Wreaths, rainbows and a little bit of sewing.....

Hello!!! Thanks for stopping by. Before I tell you what I've been up over the last few weeks I have to show you this -

Is it not fab? A Christmas wreath made of recycled pages from newspapers or magazines! I love it!!! I haven't made one yet but I want to, I really want to. I love recycled stuff. We chuck away so much stuff that with a bit of thought, time and energy can be transformed into something useful or at least usable (if not always beautiful!). Anyway, this (to me) IS beautiful and the true beauty of it is that you can send it for recycling after Christmas this year and then make another one for next year!!! Genius!

Anyway. A week or so ago I received a parcel in the mail (yes, the real mail with real stamps and stuff.....)

Said parcel was from Maryanne and Vicky at Woolhogs. I had won a prize!!!! Yes, can you believe it, me, moi and I had actually won something!!!!!!!! Yay! In all my 40 something years I have never (repeat N-E-V-E-R) won anything, so this was the hugest of huge things for me (can you tell?)! I had entered a little competition on Maryanne's blog and then the parcel came..... How's the cute button?

Want to see what was inside? Do you? Well, here it is ...............

A rainbow of seven skeins of the scrummiest cotton yarn you could ever imagine!!! It's a local product made by Elle and is their Premier Natural Cotton range. I cannot begin to tell you how beautifully this yarn works because yes indeed I've already started a project and it's fab-u-licious!!!! Can't wait to show you but not yet.....no sir, not yet............. 

On a completely different subject, I have been trying my hand at a little dressmaking. After seeing the uber talented Elizabeth over at Mrs Thomasina Tittlemouse make her stunning Edelweiss Skirt, I felt I had to give something a go! My Mom (also very talented with a sewing thread) had a pattern for a super easy dress which she helped me cut out one day last week. Then, last Saturday, I took the bull by the horns and after a little of this

a little of this

and a whole lot of this

I made this.

What do you think? I know it's no haute couture but it's all mine! It's the most stunning apple green colour and there are these little embroidered punch outs in the fabric. Here's a close up.

Aren't they pretty? I think so. I have to tell you that my sewing machine and I have never had what you might call a real relationship. It's always been more of a battle of wills with the sewing machine usually winning! This time, however, I kept repeating the mantra "I am not afraid" the entire time I was sewing and it seemed to work!!!! The machine behaved itself and within 4 hours I had a dress!!! Yay! 

For those of you that are interested the pattern is Simplicity 5628.

 I'm sure there is a technical name for this kind of dress but I call it a 'straight up and down dress'. It's great for summer, especially here in South Africa, where it can get blindingly hot in December/January so I know this little gem is going to get alot of use. Cute bag too.

That's me for now. What have you been up to?

Til soon.

♥