A shawl and a dress

I think this would have to be my prettiest knit ever.  It is the first shawl and lace knitting I have done; the Settler shawl designed by Libby Jonson.  I used Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply yarn, a gorgeous merino.  The magic of the shawl comes once it's blocked; when the knitting is complete.  Blocking stretches the lace open and it becomes a thing of beauty, such a lovely pattern.
The dress I am wearing with it is a Moneta by Colette Patterns.  I made the medium size and the only alteration was to add 5" to the length.  The fabric is a knit viscose from The Fabric Store in Auckland and it has the most beautiful drape.  It feels very soft and flowing.  I think the dress also goes well with my Myrna cardigan that I made last month.  I actually made the dress in July but it has been just too cold to wear, even today it's still a little too cold.  Our spring has certainly been changeable so far, in fact I've just finished lighting the fire!  Despite the cool temperatures I am pushing on with making my summer wardrobe in the hope that warmer weather is on the way.  Wendy xx

The holiday table topper

Last week Jenny of Elefantz kindly offered a free pattern and a daily tutorial to make the Holiday Hostess table topper.  I had been feeling in a bit of a slump with my quilting but this project was just the inspiration I needed.  The instructions included finding a fabric that lent itself to being fussy cut; I didn't have much to choose from and in the end settled on a vintage Christmas postcard fabric.  Jenny's tutorial was excellent and easy to follow along; my only difficulty being when my cat decided to fall asleep on the topper as I was trying to quilt it!  I really appreciate Jenny's generosity in sharing this pattern, I am sure the tutorial must have taken lot of time to prepare!  Thank you.  Wendy xx

Happy 18th

"To my sweet daughter,
Your wee little life has changed me.
The day you were born was like a new beginning for me too;
A change that will forever lay soft upon my heart.
Everything in my life is sweeter because of you.
The days and fleeting moments with you are only a breath in time.
They linger briefly and fly away on the wings of tomorrow.
You are precious in every way;
The sunshine in my day, the joy in my soul, and the love of my life."  Patsy Gaut

I had such fun planning a surprise 18th party for Charlie and boy was she surprised when four of her friends turned up at the same shopping mall.  While they had manicures I was racing around at home setting up a lolly buffet and decorating.  It was worth it to see Charlie's face when they came back to our place for dinner, homemade ice-cream cake and girly movies.  Happy 18th Charlie, love you forever, Mum. xx