When a bit brings a lot of joy

New bias tape, a photo by lille-ursus on Flickr.

I haven't had any new bias tape for a long, long time. (I really wish that Danish shops would carry more interesting bias tapes).

But a while ago I saw these beautiful ones on Dawanda. Especially the green sparkly one, was super cool. It would be great at the neckline of a dress - and I wouldn't mind if it was my dress. Or maybe at the top of a pocket?

I love it when tiny things creates big smiles...

A fine, fine summer market to visit

Do you like beautiful handmade treasures and cool vintage things? And a sweet and happy shop owner who has made the gorgeous crafts? Then you had better go to Tulipaner og Tomater's summer market and find it all...in this address,

 

Sommersalg på Helgenæs

Asgilhøjevej 59

8420 Kongsgårde

 

 

If you can't wait to go, then have a look at their webshop in the meantime and enjoy the many lovely items in the shop.

Mark the dates with a cross in your calender - I'm sure that you will not be dissapointed.

Maybe it's a pattern she likes?

All the time during studying for her exams, Anne-Sophie has been dreaming of knitting.

When I'm done I would love to knit a sweater, mom. She said that several times - but she kept on reading and didn't give in for the urge to start knitting.

Photo from Familie journalen

She hasn't decided on any particular pattern yet, so when I saw this lovely and simple sweater on ravelry yesterday, I thought that it would probably be something for Anne-Sophie. It's designed by Lene Holme Samsøe.

The pattern is from the Danish magazine Familie Journalen and is sadly only written in Danish. But it isn't a difficult pattern at all, so I think that you might be able to figure it out just by looking at the sweater, if you are an experienced knitter.

Now I only have to wait until I see Anne-Sophie again, so I can ask her whether it's her future knitting that I have found...

NB! A big thank you to Guro who told me, that the pattern actually is translated into English. You can find it right here. How lovely!!

 

2 pieces of fabric

And yes, it's about fabric once more...

Photo from Hawthorne Thread

The top one is soft and gentle in it's colours. The fabric's name is almost marvellous and could have been taken from a fairytale -  Rosette in Violet. It's designed by Valerie Wells and is a part of the fabric collection called Wrenly.

Photo from Hawthorne Thread

The powerful and happy fabric in orange and pink is designed by Helen Dardik (who's work I absolutely adore - remember??).
It's from the collection Too Muchery and this particular print and colour mix is called Damask in Pink.

I always choose fabrics which have a long-lasting design in my eyes, and colours I know that I will keep on liking.
Taught by experience I know that my fabrics may very well end up in my pile of for-me-to-make-tunics-from fabrics!

But it doesn't bother me. I know that I will like them just as much, when I take them out in a little while. And one day they will end up becoming tunics for me. . .or maybe even dresses.

Such a cool idea

Whenever we have some batteries which don't work anymore, I always move them around the kitchen several times before I find a place for them.

This usually involve a boring plastic bag and a place in our drawer. There they will lie - and annoy us - until we take them to the battery storage place at our local grocer's. He makes sure that they get to be taken to the right place, so they become reused in the right way.

But the other day I saw this brilliant solution for battery storage. How cool is that! Little batteries in a big battery...

A student

A student, a photo by lille-ursus on Flickr.

Today Anne-Sophie finished her exams, and finally she could get the white and bordeaux-red hat on her head. She is so happy and reliefed (but also very tired. The last 1½ month has been really hard on her - so no more studying for her for a while).

She has been so luckily to be celebrated by dear family and friends today - it really is heartwarming that so many people thought of her on her special day.

Anne-Sophie has made such a great result, and her very fine grade point average has given her a wide range of options in the future. Her choice of higher education can easily be fulfilled and if all turns out as expected, she will start on architecture school when the summer is over. That really makes me happy on her behalf. Happy that she can choose her future education with her heart, and that she can go the way she wanted the most. . .

But for now she is going to be celebrated - and the next couple of days she will celebrate along with her fellow students. In Denmark it's a tradition that one's class visit each student's family, and all the visits are made in one day. On Thursday we have the pleasure of seing them in our home - I know by experince that this day is rather hard. With all that food and drinks they are presented to in every home.

Then it's graduation on Friday (early in the morning - poor students!) and on Saturday another little party for her family and friends.

After all that it's finally time for Anne-Sophie to enjoy her summer holidays. She has definitely deserved every minute. . .

Measuring tape

The lovely ceramic items from Laila Stenderup were not the only things I had to bring home from Det Smukkeste Marked on Skals Håndarbejdsskole - or Skals Højskole for design og håndarbejde as the school has been renamed last autumn.

Every year they make the most gorgeous embroidery kits for the exhibition - like this one which I made a long time ago.

This summer I picked a year linen napkin in white, with the number 11 to be embroidered on it. (Last year there was a number 10 napkin and next year a number 12).
And I also got a magnificent linen napkin kit with a cool measuring tape to be made on it.

Both kits have already had each of their the motifs transfered on to them, and the kits come with the necessary floss, a needle and of course a piece of paper, which tells you which stitches and colours to use.

I love to start on a kit like that - no preparations from my side at all. I just have to read the description and begin the embroidery...so easy and so convenient.

I have a soft spot for letters

So this beautiful, unique letter sampler designed by Alicia Paulson is right up my alley.

The pattern gives me a good reason to try out some of the stiches, which I don't get to use that often.

And furthermore it will be perfect to make something with the lovely letters, for a little girl who adores pink and romantic style.

At the moment it's only possible to buy the pattern as a PDF-file, but later on the whole thing will be available as a kit.

I have another idea on how I want to use the letter sampler, so - luckily - I didn't have to wait for the kit.

Love these

All made by the Dansih artist Laila Stenderup - I bought the things on the market at Skals Håndarbejsskole.

No rain, please!

Photo of the Skals brooch from Skals Håndarbejdsskole

I can hardly believe that we have reached this point of the year already - tomorrow and on Saturday it's time to enjoy the exhibition on Skals Håndarbejdsskole again. They open at 10 o'clock in the morning and close at 5 o'clock  in the afternoon on both days.

All the many beautiful things made by the students will be neatly and elegantly presented, and in the garden  Det Smukkeste Marked (The Most Beautiful Market) will be held in fine white tents. Some of the most talented artisans in Denmark will bring their work to Skals, so we can admire it and be tempted by it all...and maybe bring home a little something which we couldn't live without.

Photo from Skals Håndarbejsskole

So no rain - or strong winds - the next 2 days, please...


Oh, and by the way.  I finally decided on the kitchen machine. But it was not an easy choice. Because after seing this one which Anne (who is trained as a professinal cook) recommended, I really, really had my doubts.

BUT this one is coming to live with me soon. Along with an ice creme maker to put on it. A horrible and dangerous piece of accessorie which my husband chose - I didn't complain, though.

I forgot all about it!!

That lousy little spot on my beautiful rosy coloured linen. It had totally left my mind, when I cut out the pieces for my new summer tunic.
Now it's placed as bad as possible; right at eye level on the tunic's front piece. How clever is that!

So I had to come up with something to cover it up, and thought that an old Danish china pattern would be great inspiration.

Actually I used the new version of the old Mussel pattern from Royal Copenhagen - Mega Mussel redesigned by talented Louise Campbell.

My version is drawn in freehand so it's not completely like the Mega Mussel pattern, but never mind.

I'm quite pleased with the interaction between the pastel coloured linen and the strong orange embroidery floss - it did concern me a bit when I started out the embroidery. But somehow the orange keeps it all from becoming too  fastidious to look at.

I hope to get the tunic done, so I can wear it when we go to Anne-Sophie's graduation in about 1½ weeks.

I know this looks a bit weird, but something happened to the text size, so I couldn't make it big! So I had to write the post again, but Heidi had already left a sweet comment, and I didn't want to erase it.

That's why there are 2 comment areas.

Waiting for some love-love-love

As I have mentioned before, I'm a huge fan of Helen Dardik and her fantastic and happy illustrations and paintings. I love how her lines are soft and curvy - how the colours she choose and mix, make me amazed and full of joy. Her whimsy way of looking upon the world is just how I like it.

I have some of her work already - among other things this great embroidery book - but the last month I have been returning to her etsy shop over and over.
There are a least 8 prints which I would happily put on my walls if I were a millionaire, but particularly one print has been popping up in my mind's eye.

The one called LOVE.

Photo from Helen Dardik's etsy shop

Now I'm waiting for it to arrive, and in the meantime I check out which spot in my house will be the best to put a little extra love...

Converse + Marimekko!

SPRING collection 2011

Isn't it cool??

Marinekko + Converse must be the most ideal collaboration ever.
In fact all of the fabulous boots and shoes will leave me in a state of utter confusion and indecisiveness.

There is a Spring 2011 collection which became such a huge success that they decided to make an Autumn 2011 collection as well.

FALL collection 2011

I'm not at the buying stage yet - but hopefully I will get there sometime once I make up my mind.

I need to invite The Jet Set Pets

Mibo has done it again! This gorgeous little group of animals - ready for vacation - is more than welcome to come to my house...

And I don't mind if they bring along the funky Fox Tea Towel!

I actually finished something!!

Do you remember the yellow & purple numbers I were making a loooong time ago??

They have finally become something - they have been made into 2 pillows. From the very start I had a very special purpose which I wanted to use them for.

I made my own test to see whether the fabric and colours were okay with the recipient - without her knowing of course - and then I started. 

The embroidery took many hours but was so fun to make, and I know that I will have to do these little stitches again. Amazing how a mess of stitches can end up looking like something...

The biggest issue in this project was to find the right pillows to put inside the cushion covers. I searched high and low for them for ages and ages, but I never managed to get them. I could have stuffed the pillow cases with cotton batting but I wanted to use feathers, and that made the whole thing a bit more difficult.

2 pillows in this size - 40 centimetres x 60 centimetres - had to be turned into the size I needed (30 x 50). I used my sewing machine to minimize them and then I started cutting. Oh my!! There were SO many feathers in my kitchen! No matter how careful I did the transformation they kept flying around - tickling my nose.

At last I finished the project. That does happen to me sometimes, you see....

Salon Elfi at Pippikakka

Photo from Pippikakka

Who can not love these wonderful and happy candleholders for a little party?? I'm totally crazy about their fine colours and motifs, and I know that they would fit in very nicely on a birthday table in my house.

Photo from Pippikakka

They are from the brilliant German company Salon Elfi. Enjoy their website and see all their fine things for children.

Photo from Pippikakka

I had to show you these wonderful wooden toy bricks, too. So many magnificent castles could be built with them. And think of the patterns one could make.

I adore when people make a great effort to produce toys for children - like Salon Elfi.

Photo from Pippikakka

All the toys can be found in a shop called Pippikakka - and many other shops I guess. A dream shop for those of you who still have smaller children (and for those of us who love the whimsy and childish stuff).

A little bit of etsy love

Photos from Rocket and bear

So many ways to keep a little baby warm...and to do it with style.  Go have a look at Rocket and Bear.

Practising...

...my plait skills on Anne-Sophie's long hair - while she's wearing some of Emil's confirmation clothes!! (I honestly don't know anyone who freezes more than her - always wrapped up in clothes, blankets and socks.)

I'm trying out new ways of doing the plaiting. I can tell by the look of the photo that I'm not quite there yet. Plaits have never looked good when they have been through my hands and fingers.

But most of all I was plaiting Anne-Sophie's hair because she needed a little break and some tender care, while spending hours and days preparing for her last 4 oral exams.