DBM #14 - Oh Dear & Oh Deer!

Oh Dear! Would you believe I forgot it was Monday today? We had some "out of left field" news yesterday and I have been mulling over that and completely forgot that I was supposed to post DBM today. All I have done this week, is sew little baskets and with yet another block for A Garden Tea Party arriving in the post, I will do some of that this week, if I get the chance.

We are travelling to Launceston for Christmas Day and I want to bake some treats to take and make some pots of cherry jam for neighbour gifts so I doubt I will get any stitching done this week.

Even though we are not expecting anyone here for the Christmas period, I still wanted to add a festive feel to the house....no Christmas tree but some decorations on the mantle and hallway table to make spirits bright.

Red and White are the main colours this year  because they were in the first box I found and I have featured my Reindeer in this collection for the mantle....oh deer! how many reindeer do I have? I last counted 10 but only 4 made the cut for this scene. The little green 'trees' are pine saplings that I found outside and I love the pop of green freshness that they add to the mantle. Hopefully next year they will be bigger and I can shape them into little xmas trees and add lights.

click on this image to view in lightbox (makes it bigger)

For the entrance table, I collected all sorts of  'xmas trees'....I am really not sure how many of these I have now and even bought another on sale last week although I haven't used it here. I bought the glass one (filled with baubles) at the sales last year......I have been lazy this year and just popped some baubles in it but think of the possibilities......I love Christmas decorating!

The tree topper angel is new this year too....when I spotted her, I knew it was time to replace the old one which we haven't used for a couple of years because she is too heavy for our new xmas tree. I just realised...the snowglobe with the reindeer is technically reindeer #11! Oh deer, oh deer! I am thrilled with how festive these two areas look....such a shame only me and the farmer will experience it but that is life! I am already getting excited for next years decorating and may treat myself to a little trip to find more bargains.....after Christmas....ho ho ho!

Now, what would you like to share here today.....anything needle and thread and for this week only, your creative Christmas decorating.

Let's see what you have on your Design Board this week:

• Link will be open until Sunday 27/12/15.
• link anything that you are working on this week or over the past week....needle and thread is all it takes.....or anything Christmasy!
• Please add a link back to Bits 'n Bobs as part of your post (why not get the button code to paste into your post)
• Please make the effort to visit other link users and leave them a comment to make their day! Don't forget me! I like comments too!

   

DBM #13 - A Tisket, a Tasket

Firstly, I am so very sorry not to have been live yesterday.....they have been doing maintenance work on the internet connections around here and somehow we were completely disconnected from the network. My farmer spent ages on the phone with them trying to make them understand that the issue was theirs and not ours....this has happened before! It seems we have been reconnected today so I better get my blog updated incase it drops out again.

Brookfield
Another packet of baskets arrived this last week so I have been trying to catch up.....a tisket, a tasket....I stitched a little basket...or two....or three...well I am up to month 3s batch so catching up quickly....I am going to concentrate on these this week until I am up to date with the BOM

Flowerville
Yay, I have completed the stitching for Block 3 and the next one hasn't arrived yet so I am UP.TO.DATE with something!

I have the next pattern for A Country Tea Party taped to my light box ready to trace which I plan to do today....I was thinking about leaving the stitching until I am completely up to date with the baskets but I can't promise my fingers won't start itching to stitch it. What do you think these cheeky teddies are up to?

Now,  lets take a look at my Design Board this week.

as you can see, Blue Fusion and Little Bird Quilt are still sat on the board....ever hopeful, as am I, that there will be progress.

How about you? what are your stitching plans this week? Remember it is anything involving needle and thread and for a limited time, Christmas Decorating.....surely your Christmas Tree is up by now....so....from now until Christmas....feel free to share your Christmas Decorating too

Let's see what you have on your Design Board this week:

• Link will be open until Sunday 20/12/15.
• link anything that you are working on this week or over the past week....needle and thread is all it takes.....or anything Christmasy!
• Please add a link back to Bits 'n Bobs as part of your post (why not get the button code to paste into your post)
• Please make the effort to visit other link users and leave them a comment to make their day! Don't forget me! I like comments too!

Linking up with

 

DBM #12 - Its Starting to Look Like Christmas

Where has this week gone? Way too fast, infact I almost missed Monday and posting DBM #12!

This is such a busy time of year with Christmas Functions, Christmas shopping and all that, I suddenly thought during the week that I would like to add some Christmas Fun to our home with a few strategically placed ornies....nothing too much since we will not be here for Christmas and no-one is visiting until the New Year....I still want to find a few nik-naks to finish it off and my Farmer found a sweet little Pine Tree sapling that we are going to replant into a pot for a Xmas Tree.....I can't wait for him to do that.

 I have done some stitching and which I debuted in my last post....well I have done a bit more on that as well

I have finished the little house.....my chain stitch has improved enough for me to feel better about using it in the curved shape of the roof.

and on the heart set in the door

Now I just have to finish off the flowers and the little bird sitting on the roof.

This will be an easy peasy finish for this week......and then.....well back to the usual wishful thinking projects. Not much change to the Design Board

So, how about you.....have you got anything to share as we get closer to the 'Silly Season'? From now until Christmas....feel free to share your Christmas Decorating too

Let's see what you have on your Design Board this week:

• Link will be open until Sunday 13/12/15.
• link anything that you are working on this week or over the past week....needle and thread is all it takes.....or anything Christmassy!
• Please add a link back to Bits 'n Bobs as part of your post (why not get the button code to paste into your post)
• Please make the effort to visit other link users and leave them a comment to make their day! Don't forget me!

Linking up with:

A Late Friday Report & FNWF

The farmer and I are going out this evening so I will be a late starter for FNWF but this afternoon, I am doing some stitchery while I watch an episode of Mad Men.....can't wait to see what Don Draper is up to next.....be still my beating heart!

So I have a few options....shall I stitch on the latest block of A Country Tea Party....the latest block arrived during this week.

or should I build some more basket blocks for Brookfield....would be good if I could clone myself...think of how much more I could get done. The 5th package should be arriving any day now!

I am leaving Australian Afternoon out of the equation for the moment as I want to keep up with the BOM's arriving monthly in the mail.....

No, I think I will stitch on with Flowerville while I drool over Mr Don Draper...Oh so Debonair!

I started the stitching on block 3 on Tuesday when I joined the ladies at Frangipani Fabrics for their Christmas Breakup Morning Tea....as you can guess....not that much stitching was done. Here is what I have achieved so far.

None of my other projects have seen the light of day....I have been far too busy processing cherries...we now have a huge amount in the freezer, several jars of Cherry Jam and several jars of Cherries in Light Syrup....I am going to try my hand at making Marachino Cherries next and if I remember the vodka, I am going to infuse it with cherries .My mum and I once got quite tipsy together on Cranberry Vodka....It was very YUM, so I am quite keen to try it with Cherries.

I will get around to visiting all those who stitched along for FNWF, but it might take me awhile.....there are still cherries to pick and I may very well be 'jamming' all weekend. Here's a pic of the batch I made on Wednesday.

 

DBM #11 - Eek...not a stitch!

Oh dear! How slack I have been on the sewing front....not a stitch has been sewn this week!

You are probably thinking..."what HAVE you been up to?"

Well.......It's that time of year when the orchard is starting to get plentiful and the cherry trees are laden with fruit.....just can't let it all go to waste.....so picking the fruit is the order of the day...and of course, then I need to do something with it....so washing, pitting and (so far) into the freezer, dehydrator or into the pot for Cherry Pie Filling....we had a Cherry Crumble last night for after dinner....Yummy!

I also took plenty of photo's of that luscious fruit that I picked. They are just the perfect subject to photograph so I couldn't resist a pic or two.....or... five or six. With so much going on in the orchard and creating a small flower garden of sorts plus working on a kitchen veggie patch, I am not sewing or stitching so much. On the other hand Cath@Home is fast becoming my main blogging space and creative outlet....I have found my blogging style over there has changed....concentrating more on my photography than anything else. It's not hard when you have such amazing scenery to inspire you. I hope you will come over for a visit some time just to see what I really have been doing.

That is why my Design Board looks like this, yet again:

I do need some inspiration....so please Link Up whatever is on your sewing agenda this week....Is it hand sewing, machine piecing, knitting, crochet?....whatever involves needle and thread is most welcome.

Let's see what you have on your Design Board this week:

• Link will be open until Sunday 6/12/15.
• link anything that you are working on this week or over the past week....needle and thread is all it takes! 
• Please add a link back to Bits 'n Bobs as part of your post (why not get the button code to paste into your post)
• Please make the effort to visit other link users and leave them a comment to make their day! Don't forget me!

Linking this post up with:

Foodies Listen Up...

The Link up is now live over at Cath@Home for What's for Dinner Wednesday and I am sharing the recipe for Bolognaise Sauce packed with vegetables......although you would never know!

Giveaway

There is a Giveaway draw for everyone who links up a foodie related post....new or not so new (the past week would be most welcome). This week is the last week for the November Draw so get in quick

Extra Giveaway

This month I am giving an extra prize to anyone who introduces my blog to a friend.  If they link up and leave a comment to say who introduced them.....they go into the link up draw and your name will go into the extra draw

So come on over.....I am waiting for you....link up your Baking, Cooking, Eating out, favourite recipe......any Foodie Experience! It's easy to get there, just click on the Logo above for a direct link to What's for Dinner Wednesday #7 or head straight to the blog.....the link is on the side bar.
 

DBM #10 - Back on Track

Hello to all my lovelies out there in blogland.....I am so happy to be back here as usual for Design Board Monday at Bits 'n Bobs.....Thank you all so much for your patience with all the computer problems I have had lately.....

On my Design Board this week!

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I have created a four block blanket for Blue Fusion and I would love to expand it by another four this week.....when I get to that stage I can make a better determination as to how much bigger it needs to be.

 Also, I have 4 blocks of the Little Bird quilt sewn and ready to join while including another cathedral window....I will sew another four blocks this week.

On the stitching front....Flowerville block 3 has arrived in the mail, so I will be stitching that one for my evening stitching project

Block 3 of A Country Tea Party only took me one week to stitch....wonder if I can beat that record?

Let's see what you have on your Design Board this week:

• link anything that you are working on this week or over the past week....needle and thread is all it takes! 
• Please add a link back to Bits 'n Bobs as part of your post (get the button code)
• Please make the effort to visit other link users and leave them a comment to make their day! Don't forget me!

• Link will be open until Sunday 29/11/15.

I am linking the post with: