Happy Christmas from Australia!

Oh boy! How did it get to 12.20 am Christmas morning already!! I have to get to bed! Lunch with one side of the family, tea with the other for Christmas, a busy day! Kids were in the Church Nativity tonight, DD was a narrator and did a great job, her brother was very good as chief wise man...obviously not method acting!!
I am looking forward to opening my SSCS and i actually think DH may surprise me as well...who says they don't change!!
I finished a santa sack for niece Daisy in the last week, probably getting filled as we speak...got Magnum kitten to model for you!
I also had to make smaller versions for all the pets!!
Thought you may like to see them....

The things we do for our kids...knowing our luck, next year i'll probably be appliquing over the top of the names!! Should be more optimistic.

The first 2 canola paddocks are done, the hot fortnight has affected them, 0.75

tonne to acre in one and 1 tonne to acre in other. Not fabulous but fine~we're definitely not cancelling Christmas! rained today so DH actually had a sleep on the couch, a beautiful early Christmas present!

Wishing everyone a fabulous Christmas, wherever you are around the world...we are hopefully changing our internet in the next few days..in the hope of reducing our costs from in the hundreds every month to more like $50..and with a lot more downloads~ I may get around to everyone!! Stay safe, Tracey

Another Christmas over.

We are all very quiet here today, enjoying the pool and the Boxing Day cricket game between Australia and India. DS was up as I wnt to bed at !.30 am Christmas morning wanting to open presents....knew Santa had been as he had heard his hooves on the roof1 took some talking to get him back in until almost 6. Hardly seen him since...or his father...as he (or they!!) got a big remote controlled J. Deere tractor for Christmas!

Christmas day was wonderful, we catch up with both families as mine are only an hour away. By 9 am we were in the car and down to my sister's, then back by 2.45 pm for Chris Cringle swap with DH's family then stayed on for tea.

I am sharing my quiltier presents with you, I did very well in that department, first here is my SSCS from Gudrun, doesn't it match my couch well! It is fabulous and I love it, some Playing cards from the Iceland Museum accompanied it-I will be ensuring they are not used by DS for '52 pickup'!

My sister had me in my family Chris Cringle, I like it when she has me, we both love buying the right present. She wont tell me where she found this fabulous picture but it is already hanging in my kitchen.

She also found me this trinket box.....I think she will get a photo book for her birthday filled with my pics of her lovely children after that shopping effort.

My lovely DH's niece also managed to find me a quilting book I didn't have. It has great pictures.

Last but not least is this great Angel bag my friend Susie mailed me from WA, I posted pics of these for her, not realising I would actually get one! Thanks Suse...hope you got your mail.

The other things are ones I found for me and the kids wrapped. DH felt his work was over with the quilting frame and I wouldn't argue that!

More Northern Exposure to fill my quilting hours, a mousepad quilting calendar...may actually make me realise what day it is if it is attached to the computer!-and the 2008 block a day calendar. I love these and they give fabulous ideas.

Fot those whose day is not quite over, enjoy, Tracey

The night...or morning...of Christmas.

Well, not really the night before Christmas here any more....actually is Christmas, 1.01 am.

You just missed Santa....I nearly got him with the trusty camera...but not quite. The Santa sacks are full, so he must have been here.

The kids are tucked up in their beds, more excited than I have ever seen them. They did a great job in their Church Nativity tonight, then home to put out Santa snacks and listen to "The Night before Christmas". There was the most amazing shooting star over the Church yard sky as we talked outside tonight...I think it is a good sign.

I was very impressed that Santa has Patchwork quilts.....unfortunately my Dad will have to wait just a little bit longer for his. Did you know it takes ages to double a completed quilt, especially when you are only getting the hours between 10 pm and 1 am to work on it?

The width is now done, just needs the top attached....and new backing attached....and the binding all put back on...and sewn down....sigh.
Why isn't it done?

The days have been just full of Christmas, of making Gingerbread houses with the kids, wrapping and making presents, bike riding, catching up with friends, farm stuff and cleaning....Dad will cope, should get it fairly soon.

I was hoping to get around to each and every blog friend and say Happy Christmas-but it is now 1.11 am and my kids will be up at 5 am, so I will say hello to everyone between now and New Year, pinky promise. -as my son would say.
Been very cold here, lots of rain but no flooding...nearly did get close to the unheard of white Christmas.

Have a great next few days, and don't forget the reason for the season, lots of Christmas love and good wishes, Tracey

The kittens and kids wish you a Happy Christmas......

An inch of rain has slowed the harvest so I have leisure to post while DH does the work today. DD had her treatment last night and is looking brighter this morning, desperate to get to a sleepover birthday tomorrow night-probably not the best plan but you can't keep them locked up for fear of the tummy pains returning.

I have been good this week, the gym 2 times!! (OK Susie P, pick yourself up off the floor now!!!)
I love that rowing machine, though 2x 10 minute sessions on it in 2 days mean that I do have some extra previously undetected muscles this morning!

And look, distracted progress!!
The houndstooth check is at the hanging on the fence stage, I think a black border and we are go. It would mess with my head if it were much bigger, I don't think you could make the blocks much smaller either...it starts to play with your eyes..
Could probably call this photo, "Hounds amongst the chickens", "Check out the chooks".....open to another competition almost!
Thought you may like to see the result you can get with just the stripy blocks.
I like this as well, but even more points have to match than in my version....nasty, nasty matching points!!!

Have been designing my Christmas cards this week, better late than never! I think Carol's Canola layout will feature heavily, but I also wanted to include my new treasured Christmas decoration, so I took these pics of my Jim Shore nativity.

I could honestly look at that all day....any bloggers want to be on my Christmas card list! I might do some as postcards as well.

Thinking about this for notecards, I love the light in the pink.
Better be off and clean, have a great day, Tracey
Gratitudes:
1. DH here to do the work
2. Whoever invented DD's treatment machine
3. Jim Shore, who put 2 of my favourite things together..... patchwork and the Nativity!