Yesterday I got inspired and stitched together a quilt top for a baby quilt. My inspiration was a 8''x8'' (20x20cm) test swatch of my fish fabric from Spoonflower. I tried some different displays.
And decided to go with a frame around the fish, because I really wanted them to "pop".
I used a mix of new and recycled fabrics.
And the finished quit top! I am planning some black quilting for the white frame.
Happy weekend!
The catalogue is out so I guess I dare to say it out load! During the last few months me and Karin have been busy working on this Christmas crafting book Jouluiloa (~happy Christmas) that will be on the market in October! This first edition will be in Finnish, but we eagerly hope that there will be an English and a Swedish edition (and what else!?) next year too!
Today I did something that made me very proud of myself! I managed to mend little e's jeans that have been lying in an annoying pile in my studio for quite some time now. It took me about 20 minutes to get two pairs done! I had fun and used some scraps with heat n' bond (that's the iron-on adhesive I use for appliqué) that I improvised with to make the patches. It became a cat and a frog! Scroll down to see how I did it!
1. I ironed the patches with heat n' bond over the hole.
2. I used the mending foot/appliqué foot that allows me to move freely over the fabric. These jeans are very slim so it was a bit tricky! I worked the seams several times to get a durable patch.
3. Ready! As you see the seams are shaky, but when you stitch several times it looks like you did it on purpose. At least this is what I tell myself :)
The kitty looks like he has had something strange to eat... Little e says he's going to wear these jeans to school tomorrow! That's the best feedback I could get :)
This winter really won't come to an end! It has been snowing for two days and I have a nasty head-cold and am coughing and sneezing away. I was really in need of some Flumarket therapy (ha-ha).
I am always on the hunt for good cotton fabrics, if you find sheets you get a lot of fabric for the money and I was lucky today! The green fabric is made of that thick cotton sheet quality they don't make anymore and a great shade of green! Dots, stripes and checkered fabrics are always good to have. The yellow gingham fabric is a whole duvet cover so that's lot of fabric! The milkglass bowl will be added to my collection, I previously had this one and two is a collection, right?
The embroidered tablecloth is beautiful, however discoloured, broken and stained so it will be great for my fairy-angel dolls. I also got a roll of cute good-to-have wallpaper and an blue retro Christmas table-cloth for my tomte stuffies!
Big E has asked for a reading chair for some time now and this faded beauty had a note on that said "GRATIS" (for free) so I took her home! E will love to sit there and read. I am happy to say that most of our furniture is second-hand. Yesterday I bought a cupboard for our kitchen too that "just needs a little fixing", so does this side-board that now hosts my little plant nursery.
Just look at that detail! You can't walk away from a piece like that, can you? Especially when it's 35€. I love small town living, yes I do!
Have you made any great flea market scores lately?
This never ending winter is really getting on my nerves! It's April and we still have heaps of snow! I want to work in my garden! To cheer ourselves and our customers up we decided to bring Spring to our studio shop. The Spring sun is shining, after all, even if this snow melting business seems to take for ever this year!
This is the shop as seen from my studio (which will have a major clean-up tomorrow). The clothing and the fabric painting is from Saaga, the bag from Tuuni.
I am loving the light that fills our rooms! I am also very fond of this particular shade of pink. Of course I had to have this dress with one of my favourite plants, Echinacea. I am trying to grow some for my garden. No sign of sprouts in my pots yet though, but the bag said it could take 21 days, so I am trying to be patient!
My new postcards for Spring and Summer are here! Looking at them makes me long for Summer even more, I guess patience isn't one of my virtues!The cards are available in my Etsy shop, of course!
I hope the sun is shining were you are!
Last Thursday we built a pop-up shop at Korjaamo in Helsinki with the Kimara girls. It always a joy to work together with Minna, Susanna and Tuija!
It was difficult to get good pictures, but here are some glimpses of our shop!
The shop will be up until April 21st. I will be around tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon for a few hours. I would be happy to see you around!
It felt like Christmas today when a very heavy box arrived in my studio! I have been waiting eagerly to see how my new notebooks with fabric covers would turn out and I am very content! The appliqué was made by me and I then had the books professionally bound. The quality is great and it makes me so happy! They have 100 blank pages that I hope will be filled with your creativity: poems, sketches, garden dreams... Or then good food in form of recipes or maybe lots of happy greetings from friends if the notebook becomes a guestbook!
This was the first time I ordered bound notebooks so I wanted to try out a few different variations. There is appliqué on retro floral fabric like this.
And appliqué on off-white linen. The linen structure is really nice for books! I also love how you can feel the appliqué and stitches with your hands. You can follow the flying track with your finger of the bird from the front to the back of the book, for example!
Coffee or tea? And a sharp pencil...
The books made from my Spoonflower prints are pretty fine too :)
Do you feel an urge to start writing? I have listed a few books in my Etsy shop if you would like a new notebook for yourself.
Happy weekend everyone!
I spent a lovely sunny day in Mariehamn at the Åland Islands last week. I was asked to talk on the subject of social media for artisans and small business owners and was very happy to meet a group of inspired people eager to ask and discuss. It is a challenge to share your experience and knowledge in just a couple of hours, but I hope everyone went home with some new thoughts! Someone asked me to share my speech here, I'll give it a thought! My most important message however was and is, whatever you want to do you have to have the motivation to do it! Whether it is to blog or sell your stuff on Etsy, if you do not have a strong feeling that you want to go on this adventure, think twice! I believe you can do (and learn) 'anything' if you really want it, but to do something that you really wouldn't like to is stressful and eats a lot of your good energy!
That was my little Sunday speech, now I would like to show you some pictures from Mariehamn!
SALT is beautiful shop run by a craft collective. It is situated by the sea in a new building inspired by the traditional red wooden houses in the area. I used to spend my childhood Summers at the Åland Islands and have always enjoyed visiting the craft shops.
Goldsmith Titti Sundblom was working in the shop on Wednesday. Love those flounders! And these:
Made by Eva-Len Mattsson.
Yummy strawberry print by Gunilla von Nandelstadh.
Beautiful ceramics! I haven't figured out who made the pieces in the first two pictures, please tell me if you do! The ceramics in the first pictures is by Mia Englund! The fun plate with the doodles is by Sussi Henrikson, there was a small exhibition of her work, I really love her style! The last picture with the window features work by Lugnet keramik. And yes! That is the frozen sea outside the window! This place is gorgeous!
I adore the work of Ann Granlund! And was very sad that I couldn't go wild shopping! Next time!
The sun is shining here by the coast of Finland so I am out for a sunshine walk! Take care!
On Wednesday I will be talking to a group of crafters and artists about social media, Etsy and on-line marketing for small business owners. When I worked at the university I used to lecture on a regular basis, it is good to have that experince, no need to get nervous, I am quite looking forward to it and have enjoyed to jot down what I want to say! It helps a lot when you get to talk on a subject that is close and dear to you! I did a couple of quick illustrations. I don't want to spoil the suprise for the people I am talking to and post all my thoughts on the blog, but I thought I'd share these pictures anyway... Translations below the pictures!
Type 1 aka 'Everyhting used to be so much better'. People can blog away as much as they like, but I am just going to sit here and craft in my own corner like I've always done.
Type 2 'I would like to, but I don't know how to'.I know nothing about computers!?
Help! I'm far too old!
What happens if I touch this button?
Possibilities? Error
GREAT SOCKS. BUY NOW.
Something is wrong with me!
My socks must be too expensive?
Is the quality good enough?
I need to sell them cheaper!
Maybe they don't like the colours?
Idiots!
Nobody understands me in this place!
I'm going to open up an on-line shop!
It's winter in Australia after all!
Today is a Sunday like Sundays should be in my opinion, the sun is shining and I took a nice long walk, the kids are playing nicely together and I have started a new knitting project. I used to knit a lot in my late teens and now when I have moved my studio out of our home I have taken up my old hobby. I need to do some textile crafting everyday!
I am knitting a cardigan from this pattern in Fabel wool yarn from Drops/Garnstudio. I wanted to make it in aqua, but of course they didn't have it in the yarn shop so I went for good old green, I like the additons of white and pink, not crazy about the orange, but I think it will end up nice for chilly nights in the garden... I made the wrist warmers some time ago from my favurite yarn, Alpacka from Garnstudio.
If you are at all into knitting or crochet the Drops site is a treasure box of free patterns!
Happy Sunday!
