End of Christmas 2013

Hard to believe that this year is almost drawing to a close, feels like just the other day we celebrated New Year 2013 and now 2014 is almost on our doorstep.

Spent a wonderful Christmas with three generations around the lunch table. Was just reminiscing afterwards that there may not be many more like it. Here's evidence after lunch, forgot to take any before or during pics.

This was later on resting on the couch after a busy day, my daughter-in-law Philippa and our cute little grand puppy, Maximus.

Managed to spent the evening and most of yesterday playing catch-up on my Celtic Solstice mystery quilt. At least I now feel almost ready for today's clue.

Making progress with my hsts 

Chaos next to my sewing machine

      

Progress made up until bedtime

Here's hoping that I can finish all my blocks before Bonnie's next clue comes out today :-)

Warm quilts hugs from an overcast and coolish South Africa
Sharon

Making slow progress with Celtic Solstice

Oh dear, just as I thought, my life is just too busy to keep my blog updated.

I had had such good intentions of updating my blog with my progress on Bonnie's Celtic Solstice Mystery and also keeping up to date with each clue as it is released and guess what ....... neither of the above have happened.

Here are photos of my progress made so far with clue #2

Below are half my chevrons stitched and the other half cut out and waiting patiently for their turn on the sewing machine ;-)

Spent a really busy long weekend cleaning house, making food and watching hubby work in the sweltering heat. Didn't get much sewing done as I felt too guilty sitting inside while he laboured away outdoors in the heat.
 
We had a huge tree in our garden crash down and break the wall by the pool, so he spent some of the weekend cutting down some of the branches to try and clean up the pool and pond area.

Regards from a very hot South Africa.

The end of another holiday

Very sad to once again be having to say goodbye to our holiday house.

It was a great 10 days of relaxing, sewing, (cleaning house) and enjoying the sun and sea with the puppies.

This is the view from my cutting table

And this is the view of the ocean in the distance from the side window.

Here is the living room downstairs.

And the puppies on the beach and on their way to the beach

  

  
.

Making progress on my Celtic Solstice mystery

Here's some photos of my progress made this week.

I am fortunate to be away in Jeffreys Bay on a short holiday break for this week, which means that all sewing is being done on my late Mother-in-laws lovely old Bernina. I really like this old machine, but she gets to living in the holiday house, so only gets used when we are down here.
Was just thinking yesterday how nice and quietly she sews compared to some of my other machines.

I have to confess that I have been busy with some other blocks in between, as I get very bored working on only one thing at a time (ADD, I think).
Below are some of my pink and blue blocks waiting to be ironed as well as a few of the jelly roll quilt blocks that I have been stitching in between.
I tend to get bored working with just one colour/quilt and to break the boredom I like to pick up something completely different (this also results in the creation of more than one UFO at a time).

Celtic Solstice Step 1

Okay, well, Step 1 of Bonnie's Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt is done with time to spare.

I am really proud of myself for getting all 188 little blocks finished with 2 days to spare. Usually I am VERY slow and I have to confess that last year's Easy Street mystery is still lying in lots of little plastic bags with numbers written on them (none completed :-( ).
SO this year it is my intent to keep up with every step so that I can finish Celtic Solstice along with everyone else.

Let's hope that this blog, plus our Facebook group keep me honest ;-)

Below are photos of my blocks in progress. I swopped out the orange for a dusky pink and have chosen all my fabrics in a more muted(subdued) hue.

Very pleased to say that EVERYTHING came from my stash, and I haven't yet bought anything for this quilt :D . Hoping to keep it that way!

Here are most of my blocks - the missing 20 are still lying on my ironing board waiting to be pressed.

Now to figure out how to link back to Bonnie's blog. (I guess I will need to go and read her instructions).
I think this link should link back to Bonnie's blog : Bonnie's Monday link up - Step 1

Regards from a hot and windy Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.
Sharon