Placemats for a Friend

It's awlays sad how fast you loose contact with friends if you move away ... well I managed to stay in a lively contact with a friend in Leipzigby sending old fashioned mail ...

And even though I was terribly busy before Christmas I managed to send some presents her way ...

and even though I'm sure she's not reading this blog - I thought it better not to post them before Christmas ...

Löni

erster Advent

My Adventscalendar arrived just in time - that is it came yesterday which gave me today to hang it up

the best thing in the parcel was my new hat though ... knitted for me (instead of - I'm guessing 2 or 3 pairs of socks) and starring a fleece inlet to better ensure warm ears on the bicycle. I think I should ask for warmer mittens next, the current ones don't work well below freezing.

 it's teeny tiny so it will fit me an noone else ..

(I should have put some blocks on the design wall for a more quilt-ish background)

aye Lizzie that's your quilt back there

So anyway student dorm planners seem to have this love for materials that don't like nails ... so where you would normally just get a nail and a hammer I have to get out the heavy machinerey (I got me some special teeny tiny drills, they don't work too well as they are meant for wood but there is nothing that small for ferroconcrete/ armoured concrete and I really just want to get a nail in the walls... )

But yeah "Selbst ist die Frau" ... I think I was introduced to the machine in elementary school with the words: "If you want that rack hung up, you do it yourself, I (<< my mum) will just keep an eye on you."

that's the picture puuzle + sweets advents calendar in all it's nighttime picture glory 

(ignore the laundry please - oh and the movie is the series Hustle produced by the BBC)

Ohh and while I had the machine out I thoought it was time to do something for the rulers ... they now have a nail for themselves ...

So now I can panic about not having doen any Christmas presents yet ... any tips? they need to be fast, easy, cheap, and independent of sex, age and interests of the receiving party...

Löni

Sew Mama Sew Blog Hop

I decided to trade a few tiny stars for some answers.

How to enter the give away:
* recommend a quilting/patchwork magazine - a reason why you chose it would be nice
* if you are a follower let me know in an extra entry and if you want to ask any nosy question - here is your chance, I promise I will answer them (we all know quilters are a curious breed)

small print:
* open for entries from 1:00 AM (CET/(MEZ) December 3rd 2012 until 5:00 PM (CET/MEZ)
* I won't chase you across the interent - make sure I can contact you
* intrenational entries are welcome

now for more chances to win something - go back to the Sew Mama Sew

Leo

House Advent Calendar

Jenn from Lea&Lars asked around for pattern testers and as I needed to make an advent calendar ayway I volunteered and was sent the pattern.

front page of the pattern c by lea&lars

my attempt at adding a little snow to the roof - not really successfull

I really love those stripes - they come form a collection of blouse fabrics

A late night shot - I worked two evenings and a morning. I did a lot more quilting

than the pattern asked for, but I had chosen a rather thick batting and was having

trouble sticking anything inside the windows. (I would call them doors)

And here the complete thing is hanging on the wall, ususally I have a quilt hanging

there but I had to take that down to take a nice picture of the calendar hanging.

Well I just like "against the sun" pictures, but I didn't leave it in the sun for long, I was

far too afraid the lovely chocolate would melt - can you believe that there were only 23 

in the package?!? Well I'm glad the elf comes along, and if I send the whole thing a day

late maybe noone will figure out.

Yes so why did I have to make an Advent Calendar - my Mother in all her wisdom explained to me that I was now too old for an advent calendar. Then she tried some petty excuses like she doesn't get one from granny either (pah as if she ever does anything like granny, apart from the cooking), not having the containers for the calendar (well I happen to know they are in a shoe box, right next to the tree decoration in the cellar). Well anyway this is my attempt to prove to her that you can never get too old to get an advent calendar. I'm sewing on for me on the side - I already got the filling, I won that in last years Sew Mama Sew Christmas giveaway marathon.

Well she has some wisdom and gave me a pencil with a nice quote on it:

Viele Kinder haben schwer erziehbare Eltern - Lots of chilren have parents that are diffuclt to educate.
+ Jean-Jacques Rousseau (a rather free translation)

Leo

The usual suspects that I link to

give away stars

A big "Thank you" to Solveig for making those lovely stars: 

She send me 3 wonderful stars for the tree - sadly I'm not good at taking pictures and only this one turned out fine.

wonders of the postal services

As I was the lucky one to win Dinna Jessie's giveaway I was even more fortunate that the postal service managed to deliver the package to my doorstep on the morning of the 24th.

And this was inside:

Stars are coming my wayyyyy....

I will just use this opportunity to thank all those taking part in the SMS-giveaway, I had a fabulous time "wandering" around new blogs, even spend some of my lunch breaks there.

And now special thanks go to Solveig of Sols(tr)ikke , who made some lovely stars that I was lucky enough to win. As I'm not going to "steal" any of her pictures visit her blog to have a look at them.

Now I can go back to making last stitches and my batch of not yet finished christmas cards that go with the presents.

picture puzzle advent calendar is up

all 24 boxes are handmade by my ever so lovely mum and contain a little sweet and a handful of pieces - btw. I have no idea what the puzzle is going to look like in the end