a five year old who has been dressed by her grandmother. This is a very good thing!

So I would like to extend a huge thank you to Vicky for being one of the many participants in the SMS Giveaway Day, and for picking me as one of her winners! I received her parcel in record time, just two days before Christmas all the way from Australia and it was post marked the 19th. The Post Office must have been working overtime!

If you like the scarf and were unfortunate enough not to win one like me (Sorry Kat!) then here is the link to Vicky's post about making it. Now, I had best be off to browse some websites and see what is out there in the way of voile!

Susan

Blogger's Choice Fat Quarter Bundle Contest

There is a new contest in the blogging world of quilting, over at Quokka Quilts. And it is a fun one. It involves browsing through fabrics for hours on end. Oh joy! Then choosing twelve coordinating prints and three solids to create your own Blogger's Choice Fat Quarter Bundle as can be found at the wonderful Fat Quarter Shop.

You then take your choices, create a mosaic with them, remember what all the fabrics are because you will need to list them separately, and link up with Quokka Quilts. Dozens of people have already created their bundles and it really is quite interesting seeing what fabrics people have chosen to put together. It is a good way to get new colour combination ideas and to see fabrics in a new light.

A panel of independent judges (aka - some lovely blogging stars) will judge all the submissions and the winning bundle will receive not FQs but 15 half yards of the fabric of their choice from the Fat Quarter Shop. Can you pass up the opportunity to enter this fun contest? I couldn't!

This, for better or worse, is the bundle that I came up with.

My fifteen fabrics are -

1. Floral Folio Aqua Large Florals Yardage SKU# Y0817-33
2. Crazy Daisy Turquoise Tile Yardage SKU# 4642-84
3.Whimsy Olive Delicate Florals Yardage SKU# 5609-66
4. Whimsy Pink Dotted Dots Yardage SKU# 5607-22
5. Crazy Daisy Citron with Turquoise Large Daisy Bloom Yardage SKU# 4640-44
6. Ruby Cotton Sherbet and Ruby Sundae Yardage SKU# 55037-24
7. Grand Bazaar White Sun Dot Yardage SKU# DS5071-WHIT-D
8. Garden District 54" Wide Green French Ribbon Yardage SKU# SAHB005-GREEN
9. Ooh La La Turquoise Pirouette Yardage SKU# DC5202-TURQ-D
10. Oval Elements Green Apple Yardage SKU# OE-902
11. Daisy Dance White Swirly Dots Yardage SKU# 7535-66
12. Bright Owl Lime Swirl Yardage SKU# C8372-Lime
13. Bella Solids Turquoise Yardage SKU# 9900-107
14. Kona Cotton Peridot Yardage SKU# K001-317
15. Michael Miller Lipstick Cotton Couture Solid Yardage SKU# SC5333-LIPS-D

And I have to say it is not as easy as you might think. Well, it wasn't for me. I made my choices but then when they were all in the mosaic together I could see which ones I didn't feel fit in properly and I went back and changed them, one by one, until I thought I had a balance. Damn fine way of wiling away a few hours though! I wouldn't like to rate my chances of doing well in this contest because putting fabrics of different lines together was never my strong point, but it was a good exercise in learning more.

This is a wonderful contest for self doubt because I worked on my choices for so long and the more I look at them, now that I am doing this post, the more I am second guessing if any of them are the correct choices! Best to hit the 'publish post' button and be done with it!

Susan

Why I Believe in Santa

I believe in Santa because Christmas Eve I left this out -

And the next morning it looked like this -

This is what was inside of it -

Wouldn't you believe in Santa too?!

Susan

The Big Day

We had a delightful Christmas here and I hope you did in your household too. Our wake up call came shortly before 7am with the girls bringing all our stockings to our bed and we opened them there. Let's just say that Santa seems to understand my love and desire for chocolate. No photos yet (I have been too relaxed) but I shall have to take a picture just so you know how much chocolate Santa can fit into a stocking for future reference!

Shortly after digging down to the toes of all the stockings the girls dragged us all downstairs.

The highlight in the gift giving seemed to be...

More Sylvanian Family stuff.

And for Helen it would have to be...

A pogo stick.

No photos of me opening my ice cream machine. You'll have to wait until I produce some actual ice cream. I have the Ben & Jerry's recipe book to guide me. And some eager volunteers for eventual tasting.

Our turkey was fabulous. Not a sentence often used by me, no matter how hard I try. But this year it was everything I hoped for, and then some. The wine was equally delicious. And that immense feeling of satisfaction at the end of the day was unbeatable. The long sleep afterwards was bliss!

Susan

From all of us to all of you

wishing you a

Very Merry Christmas

and

All the Best for 2012!