Christmas

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! We were blessed with TWO Christmas Day's this year - the first with Stu's family in the City and the second with mine in the 'Bridge. Beautiful food, fantastic company, and we were all spoilt rotten - although the youngest member of our family did rather well, I have to say! Still, he will be helping me to write thank-you cards sometime in the next few weeks - a very important task - and seemed to enjoy giving presents as much as receiving them which still makes me smile. And we FINALLY have our calm and settled little boy back - yay! And more big news that I am FINALLY able to share - my little sister is having a baby in June too! Yippee! We were running neck and neck with our dates but her recent trip to the midwife confirms that she is 16 weeks along and due a week before me...too exciting!

And can I share one family tradition that I love? My family draws names out of the hat each Christmas for the following Christmas - and each person then has 12 months to MAKE a present for their recipient, from the whole family (and yes, you can MAKE the money to buy a present if you're really stuck!). This year, we made a family photograph for my Dad (which has yet to be taken and framed - but we couldn't take it without my parents!) and bought a facial for my sister, and we received a basket of homemade and specialty goodies (made by Mum) and a whole sheep for the freezer (made by Dad - who's a sheep farmer!). Spoilt!

Other handmade gifts this year included:

A bag for my SIL, Pippa, which includes my first attempt at putting in a zip:

The handles and decorative detailing on this bag which Harri made AGES ago but has never finished:

So, my sewing plans for the holidays and beyond?

1. Cut out and piece BabyHill's quilt.
2. Tidy my quilt stash.
3. Cut out and sew my Amy Butler Overnight Travel Bag.
   
4. Nappy Bags x4 (one each for my sister and I, one for a commission, and one that's still a secret...)
   

That should keep me busy for a while!