Holiday

Well sort of. It was more a stay at home and do fun stuff with children.

 We went to a craft fair in Stonor Park. This little vase came home with me. Very pretty. The potter who made it had lovely vases but I hadn't taken enough cash, so just a little vase this time. Next year however...

We went to exciting swimming pool with lots of slides. No photos the cameras were not allowed.

We went punting

 Husband did a great job. He only lost the pole once.

Eldest daughter 

Youngest daughter

My mother made dresses for the Sylvanians, so lots of playing.

Basting

Or rather not basting.
I went to my parents' house today to baste the purple pink block quilt. This plan was foiled by the daughters having half term holidays. They found Oma's bead box. Instead of helping me with the quilt Oma made necklaces with her granddaughters.

Blue and white creation

Best worn with a pink wooden Hello Kitty necklace and small garnet necklace

Daughter two showing off what she wore today

 Daughter 2's creation. Jade with carnelian and glassonay (don't know how to spell that but that is how mother pronounces it. It the blue beads with white flowers.) I think she has added some little onyx beads to make the necklace the required length as she ran out off carnelian. 

Daughter 1 went for square white jade beads and big blue ceramic beads. My mother believes the blue ones were bought by me at Liberty's when I was a child. I do remember those blue beads but I don't know where they come from.

Ready for Christmas?

Are you ready for Christmas? I am not. I need to get Sinterklaas out the way first. Quite a tricky thing to make it fun with only the four of us and my parents to celebrate but we try to make the best of it.
I did fancy trying to make December a bit more fun and magical this year. I have made some fun place mats for us. The Father Christmas fabric is from Ikea as is the back. The borders are from Makeover fabrics Christmas range. I must confess I don't think they are all from the 2011 collection. My local fabric shop tends to sell what ever it gets hold of.
I tried to free motion quilt the place mats with stars. I gave up and drew them on instead. I quilted the place mats using Mettler green metallic thread. I like how they turned out and the daughters think they are fab.

I am trying to win an Go Baby Accuquilt. Have you got? If no why not enter here.

End of summer holidays

It's almost the end of the summer holiday. I haven't been able to do as much sewing as I would like. I have had to organise school uniform for both the daughters. The plan of having two girls so that you could have hand me downs didn't work out. Daughter 2 is as tall as daughter 1. I have spent quite some time sewing in name labels, a boring but necessary job. Mind you it doesn't guarantee you are going to get your children's clothes back but ay least you have a fighting chance.

I have finished the sampler I started for daughter 1 when she was born. I took to be framed on Saturday. I will post a picture of it when I have a chance. I need to work out how to take her name of the picture, as I don't really want to publish her name and date of birth on the internet.