So, you've heard of the Chippendales right?

Now meet the 'Ginger-dales' LOL I've been going to make a gingerbread wall hanger for a couple of years and now I've gone and made four.

Three of these will be gifts for the colleagues with whom I'll be working on Christmas day.
I think maybe I should have used a different colour ribbon for their bows, but I love em anyway.

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This afternoon I plan to sit and make a cover for my diary. Each year the organisation provides me with a boring diary and I've taken to covering them, no arguments about whose is whose that way.

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Yesterday I finished Hunneys Christmas card, I'll have a picture of that tomorrow.

I'm off to play, byeeeeee.

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Gratitude's

1) Still no rain.

2) No snow here either.

3) Dinner is already cooked.

More Christmas Ornaments.

I did find more silver ornaments when I went out yesterday, and some pretty clear glass ornaments too, but more about that in a moment.

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I decided that my tree could do with a few more ribbons. I couldn't find more like the wedding ribbons, so instead bought a couple of yards of some pretty silver with blue stars and some sparkly silver pipe cleaners. I'm fairly sure everyone knows how to make ribbons for their tree, but just in case you've been in a cave or on a remote island for ever, here's how I did it.

I cut my ribbons into about 3 pieces per meter /yard.

I cut my long pipe cleaners into 6 inch pieces,

I made two folds in each piece of ribbon, (making three layers)
Then I pinched the ribbon in the centre and twisted the pipe cleaner around it.

After a couple of twists I tweaked out the ribbon, mine has wire in the edges to help it hold its shape.
Then I used the same pipe cleaner to twist it onto my tree. Not too tightly, so that it is easy to get off in a couple of weeks and reuse another year.
There you have it, quick, simple and cheap decorations which even the kiddies and men can make!

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As I said before I found some pretty glass decorations, but try as I might I just can't get a nice pic of them, so you'll have to take my word for how good they look.

I also found this beautiful heart ornament......
and two of these bells.
Isn't it lovely? They are not such a good early warning system as the gold bells, but I love them anyway.

The little blue cushion hanging behind the heart is a Pam Kellogg piece. Her crazy quilt work is just beautiful. I'm the very lucky owner of several items made by Pam.

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I promised Joe and Tony that I would do some baking today, but yesterday after I had been into town I set to at the sewing machine again, I've made gifts for my colleagues who like me will be working on Christmas day. You've heard of the Chippendales right? Come back tomorrow for more. LOL

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Gratitude's

1) Time to play.

2) Christmas inspiration.

3) Cold but dry days.

Share your Christmas tree.

I've gone for a change of colour this year. Usually I have a red and gold tree, but for the past few years I've been collecting blue and silver ornaments and I decided that I have just enough.

I also added the ribbons which were tied to the gazebo at our wedding, I think they look just perfect up there on the tree. Now I need to make a matching tree skirt and there is a distinct lack of bells, I need my early warning system! Click on the image for a closer look.

The gifts gathered around the trunk of the tree are all my SSCS from Lyn and that huge one there beside the tree is for my DS Joe.

I'm off into town now to see if I can get my paws onto any more blue and silver ornaments! LOL

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Please share your tree and let me know you've done it. I love Christmas tree inspiration as much as I love quilty inspiration.

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Gratitude's

1) We had a fantastic party on Saturday.

2) A quiet and peaceful recovery day yesterday.

3) I have today off work!

SSCS

I've been a bad blogger!

With all that has been going on since we got home, I forgot to mention that my SSCS package had arrived while we were away. Look at all these parcels.

The lovely Lyn at Bluebird Quilts was my SS. I'm a good girl and all these lovelies will wait for me until Christmas day. I don't know which one is the ornament, so that will have to wait for Christmas day too. Thank you Lyn, and thank you Chookyblue for organising a Christmas swap yet again.

I finally found time to sew!

Monday was the first chance I had to get back to my sewing machine. Thank goodness fro pre printed panels! You get that sense of satisfaction from a finish sooooo quickly with those. LOL

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The first piece I tackled was an advent calendar I picked up in Birmingham earlier this year. It went together really quickly.

I even dug about in my ribbon tin and added some 3D extras. It's kind of hard to see here, but rather than quilt around the bows on the gifts I stitched on ribbons and tied them into bows. The only thing I find disappointing is the wavy edges! It was perfectly flat when I had finished quilting it and adding the bows. I used the backing fabric to bind the layers by turning it to the top and after I had finished that, the waves appeared. Did I do something wrong? I've had it hung since Monday night, just pinned to the bottom of another quilt, until I get out to get a rod and decide where to hang it for real, some of the waves have settled a little, but as you see, it's not all calm yet. Oh Yeah! I was out shopping yesterday and forgot to get lollies to fill the remaining pockets!

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The second piece I started is one of the kiwiana projects I bought on my holiday. (Waving to Lee and Debs, they are waiting for this stuff to appear).

This panel just needed borders adding and the instructions in the kit called for the layers to be bagged out, which is all done.
So now I just need to slip closed the bottom and quilt as desired! I think for now I'll pop some black thread onto the machine and quilt in the black areas around the individual elements, then later I can take more time to play about with the images and perhaps even have a go at hand quilting. For now though, the quick machine idea is what I'm going with as I want this one on the wall by Saturday night, when we're having a bit of a party to celebrate our wedding with just a few friends and family.

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Hmm, what else can I tell you? We had to purchase another set of drawers to contain all the extra fabrics I acquired in recent months! It's full already. I see some reshuffling in my future. LOL

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Gratitude's

1) More time off work.

2) Time to sew.

3) Christmas shopping is nearly finished.