Handmade with love

I cannot believe it is almost a week since I last wrote and boy did this week disappear fast! Each week passes and I think what shall I blog about?.....well more of the same I guess so sorry if it bores you - one day I might get back to some intellectual stuff about Mr Morris or maybe Beatrix! It has been a week of more birthday celebrations so I am quite enjoying it despite the pre-Christmas frenzy! I've received some lovely cards and gifts but I have saved a couple to open on Sunday! Saturday morning we had a lovely time in Penny's shop signing books and meeting many smiling faces - thanks so much Penny and everyone who came.......(and your quilt is still safe and greatly admired Helen!).....

I enjoy making gifts for others but this time I've been on the receiving end of this kindness.........

Some of my special friends who came on the William Morris tour some weeks back gave me this beautiful tablecloth for my birthday.........

I had it in my hot little hands to buy at the Kelmscott Manor gift shop and Faye swiftly took it from me and said I might get it later! Thankyou girls.......it is very special and what a wonderful time we had too!.....

 On Monday I received a lovely William Morris journal from Rosie. and a handmade bowl from Janie - and all entirely hand stitched (and Rosie and I have talked Janie into a sewing day so she can show us how to make them too!). Janie even wrapped it in a Beatrix Potter tea towel.....thankyou Janie and Rosie.....

And another quilting friend Raelene gave me this beautifully stitched and framed piece with a gorgeous rose filled card with this message..."A special birthday - have a great day on the 18th, and here is a little gift to remind you of your roses when they are not in bloom"!.........very special - thankyou Raelene........

This is another piece of Raelene's work that I have had for a while - it now hangs in my kitchen. The theme was "tea" and the words surrounding the block include serendipi-tea, novel-tea, irregulari-tea, speciali-tea etc.......very clever and I love it.......

And today I received this gorgeous Christmas quilt from Kitty who has made several of us a handmade gift every year for many, many years. I just love that it is an elf - thankyou Kitty x......

I have also been in the "Handmade with love" mode with some of my own stitched gifts for Maisie. (wish I could come up with something creative for an almost 5 year-old boy though!). I have recently been enjoying making fabric covered boxes so thought I would try and make a house. I've made up a 'no glue' method of stitching sleeves and inserting stiff cardboard into the sleeves, so the prototytype was started using left over fabrics (from the new cushion cover), and it worked so well that it was too late to appliqué what I wanted! So with great difficulty I managed some very lopsided windows and a door (a 2 year-old won't mind!). I did find some iron-on motifs that worked well though........

 I've attached handles to this little house so that Maisie can carry it around and the front opens to reveal a space for some new little Lalaloopsy dolls that she loves. I selected a sewing theme and there is even a tiny little sewing machine........ And yes the cushion for the new seat is all finished too.........

Then it was a pattern that I've had for a while.......some beautiful quilted butterfly wings designed by Wife Made. The pattern was so easy and convenient to download immediately......so another gift for Dec 25th ticked off......(and do visit Xanthe's site as it is just gorgeous).......

Sunday night was our annual Carols in the park close to home. The country fire service boys delivered Santa at the end of the night and Beau was very disappointed that he didn't get to chat to him as he was mobbed by so many little people. I left my camera home so dusk wasn't ideal so some earlier photos before the sunset from my phone.....

 On a final note I wanted to share an email I received last week from Jan in Victoria. She has completed her May Morris sampler and it is just beautiful. I love the hand embroidered details........

Thank you Jan for allowing me to share your work. And while I was typing away on this post I received another email from Michelle of Golden Harvest quilters asking for my postal address. After my response she sent me a photo of the very same quilt made by her .....and she won the Viewer's Choice award as well at their recent display....congratulations Michelle (and Margo's two smaller Morris quilts either side too!).......thanks for sharing......

Well that's it for another week.......lots of hugs to all our friends reading this!