Christmas Crackers and Rick-rack

On the Crazy Quilting International List, we do an annual Christmas Cracker swap.  Christmas Crackers, as you probably know, are an English custom.  At CQI we sign up for one, two, or three crackers to swap, and the swap hostess gives us the names and addresses of our recipients.  We then take a cardboard tube (like from a roll of paper towels), cut it to 7" in length, and stuff it with goodies relating to crazy quilting.   The outside is decorated with a nice piece of fabric or a pieced block (whatever you want), and then sent off to your person(s).  In return, you get crackers from two different people.  It's so much fun, and is a really good way of making friends around the world.

This is the Christmas Cracker that I got from Karrin.  It was covered with the gold-starred green satin and filled with everything else.  I really love the sheers she sent; I've always bought them whenever I could find them at JoAnn's, but this years our local stores didn't have any.  They're so gorgeous when scrunched up on Christmas stockings or blocks.  And look at all those threads!!  She even included some John James needles.  How thoughtful! Thank you Karrin for putting together such a  SUPER cracker!

This next cracker was from Maria in Portugal.

Maria went all-out as you can see.  I loved the postcards she sent of the area in which she lives, plus one that told of a popular Portugese legend.  She even sent a darling cock to match the story!  And the CD of Portugese music particularly touched me; it is so beautiful.  I'm accustomed to listening to hours of music in foreign languages (thanks to my love of the great tenor, Andrea Bocelli), and this CD had lots of lovely melodies, great voices, and music.

And then there were all the goodies: ribbons, ornaments, a cherub candle, a cute stitched folksy heart (I *really* love that), and the beautiful block that Maria pieced that included tatting and other embellishments.  Maria, you were sooooo generous!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

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DH & I went to the thrift store yesterday; he wanted to buy a leather belt.  He uses them to make straps for his guitars and banjos, and since he got a new banjo (or should I say ANOTHER new banjo, LOL) for Christmas, this trip was actually his idea.   Of course I had to go along to shop keep him company!  I resisted the urge to buy a lot (you have no idea!).  But I did pick up a little bit of lace (no picture), and a bag of "stuff".  You know how they jumble things together in a bag and sell it for a buck or two.  Well, this bag was stuffed with rick-rack and vintage trim for $1.99. 

 I still need to separate the purples.  These pieces were all used, so as I separate them, I'm pulling off the threads.  This will come in very handy to use in all my sewing (aprons, tea towels, pillows) where I like to combine modern and vintage fabric and trims.  Plus, once it's ironed and neatly stashed, I can use some of it in the squishies I put together for the monthly giveaways at CQI.

Now I've got to begin sorting Christmas pictures.  Ninety-nine percent of the pictures were of the grandkids who visited, LOL. 

Hugs,