Details

A little look at the stuff I have been making over the past weeks..... If you like, then click on the pictures and head on over to my flickr. :)

How many did I need?

I had planned to make a little apron dress size 12-18 months. I was going to make it reversible by using a Liberty fabric with small watering cans, and a pale pink one with strawberries.

I found my patterns, pinned them to the fabrics, cut it all out and left it in my sewing room for a couple of days.

This morning I wanted to have a look at the parts again, and wondered why I cut out 4 pieces. You see, the apron dress only have 1 pattern piece, so I needed 2 pieces which were going to form the finished apron!! I had 4.....

Clever me...I had cut out parts for 2 apron dresses!!!

Where did my mind wander off to when I cut it out??

The final pair of Espadrillos

The final pair of Espadrillos, originally uploaded by lille-ursus.

All the pairs have now been stitched. I simply had to have a dotty pair as well.

I'm thinking of using the embroidery on a bag, but still haven't decided yet. Maybe I should cut the whole thing up and use the espadrillos pairs one by one?

Have a great weekend.....

Done and ready to wear...well, almost

Zippers are SO annoying!, originally uploaded by lille-ursus.

Andrea's skirt is done. The zipper was added with only one unravelling, didn't become invisble as planned (#%!%#) the seams were sewn and pressed with an iron...and the skirt fitted Andrea just fine. All she has to do now, is to wash the skirt due to a spot right in front of the skirt. I don't know whether it was on the fabric from the beginning, but it's oh so annoying.

Ironing the skirt while it's a little bit damp, makes it easier to iron those creases away, so that's an advantage from the not-supposed-to-be-right-away-washing!....

I just have to show you some of the marvellous buttons I got lately.

These amazing ones are from a sweet and lovely friend I got from blogging.

Such a lovely surprise they were....

The buttons covered with flax I bought myself along with the brown bias tape.

I enjoy looking at all of the fabric covered buttons and have to wait a while before I use them...but I guess that doesn't come as a surprise to you.

My niece's fantastic photos

My niece's fantastic photos, originally uploaded by lille-ursus.

Once again, my niece has taken some gorgeous pictures!

I'm so impressed by the way she captures life, light and all the little details which make such a difference.

To have a better look at her photos, you should go visit her flickr.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have....

P.S. The shadows are my nephew Andreas and my niece Emma.

Andrea's skirt

The other day Andrea asked me very kindly, whether I would make her a skirt. She brought a striped skirt made by a friend's mother and the pattern made for it. Actually the mother had looked at one of Andrea's skirts and had made the pattern parts from it. She made a skirt for her daughter Sofie.

Of course I wanted to make her a skirt...I have known her for ever, and she's the sweet daughter of my dear friend Liselotte.

All Andrea had to do, was to get herself some fabric that she liked.

She bought a light denim fabric in a beautiful baby blue color.

Yesterday I cut out the different parts, and today I have been making all the pleats which the skirt must have.

It meant a lot of measuring and folding, but now the pleats have been pinned to the skirt and in order to make them stay, I sewed a seam over the pins (and the pleats!).

Later today, or maybe tomorrow I will sew the linning to the skirt, and have Andrea try out the skirt, so I can make it fit her perfectly. Then it will be time to add the zipper - not my favourite part, as you might remember.....

Hopefully it will turn out fine - and make Andrea satisfied.

Time to see some favourites

New favourites, originally uploaded by lille-ursus.

Pink and green

Lovely flowers from my garden, originally uploaded by lille-ursus.

One of my favourite color combinations in a bunch of flowers.

The fact that I picked them in our garden, makes it even more delightful. My eyes tend to look their way, when I enter the kitchen.

What a luxury it is to pick them out one by one in the garden, without having to think about how much it will cost!

And when these flowers have dropped their heads, I can have the pleasure of picking a new and wonderful bunch....

For girls only

Don't you think it's time for a new book - a sewing book??

It's not often that sewing books with children's clothes are available - or at least not as often as I would like them to be - so I'm always thrilled whenever I find an interesting one.

Sew Cute Couture by Gail Doane might be one of those. It's a book about making jackets, dresses, skirts and bags. A really girly book.

Actually one of the jackets in the frontpage reminds me so much of a little quilted jacket I made for Anne-Sophie when she was a toddler. Maybe that's what brought my attention to the book....

Well, I have pre-ordered yet another sewing book - for girls too.

Carefree Clothes for Girls by Junko Okawa is going to be published in October, and I'm really looking forward to see what's in the book.

Having seen a few pages from the book, makes me rather expectant. It's just the kind of ideas that I adore....things which I would never think of myself.

Now we only need a very special sewing book - with patterns for boys only. They are out there as single patterns to buy, I know that, but we rarely see them in a book.

However, I must say that Ottobre and Oliver+s make patterns for some really fine boys' stuff....

But still....

Blue legs

Now the trousers are done, which I cut out a while ago. It was a wonderful fabric to sew in - a mix of cotton and flax...

And the print was just sweet and made me think of all the small children, which are starting school these days. The very 1st day in school is such a special day...and a bit scary too. Not only for the children.

Once again I added a bias tape at the bottom of the trousers' legs.

Waiting for...

I can hardly believe it myself, but I have actually ordered this year's first Christmas fabric.

It's the Figgy Pudding from Moda and if you ask me, then I think that it can be used before and after Christmas as well. It's not that Christmassy...

I'm so thrilled about the colors and shapes on the print, and I'm exited to see the fabric for real.

At the same time I ordered a new pattern for myself designed by Amy Butler.

It's a mini dress, but I'm going to use it more as a tunic. I love long tunics.

Did you eat "æggesnaps" as a child?

Do you know this?? A little sugar (or rather a lot!!) and some pasteurised egg yolks - give it a quick whisk untill it gets airy and brighter....and then you have my childhood favourite in sweet stuff: æggesnaps.

I haven't had that for years, but today I all of a sudden just had to make it. Uhmmm!! In my mind I turned 7 years old again, sitting on our kitchen table looking out the window...

Eating æggesnaps is a short pleasure, though - it very fast gets a bit too sweet....

Oh! Did I mention that I was home alone?

Do you know where to BLAFRE??

In Danish the word "blafre" means that something is moving in the wind - maybe the wings of a bird or a load of freshly laundred clothes on a clothesline.

But "blafre" can have a whole other meaning too.....especially in Norway - just have a look below!

Some months ago I found a wonderful blog called Blafrebloggen. I enjoy reading the posts on this blog, as it is so alive and full of beautiful designs and things from everyday life.

The blog is made by the Norwegian woman Ingrid Erøy and besides having a wonderful blog, she also runs the family business BLAFRE, who designs lunchboxes, drinking bottles, metal boxes, cards and other fabulous things.

If you love graphic designs and gorgeous motifs as much as I, then you have to go have a look at the Blafrebutik.....but I warn you: be aware of the fact, that you might fall in love with numerous items.

And pop by the blog to read all about the August competiton...

Oh, Klippan!!

Okay then! Just give me the "Blåbär" fabric....

...and the "Flower Power" fabric and I will ask for no more.

(For a while).

A sunny and happy birthday boy

Today we celebrate Emil's 12th birthday - the warm and lovely weather is perfect for him, because he is such a warm, happy and hearty boy. He hardly ever gets angry....always smiling and doing something.

He - of course - got a brandnew skateboard, which he got to put together bit by bit (oh, no a skateboard isn't just a piece of wood on wheels - decks, trucks, wheels and ball bearings are very important factors in order to get the very right and personal skateboard.)

Luckily he loves it ....

We are so proud of Emil for the person he is, and the fact that he is doing great in his 12 year old life.

A very nice day to you sweet Emil and happy, happy, happy birthday. :)))