I decided to draft some patterns for Aline skirts to sell at Northampton this year. I make them for myself and am always receiving comments on them. They sit on the hip and are knee length with a yoga waistband – so a better fit. I have finished skirts in various sizes and fabrics on my facebook site http://www.facebook.com/daffy.designs
It is such a classic cut made with modern and vintage fabrics.

I must admit I haven’t been very active with my blog in recent times!  I have been back to southern Africa, visiting the beautiful Namibia’s north and South Africa’s Kruger Park in May this year. I didn’t see my sponsor girl due to school holidays but left her some Australian gifts in Windhoek for her. On my return, the quilts have all been finished by the lovely volunteer quilt team and my responsibility was to get them to Thailand. They were driven down to Perth in September, expressed overseas (don’t ask the cost!) and they reached the destination safely to the organisation’s manager. I was stung again by corrupt customs officials (again don’t ask the cost) – the risks in an unstable country but at least they arrived safely after so much work by the ladies. Lorel will give them out to the most needy when she is over there next as it is warm weather at the moment. The foundation had just taken in some more abandoned children from over the Myanmar border so she was thinking of them for the quilts. Borderless Friendships WA is a great non-profit organisation where the money does actually go to making a real difference. Their website can be found at http://www.borderlessfriendship.org/ and Lorel is a legend with all she does for this community.

At the end of our 2014 trip to Namibia, we had a great stay with Naan Kuse Lodge and Foundation.  We recommend anyone going over there to have at least one night there.  We met Dina, who we sponsor for schooling, ran into a young Geraldton lass who was working there (yes small world) and a lovely guide called Solomon let us walk their lovely cheetah Kiki out in the bush.  We also went to the little school there and could see what a wonderful place this was to keep the San bushmen safe and retain their culture.  Solomon was very keen on getting the kids to play soccer so when we returned to Australia we organised 14 soccer shirts to go over to them.  They got lost for a while in customs but eventually arrived in March 2015 (sent in September 2014) and Solomon received the shirts for the kids.  We were so pleased to see them smiling and playing soccer in them.  Sometimes something simple can make a huge difference.  Never underestimate the difference you can make in the lives of others, even with soccer shirts!