Ravenhill

Spring sewing and learning something new

Spring is here and it is wonderful! No way to express it really, the immense joy of it! I try here to capture some of its beauty.

Blossoms are turning up here and there!

The surge of energy of the spring air must have encouraged me to tackle my first buttonhole. I found myself making this dress for Lilly with three buttons and that meant I had to get over my fear of learning how to do the button holes. I got out a sewing book, my sewing machine instructions, and the funny button hole foot. I used a scrap and made a few practice ones. There were a few setbacks at the beginning but I kept at it and before long I dared to do the real thing on her dress.

Here she is wearing it. The fit of the dress isn't the best, but that isn't due to my sewing skills.

She was patient and played happily with her bunnies while I took photos. As you might have noticed, they are smooching.

Outdoors we are now on our way to nursery school.

Early morning walks are always a joy, full of song, skipping and discoveries.

  

Black and white Monday again!

I wasn't able to accomplish as much this weekend as I had hoped due to interrupted sleep on Saturday night. My little one woke up with a miserable case of sniffles and very croupy. This made her cry and cry and she got all the more sniffly and croupy. Happily for us all she is much better now.

I did have time to stitch up a half dozen or so of these little vintage kimono fabric heart ornaments. I will include one with each order I mail out the remainder of this month. I do hope people will enjoy them.

I have been working on some black and white matryoshkas.

Fru Rybak and Fru Alfstad, the first two in line, are now in the shop.

Silk and so sweet

Whenever I see something like this in the mail my heart skips a beat.

 

When I opened it my heart started to sing! What an incredibly sweet package!

So nicely wrapped and with a lovely handwritten note enclosed! Kelly and I sent eachother a few handmade goodies last year and now she surprises me again with this delightful bundle!

 

You should really be here to see and feel them to understand their beauty... all peices of vintage kimono... Oh, my goodness, this is a true treat for a fabric lover! The fabrics are all different, such a nice variety of textures and colors, from rough to silky smooth, and fine, fine thin to coarse and weighty. They are the nicest present!

Thank you so very much Kelly! You might be startled to hear that I have already begun to cut into them and put them to use? I hope to show you more soon.

PS. Somehow I got into the time-consuming habit of making Etsy treasuries again. I think it is my love of gazing at beautiful handmade things... Please have a look at my treasury and do leave a word or two there if you like.

Let's keep it Japanese this week!

My shop is now full of matryoshkas! Nanna is waiting for someone to fall for her...

Her backside is decorated with two hand appliquéd hearts.

After getting the lovely package from Jan in Japan I am more excited than ever about Japanese sewing, quilting, crafts, fabrics, etc. Jan sent me two new Japanese craft magazines and I will be sharing them with you as soon as I have a chance to take some photos of them. I have already photographed this book, a recent ebay purchase.

The entire book is beautifully photographed and Meg kindly included a pretty silk strap for my camera with the book!

Aren't these beautiful with the blues paired with the brown?

I would really love to make some of these flowers...

The bag on the far right in pink in red I think is so stunning. I really love this simple design which shows off the fabric so beautifully.

I am so impressed with the range of this book, from very bright and bold, to this page that is delightful with the airy, see-through fabrics.

Finally some darks to really round things out. I am thinking about making table runners or potholders with some fabrics like these as Christmas gifts. (My brother figured out his birthday gift this year from reading my blog. Rats! I didn't think he really noticed the crafty items, just his little niece and nephew!) So I will have to be more careful!

The book gave me the incentive to finish the vintage kimono silk appliqué drawstring bag I had started this past winter.

These dragonfly fat quarters are a recent Japanese fabric purchase and I am eager to put them to good use!

I hope that you enjoy Japanese inspiration as much as I do because I will be showing more again soon! If you wish to purchase on amazon in Japan here is the link. I haven't done so yet but am thinking about it. The initial postage cost is quite a bit but then you just pay a small additional fee per book so the more you order the more you save, right?!

To explore the books and magazines on Amazon Japan without knowing the language isn't too difficult. Here is a good item to start with. To see other books like it you can scroll down the page and you get a whole list of books which by clicking on them can take you to yet another list. I can highly recommend Crafting Japanese as a resource to explore Japanese crafting books and magazines. At the top of each post is the ISBN number which you can use to search on Amazon if you should want to order it.

Finally here is the Flickr Crafting Japanese site where you can browse through thousands of images from Japanese crafting books as well as hand made items.

Swap partner delights and amazes...

I have been treated by the nicest of friends to such a wonderful package of the most thoughtful gifts a crafter could imagine. Her thoughtfulness has impressed upon me once again the beauty of getting to know other crafty bloggers. Thank you so much Jan!

This gorgeous silk fabric was cut off the bolt and is a clue as to where the package was from. Do you know where?

Here is another silk. Jan tells me it came from her neighbor. It was a vintage unfinished kimono. Oops, I guess that gives it away. This package came all the way from Japan! The red lining in the purple kimono is stunning against the purple outer part. The red didn't want to be photographed however, so you will just have to take my word for it... This silk is certainly stunning enough on its own!

Before the swap Jan and I exchanged what you might call our swap wish lists. Jan seems to possess magical powers as she conjured up the most incredible things to delight me and covered everything on the list! I had said some shibori would be nice, and look at the lovely shibori scarf she sent me! It is airy and light! Jan you have been so kind with me!

Jan must have read my mind too because I am in the midst of a real craze for Japanese cotton fabrics! This stack of 100 squares really is a treasure! The entire package is. I can't begin to describe the joy at taking out each and every item to see! I did it slowly, one at a time with both of the children enjoying the moments with me. There were many squeals and oohs and ahhs!

I simply have to share some of the fabulous squares from this pile! Here, it looks like a fierce warrior and another man with his dog.

Don't you just love the texture on this one?

And these printed panels are most unique and beautiful.

I adore these bunny panels. They are so Japanese and so sweet!

 

Here are more squares from among the 100. Jan knew that I would love the cherry blossom fabrics!

Finally, the most special part of this or any swap is the handmade things. I feel that is how I most get to know the lovely person behind the package, through her gift of creative expression. Jan sent me the sweetest little Japanese owls.

 

I still cannot believe how much Jan managed to fit into this box- it was FOUR kilos, or nearly 9 pounds! These fish even came already strung up on this Japanese branch! Aren't they wonderful!? They are perfect for me to share with Sebastian as he is an avid fisherman! I must admit that ever since I spotted the adorable fish she had made on her blog I had been wishing for some of my own... Jan, I am quite swept away by your thoughtfulness! Thank you! I have put more photos on Flickr, but there are still more surprises from the package to share later...

 

I have been crafting a bit myself during the hot summer days, funnily enough, knitting! I posed with my new, fresh off the needles socks in 90 degree weather just for all of my blogging friends!

 

They feel marvelous, but a bit warm for now. I couldn't find the 3rd ball of taupe yarn that I had bought and did need so they got orange stripes on the foot. I found the missing ball soon after the socks were completed... and it is now on the needles with the remainder of the orange yarn to make mittens for Sebastian.

 

Yes, I finished Sebastian's pair too. His feet are now just a couple of sizes smaller than mine and are on the left. Funny to think that our feet will actually be happy to have them on in just a few months.

The heat must have made me think it was blogging vacation last week. Sorry for being so lazy! This week we are going to be crazy happy in anticipation of my mom's arrival in a little more than a week!!!!

We had a 3 day weekend!

This weekend I received my first handmade purchase from Etsy!

I fell for Sibi's use of vintage shibori silk from Japanese kimono. The owls are even cuter in person!

Lilly really fell for them too.

My husband took the kids out for a boat ride on the fjord on Saturday. Here they are waiting for the train downtown.

The grandparents are going to love the post today with all the photos of their grandchildren...

Taking the train is always fun even though they have done it many a time.

Sebastian enjoying the view from the boat on Oslo fjord. Daddy really knows how to find fun things to do because on Sunday the outing was to a visiting amusement park right nearby.

That is one boy having a great time!

While they were off amusing themselves I was home washing and ironing my new fabric purchases from our trip to the US. To some it might not sound so amusing but it was enormously satisfying to get it done and put on the shelves so that I can get started on a project! I am going to give you a preview of an upcoming post on our family quilts.

I am thrilled to have a record of them now and really excited to show them to you!

Take it Further for January Finished!

I have just completed the January Take it Further Challenge that I first posted about here.

I did an applique and embroidery piece, and I am satisfied with some individual elements.

My embroidery is improving but I need more practice.

 

I used what I had on hand: vintage kimono silks.

The colors weren't exactly as depicted on the color chart, but I liked using what I had.

I learned an incredible amount. For instance, I need to learn more about composition.

(PS: There is still time to join in on the Give Away - just leave a comment on the previous post: A lot to celebrate!)

 

 

A Joyous Holiday to ALL!

Happy Christmas Eve!

Here is a couple more gifts I made for family. They don't read my blog so I am safe to show them. I have been giving my Uncle beautiful woven Norwegian dish towels for years as a Christmas gift. This year I have taken the pledge to give handmade so I made him a red linen  dishtowel with cotton details.

I loved making it and plan on making more.

It should have hung out under some hot steam a bit more...

Here is another gift that has been sent off! I adore this kimono silk and wish that I had more of it. My dear cousin Mary chose it from among my silks when she was visiting last summer so I know that she adores it too. It is dyed using a method called shibori which is Japanese for tye-dying. The wrinkles aren't supposed to come out of this one! The tying creates them and becomes an integral part of the design.

I would like to wish everyone a warm and joyful holiday!

More gifts received!

I am afraid I have been very slow to show you the other gifts I mailed off! Kristin La Flamme received hers: I actually sent her three small gifts, to thank her for the beautiful fabric post card which she sent me. Two gifts were for Kristin and and one for her daughter! The twirly scarf and kimono scraps I sent with Kristin in mind and the gloves for her little one.

You can read Kristin's lovely thank you post here.

I mailed off the other gift package with hopes that it would delight! Sheree was aslo happy to get her gifts which again she and her daughter were the recipients of. Since Sheree has an affinity for vintage notions I sent her some vintage lace and buttons. Her young girl I had noticed while doing some detective work on Sheree's blog likes fluffy accessories. I had just the thing for her! (Sheree took the photo.)

Sheree had many to thank in her post as she was literally showered with gifts, not just from me but from 3 others as well!

I went through a real stage of making felted bags. It was so satisfying as you never knew exactly how it would turn out after a round in the washing macine! This pink one was really sturdy! It was quite think and would definitely keep its shape. The flower is a broche so completly removable and useful for other purposes. Here are more felted purses I made for a Christmas Market a few years ago.

And the winners are...

Now the children are asleep and the house is delightfully quiet.

 

So now I have time to pick 3 winners!

Having a give away was a lot of fun for me! For one I really like to share my love of textiles with others, and sharing my purchases makes me feel a bit less like someone who hoards things. The best thing about having a drawing though was making such wonderful connections with others! Thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments! I wish I could give something to everyone who commented!

Guess what? Jan, author of Where is my brother blog, and I have agreed to a trade! She will send me more kimono silks and I will send her Norwegian buttons, craft magazines, etc! That is not all! Merete, a local Norwegian art quilter,  wants to trade too!  I had no idea that so many of you would find my blog or that you would be interrested in kimono silks. I have had way too much fun and spent too many hours exploring everyone elses blogs!

I was so impressed with the thoughtfulness of so many who kindly and unselfishly passed the word along about the drawing! Thank you Debbie from Homespun Living, Christine from Sew Christine, Working mom knits, Joanne from Mothers of Invention and my dear cousin Marcie from The Gardner Gang for announcing my give away on your blogs!

Using the Random Number Generator I have found the 3 winners! Congratulations to:

• Beth Dasecke, winner of a vintage kimono silk scarf (Let me know which one you want!)
• Eileen, winner of 3 vintage silk kimono panels for crafting inspiration
• Hazel, winner of a small bundle of vintage silk kimono scraps

Please keep those comments coming! I really like to hear from you. I hope that my small give away might offer some crafting inspiration! I would love to see what you make from the panels and scraps!

Kimono craze and A GIVE AWAY!

Here are a couple of kimono from my collection. They are difficult to photograph because the pattern on these are damask and they have a sheen to them.

I have to confess that I have a kimono buying obsession. At first I figured it was an environmentally friendly way to craft: buying vintage. That is until I considered that it ships all the way from Japan...

The other problem is that I love the fabric but haven't really decided what I will do with it yet. I guess I feel a bit sheepish about sharing my passion for kimonos when I don't really know what I will do with them. I simply adore looking at and feeling the various silks. Some are buttery soft and others are beautifully crisp. The colors and designs are always stunning.

So far I have made a few scarves from the kimono I have picked apart.

   

Here are some panels:

I have also made some flowers. Here is one of them. From Kumiko Sudo's book, Omiyage. That is all I have made from the kimono.

I have assembled a few piles of kimono scraps.   

Since I am not using up the vintage silks very fast and am starting to have a guilty conscience about it I am going to have a give away! Maybe I can help someone with a Christmas gift or help inspire someone else to make something with a panel or scraps?

JOIN THE DRAWING! (Ends December 3rd)

I am going to host a drawing with 3 different prizes! They are as follows:

1. a vintage kimono silk scarf

2. 3 vintage silk kimono panels for crafting inspiration

3. a small bundle of vintage silk kimono scraps

All you have to do to enter the drawing is leave a comment on this post between now and next Monday, December 3rd. On December 4th I will draw 3 names from among those who leave a comment to this post, one for each category. The winner of category 1 may choose a scarf , the winner of category 2 will receive the two panels shown plus a mystery panel, and the winner of category 3 will receive the silk scraps shown here!

Otherwise I am hoping to entice people to trade with me! Anyone want to trade: my supplies or hand-mades for theirs? I would love that! Look in my photo album for things available for trade. Plus if anyone has any tips on more ways to use the silks I am all ears.   

Patchwork Swap

Here is a peek at the broche and little cloth bag I made for the patchwork swap I am doing with Green Kitchen. (Thanks to Lindamade for hosting it!)

I will also be sending my swap partner a pile of lovely scraps which are mainly vintage Norwegian cottons.

She will also be getting an interesting vintage scrap. Rows and rows of these adorable little birds (some quite tattered) decorated what must have been a child’s pillow. I am just sending the birds that were in good shape. It is nice to share one’s finds!

Finally, I am also enclosing a few choice silks scraps from Japanese kimonos! It will be fun to watch her blog to see if I can spot any of my fabrics put into use.