Wreaths and reveals

Last weekend I had a very instructive workshop to make a holly wreath tutored by Glenys .  I cannot say it was the first time I had made one, but the previous ones were a very long time ago and I couldn't remember anything about them - yes I did two.  One year was a holly wreath, but the second year it was a dried one, using cinnamon sticks, dried mushrooms, dried orange and lemon slices, dried foliage etc and I have used it every year since; so it was definitely time for a change.

First we started with the ring

Note the essential cup of coffee!  Cold by the time I drank it.

We bound the ring with florist wire to give some backing for the moss that went on next and was again bound with wire to keep it in place.

Then turn over the ring and cover up the back with tape to ensure that it doesn't scratch the front door when it is hanging up.  How thoughtful!

Tape held in place with wire hooks and then turned back on itself

Complete

Now to start adding all the greenery and we had mountains of it; holly, ivy, yew, pyracantha, cotoneaster, sprigs of rosemary, fir tree, rose hips etc.  I did have some foraged items of my own.

At this point I went to pieces and hadn't a clue what to do and it wasn't until Glenys lent a helping hand that I managed to get going.  However after much pushing and pulling, sore fingers and a great deal of thought I got my wreath finished and proudly took it home and hung it on the front door.  I could have added a bow but decided that less is more and apart from some small glittery baubles of my own, I kept it simple.

I love it

I did take the wreath down after photographing it because I don't decorate until next week so my wreath is now in the garden shed waiting, waiting .... 

At the end of November the mini mania challenge for the month was unveiled.  We were to use the 'Churn Dash' block however we wanted but the finished mini must not be bigger than 20" (51cms) square.  In my last blog I showed you a close up of it but here is the finished article.

Each square was 4.5" finished (3.5" square in the middle)

The finished size is 18" (46cm) square, but please do not look at it too closely as not all the points are exact.  However it shows what interesting patterns you can get when repeating a block like this.

We have two months to undertake the next challenge as Christmas gets in the way.  We are to make a 9-block sampler quilt with a finished size of 20" (51cms) square when bound.  I have ideas buzzing around but no time at present to put them onto paper.