Welcome


Hello, my name is Dionne and I have been crafting for a very long time. As a very young child my mother tried to teach me to knit, it was a disaster. However, it must have sparked an interest in making things and, partly to prove that I was not totally useless and partly because I really wanted to make things, I taught myself to crochet. Over the years I have developed a love of cross stitch and all types of paper craft ..... I eventually even taught myself to knit.


I am married to a very understanding man, thank goodness, because I spend all my time either crafting, thinking about crafting or talking about crafting. I am hopeless at housework and dinner is often late!


Thank you for visiting my blog.


Dionne

Saturday, 29 July 2017

Santa's Little helper

Day 26, this is my last post for this particular project and here are the final outfits for my niece's Christmas elves to wear on Christmas Day, which was your favourite?

As with most of these elf clothes, I found a dress pattern on-line and then re-worked it to get the pattern for the jumper. The dress is another of Suzymarie's variations of the Julie Williams 'Seasonal Dresses' and I used her 'Seasonal Sweaters' patterns for the basic jumper design. The original pattern was designed to fit the 'Little Cotton Rabbits' series of soft toys.


The original patterns were written for 4 ply but, as the elves I have been knitting for are a little larger than the Little Cotton Rabbits, I have made mine in baby soft double knit and alpaka double knit.


Suzymarie has called this design 'Santa's Helper Dress', the instructions are available on Ravelry. It includes instructions for converting Julie Williams cloak into a Christmas cloak to match the dress.


I made similar changes to Julie Williams sweater pattern to get my Santa jumper with the belt and buckle.


On the back view of the jumper you can just make out the little button fastening.


I hope you have enjoyed seeing all of these Christmas outfits as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you.

Happy Christmas in July, enjoy what is left of it.


Dionne

9 comments:

  1. Beautiful outfit love the little Robin below and the reindeer one too--I recognise the swimming with the women song too an old one by George Formby lol
    Carol x

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    1. Thank you Carol, both for your lovely comments and the information about George Formby - I am not sure I ever knew it was a real song, I suspected my sister made it up!

      Happy Christmas in July.

      Dionne xx

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  2. Honestly Dionne, I don't know how you manage to come with so many amazing patterns! I just love your country style ones with the birdies and the fences, and of course all of your Christmas ones just warm me up inside... but I have to say you many have saved my favourite for last, santa outfits!!!! SQUEEEEAL! These are just too adorable, especially the little cape! Before I met my hubby and we moved in together, I decorated my house with Christmas teddy bears, I mean hundreds of them, everywhere!!! One of my favourites, one of the only ones I still have, is a little elegant teddy bear girl with a Santa dress and a little Santa cape. Boy you took me right back to that time, what a great memory! You have really put together some cute outfits my friend, your talents never stop amazing me!! Hope you're doing well Dee, we should catch up some time soon. sending hugs :)

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    1. Hi Pamellia. Thank you for your lovely comments.

      There is no real secret to the variety of patterns I have found, it is all down to Pinterest and one knitter in particular who I know only as SuzyMarie. She very generously puts a lot of her designs on-line in the form of a coloured chart (these are just like cross stitch charts and are very easy to follow).

      It is such a shame you do not still have all of your Christmas bears, I should have loved to have seen them. You would have gathered that I am also something of a teddy bear fan myself.

      Keep well friend.

      Dionne xx

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  3. Absolute perfection. All your work has been of such a high quality but these are at another level yet again. I would have to have both the jumper and the dress - the cape is a superb finishing touch. So sad that this series has come to an end it's been a triumph!xxx

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  4. Thank you so much for all of your comments and support throughout this project. Your encouragment has given me the courage to move onto my next knitting project, but you will have to wait until Christmas to see it.

    I really wish I could scale all of this jumpers up so you could have one of each of your favourites. I just love the idea of this one for Christmas Day.

    Take care.

    Dionne xx

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  5. Hi Dionne-thank you for your lovely comments and I found the link for the treat bags--https://lovenstamps.com/6-pocket-treats-tea-bag-holder-a-mini-gift-idea-just-add-chocolate/
    hubby feeling a lot better thank you just ongoing problems really and this month not been good x

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  6. Super adorable outfit. Guess I missed this post for some reason. All the outfits are cute and so beautifully made. True talent and patience.

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    1. Hi I trust you are well. My knitting projects take much longer to complete then my card ones and it has been such a long time since I posted anything. I miss all my old friends dropping by to say hello and it is lovely to receive these kind words.

      Look after yourself.

      Dionne xx

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Dionne