I made it 'til Christmas Morning

I did it. I waited until Christmas morning to open my Stocking from my Secret Santa from Scrappy Quilts. You did GOOD Carol! Book of hand sewing needles, a snowman towel, spool of white thread, half-yard of a really nice tan fabric and two fat quarters--one a luxurious lavender and one a wonderful shade of aqua. I love everything in it! Plus the beautiful stocking which I'll be hanging every Christmas! Thanks so much Carol!!

Christmas Stocking Swap

Today I received beautiful Strip Christmas Stocking from Judy Sinclair. This was a swap on Yahoo's Scrappy Quilts Group. I'm thrilled. I didn't go through the stocking to see what is in it but I did notice a much needed book of sewing needles (her elves must have been poking around my sewing things) and some gorgeous fabrics poking over the top of the stocking.

I hung it by my fireplace and saving (well trying) it for Christmas morning to go through it. The only hook was the ones the fire tools are hanging from...but since the past 12 years now we've had gas logs and no longer burn wood, the tools are no longer used so the stocking won't be disturbed.

Christmas Stocking Swap--it's in the mail ! ! !

Today I mailed the stocking I made for the swap off to Merry ole England! Or is it Jolly ole England? A first for me to mail something internationally.

We were to make a string stocking using this free pattern . We were to use scraps from our stash of Christmas fabrics. Purchase gifts to put into the stocking and mail it off by November 15 so they would arrive in plenty of time for the reciplicant to hang for Christmas. When I mailed it I was afraid I was a day or two late...I was thinking the 11th...but Post Offices closed here for Veteran's Day and yesterday I wasn't able to get to the Post Office.

I forgot to take a picture of the stocking before mailing...

However, after I mailed it I took picture of the fabrics


Which were cut into strips...like these

We were to spend around $15 for the items we used to stuff the socking. I bought a little fabric cutter. One I have never seen before. I bought one for myself too but yet to try it out. I put in a two metallic spools of thread, one regular sewing thread, various types of quilting pins, a marker, one of the things to clean and heal rotary cutting mats, a fat eighth of fabric and some pieces of Christmas theme ribbons. Some of the items I wraped in some scraps of fabric which a few I pinned with the curved quilting safety pins. I lined the box I shipped it in with two fat quarters of fabric.

The stocking turned out much smaller than I expected it to be. The next time I use this pattern I will add seam allowance to it and use the cutting line as the stitching line. I also didn't make the holly decoration at the cuff. I had purchased the gifts before sewing the stocking. I was afraid they would not fit into the stocking. One item I purchased didn't so I added the thread and the cutter in place of the item that wouldn't fit. I hope she is pleased and not disappointed with it.

I'm looking forward to recieving my stocking this secret pal made for me. This is my second swap. The first one was a bust...I made a Halloween Apron, bought a few little items I included in the package and mailed it off to Texas and that lady has yet to send me the apron she was to make for me. I emailed her I had not received it, if lost she may want to file insurance claim if she insured it. NOT word one from her. I don't now expect to ever see it.

Christmas Stocking Swap

I signed up for a stocking swap on one of the sewing groups I belong too. It's my second swap. This one we are to make a Christmas stocking, all using the same stocking pattern, and stuff it with sewing related stuff. Tomorrow I'm going to go through my Christmas prints, find the pattern I printed off and have no clue where I put it for safekeeping!!! I also want to go to my FAVORITE QUILT STORE----NANCY'S CALICO PATCH---and get some various fat-quarters, fat-eighths, and some other little somethings to put in the stocking. This is to be mailed of in November. But, Christmas (I try to make and buy gifts in September and October, wrap in October and be finished by Thanksgiving so after Thanksgiving I decorate, bake, cook, etc.) is a BUSY time around here and with keeping my daughter's one and two year old daughters and on either the 11th or the 12th of September she 's having baby girl number three!!! I figure I should get this made, buy some stuff for it so it won't be too much of a rush when the time comes to mail it.

Hope this goes better than my first swap...that was to be mailed out the first week in August and here it is almost the first week in September and I've yet to see my package. She said her machine was on the fritz and was going over to her mother's to sew on it. Then a week or two later she was busy creating an apron for a swap. So sounds like it will show up soon...

Monday, I will get down my scarecrows I made 16 years ago, painted faces, etc. Get those stuffed and other outdoor fall decorations up except for my witches and black cats as they go up on October 1st. I've bought one large fall mum and the ones I saved from previous years are starting to bud. I've them in two wheelbarrows.