January and February babies

We had lovely birthday lunches for Zac, Ashleigh and Harper in January and February. I love it that my grandkids all love each other and are having so much fun growing up together.

Here's Zac now a very grown up 14

And Ash a beautiful 12 year old

And Harper turning 6 with her cousins

and having fun with the camera

Gwenhy, Ash, Olive, and Griff in back row

and Brooklen, Zac and Harper in the front row

 

I am truly blessed

A Ladies Who Lunch Day

I had a lovely friendship day today with my friends from LWL.  This is a great group of gals who meet monthly, to support each other, talk about all the crafty things we'd love to finish, and eat and eat, and eat a beautiful lunch.

Although on saying that we do have some amazing show and tell at tmes from some very creative women.

Fay and Ali both made an amazing neckpiece each. Good luck Ali in the Easter Show, your piece was a stunner.  No photos yet as for exhibition but hopefully later.



Here is Collaroy Beach from Ali's verandah and an amazing reflection of umbrellas and beach trees in her front window. I love going to Ali's home, it reminds me of days in my youth spent with my nan at Dee Why and Auntys at Avalon and Dee Why.  Our old stomping ground and wonderful memories.

We also gave Fay her lovely LWL field of flowers rug, just for being herself, a wonderful woman.  She does so much for us all and we really wanted to give something back to her.  Here it is shown in it's beautiful box, overflowing over the edges. Fay also holds it to give you some idea of what it looked like and size.  It was indeed a beautiful field of colourful flowers and would look fabulous draped over a lounge or bed or just to snuggle up in.  We made her some flowers using 3 shades of cotton.  And a big thanks to Toni for putting them all together for our dear Fay

ahh life can't get any better

have a lovely Sunday

Ann

It's a green day

I love colour. All colours, but especially green and am surrounded by it on a daily basis.

The hunter valley is so very green at the moment. We've had lots of rain, the vines are vigorous and a riot of green leaves. Most grapes have been picked and the leaves will soon start to turn yellow. So I am enjoying our morning drives through the gloriousness of green knowing it won't last too much longer.

This is a lovely lake we drive past each morning. It does look more brown than green but just wanted to share the view. You can see the vines on the hill.



I bought some beautiful green yarn a few years ago from Jane Slicer-Smith to knit her swing coat, but sad to say I have lost interest in the pattern so am putting it to another use.

I love Nicky Epstein's books and discovered in my library her book on knitted blocks with an amazing project called the sweater shawl. I've started with my green yarn and it's wonderful. The book has over 100 blocks, uses lots of advanced techniques I've never used before. Here are a couple of photos. The shawl part is made from 8 strips of 3 blocks. Im just starting my 4 th strip and love the whole project. The tree block and embossed rose block were really exciting to make.

This project is amazing. I love making my own fabrics and the texture you can get with a knit and purl has given me lots of ideas for other projects.


Here are 2 strips blocked



This is the third being blocked. I pin them out and then put a damp towel over the top to dry. It blocks them beautifully

Enjoy the colour of your day

Regards Ann

Gosh it's all happening in my studio

I'm embellishing again and finishing some projects.  It's very exciting especially as I've never finished anything in the many years I've been doing this.

Here's my crazy patched sewing bag!  woohoo! My favourite embellishment things to do are ribbon work and working with buttons.  I'm not an embroiderer but give it a go! I was thrilled with this effort.

And here is my beautiful daughter. This photo was taken when she was 14. With a girlfriend they took themselves off to what was then Grace Brothers and had some studio photos done. They were wonderful. It was a surprise but I had to buy them!  smile! 

So I crazy patched around the silk fabric photo and then highly embellished it. 

I made that! smile!

I gave it to her for a Christmas gift and we had tears all round, she loves it.

 

And finally I have put a memory piece I have done of my mum into the framers.  It's going to be wonderful and I can't wait to show everyone at February embellishment!

 

Have fun creating

Ann

A creative year so far

Gosh I'm really enjoying my time creating at Broke this year.

This is my Debbie Abrahams afternoon tea blanket, all 81 blocks done in 9 strips.  I'm about to start to sew the strips together.  It looks wonderful on my floor!  smile!

 

This is the front and back of a freeform crocheted bag I made for Ruth's tablet.  She loves it!  I do too!  Maybe I should make one for me

And here is my crocheted Crescent Shawl (pattern by Kathy Merrick). I've made 4 of these in the last few months and this one is mine made from Spotlight's Bouvardia in Pink.  I bought 20 balls of this yarn, I love it so much.  I've also made a hat to match and want to start a granny square jacket! 

 

...And this is why I think I'm creating - I hope you like this photo - this is our breakfast table view - it is so relaxing.  Often there is a family of water fowl swimming on the dam. They walk between both dams and have had chicks lately so we have to watch out for them when driving down the long driveway.   

 

enjoy!

 

Gwenhwyfar learns to sew on her new sewing machine

Welcome to 2013 and I can't think of a better way to welcome it than to teach someone to sew.

Let me introduce Gwenhwyfar, my 9 year old granddaughter. She is very creative, thinks sewing on the machine is more fun than by hand because it is quicker. She is a ballet and jazz dancer and won the junior jazz trophy at her dance school last year. She also loves helping me cook.

Ever since she was little she has loved playing with fabric and just loves making things.

Gwenhwy received a small electric sewing machine for christmas and was slightly alarmed when I explained to her she would be threading it. But after just one try is now a champion machine threader including needles and bobbins. She tried sewing with different threads and different stitches and practiced using the foot and masking tape as a guide for seam placement. One amazing little girl who can now use her machine at any time without bothering mum or dad.

Did I mention she is only 9?

Mummy in her wisdom thought Gwenhwy might like to make a nighty using some slippery tink fabric and amazingly she did it. I taught her the merits of tacking fabric together and how to do it and she is a convert. Now i know her mum doesn't tack so Gwenhwy can teach her a thing or 2. Smile!

She also made a cover for her pillow which she still loves to carry around. It is so interesting to see what she puts together. The freedom of being a kid with no rules is quite exhiliarating for anyone watching.

So here she is in her nighty. Pretty isnt she and Gwenhwy you made it! Woohoo and well done! Love from Gran Ann