Happy Christmas Season to Everyone!!

Can't believe that Christmas is just around the corner, this year has just flown by and here we all are!!!!

As I drive to work each day past farms in the rural area where I live, there is a very old tractor that has been sitting in the same spot for years.   Around 3-4 years ago the farmer did a paint job on it and it is now bright red!   Each Christmas the tractor is decorated with some tinsel, a Father Christmas and sleigh!!!

It is quite a sight to see on the side of the road, but nice to know that someone is motivated enough to do this ritual every year!

There are usually cows in this paddock but they must have wandered off to the back on this day, you can see Father Christmas is cordoned off with an electrical fence to keep the curious bovines from interfering with the display!!!

Just one of the nice things about living in a rural area, not overly flash like in the city, but someone has decided to use what he had at hand and put it to good use -  good old Aussie ingenuity!!! - it's always a pleasure to see it as I drive into town and work most days of the week!!! 

We are also coming to the end of Barbara Brackman's CW blocks! 

#49 Yankee Puzzle

#50 Grapes of Wrath - it was great to be able to use some of my purples for this block - love purple!!!

#51 New York

I decided to use a different block format for this one, I had a look through EQ6 for a block where I could incorporate some stars 'n strips and this one fitted the bill nicely.  It was nice to be able to use some of the star farbics I had in my stash!

Only two more blocks to go and then the real hard work begins LOL - arranging the blocks into some visually pleasing order and sewing them into a flimsy - I'll definitely get a long-arm quilter to do the hard yards though,  I'd like to think I could have it finished before June when Barbara closes off the blog for this project!!!

Last post I put up a picture of a Christmas wall-hanging, but it was the uncompleted version, I must'n'have been concentrating, so here is the completed version complete with binding and little hanger!!

I used a lot of stitch in the ditch and stippling for the blocks and free motion quilting for the borders!!

This is a table-runner I made for Christmas 2010.   I created it after being in a Christmas themed 4"x 4" block swap through Carol Doak's online Foundation Paper Piecing group.  I made 12 blocks,  and received 12 blocks in exchange, I had to make a couple of extra ones to fit in with my design, I put in a 12"x 12" centre block, also one of Carol's designs.   This is the centre block.

I had a bit of math to do to work out how to make things all fit together, and here is the result!

It is 46 1/2" long and 19" wide.

Here is a couple of close-ups of each end!

I'm ashamed to say that I still have some work to do on it, some stippling mostly, I used a stiffer batt, (for placemats and bags) and it wants to fight with me everytime I try and do some extra work on it, being stiff it has no give, so I have avoided some of the battles, but I'll eventually get it done - you can see some of the chalk marks on the green border!

It's been a very busy year and despite my best efforts have not been able to post on a weekly basis, but that's life I guess, other stuff gets our attention and we just have to go with it!!!

I wish all my followers/blog readers a very happy and safe Christmas, I have really appreciated my followers comments, your support, generosity and in some cases wonderful friendships, thankyou all, you have made this journey into blogland a very happy one and I've had a lot of fun too!!!!

Stay safe and we'll see you in the New Year!!!!!

Take it easy,

Merilyn