Well as my regular followers will know, this year I really have been even busier than ever, making a few bags and quilts and bags and runners and bags and place mats and bags and wall-hangings and of course a few bags!! If you click on each picture below, it will enlarge so you can see it better. Wishing all of my blog readers a very Happy New Year - and I hope you'll continue to enjoy my blog in 2014. I'm just wondering what my first project for 2014 will be??

Have you all had a wonderful Christmas with your friends and family? We've had a very quiet Christmas here as Mr F had to work his usual shifts, and so the eldest daughter spent Christmas with her boyfriends family. Alice and me had a PJ day on Christmas Day as Mr F was working. We nibbled on smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels for lunch and a glass or two or three of fizz and watched films - Gone With The Wind and Casablanca - and had a jolly good time, which was repeated all over again on Boxing Day with more fizz and more films. It was very hard work going back to work on Friday I can tell you! We finally celebrated our Christmas yesterday at last, with Mr F and both daughters at home altogether. A glass or two of Croft's original were consumed whilst I was cooking the lunch to get me in the Christmas spirit. Actually I think it had gone off as it did give me a bit of a headache by the time it came to carving the bird! Anyway I thought you might like to see how I was celebrating yesterday, wearing my party frock and a stunning apron made by one of my friends, Jenny - and yes those Santa's really have got six-packs!! Needless to say eldest daughter was NOT impressed - eldest daughter's boyfriend thought I was seriously nifty-at-fifty, youngest daughter had apron-envy, and Mr F was just just jealous that he didn't look as fab as these Santa's haha!!! 

These beautiful fabrics from the Pastel Floral Collection "Princess Rose" by Lecien (bought from Sew and So's at Bungay a few months ago) were just perfect for my latest project - a Secret Santa gift for one of my colleagues who just loves pink and who loves my bags - so this was the perfect combination, along with my favourite bag pattern, "Anna's Sminkepung" by the Norwegian designer AnnAKa, and a little bit of lace trimming from Little A Designs. The front of the bag has been quilted very simply in straight rows with a pink variegated King Tut quilting thread. I used a very small blind hemming stitch to attach the lace trimming into place after the quilting was completed and the top edge neatened ready for attaching the zipper...

...as the recipient loves pink so much, the bag is lined with the same pretty floral fabric that I used for binding the front edges before I inserted the zipper. Oh and yes, of course the zipper just had to be pink. One of my labels is tucked neatly inside the side seam too...

...and I even used a PINK ribbon to tie around the top of the cellophane bag! Of course I couldn't share this picture with you until AFTER she'd been given it at work on Christmas Eve - although she guessed straight away who her Secret Santa was - and she was absolutely thrilled with it!

Well it's Christmas Eve and my kitchen cupboards are full to bursting with treats and goodies, the fridge is as well stocked as Nigella's, and all the gifts have been wrapped. Now I can pack my sewing machine away for a few days and sit down, relax with my family and friends, and enjoy a glass or two of something fizzy and festive! Merry Christmas to all my blog readers (and God Jul to all my friends in Norway who inspire me so much with their beautiful handicrafts) - hope you all have a great time during the holidays. And that sewing machine is only being packed away for a FEW days - normal service will soon resume!!

Do you believe in the magic of Christmas?? I certainly do - and when I saw this beautiful "Believe" locket designed by Amanda Davie I knew it would make Christmas perfect for me! These heirloom quality necklaces feature words taken directly out of vintage dictionary pages. Each piece is carefully preserved under a crystal clear glass cabochon. The necklace measures 22" in length and features a charm and lovely gemstone accent. If this locket arrives in time to find it's way into my Christmas stocking that will be great, otherwise it'll be a little treat in the New Year - it's always so nice to have something to look forward to!!

Another little gift for me from Amanda Davie's Etsy shop are these "Take Flight" earrings, made with vegan glass pearls - and with lovely aged brass feather charms, and her own handmade "light and love" charms these all come together to create this one of a kind earrings. These earrings measure about 3" long and hang from antique brass lever back ear wires. Santa must think I'm a very naughty girl to buy these beautiful goodies for my own stocking!!

Well I'm not sure if Santa knows what a good girl I've been this year - so I've had a little peek at Amanda Davie's Etsy shop and bought myself a gift or two - or three! Firstly "Dusk" - these agate druzy earrings begged to be bought! I'm in love with these agate druzy beads...and they pair beautifully with the dusty purple of the sari silk, and lovely green of the fluorite beads. Amanda has wire wrapped the kidney wires with tiny bronze Czech glass, and paired them with this stunning combo of sparkle and fiber! Tiny leaf charms add to the wonderful combination! Ohhh hurry down my chimney Santa! xx

 A couple of years ago I made a runner for my dining table, using a pattern called "Kle kjokkenet i 60-tallsdrakt" by the Norwegian designer AnnAKa, that was featured in the magazine Quiltemagasinet Nr  4/07, and used a selection of cream and gold fabrics from my stash. I'd made a smaller runner for my coffee table, and as I had some fabric leftover, decided to make some matching placemats for my dining table...

...I used using the same backing fabric for these that I'd used for the runner that I'd made for my coffee table, and quilted these with straight rows half an inch apart, using the same metallic gold Madeira thread. I always use Schmetz metallic needles when I'm using metallic thread. It definitely pays to use the right needle with the right thread for a nice finish, and I used a plain cream Mettler quilting thread in the bobbin. Prairie points were added and secured into place with cream buttons. Single fold binding was added and hand stitched into place on the back using slip stitch...

...these place mats will be on my dining table over the Christmas holidays - Mr F will be shot if he spills any gravy or cranberry sauce on these!!

A couple of years ago I made a runner for my dining table, using a pattern called "Kle kjokkenet i 60-tallsdrakt" by the Norwegian designer AnnAKa, that was featured in the magazine Quiltemagasinet Nr  4/07, and used a selection of cream and gold fabrics from my stash. I had some fabric leftover, and needed a smaller runner to match for my coffee table, and finally this week I've made it! This was quickly pieced together as it just used 8 blocks and 2 end borders. I've used a gold metallic Madeira thread, and quilted this very simply in straight rows. I used a plain cream Mettler quilting thread in the bobbin, to blend in with the backing fabric...

...the wadding in this runner is Pellon, a felted polyester wadding that is quite thin, and my prefered choice for table runners and place mats. I've sewn some cream coloured buttons to hold the prairie points into position. I used a single fold binding, which is hand stitched onto back of the runner, and I've added one of my labels to a corner of the runner...

...this runner has got pride of place on my coffee table this year!

Well now the tree is decorated, the rest of the house needed a "seasonal touch to it too - so firstly a holly wreath was hung on the front door (yes I know the knocker looks a bit dull - I'll give that a polish later!!) with a smart tartan ribbon tied in a bow, and then I bought a beautiful Christmas bouquet, complete with a little bundle of cinamon sticks and gold leaves. Happy decorating!!