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Fashion designer knits her own wedding gown

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A newlywed has revealed the painstaking process behind making her wedding dress over the nine months leading up to her big day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fashion designer Esther Andrews knitted her wedding dress every day while commuting to and from work.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The designer, who creates “slowly made knitwear for the modern bride” shared her story in a video posted to TikTok.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I hand-knit my wedding dress on the New York subway for nine months and this was the journey,” Andrews said in the video.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andrews explained the inspiration behind the gown was a “silly and fun” design of “space pirate” meets a “tomato patch” while panning over sketches of her dream dress.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4NlnAsAZ6u/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4NlnAsAZ6u/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Esther Andrews (@estherbollerandrews)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She revealed she used more than 6.4km of mohair lace yarn to make the dress, with a single ruffle on the gown using 1.6km on its own.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When it came time to sew it together, I was scared because I could only trust that it would fit - no time to go back,” Andrews said, while confirming she managed to finish the garment just before the wedding.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The below-the-knee dress featured a v-neck line, multiple ruffles, and a fitted bodice, all decorated with tiny tomatoes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I will always cherish this dress and the time that went into making it,” Andrew wrote, sharing images of her and her husband at their wedding on Instagram.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a second video, Andrews showed off her hand-beaded stockings, designed to look “like a starry sky”, which took several weekends to make.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Viewers shared their support for the designer, calling it among “the most unique of our generation”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The most creative and iconic American wedding I’ve seen,” one user commented.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m crying now, this is so sweet.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of Andrew’s biggest fans had to be her husband, who commented, “Just so you know I’m the HUSBAND!! And if you’re thinking I’m lucky, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THE HALF OF IT.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andrews also designed her husband’s suit for the wedding, taking inspiration from NASA’s Gemini space suits.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4P97cKoGSi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4P97cKoGSi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Esther Andrews (@estherbollerandrews)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 54-piece pattern suit took Andrews a week to make and was finished just five minutes before guests arrived. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Esther Andrews / Instagram</span></em></p>

Relationships

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Funeral-goers adorn pews with late grandma’s handmade quilts

<p>A family from Nebraska in the US have honoured their late grandmother in the most beautiful way. Margaret Hubl, who passed away last July at the age of 89, was an avid quiltmaker, crafting over 100 throughout her life and gifting them to her family and friends. As a tribute to her memory, those closest to her brought Margaret’s gorgeous creations to her funeral, adorning the church pews with the colourful blankets.</p> <p>“Never did I imagine how many there were,” Margaret’s granddaughter Christina Tollman told <a href="http://www.today.com/news/family-honors-grandma-s-memory-displaying-all-her-quilts-her-t108586" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">TODAY</span></strong></a>. “We covered almost every single pew in that church. I never knew how many she actually made.</p> <p>“She wanted us to have something to wrap up and keep warm in when we went away to school. This is the love that Grandma made for each of us. This is what she made for each of us to wrap up in when we hurt… When we miss her.”</p> <p>It became a tradition in the family for Margaret to gift her grandchildren quilts on their wedding day. So dedicated was she to this tradition that she even prepared three for her remaining unmarried grandchildren – just so they wouldn’t miss out.</p> <p>“I actually have three cousins that are not married, and the day of her funeral was the day that they got to see their quilts for the first time,” Christina said. That was really kind of a neat moment.”</p> <p>See the beautiful tribute in the gallery above and tell us in the comments, what traditions do you have in your family?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2017/02/elderly-woman-gets-arrested-for-bucket-list/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Dutch woman in her 90s ticks “getting arrested” off bucket list</em></span></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2017/02/elderly-man-dancing-in-street/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Sweet elderly man dancing in the street will make your day</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2017/02/bride-asks-92-year-old-grandmother-to-be-her-bridesmaid/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Bride asks 92-year-old grandmother to be her bridesmaid</strong></em></span></a></p>

Retirement Life

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Handmade quilts draped at creators funeral in her honour

<p>Janet White from New York, lived a fulfilling and long life. She was a passionate gardener and ran a dairy farm for a few decades in her life. In the 60s she travelled with her husband Bill to Hong Kong and to the Soviet Union.</p> <p>Out of all her various accomplishments, one she was renowned for was her quilt making. Janet made over 100 quilts for her children, grandchildren, friends and community members. Before she passed, she also made four more for her unmarried grandchildren to be gifted to them on their wedding days.</p> <p>Janet passed away at the age of 84 but at her funeral, her family draped her quilts over the church pews to honour her with a personal symbol of who she was. Her granddaughter posted a photo of the quilts online and it has gone viral. </p> <p>Online readers were touched by Janet’s legacy and the way her family chose to remember her. “I'm getting a little choked up reading this. The description of the life your grandmother lived seems magnificent and extravagant and it really makes me want to branch out and truly live life. The fact that a mere description of what she did can evoke such an emotional response from a total stranger is absolutely unique. My condolences for your grandmother OP," one user wrote.</p> <p>Janet’s care and love has certainly made an impact on those who knew her and those who hear her story. </p> <p><strong>Image credit: tits_mcgheee via Pinterest</strong></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2017/02/150-year-old-wedding-dress-found-at-drycleaners/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>150-year-old wedding dress found at drycleaners</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2017/02/mum-finds-letters-from-late-daughter/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Grieving mum finds letters from her late daughter</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/02/rose-osborne-who-is-the-storyteller-in-your-family/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Who is the storyteller in your family?</strong></em></span></a></p>

Retirement Life

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Retirees donate handmade toys to kids’ charities

<p>A group of retirees are spreading festive cheer by donating over 1000 handmade wooden children’s toys to charity.</p> <p>Toymendous is a charity woodworking group who create beautiful, traditional kids toys for those in need. The group have spent the year creating sack loads of special gifts in Adelaide, Australia. It’s something they’ve been passionate about ever since Toymendous formed in 1988.</p> <p>Together, the retirees have designed 56 different types of toys, ranging from hand painted red and yellow tractors to aeroplanes with a moving propeller.</p> <p>Their goal? To spread some Christmas cheer to children who may not receive gifts this year.</p> <p>Of the over 1000 toys being donated, the majority will go to St Vincent de Paul Society, who will distribute the gifts to some of the batch victims of the Pinery bushfires, which wiped out 87 homes and countless farms.</p> <p>“Hopefully it will bring smiles to the faces of children who may not otherwise get anything,” said Toymendous president Ron Crowhurst in an interview with 9News.</p> <p>“With our quality we know that they are very long lasting so hopefully it will give them years of enjoyment that they can pass onto other siblings.”</p> <p>Toymendous member Eddie Fawcett said their efforts are worthwhile when they hear stories about those who receive their toys. “Last year one lady told us they gave a present to a young child of about eight,” he said.</p> <p>“[She] had never had any toys in her life and she burst into tears.”</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/funny-things-grandkids-say-part-4/"><em>The funniest things grandkids kids say</em></a></strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/sacrifices-grandparents-make-study/"><em>The many things grandparents sacrifice for their family</em></a></strong></p> <p><span><span><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/interspecies-animal-friendships/"><em><strong>15 unlikely friendships that will melt your h</strong>eart</em></a></span></span></p>

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1000s of handmade paper flowers cover Portugal streets

<p>After a four year hiatus, Portugal’s “Flowers’ Festival” is back and more spectacular than ever.</p> <p>In the last week of August, the streets of Campo Maior in Alentejo are adorned with thousands of handmade paper flowers. The most amazing part is how the community came together to create this masterpiece, with an estimated four months of preparation going into this festival. </p> <p><img width="545" height="363" src="http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_8720__880.jpg"/></p> <p><img width="543" height="815" src="http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_85021__880.jpg"/></p> <p><img width="539" height="359" src="http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_8620__880.jpg"/></p> <p><img width="541" height="812" src="http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_8253__880.jpg"/></p> <p><img width="533" height="355" src="http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_8353__880.jpg"/></p> <p><img width="533" height="355" src="http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_8560__880.jpg"/></p> <p><img width="533" height="355" src="http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_8710__880.jpg"/></p> <p><img width="536" height="357" src="http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_8485__880.jpg"/></p> <p><img width="532" height="354" src="http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_8744__880.jpg"/></p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/gardening/2015/07/inspiring-balcony-gardens/">10 inspiring balcony gardens</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/gardening/2015/05/most-beautiful-gardens-in-world/">8 of the most beautiful gardens in the world</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/gardening/2015/05/benefits-a-community-garden/">7 reasons why you should join a community garden</a></strong></em></span></p> <p> </p>

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