I might need...

...some new books. Yesterday I had a look at several book shops, and there were so many new and interesting books which will become available in near future.

The one which made me the most happy, was the one below.

Photo from Renaud-Bray.com

Wenche's book about making dolls TUSINDFRYD DUKKER, is about to be released in French - POUPÉES CHIFFON is the French title. That's so wonderful for sweet Wenche - I really hope her book will be available for even more people.

Photo from Decitre.fr

I have a crush on sweaters knitted with short rows. The shape is flattering and beautiful, and working on a knit using that technique is always fun. So the book above looked like something I would like. It's called MON GILET PRÉFÉRÉ is written by Naoko Shimoda, and translated into French by Marie Maurin.

Photo from Letempsapprivvoise.fr

Even though I have a dog, I'm still a big fan of cats and that's exactly the theme for the next book. 

LES CHATS AU POINT DE CROIX is about cats made with X-stitches. No one makes X-stitch books like the French or the Japanese people, in my opinion. So this book is absolutly a good bet for a future book in my bookshelf.

Photo from Amazon.co.uk

Finally I came across COUTURE ORIGAMI by Céline Girardeau. What a great idea to combine sewing clothes with origami! I'm very excited to see more about the topic, and I wonder whether the patterns will look as elegant through all of the pages, or whether I think that it becomes a bit too much with the origami. The patterns are to be made from 2 years to 12 years.

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...nogle nye bøger. I går kiggede jeg på forskellige bog shops, og der var så mange nye og interessante bøger, der bliver tilgængelige i den nærmeste fremtid.

Den der gjorde mig allermest glad, var den herunder.

Wenches bog om at lave dukker TUSINDFRYD DUKKER bliver mest snart udgivet på fransk. POUPÉES CHIFFON er den franske titel. Det er bare dejligt for søde Wenche - jeg håber at virkelig at mange flere får glæde af hendes bog.

Jeg har et blødt hjerte for trøjer strikket med vendestrik. Formen er flatterende og smuk, og at strikke med den teknik er altid sjovt. Så bogen ovenfor så ud som noget jeg vil kunne lide. Den hedder MON GILET PRÉFÉRÉ er skrevet af Naoko Shimoda og overst til fransk af Marie Maurin.

Selvom jeg har en hund, kan jeg nu stadig godt lide katte, og netop det er temaet i denne bog. LES CHATS AU POINT DE CROIX handler om katte syet i korssting. Ingen laver, efter min mening, korsstings bøger som franskmændene og japanerne. Så denne bog er absolut et godt bud på en kommende bog in min bogreol.

Endelig stødte jeg på COUTURE ORIGAMI af Céline Girardeau. Sikke en god idé at kombinere syning af tøj og origami. Jeg er meget spændt på at se mere om emnet, Og jeg er spændt på at se, om mønstrene vil være lige så elegante gennem hele bogen, eller om jeg synes det bliver for meget meget origami delen. Mønstrene kan laves fra størrelse 2 år til 12 år.

Hurra for Betty P's vidunderlige neon tråde

For et stykke tid siden begyndte jeg på et lille broderi. 

Jeg syer med den smukke koral farvede neontråd fra Betty P. Fra jeg så neontrådene for første gang, har de indbudt til at blive omsat til små broderisting.

At jeg købte alle de 5 ruller tråd i neon nuancer har jeg ikke fortrudt et sekund. Adskillige projekter har fået tilføjet et lille neon pift, og det er simpelthen en fornøjelse at arbejde med de livlige farver og den stærke tråd.

Neon embroidery on a new tunic for me, a photo by lille-ursus on Flickr.

Jeg laver bogstaver på en tunika jeg syede til mig selv i sensommeren. Den er lavet i en let chambrey i grå. Jeg holder meget af den slags stof, da det ikke blot er én stor flade af en bestemt farve, men derimod et virvar af grå tråde på kryds og på tværs.

Hvad jeg skriver med neon er ikke til at vide...forhåbentlig dukker det op inden længe.

Synsbedrag!

Det er vitterlig år og dag siden jeg sidst har købt stof med print. Der bliver færre og færre prints som jeg bryder mig om, velsagtens fordi jeg på nuværende tidspunkt langt bedre kan lide ensfarvede tekstiler. (Og jeg får, som nok bemærket, ikke syet noget overhovedet af hverken den ene eller anden slags stof).

Alligevel blev jeg betaget af nedenstående stof. Som jeg pludselig lige nu ser mens jeg skriver, ikke er jule relateret overhovedet! Jeg havde ellers tænkt det som en fin lille tunika til brug i de julede dage vi stiler mod med hastige skridt. Nej, hvor underligt som øjne og hjerne kan finde deres eget udtryk!! De smukke farver og det naive print fangede mine øjne med det samme.

Nå, men bestilt er det - og endda hele vejen fra USA. Så må vi se om min lyst til at sy skulle vende tilbage, når stoffet engang kommer.

Det går bedre på garn og strikkepinde fronten...omend farten er så som så.

Jeg er meget begejstret for at være i gang med Rosannas Savannah tæppe, og bliver så glad over bladene der lige så stille dukker frem, jo længere jeg kommer med tæppet.

........

Optical illusion

It's SO long ago since I ordered fabric with print. I find less and less prints which I like, probably because I tend to adore fabrics with only one colour these days. (And I don't get anything sewn from neither printed nor plain fabrics at all).

However I got amazed by the fabric above. Which I all of a sudden see, while I'm writing, is not Christmassy at all! I had otherwise thought of using it for a little tunic for all the Christmassy days, which come closer and closer by the minute. Oh, how weird how one's eyes and mind can play a trick with you!! The lovely colours and the naive prints caught my eye right away.

Nevertheless I ordered it - and even all the way from the USA. Then we will see if my sewing mojo reapppears once the fabric is here.

Things are much better in the yarn and knittingneedle department...although the pace is slow.

I'm very exited about making Rosanna's Savannah Blanket, and I get delighted about the leaves which slowly pop up, the more I get knitted.

#2

En lille veninde har ventet alt for længe på de nederdele jeg lovede hende. Nu har jeg været i gang over mange dage og nederdel #2 er klar.

#1 fik Maria med i går og #3 er klippet og venter bare på at blive syet sammen. Men for mig tager det tid, det er vi vist alle ved at vænne os til, hvor lidt jeg end vil det. Jeg har valgt at se på det sådan, at det vigtigste er at det bliver lavet. Når nu ikke der er det mindste at gøre ved mig og mine skavanker...

Mønsteret er fra Alt om Håndarbejde - Sy magasin 06/juni 2012.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

A little friend has been waiting far too long for the skirts I promised to make her. Now I have been at it for many days and skirt #2 is ready.

Skirt #1 Maria got yesterday and skirt #3 is cut out and ready to be sewn. But for me it takes time, and I think that we all have gotten used to that thought, no matter how much I hate it. However, I have decided to look upon  it like this; the most important thing to me is that I get to make something at all. Now that there is nothing to do about my disabilities.

The pattern for the skirt is from Alt om Håndarbejde - Symagasin 06/June 2012.

R o u n d - & - g o r g e o u s

Today I had a look at Lis' lovely shop. I always read her blog, but it had been a while ago since I passed by her shop.

Maybe I shouldn't have done that, because the beautiful pillow below was such a brilliant palet of soft colours, which I just couldn't keep my eyes of. At the moment I'm very fond of mustard coloured interior items and clothes. And along with the coral triangle in the circle the mustard colour is perfect.

Photo from Karlsons Kludeskab's shop

So I bought the pillow - but not for me. Anne-Sophie has some of these pillows at home, and I thought that this round beauty might present itself well with them. Now I hope that she likes it - otherwise it's not a problem. I can easily find a good spot for it in my livingroom...

I never thought . . .

. . . that I would be in a spin over tea towels! But I am.

The other day I bought these 2 beauties from HAY. 

Of course I were beckoned by the combination of the colours when I saw them, but when I got to touch the fabric they were made from, it got even better. And the graphic designs in the fabric!

A little box with 2 different towels cost 129 Danish kroner - about 22 $. Not bad for tea towels in that fine quality.

I'm not sure that I will ever get to dry any dishes in the lovely towels. I wouldn't have the heart. But what I do know is, that I want to buy the orange and paleblue set as well.

Or maybe I get lucky and get them for Christmas . . .

Klip-selv-ark

I tell myself that I haven't bought new Christmas ornaments for several years - no new Maileg nisser or any Noilly Noël figurines like I used to. And it's actually true.

So with that in mind - and forgetting all about the beautiful angles from Karina Bækkelund (which arrived yesterday and they are SO lovely!) - I bought the most wonderful knitted and felted Christmas DIY set from Sort Lakrids.

I know that I will love to look at it all for many years ahead, without getting bored of it. And most importanly it will make me smile.

Photo from Sort Lakrids

The Christmas set is made by Theresa Jessing and Line Dyrholm. Both artists whom I love for their unique way of expressing themselves.

Hopefully I will be cutting and sewing in a matter of days...

Photo from Sort Lakrids

Brave new (sewing) world

Have you ever seen anything like this pair of scissors??? With a laser light to show you how to cut straight!

It's absolutely a first time for me...and I think that it will stay that way.

If this technological marvel all of a sudden has become your most wanted Christmas wish, you can find it right here. ;)

Something old and something new...

The other day Anne-Sophie and I went to our local thrift store. We didn't find any treasures like this one, that day besides an old Christmas curtain. I only bought one of them, because I'm not going to change my curtains for Christmas (!)
I fell in love with it due to the neat and lovely x-stitch pattern on the curtain. Soon, I will write down the positions of each stitch on squared paper, so I can embroider the star (or snowflake) on to a crisp new piece of linen.

The same day my fabric order from the USA arrived. Pieces of cotton with bikes and circles printed on to them.
Somehow I must have a partiality to red-ish patterns at the monent.

Fabrics haven't been on my shoppinglist for a long time now, and that suits me just fine. I need to use some of the many metres from my stash instead.

I'm recycling a layer cake

For quite a long time I have been making a jacket for Agnes.

It's the kind which has a thin layer of warming cotton batting in between the 2 layers of fabric. A quilted jacket - something which is used by both children and grownups here in Denmark at the moment. And years back too. I have always loved the look of these particular jackets.

I got my pattern from the book Børnetøj du selv kan sy, and when Anne-Sophie was little I made her a jacket from the same pattern.

The fabric for the outside is two shades of grey and with tiny flowers. The linning is striped and in two shades of rose. To keep it simple I chose some fabrics which were not that busy, but still I don't want the jacket to be too boring. So that's where my recycled layer cake comes in.

For at least 5 years ago I embroidered the little cake, and put it on a bag I knitted for myself. But since we are having a major clean-up and move around due to Emil's new room, I threw out the bag, which had become tired and strange. 

However, I didn't have the heart to throw the layer cake embroidery in the bin - it has taken far too many hours to make - so I removed it and saved it in my sewing desk.

Today I found a new way of using it and soon it will be placed on the back of Agnes' jacket. 

The Mega-mussel tunic

I don't think that I ever got to show you the Megamussel tunic when it was done. It has been done for a while but somehow I forgot all about it during summer.

So here it is!

I have loved wearing it so far, probably because it's one of my favourite patterns. The neckline was made looser than on the purple tunic, and I'm satisfied with that.

The pattern is once more the same old one from a magazine I have. Next time I think that I have to cut the pattern in a smaller size. Because I know that there will be a next time.

Perhaps it's slightly boring to use one pattern so many times, but I try to give each tunic it's own and unique look. So I choose different fabrics and embroideries to encourage the diversity.

Have you seen Beltsy??

Or Cincinatti? 

Two wonderful new patterns from French C'est Dimanche. 

Photo from C'est Dimanche

The patterns came in the mail from France yesterday, and I can't wait to find the right fabrics, cut out the pattern parts and start sewing - in a while.

Beltsy will most likely be made in Gingham like the model on the photo - that absolutly works in my opinion. Dark blue & white squares or black & white.

Photo from C'est Dimanche

Cincinatti has some well thought out details like all of C'est Dimanche's clothes. Especially the pink piping trim on the pockets, makes the dress have a cool twist, and not look like any other piece of clothes.

I also have to mention the little girl who wears the clothes in the most lovely and sweet way. C'est Dimanche often use her on their photos, and that they stick to that choice is a wise decision.
She is SO pretty and somehow I can't see anyone but her in the dresses.

I sure hope that she got to keep them after the photo shoot was over...

Dogs, dots and Gingham

Dogs, dots and Gingham, a photo by lille-ursus on Flickr.

These trousers are also for my little friend. It's a gift from me to him because he has been feeling poorly lately. I have thought a lot about him and his family...

Maybe it will be enjoyable for him to point on all the dogs on the fabric, and maybe he will even have fun saying woof as well.

It was nice to sew a bit again and since it was baby size, it was a little and manageable project. Perfect for me right now.

1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 little elephants

I'm making the preliminary preparations for a little embroidery I have been meaning to sew for months.

So I found all my embroidery floss, tried to pick out some colours and got to change my mind more than 4 times, before I thought that the right mix of colours was there.

5 little elephants are on the pattern I'm going to be making. One in front of the other they will get to walk on the white linen in a long row. In colours which can be used by both boys and girls.

And what is it for you might ask yourself?? 

A kind of chain to hold a pacifier from falling to the floor - eventhough babies at one point in life think, that it's the best kind of fun to throw their pacifier as far away as it can go. I can't help loving that they throw it down over and over, and keep laughing every time. 

I found the pattern in my own copy of the wonderful book Gavebogen - written by Theresa Jessing from Sort Lakrids.

If our little niece Agnes has begun using a pacifier, I will send it to her. And if not, then I simply put it in my box with baby presents...

My intensions were good...

When we packed our bags to go on holiday, I also prepared a fabric tote and a plastic bag with items for all the crafting I was going to do in the cottage we rented at the North Sea.

I brought linen, embroidery floss, cotton yarn, the 2 new embroidery kits I recently bought, more yarn, hooks to match the yarn, a pair of scissors, large pieces of extra thick carton and 2 different knitting books.

As usual my husband laughed at me when he picked up my stuff, and put it in our car.

But I knew that I would get to make loads of things from all my supplies, so I didn't mind him laughing...

However...

The things you see in the photo, are what I got around to making in the 7 days we were there! 3 lousy attempts at crocheting cirlces and a tiny pile of carton hexagons for a patchwork blanket.

Never before have I made ​​so little handwork during a holiday...I wonder what happened?

Well, I know the answer to that question myself. I simply enjoyed being with my family  (I always do that!)  playing, talking, bathing and all the other lovely things you make with your loved ones, when everyday life has been put on standby for a while.

And I loved it - SO much.

Details

Not the best day to take photos - it's far too dark (and windy and rainy) outside.

But that doesn't change the fact that the pale pink linen tunic no longer has a spot. It's hidden under the orange embroidery floss, and hopefully you wouldn't know that it was there if I hadn't told you so.

Now I just have to sew the final hem, so the tunic will be ready for days with more sun.

I haven't been to Paris....

...yet! But I'm sure that my little Paris doll will bring me just a tiny bit closer to the beautiful city.

I couldn't help myself from coming back to Miko design's etsy shop after I had seen her fantastic dolls.
The rabbit was just about to pop into my basket, but the typical white and marine blouse with stripes made me choose the girl instead.

Photo from Mikodesign

My Parisian doll comes on a piece of screenprinted cotton fabric, and it's up to me to cut her out and sew her together. And make sure that her Souvenirs tote bag can be done - so she can put it on her shoulder and look smart.

In the making...

Stof & Stil had a sale and I bought some very cheap and light fabrics to use for summer dresses. For me.

The pattern was one I had already and today I started the cutting of the different parts.

 

I love the feeling of feathery and airy dresses when the weather is warm - and that is how I hope these dresses will be.

The embroidery on this tunic is almost done, but I'm out of orange embroidery floss, and have to wait until we go to a bigger town where I can buy more.

Lots to do...and hopefully soon lots of new dresses and tunics to wear.

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.

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.