easy christmas wreath

 the first time I made one of these  Christmas wreaths was years ago. I used red and green Christmas fabric. I decided I would make one for this Christmas, I had lots of satin and voile type fabrics that I have had for a long time. 

First I bought a 16" polystyrene wreath base, then cut up small squares of fabric. These dont have to be exact or the same size. I use a knitting needle to poke the centre of the square into the polystyrene and keep going until the wreath is completely covered except for the back which isn't seen. 

quilt request

My son sent me this photo and said he would like a quilt just like it.....interesting choice. I have told him he will have to wait until after Christmas, cant see me fitting it in any time soon. 

Thanksgiving South Africa Style

My daughter and her husband lived and worked in NY for 7 years before going to South Africa. So they are used to celebrating Thanksgiving. yesterday,together with some friends from church they held a Thanksgiving supper. I love this photo...I think they are all supposed to be straight faced but that didn't work :)my daughter is on the left of the sofa with the two boys and her husband behind in the cap.

smocked jumper

Years ago when my girls were aged 4 and 2 years, a friends knitted them a smocked dress each. The wool was quite chunky so they wore them as coats with woolly hats and scarves. My daughter then used the same dresses for the twins when they were younger, they have just grown out them. I have a hand knitted copy of the pattern but have never used it until now. As the pattern only goes up to age 4 I decided to make the sleeves longer so the twins can now have the same dress but use it as a smocked jumper. I have just finished the first one, they wanted gold and silver :) so I have used grey and will make the other one in mustard. Smocking in turquoise. The dress is made all in one piece, beginning at the bottom, going up the front, leaving a gap for the neck then carrying on down the other side. Then casting on stitches for the sleeves and collar. A very simple pattern. 

vintage fabric quilt

I've been asked by a friend to make her a single bed vintage fabric quilt. So I have had fun going through my stash to find fabrics. I have lots of vintage that I have collected and been given over time... although I will have to add some newer fabrics here and there. She wants it to be as simple as possible to keep the cost down so it will be squares with machine quilting. It amazes me just how good a mixture of different colours and designs can actually look when pieced together. 

thick weave cotton

On our way back from Devon we stopped off at Marlborough which is a lovely town in Wiltshire. There is a Susie Watson designs shop there where I bought some lovely thick weave cotton squares I think they may make a baby quilt....

www.susiewatsondesigns.co.uk

my little pony party

We have returned from our visit to the South West and the twins 

5th birthday party. This years theme was 'My Little Pony'. I wondered why I didn't have a decent photo of the girls dressed in the pony outfits their mum had made for them, then I realised, they didn't really stand still long enough for me to take one! 

 Rainbow Dash cupcakes

 Children sat on logs and hay bales around the table

Gibly and his friend Tilda playing with balloons

Primrose dressed as Rainbow dash

 Maggie dressed as a unicorn...cant remember its name

 Uncle Ben paid a flying visit

 A rainbow appeared in the sky over the party venue...very apt 

 beautiful moorland ponies on our drive to my Mothers after the party

view across the moors from our bedroom window at my mothers house