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I wanted to design a classic, simple, six petal flower.... so I did!
Help yourself to the pattern and I'd appreciate it if you left a comment (it's not difficult and only takes a moment).
Download Classic simple six petal Crochet flower Pattern UK terms
Download Classic simple six petal Crochet flower Pattern USA terms
UK and USA terms... grab the right pattern for you!
Our twins are 16. They are so grown up. I couldn't be prouder of them.
We had a meal with Nanny, Grandad and the three cousins. Nanny brought out her speciality Birthday cakes and we sang Happy Birthday.
For their Birthday they had lovely gifts and money from family far and wide and some days out are planned later in the year, but the most special moment was when Chef gave T-g a phone that he'd got with his own money. It's got Android and can go on the internet and can do allsorts of whizzy things (except make tea). It's the white version of his own phone that he got himself in black. He was more excited to give her this present than about anything else. This is so typical of him.
They are a close pair, especially around their birthday when they refer to each other as 'my twin'. Just lovely to capture a Birthday 'twins' moment as he showed her all the features of her phone.
Here's an old photo taken in 2000, when they had a Fancy Dress 5th Birthday party. Tg was a Fairy Princess and Chef a Policeman. Big bro Roman (7) was a clown and Smurf (3) was a ladybird (with a homemade costume I made from one leg of a pair of my black leggings and some fluffy red fabric and black felt dots) he was very cute.
They all had a big, special party when they turned 5. Seems like 5 minutes ago. Love these old memories (because the reality was pretty hectic and busy with only 4 years between all four of them).
For Christmas I made my two nieces a special lap quilt each. This quilt was made from a 'layer cake' (explained below) of Basic Grey fabric called 'Fruitcake'. It's made by Moda and the pattern 'Scrappy Mountain Majesties' is free from the Quiltville website, which I love....
The other quilt (below) is from a free pattern by Daniela Stout of Cozy Quilt Designs and is called 'Breaking Waves' but I assembled the squares into bigger, concentric squares, not waves. I posted in detail here on the blog 'It's a Creative World' all about how it was made with step-by-step photos and useful links.
To explain, a 'Jelly roll' is a roll of 2.5" strips (depending on manufacturer the amount differs -mine was 40) and a 'Layer Cake' is a pile of 10" squares (mine had 40). Both are co-ordinated fabrics...
If anyone wants to know where I got the fabric it was here.
With the leftovers I've been making our family a lap quilt. It'll be for next year now. The centre panel of patchwork is from a pattern called 'Streak of Sunshine' and is free here on Quiltville.
You can see the quilt more clearly as Smurf was helping me baste the quilt...
The centre panel is made from 10 jelly roll strips I had left over. All the random little squares that frame the centre panel were cobbled together from off-cuts from my nieces 2 quilts and a few left over 10" squares from the layer cake I bought. There was a certain amount of satisfaction in that! I had to buy some more wadding and a piece of backing fabric too. Shame I didn't manage to finish it for Christmas 2010 but we'll pop it in the attic and get it down when we put the tree up this year. I'd recommend the 'streak of sunshine' pattern for anyone starting out as it's easy and fun.
I've got a new project bubbling away at the moment and will share more once it's got going.
It's been tricky to get time to sit down and put together a photo packed Christmas post. It doesn't help that I have to resize each and every photo in PSE before I post. Yikes. Also, once the decorations have been put back in the attic, the Christmas flavour seems to be a thing of the past. Anyway... here goes... a coupla days before Christmas T-g and I had a lovely day with my sis-in-law and 2 nieces. They had a 'Build-a-Bear' experience from us as a pressie. So lovely to watch their excitement and joy at bringing their very own cuddly to life then accessorizing...
What could be lovelier than a doggy on skates and a personalised 'Hello Kitty'?
Also before Christmas Chef had his first 'gig'. It was amazing to see him on stage and he played really well...
Then the big day itself began with pressie opening and chillin out together. Smurf, plugged-in to his i-pod touch, wearing a new T-shirt...
T-g looking so beautiful in her new clothes from Auntie S and Uncle Foghorn, holding her new (pink) e-reader...
Chef in his smart new leather jacket with Husb...
We went to stay with my folks after Christmas and the family met their new baby cousin...
The most happy and sweetest baby you ever met. yes he was totally adored from the start...
My folks had worked hard and prepared a lovely three course meal. Below we're waiting to start and my Dad looks like he's entertaining the troops and standing by to be the waiter/bouncer!
You know it's Christmas when you've got a paper hat on your head!
After the meal there was some serious gaming for some folks...
... and this little chap played happily in his big new toy...
Here he is getting some grandparent love...
We came home for a few days and Husb & big son worked, then went to stay over on New Year's Eve with Husb's sister and family, and Nanny & Grandad. We played lots of games wore silly ties then saw the New Year in with champagne, Big Ben on the TV and a paper lantern...
Yep, family is what it's all about.
So thankful.
