‘Tis The Season! | December Diary

As I sit here, thinking of something fun and witty to write to begin this post, all I can think of is the scary thought of just how quick this year has flown by! Sure, we say it every year, but this time it feels slightly different for me… Perhaps it’s simply because I’ve had so much fun this year blogging and making stuff that time has simply slipped by without me noticing… Or maybe it’s due to my young-adult mind developing and maturing and taking more of a notice to these things… Ooo, I’m going a bit too deep in the thought process here… let’s rewind and get back onto the fun ‘It’s almost Christmas!’ bandwagon!

Yay!! It’s almost Christmas!! 😀

You know, I love this time of the year. (Minus the sweaty, humid heat! Yuck! Give me jeans-and-a-t-shirt kind of weather any day, thanks!) I love planning and making and wrapping and celebrating and eating and decorating and singing and eating and worshipping and shopping and eating and giving and being happy and being thankful and eating! Everything about it I love!!

As you may’ve already guessed, I live in Australia. And in Australia, Christmas equals Summer! It’s hot and dry, humid and sticky, windy and stormy, and the sun sets late into the night. So I thought that because the majority of people who read my blog live in the Northern Hemisphere where Christmas equals Winter, I would give you an insight into what an Australian Christmas is like in a thing I like to call my December Diary! Unlike what I did in September where I wrote a post everyday during the month, this time I would write a post every few days or so with all things Christmas, lifestyle, family, friends, tutorials and crafts and anything else that makes December in Australia a happy one!

Like many of us, December is a very busy month with lots of things happening: social events, family catch-ups, carol services, birthdays (three in my family alone!), crafting and sewing sessions (#HandmadeChristmas) and of course lots of afternoon swimming pool sessions! So as your December gets a bit crazy, a bit manic and a bit stressful, by all means take some time to chill and relax and perhaps use the time to catch-up on what’s happening on the other side of the world with me and my Aussie Christmas!

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So getting the ball rolling, so to speak, here’s my first bit of Christmas sewing to share with you!

This year on Instagram, I’ve signed up to be apart of an #AussieChristmasSwap where quilters, sewers and makers from all over Australia make or buy something special for their Aussie partner and send it off to them in the first week of December.

Amongst the other things I have to give, I made this sweet little Christmas Robin wallhanging/mini quilt using a foundation paper pieced pattern by Kristy from Quiet Play. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to make it – it’s so adorable!! And when I found out that my partner likes a lot of the Cotton+Steel ranges, I knew I had to use some of their Tinsel Christmas range that I recently received from Dayview Textiles! So with both of those elements combined along with a few matching spotties from my stash, this little beauty was made…

I quilted it in my usual vertical straight-line way but this time with the lines slightly closer together almost borderlining on matchstick quilting. Then once the binding was sewn into place, I stitched on a little button for the Robin’s eye which simply brought the whole thing to life! The hanger in the picture above isn’t the final one I’ll send it away with, I’ll buy a better looking one over the next day or so!

The final measurement of this gorgeous little mini is: 10&1/4″x10&1/4″! Super cute!!

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I’m so excited to get into and share with you all of my Christmas-y crafts and ideas that have been brewing in my mind over the past few weeks! And as we wrap up the final elements in my HST Sampler Quilt Along both here and on my YouTube channel, I’ll also be uploading all of my fun Christmas videos too! Yay!!

Sing with me now: ‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

xx