Sunday Stitching Christmas Party

The thing about having a group of bloggers meet is that they all blog about the event. In this case it is great because I didn't take a lot of photos and looking at all the blogs helps to remember what a fun day we all had.

Somehow I only got a photo of one end of the table so I apologise to the other end for missing them out. Maybe this is the naughty end of the table L-R Tatyana, Sandi, De, Teresa, and Noela. Tatyana is talking to Helen but she somehow missed out on being in the photo.

My present in the Secret Santa Swap was from De, and was a mug holder. The special part was that De had remembered that I was a tea drinker and found just the perfect mug for me. Now I am set for all of our meetings next year - no missing out on my tea because I didn't bring a mug.

And I just remembered that that little parcel on the top ( in the picture of it wrapped) was a packet of strawberry Tim Tams, I suppose you can guess why it didn't make it into the other photos.

So to everyone who was there - Susan, Marilyn, Helen, Tatyana, Sandi, Teresa, Noela, Maree, Maree, Jeanette, Deb, De, Maria, and Cheryl - thank you for a lovely afternoon and thank you De for my gift and also to the other ladies who brought the extra little gifties. Thanks to Maree also for putting this together for us.

 

Secret Santa gift for Helen.

This a short post to show what I made with that cross stitching I was doing. Yesterday was one of my group's Christmas 'do' and we had a Secret Santa swap. The triangular shape of the cross stitch turned into a strawberry ornament/ pincushion. It is a Blackbird Designs ornament from the Just Cross stitch ornament edition 2006. I really loved making it and I might just have to make one for myself as well. This one was for Helen. I'm not sure but maybe the Santa Rubber Duck I put on the lid of the box might have almost been her favourite part of the gift - I know some other people were trying to steal it.

 

Cute isn't it ?

 

Returning to another love.

I have always played with fabric but another love has been counted thread embroidery. I haven't done a lot lately so it was nice to return to the rhythm of this sort of stitching. I have always loved doing cross stitch, hardanger and pulled thread work. Don't ask me to do more free form work - I am hopeless at stitches like grub roses and satin stitch. I am happy with doing back stitch and stem stitch though.

I am in a few swaps this year for Christmas and for one of them I decided to make something in cross stitch. I can't show you yet but I will when ......?...... has received it. I have really enjoyed stitching again.

I have been absent quite a bit this year. Last May my mother was hospitalized after a fall and her health went down from there. I'm an only child and so I had to check on regularly as well as doing her housework and shopping. (Which is something I don't like doing even for myself). In September I had to take her to hospital again, as she had no strength to do anything and was suffering from a diabetic condition - her weight had gone down to around 31 kilograms and she wasn't managing anything at all. After a lot of medical care she is picking up and we have been lucky enough to get her into an aged care facility. So now I am able to relax as I know she is being looked after. The next issue is to start cleaning up her old place, which is going to present a new set of issues as she is a fairly bad hoarder, and is going to find it hard to let go of anything. Wish me luck !

So now I am looking forward to catching up with all things I started before all this happened, but I have to get all my secret stuff sent off first. It is an exciting time of the year !