Winner, winner, turkey dinner...

Good evening folks, without further ado, the winner of my hexie giveaway is…

No1!!!  Love that.

Congratulations Helen!  Feel free to pass them on ;)

And thank you all for letting me know I am not alone on the long-standing WIP naughty step; I am feeling a little less sorry for myself now!

I hope I get to count this as a FAL finish, otherwise I will score a cool zero this quarter!

Well I can't promise that you will hear from me again this side of Christmas, although I am under the hopefully not too misguided illusion that I am on schedule, all sorted and prepared.

I finished up all my festive makes on the weekend, and stoopidly wrapped most of them up unphotographed, so I will try to get some snaps on the day without looking too weird.

So have a very merry, relaxed and happy Christmas everyone.  I hope Santa is good to you and that you and yours get at least one quality nap in front of the TV!

See you before the year is out my friends, joyeux noël xxx

Win my WIP!

Blog followers will be familiar with a certain set of hexie flowers that have been hanging around here for years; cropping up on my FAL list every quarter and never getting the attention they deserve!

Well in the spirit of sharing, and moving on and going forth into the New Year, I am basically passing the buck!

So it's a win-win.  I get to move something off my never-ending To Do list, something that I haven't fallen out of love with, just don't have the time to turn into something super, and you get a pretty half-made project to play with.

I am not one for hoops, so just leave me one comment, telling me which WIP you keep putting to the bottom of the pile.

This giveaway is for followers only, because it's my blog, my rules, so expect me to check that you really are, (you can tell me how you follow if you want to be helpful); and if you are a no-reply blogger, then for goodness sake leave an email address!

I will pick a winner next Tuesday evening, 22nd December, 8pm GMT, so if all goes to plan I will be able to pop into the Post Office before Christmas, (although that's a sincere hope, but not a promise!).

Open internationally; multiple comments will be deleted and Random.org will do the business.

Good luck my friends xxx

Secrets and pies...

Only one more morning at work, then I will be free to catch up with myself, my blog, a giveaway, oh and Christmas!

Today I mailed my Secret Santa gift for the Brit Bee ornament swap and despite having received mine on Saturday, I thought it only right and proper not to open it until I had been to the post office and fulfilled my side of the deal!

So I ripped into the wrapping the minute I got home today, and here's what was inside…

Thank you so much Secret Santa, you spoilt me, and I know who you are, (what's with all the questions!?).

I'm sorry my picture doesn't do sparkly justice to the tiny cross-stitched Santa; and I am not going to mention the treats in the foil!  I have realised that this Christmas-time I am not going to be able to show you any secret stitching or anything, what with the now highly-teched up small-folk in the house!

I am so lucky to be in this amazing Bee, I love all that we do, especially our newest member, mwah!

Going for it!

If you follow me on Instagram, @mrsflyingblind, that's me, you may have seen my weekend reveal…

Yep, I took the plunge, did the thing I had pondered for a long while and am so glad I did!  After a little planning, the amazingly skilled Adam at Occult Tattoo, Worthing did the deed.  It was a fun Saturday morning a couple of weeks back, and quite frankly didn't hurt at all.  I kept it quiet, kids sworn to secrecy until I had the chance to show my parents this weekend, who are now duly shocked/disappointed as well as wonderful and forgiving, I hope!

OK, so I know the 'cons', but it's not going to scupper any modelling/ballerina/joining the police dreams, ruin my wedding photos or get me in with the wrong crowd; I can live with the odd look and bit of attitude come the summer!

The 'ahope' is our initials, the swallow for love, family and home; my Mum's father was in the navy, and my Dad has done more than 5,000 nautical miles; the needle and thread need no explanation.

So why now, other than mid-life crisis?  Because quite frankly so many sad, bad, horrible things happened this year, that I wanted to take back a bit of control, do something for me before it's too late, live for the moment and not worry about how it might look in 30 years time.  I am sure there will be a lot worse things to worry about than a bit of saggy grey skin when I'm 75!  Heck, if that is all that's bothering me, I will be blessed!  I have also lost 3 stone since January, and this is just another part of the new, back to the old, me.

I don't need to justify anything, but I can.

I am already thinking that I may add to it; I need flowers, maybe a button or two, how about a circle of flying geese; moderation, what's that?!

Coming soon...

Well it's Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day/Week; I was caught totally unawares this time around and I am feeling a smudge guilty.  That said, there don't at quick glance seem to be very many giveaways on the go, so I am in good company.

I have therefore decided to do my own pre-Christmas giveaway next week for the, albeit few, folks who actually visit my blog, not unfamiliar the hoppers!  Harsh, but fair!

Does that sound like a good deal?  Of course you don't know what I am thinking of off-loading, so you may change your mind!

I have to get these off my FAL list somehow!!

Today though I almost finished my Christmas shopping, so thrilled, and spent the evening at Brownies doing colouring and Christmas crafty stuff, so thrilled that's over too!  I almost have time to spend on making the few presents I want to this year!

Have a good weekend peeps xxx

Ho Ho No!

It's all quiet now, but the pre-Crimbo 'ick has hit the house; let's hope it doesn't spread to the rest of us!

In the spirit of Christmas pretties, here's a peek at my Secret Santa gift…

Hoping for a silent night xxx

Halo!

I got so many things ticked off the Christmas list today, I am feeling rightly angelic!

The tree and house are decorated, the cards were written and mailed, I finished a Secret Santa gift, and also got all the boring but time-consuming stuff, like changing and washing all the bedding and towels ticked off for this week.

OK, so I still have presents to buy and make, food to order and another week of work to get through, not to mention a load of school, Brownies and Scouts stuff, but I am a heck load nearer being prepared than I was 24 hours ago!

No denying it...

I bought a Christmas tree today, from the friendly man and his van once again…

It's spending the night in the garage, and the decorations will go up tomorrow, might even get some Christmas tunes on the go whilst I am at it, couple of Kirstie's Homemade Christmasses to catch up on as well as writing the cards and doing the Post Office encounter.  I have my list at the ready.

Wish me luck!

Pass the tissues...

I had one of those making weekends.

I found a tute, pulled my fabrics, worked round making Sunday lunch and getting dear son out the door for a day of laser-battling in the mud, an hour to myself and I got sewing.

Finished sewing. Gaaah!

OK, so American pocket-packs of tissues are, despite outside appearances, assumptions and trust, shorter and fatter than your UK variety it would seem.

8, yes 8 covers made, and they just looked bloody awful!  Not the fault of the tutorial - honestly I would have gone ahead and made the opening lengthways if it hadn't been pointed out that some, including the Kleenex I have, open at the short end!

I thought I could live with teacher/Brownie leader gifts looking a little bit gaping, but I couldn't, I resigned myself to that fact about 30 seconds later!

So today I made another set…

Snug!

The kids have commandeered the originals for other uses, phones, headphones and the like, and I am a happier bunny.

Brief respite though, as today West Sussex Council's recommendations for changes to the schools in the area now mean, (shocking of me to assume it's a done-deal, not a real consultation!), the girls will spend an additional year at their current school and miss out on all the awesome opportunities dear son has had so far in Year 6.  Gutted.  The prospect of a further year of teacher gifts only adds to my disappointment.

Sniff.

Week One of Christmas - tick

Friday evening; a load of things on the Christmas calendar have been ticked off.  Today was the girls' School Christmas Bazaar, shortly followed by dear son going out to his school disco.

All home now, my feet are up and the gadzillion things I need to get done over the next 48 hours can wait until morning.

On the plus side, and no effort required (by me), Stitch Tease Bee blocks continue to roll in…

These beauties from Di, with added choccy-goodness arrived today.  Thanks lovely lady!

Have a good weekend peeps, have a productive one for me xxx

Getting in the spirit...

… I wish!!

I got home from work and made Melted Snowman biscuits for the school Christmas Bazaar tomorrow, (well, decorated Double Choc Digestives, almost the same thing!)…

We listened to carols, saw the lights get switched on in the village and took advantage of all the free food, drinks and sweeties and met Father Christmas.  We watched the mad fools on the fairground rides and got home before the weather turned nasty...

But I am still not feeling Christmassy!

It will come, it always does xxx

Yo b*tch!

My Dad's birthday is coming up, and having done the complete Breaking Bad 6 season box set recently, there is a bit of a Walter White theme going on with his presents.

The handmade gift is a simple patchwork cushion with fabric from Spoonflower, taking advantage of a BOGOF FQ deal a couple of weeks back…

Really hard getting decent photos this time of year eh!

I backed it with some thick/dense fleece, which my sewing machine took great exception too; I need to sew something else up sooner rather than later to make sure it was the fabric not the machine that is ailing; hoping it was just complaining due to lack of use!

So that's my birthday's out of the way for another year, just as the first Christmas card came through the mail today; no rest for the wicked, especially as at the time of scheduled posting I will be gritting my teeth and looking for a parking space to do a joint Brownies to Panto, Scout to, um, Scouts drop off.

2 posts in 2 days, just saying!

Good Lord!

It's December and I cannot even begin to work out how that happened!

I am not going to repeat the tone of my last few posts, blethering on about how busy I am and no time to blog; still all true, but you know the score!

So I owe you pics of my #schnitzelandboominiquiltswap haul…

…all posted on Instagram, and I was truly spoilt by my lovely partner!

I made a couple more Farmer's Wives…

…and I stitched up this little taggie for baby due early next year…

My Quilt Now Christmas Countdown has come out of the loft…

If it really was only 12 days to go, I would be waaaaaay more panicked than I am!

…but I really can't bring myself to start on the rest of the decorations just yet!

And incoming, the first two parcels of my Stitch Tease November Bee blocks have arrived…

I am so thrilled with these and can't wait for the rest ;)

Warning, Christmas is closer than it may appear…

I got followed home by a van stacked with Christmas Trees!

I am just not quite ready to accept it!