Snowmen instead...

What a horrible discovery - I found out that the lovely crafting day at "Skals Haandarbejdsskole" is canceled this year, due to the 10th anniversary of crafting day!! Emil is very dissapointed...and so am I! We have to do something else instead. Perhaps something inspired by these absolutely fabulous snowmen? They are made by this amazing woman who loves to inspire other people...

Or we can do some work on our secret christmas-project. I can't reveal too much - but have a look at this georgeous webshop where we bought the materials for it. Look at the categorie "kits (laves af børn)" which means: kits to be made by children. I'm sure you will find something interesting...

Hmmmmm...I must say it looks good!

This weekend has been dark and rainy. The fact that we have just gone into summer time and had to set the clock back an hour, surely didn't make things brighter... I finished these brown flowery trousers and another pair of brown trousers with the most pretty little houses. I sew on the bias tape on both pairs - a cozy task...Have a look here if you want to see how they turned out!

I also got very inspired by the blog "hverken fugl eller fisk" to start knitting a sweater for my husband. He is however quite particular concerning knitted sweaters. I don't know how many times I have found a pattern for him to see, which he unfortunately didn't like. But the one yesterday was "actually very nice...hmmm... I must say it looks good!!" So now I must buy the pattern and some beautiful yarn, while he still likes it...

I still long for embroidery. It has been a while ago since I embroidered. I have lots of ideas in my head, so now I only need to find out what to embroider on. Probably some children's clothes. Maybe a little shirt or a dress?

On Thursday my son, his friend and I are going to crafting day at "Skals haandarbejdsskole". This is an event that takes place every year on the first Thursday of November. Actually it has exited for 10 years this year. I think that it is the most wonderful idea, and many girls and boys go there and have a very good afternoon. They can try out different ways of crafting and get lovely cake, buns and drinks. At the end they proudly get to bring home the things that they have made - many lucky parents can look forward to nice handmade presents...

Bias tape and rolling rhino

On this blog I have a link to a lady called Nelly Gaskin. She is a very talented ceramic artist.

I have seen her things here www.evajessen.dk and they always make me smile.

Nelly Gaskin has many funny ideas and I like the colours she use as well. She makes things with hers hands that I never would have thought about - and that is so fantastic.

Yesterday I bought some beautiful knitted fabrics, which I am going to use for sweaters for boys ( there is not enough nice boy's clothes in the shops!! ). Bias tape in pale pink and pale blue and lots of tiny safety pins also went home with me...I have too much fabrics but I have decided to make my piles of fabric smaller, before I buy more! ( I am not too convinced about the truth in this sentence myself....!! )

Today I will try to finish a bigfooted bunny for our little neighbour girl. She turns 4 tomorrow and is the most beautiful girl with white hair, sparkling eyes and a big smile.

Things to enjoy looking at:

This gymnastic angel from Medusa.

These magazines - if I could buy them in Denmark!!

Winter means warm clothes, so at the moment I'm making this sweater. I love the many shades of green in it and the way it has been knitted. I have also tried to add a bit of winter to the trousers, by using wool trims at the buttom of the trouser leg. I sew them on by hand and I think that this kind of work reminds me of knitting. I can take it every where I go!

The weather has been absolutely wonderful lately and yesterday we went mushroom-picking.

It gets to you and it is very hard to stop when the mushrooms are all over. But we had to remind ourselves that they also needed to get cleaned when we got home - and that takes quite a while...

We actually picked 5 kilos...Yummy!!

Nisser and monkey skirt

Look what came in my mailbox today! The wonderful, amazing "nisser" from the Danish company Maileg (from this shop). Each year for christmas I buy 1 or 2 new "nisser" and I love them so much. My very first Maileg "nisse" was a gift to me, many years ago, from my dear friend Lise Lotte. Since then....well, they have become a collector's item to me - and many other Danish women.

More about christmas! I don't know what has gotten in to me, but the Maileg "nisse" in my mailbox must definitely be a sign....

To change the subject I want to show the beautiful flower in the picture. My daughter made it for her long hair and I like the way she has decorated it with buttons.

The skirt in the other picture is one I made the other day. The most awful thing that I have ever made according to my daughter - I am satisfied with it though...

Hooked on knitting??

YES, YES, YES!!! What I never thought was possible toke place yesterday: my daughter asked me to teach her how to knit. (And just the other day I said it wouldn't happen ever) But here she is - very concentrated - knitting a scarf for herself in the most wonderful babywool from Rowan. "It is actually very easy, mom", she even said. All afternoon she knitted, and when she woke up this morning, the first thing she thought about was: KNITTING! Today has been a very beautiful and cold day. When my son and I went for a nice walk at night, the air was so nice and fresh. At the sky we saw thousands and thousands of twinkling stars. I think autumn has come for real in Denmark...

Christmas??

Yes, I know it - it has been quite confusing to look at my blog lately, because of the always changing layout. The other ones didn't fit - something was not as I wanted it to be!! But this time I think that I have found the right one ( at least for a while...) I have thought a lot about christmas the last 24 hours - I don't know why? Strange - especially because the wheater has been so fine today - almost like an early spring day. HOWEVER, here are some presents that I would love to get for christmas this year:

All the things are from a shop called http://www.kamia.dk/ . The jugs are made by Helle Rittig at http://www.rittigkeramik.dk/ - the candlestick by Swedish designers http://www.bengt-lotta.se/ and the sign for baths by Danish http://www.casalinga.dk/. I hope my family remembers this when the time comes!!

Button-hole loops and christmas (!) dresses

Today I have been finishing details on several pieces of clothes. As I told earlier on, I have to make 2,3, or 4 different things at a time - then I can work in different positions with my body. The button-hole loop on the dress on the picture, is actually pale pink. It looks salmon-coloured!!

Believe it or not - the christmas clothes for children has started to show up in the shops! This cardigan is from a Danish designer of children's clothes called Miniature. My son used to wear their clothes a lot, but unfortunately he is too big now. He loved it and thought that it was very comfortable.

I must admit that I have thought about making christmas dresses for little girls for a while...

Sewing on a sunny day

On a wonderful autumn day like this, you can only feel happy... The sun gives energy and this morning I have been busy sewing a hooded sweater. The fabric is knitted and in two beautiful blue colours - blue and lightblue. It is going to fit a 2 year old boy - perhaps we should give it to our little cousin? His birthday is soon coming up.

During the holidays I have better sew something for my daughter. Together we found a beautiful pattern, that looks a bit like the green tunic/dress on the picture. She really loves this kind of shape and I find it quite nice as well. At school Anne-Sophie found a drawing in an old book, which she is going to embroider on the tunic. Yes! She will NOT learn how to knit ( believe me I have tried ) but if she wants to embroider, that's just as fine. I wish that both my children always will see the advantages and joys of having great hobbies.

Ursus, pumpkins and sweaters...

This sweater is so beautiful - I have seen it in the shop "Bette Design", unfortunately located in Copenhagen!! It doesn't look itchy, but who knows!

Funny how young girls all of a sudden want to wear knitted stuff again. My daughter and my niece would both like to have a sweater... I have cut out so many things to sew: trousers, dresses and sweaters. Now it all lies in a big pile waiting to become something else. I think I have to start with the boys' stuff! Oh, I haven't mentioned my new tag (all though I have had it for a while). I designed it myself and I think that it turned out very well. I'm satisfied!

This afternoon we have to buy 2 pumpkins for my children. They love to turn them into funny faces -you never get too old for this activity. Some of our neighbours have allready made their pumpkins - nice and cosy with candles inside.

Medusa and silver coated cotton

This little face - and many others like it in our home - make me smile many times every single day. It is from a designer called Medusa and she makes a large number of wonderful things. I love the expression that every figurine has.

When my daughter held her confirmation 2 years ago we used a lot of Medusa's figurines when we decorated the tables: tiny cupcakes and gifts and the cutestest boy with a flag in his hand.

So now some of the figurines reminds my family of a beautiful day, with lots of emotional, funny and sweet memories. Amazing how things can remind you of certain feelings...

Right now I'm making yet another pair of pants for a little girl. All I need to do, is to stitch the bias tape on at the bottom of the trouser legs. This bias tape is silver coated cotton and I love it. I bought it on our holiday in Sweden this summer. I only wish that I had bought plenty more of it...

I don't what it is, but I only seem to make girl's clothes these days! A month ago it was only boys clothes. Well, what I do know, is that I need to make some trousers for Emil. He has grown a lot this summer! Brown flax is the fabric that I'm going to use. Emil loves trousers in flax, and brown is a great colour for autumn.

Finally I must mention the most beautiful calendar - which has been made for several years now - by "skals haandarbejdsskole". Each month comes with a pattern - some of them are made by people who used to go the school or other fine artists. In 2007 it is Helga Isager and Sys Fredens.

You can buy the calender in some bookstores in Denmark, but you can also buy it directly from the school (see link!)

I'm ecxited to see what 2008 brings in the calender...

My favorite month this year is july!

Three birds in a row

I used to draw and paint a lot. The birds above are actually bigger and have legs too! But these days it seems to be quite absent in my everyday life. My ideas concerning this area are non excisting - or perhaps they just lie dormant! I miss it though.... Never the less I like to keep myself informed about new artists now and then. Some of my favorits are http://www.nannaask.dk/ and http://www.jacobherskind.dk/. At the moment I am trying to finish 2 pair of trousers and a dress - the one with the hedgehog! But my daughter is having 9 young people to visit us tonight, so I give other stuff - such as cleaning and shopping - my priority!

Hedgehog on scooter

Well, I have decided to write my blog in English, in case people from other countries should come across my blog.

In my garden we have lots of hedgehogs. Several times they have scared me to death when I go to our garden at nighttime...

However this one is quite peaceable.

I have embroidered it on a pinafore dress, that fits a girl aged 3 -4. You can soon find out more about it on http://www.lille-ursus.dk/.

I have to show the picture on the right. Never have I seen a lamp like this one! Whether it is pretty is debatable, but I love the expression of it. The lamp is made by a German girl called Bettina Schons. She also makes stuffed animals as well. You can see her stuff here: http://www.herzenstreu.de/

Hvor hurtigt flytter maskerne pind?

Selvom jeg ikke kan vente til det her sjal er færdigt, må jeg erkende at jeg ikke længere er særlig hurtig til at strikke. Det gik ellers så godt engang, men efter jeg kørte galt og blev operet for diskusprolapser og fik dårlig nakke, kan hastighederne ikke nå de samme højder!!

Som kompensation for dette investerede jeg i en strikkemaskine, som jeg da i hvert tilfælde kunne komme et godt stykke vej på, inden for en rimelig tidsramme. Den står fint dér under sit beskyttelsesklæde. Endnu ikke rødglødende, og mangen gang har jeg måtte besvare spørgsmål om hvorvidt strikkemaskinen er kommet i aktion!

Jeg har besluttet at dette efterår/vinter SKAL jeg i gang. Jeg ærger mig til stadighed over ting der kunne kreeres på maskinen så let som ingenting....

Mit eneste hjertesuk er savnet over ikke at have et hånd-strikketøj der følger mig overalt, som i "forgange tider..."

Heldigvis kan jeg stadig sy i små perioder af gangen og dette stof har jeg lige klippet ud til små pigebukser i str. 92 cl.

Jeg elsker at lave børnetøj. Børne viser deres umiddelbare glæde eller misbehag ved tøjet, og tester funktionalitet og pasform med det samme.

Mine børn på 15 og 10 år vil - til min store glæde - stadig gå i (dele af) mit hjemmesyede tøj. Dog havde Anne-Sophie en "hvor-er-jeg-træt-af-at-gå-i-hjemmesyede-kjoler-periode" omkring de 7-8 år!

Nu vil hun gerne have sin egen stil og kan jeg bidrage til det, i en tid hvor så mange unge mennesker hellere vil ligne hinanden, så gør jeg det med glæde....

Jeg er nødt til at nævne, at de fantastiske små mænd med parasollen ved mit blog navn, er lavet af kunstneren Julie Arkell. Hun er enestående i sit udtryk!!