Altitude shawlette

I have finished the first shawl for the 4 ply shawl club.  It is the Altitude shawlette by Brenda Green, here on ravelry.  This is such a pretty pattern and was quite quick too once I became familiar with the pattern.  The yarn is so soft which is perfect against my neck and face.  It is a 50% merino and 50% silk mix, hand dyed by Happy-go-knitty and the colour is Midwinter night.  I have worn it quite a bit already so that shows I love it!

Some lovely things:

My first lovely thing is the pleasure that flowers bring.  I am enjoying the last of our iceberg roses before they have their winter prune.

My second lovely thing is my coffee table.  It is an old oak table that belonged to my grandmother and I inherited it many years ago.  It has been in a sad state all that time, with a very dark stain and lots of marks and blemishes.  Paul recently finished sanding it back and has given it three coats of oil.  Although some of the blemishes still show it now has a golden glow and I think it is quite beautiful.

Wishing you all a wonderful week with time to do what you love, Wendy xx

Natalie's quilt

I have three more finished blocks for my Natalie's quilt that I started and blogged about here.  To be honest these were made before Dad's hospitalization but I got them out today to motivate me to continue with them.  Please excuse the wrinkles, they have been packed away for a while.

Some lovely things:

I thought I would share some lovely things I have come across or bought recently.  The first is a lovely package that came in the mail last week.  I joined the Happy-go-knitty 4 ply shawl club which runs May, June and July to expand my knitting skills.  Each month I receive a hand-dyed yarn, a shawl pattern and some extra goodies.  May's package came last week and as you can see it is on my needles already.  The extra treats were these gorgeous cat stitch markers and some yummy Frooze balls which is a healthy but treaty snack (they didn't make it to the photo!)

My second lovely thing is my new stepladder, an old one that has been given a new lease on life with a gorgeous spotty top.  A new shop has opened nearby called Home and it is full of vintage/retro goodies as well as crafts and clothes made by local artisans.  I had been thinking we needed a stepladder and this one is just perfect.

Thank you for all the kind comments about my Dad.  It is such a pleasure to see him regaining strength each week.
I hope you all have a wonderful week with plenty of time to do what you love, Wendy xx

Catching up

December already, where did November go?  

I have been working on my summer-wardrobe sewing but this was interrupted when Colette Patterns released their new pattern, the Dahlia dress.  I had some red fabric from years ago and I thought it would make a perfect Dahlia.  It is a polyester crepe I think, it has no give to it at all but it drapes nicely.  I made an American size 10 and graded up to size 12 at the waist and hips although ended up trimming this off again.  I also added 5" to the length.  This was the first time I used my dressmakers dummy properly, fitting the bodice to it as I went along.  I have narrow shoulders so I ended up adding a dart on the shoulder and removed some of the fullness from the raglan seams.  I realized later that the top of the bodice was meant to be gathered (somehow I missed that step) and this would have taken up some of the fullness that I removed.  I finished the neckline and sleeves with a purchased bias binding in a maroon colour and I quite like the little contrast it gives.  I really love this dress and I think it will be great under layers for autumn and winter too.

Charlie had requested a crochet bunting when she saw the one I made for my room here.  It is finished and the cream looks pretty against her pink walls.  By the way, why do cats insist on sitting on wool when it's blocking?

I have also been keeping at my Chateau Hexagon, stitching away on the last block.  

The tree is trimmed, the house is decorated.  Just some last minute gift-making and shopping to go ... it's beginning to feel like Christmas!  Wendy xx

Beautiful spring

In truth spring has been cold and wet so far but today the sun shone and it was nice to get outside.  The flowers don't seem to mind the weather and are looking their best; spring is the prettiest time in our garden before the summer sun dries everything out.  I haven't had too much time for crafting lately but I did finish a little crochet project, a half lotus bunting which is a free pattern here.  It looks pretty hanging at our bedroom window with the morning sun shining through it, although Paul thinks it is perhaps too pretty since it is his room as well!  I finally have my Chateau Hexagon out again and have started the applique.  There are sixteen windows to stitch in place and then quite a bit of embroidery.  But it is starting to feel like I am on the home stretch! Wendy xx

Spring

Charlie in the middle with her two friends, Amberley and Karen

Spring has truly arrived and the garden is starting to look it's prettiest.  In typical spring fashion we are having a mixture of sunshine and rain. We make the most of the sunshine and have managed some gardening; weeding and planting for me, pruning and mulching for Paul.
Oranges are delicious and plentiful at the moment and a recipe I keep making is Never Fail Orange Cake which I found here.  It is easy to make and has been very popular in our house.
I'm playing catch up with blogging again and am finally posting a photo of Charlie at her banquet.  All the girls looked beautiful and they had a wonderful time.
Josh's quilt is finished and finally in use on his bigger bed; at 6'2" he really needed it.  I haven't managed to get very good photos but you get the idea J  It was quilted by my quilting class leader in an all over pattern of leaves and has a nice masculine look I think which is what I was hoping for.
And finally, I was very fortunate to win Susan's giveaway recently and love the cross stitch pincushion she made and the lovely bundle of fabric. My photo does not really do justice to the pincushion, it is really beautiful, thanks Susan!  Wendy xx

August

August has almost come and gone and this is my first post for the month!  Life with two teenagers seems to fly by at a rapid pace.  It has been in my mind often to blog a post but have never quite got the photos (and myself) organised.  So here is a catch-up of some August things: one of the major tasks we completed was doing up the piano stool and the woodbox that we had been gifted.  Paul did all the painting and we did the upholstery together, using a laminated cotton for durability.  I am really happy with how they look especially when I compare them now with the 'before' photos.  I must thank Julie for her helpful advice and paint recommendation J.  
Josh had requested some gloves so I finally finished them for him.  They are not my best knit, I think they look quite rough but he didn't notice and is getting lots of wear out of them.  Once they were finished I started a cardy for myself in a gorgeous blue.  I do find knitting easier to fit in if I am feeling tired or busy and when we are travelling about it is great to have in the car.  My clothes sewing has slowed down despite my plans.  I would like to make myself a jacket but have only got as far as making the muslin which you can see on my dress form.
In between times Charlie had her school banquet and looked beautiful all dressed up.  Well, that's enough of a catch up, next time I will show you Charlie in her dress and Josh's finished quilt!  Wendy xx