Ravenhill

Plaid inspired

You wouldn't believe it but I ironed this as best I could, the fabric seems to like to have a bit of a wrinkle in it. This new skirt is for Lilly.

I wasn't sure if you were able to see the tiny glass seed beads which I hand sewed in place onto the vintage crocheted doily which I found at some flea market or other. So here is a close up. I used one of my own skirts as a basis for this easy bias skirt and was happy how it turned out.

Once I got the Japanese plaid fabric out I wanted to make more with it.

These little yo-yos in various sizes and fabrics seemed right for the purse to pretty it up.

I am crazy about this Japanese floral for the lining. I like the iron-on interfacing that I used for this purse, it gave it just the right amount of stiffness so it will protect the contents and keep its shape.

Lady Luck and salvaging embroidery

Embarassed to say that I once again won a blog give away... I guess I should head to Los Vegas or buy lottery tickets, becuase lady luck is really on my side!

The pretty polka dotted wrapping and gorgeous ribbons really made this special!

Thank you so much Karin! I hope to make something from the book soon.

I wanted to show you these today though. I LOVED the tablecloth.

The embroidery on it was so pretty and special. While the tablecloth was no longer useful in it's original pursose, I decided that the embroidery should have a new destiny.  

So in my usual style I chopped up the tablecloth salvaging the choicest of embroidered bits and hand appliquéd them into place. These two white linen bags are now in the shop.

Pillow talk

My hexagon pillow did take awhile to make, I had to go searching for more fabric actually, as I didn't have enough of the right colors. I had a little help from some fabric loving friends so each hexagon was made with a unique print.

However, I finished it quite awhile back, in June actually.

You know I had to dig into the archives of this blog to find this embroidery in progress. It is a great feeling to have figured out what I would do with the embroidery and I am so happy to have finished the pillow.

Pillow covers are a wonderful way to play around with a technique or idea, much more doable than tackling a quilt!

I did learn that making the covers a bit smaller than the pillow inserts would make the pillow look much plumper. Next time I will do that. In any case we have been putting these pillows to good use.

Wild strawberries

I know we are a bit late compared to the rest of the world, but it is still strawberry season in Norway.

Walking in the woods these days you don't have to bring a snack along.

Everywhere you turn these bright red beauties encourage you to feast.

They surround themselves with pretty friends too. Isn't it enchanting how the bright red juicy berries are interspersed with the fine Queen Anne's Lace?

I had to buy the pale seafoam green frothy lace that now adorns Fru Sommerlig when I saw it at the Quilting Annual Meeting a few months ago. Rarely do I use my new materials immediately, usually they sit around in a dark cupboard or in this case my picnic basket filled with ribbons and laces.

Today I listed several new things in my shop, besides little strawberry girl.

This little purse is for my shop, and I think I want to make one for me.

I was completely flattered when I read this feature today on CraftyCrafty. So happy to know that people appreciate the tutorial I made. I plan on doing more, but we are pretty much in summer mode here now which means not a lot of crafting is getting done. I will have to show you my summer knitting and my summer flea market finds soon though!

I also keep making new friends. PeasandPotatoes a really sweet new Etsy seller of lovely and vintage baby clothes asked me if she could list my shop on her shop announcement because she thought her friends would like my things. Wasn't that nice?

I hope you are enjoying wonderful days whatever the season in your part of the world. We are doing our best to soak up the warm sunshine while we can!

 

  
 

An Outing! Sunday Markets in Oslo

 

Today I was at the uber hip Blå in Oslo. The cafe by Akerselva was a nice spot to sip a cold drink and have a bite to eat on this gorgeous summery day. The cafe wasn't the reason why I came though...

On Sundays Blå, which is normally a nightclub, opens its doors to crafters and vintage peddlers to sell their goods, both indoors and out. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet 3 incredibly talented fellow-sewers and bloggers from the area. The first one I happened upon was Kathrin and we had such a great chat. I really love the colors she uses, especially the heart above.

Not only are the colors she uses deligthful, but her attention to the fine details make her work so special.

Even in the beginning of summer, we are always thinking about the approach of winter here in these northern parts. These hats would really be pretty and cozy come winter. If you want to see more of her wares you might like to have a look at her Epla shop.

The next wonderful stand was retro heaven. Gunn (I just recently discovered her blog and she was what inspired my outing to Blå) has the most fabulous retro fabric stash and she comes up with incredible things with them. I am kicking myself for spending all my time chatting and no time taking photos of her stand. When I finally got around to taking a shot, the table was completely surrounded and it was impossible to take a decent photo. You will just have to drop by her blog and shop to see what she makes.

She didn't have a stand at Blå, but I also met Ida Victoria who also has an enviable supply of vintage retro fabrics. She keeps very busy keeping her Epla shop stocked as things seem to fly off the shelves!

I also took a little trip to Birkelund Sunday market.

Isn't this a beauty? I don't fancy cranking though.

I saw a lot of junk, but this sofa was my cup of tea.

Speaking of tea...

As far as textiles went this used market was a bitter disappointment. My shelves are groaning under the weight of all my current fabrics though so maybe it was best I just browsed?

Hopefully there will be other thrifty or inspiring outings again soon. Thank you so much for coming along!
  

Just can't stop

The flea market season has really gotten me into vintage fabrics. I drew in a little gasp when I spotted this sweet print and piled it and another just like it up on my growing stack of fabrics. I promise that my arms were aching later in the day after carrying around so much fabric as I was looking for even more.

After washing and ironing the fabrics I was ready to dive into my fabrics to find some good matches. I also dug out my laces and it was so much fun.

This new vintage fabric find reminded me about some previous vintage fabric treasures and so of course I made some more. Doll making is like eating chocolates for me once I get started I just can't stop!

They are now all now in my shop! Happy spring!!! 
 

 

Shopping spree anyone?

I couldn't not take you to the fabric shops for a little look around!

Saturday morning the shops opened and we tried our best to make our way to the fabrics through the crowds.

I think I will just let you enjoy browsing around. I hope that you find something that catches your eye.

 

 

 

 

 
I loved this dress so much that I had to ask the shop keeper if I might take a photo of her. She made it herself. I so like the clever way she has recycled the vintage embroidery.

I hope you have had fun on this virtual shopping tour, it does tend to be easier on the pocketbook.
 

 

Knitting on the journey

We just arrived home this evening, 4 weary travelers after a little trip to Belgium! I don't know what happens but both times we have taken this journey we have forgotten to bring the camera along, and I had been so determined to remember it this time! I did snap this photo of my knitting project before our trip and it is what I brought along to keep me busy when not coloring or playing cards with the family on the journey.

I am making socks, once again with another recycled cashmere that I purchased on ebay. The yarn isn't very kinky despite it's past life and it is so soft. My black pants did get a bit furry looking though after the plane ride.

Lately I make two socks pretty much simulaneously, it seems to go faster that way. I take the yarn for one sock from the center of the ball and yarn from the outside of the ball for the other. I do the casting on and the ribbing on one, then the other. Then I get down to the heel on one, put that aside until I get to the same place on the other. When I do it this way I can easily ensure that I have done the same number of rows on each one, and that they will be just the same size. I find it easier to see that then when I did one sock at a time. I am still not sure if these are going to be a gift of for me. They are really looking like just what I need...

Back to our trip, and the never-ending topic of the weather... When we left Oslo it was -17 C and it was +10 C in Belgium! Wow, that was a delightful change for us! It certainly felt like spring with the soft rain that fell most of our visit. Upon our return the newspapers here tell us that we can expect 3 more weeks of bitter cold! I guess I should keep on knitting! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Since making garlands and needlebooks with doilies I have accumalated a few scraps from the precious handmade vintage treasures. Not knowing what to do with them and not wanting to throw them away I have held on to them.

I considered that these lacy scraps might do well transformed into hearts. So Here I am sewing one onto a piece of linen. I like how it it turning out, how it ends up slightly ragged at the edges.

Some of my favorite people are so very far away and I thought I would surprise them with some special valentines treats. I ordered some delicious looking caramels from this nice Etsy shop, Calabasasas Candy  Co run by Cheri. My Dad called me to thank me for the treats, and he exclaimed over how beautifully they were wrapped and how they had come with a surprise extra treat to sample.

I hope you are having a fine day filled with love.

 

Upcycled luxury knitting

I got to put my feet up for this foto shoot!

I didn't get to keep the socks though. They were a Christmas gift for my dear grandmother-in-law. The socks are fantastic though. I loved them the 5 minutes I wore them to take the photos. They are pure cashmere. Recycled! Yes, I bought the wonderful yarn on ebay from one of the sellers there who painstakingly unwinds sweaters to harvest the yarn.

This is the third time I have bought yarn this way, and yes it does come a bit kinky. However, each time I have made wonderfully soft and beautiful things from the upcycled yarns for just a fraction of the cost of what it would have cost to buy the yarn new. I didn't even steam these socks and they came out lookiong nicely I think. The pattern is from the really marvelous book: Favorite Socks, by Ann Budd and Anne Merrow.

The pattern was so simple and fun to do. It is definitely one I would like to make again.

Meanwhile I have another project to work on. Here is another upcycled yarn, this time merino and angora. The halo around it is so nice as is its feel, pure softness. I will be making some super fast and simple socks for my little one who really does't like to wear socks very much. Hopefully this pair will persuade her that socks can be a good thing.

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.

Hexagons and playing tag

Don't forget to enter my Crafty Give Away!

I finally finished my hexagon peice that I started way back when and made it into a zippered pouch which is in my shop as my entry to the European Street Team's weekly challenge. This week the theme hosted by Rita was "cheap but gorgeous".

The cheap part is the low price considering the ridiculous amount of hand stitches involved. I find the Japanese fabrics made into uneven hexagons quite gorgeous if I do say so myself!

I wanted to thank Tommye for featuring me on her blog yesterday. Kathi was sweet in selecting, among others, my blog for the "One Lovely Blog Award". Thank you! I was tagged too. Eeek! Stéphanie, who makes unbelievably life-like minature food into all sorts of things, told me that I have to write:

1. SIX THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY:
- Breathing in the fresh clean air after a spring rain.
- When my little ones snuggle with me.
- Getting surprises in the mail from near or far.
- My husband's great sense of humor and getting hysterical laughing.
- Keeping my hands busy with sewing or knitting.
- Thinking about the upcoming visit with my mother and brother.

I am tagging Michele, Petra, Jackie, Sumiko, Gretchen, and Laura. Now you need to blog about 6 things that make you happy and then choose 6 others to tag.

Have a super weekend!

General cheerfulness

Sometimes when you are short on cash virtual shopping can give you a lift. One of my lovely Etsy friends selected one of my needlebooks on one such shopping trip.

If you are also a big fan of lace and doilies like me you don't want to miss the fabulous inspiration here.

 

I am going to run out of the dainty doilies! My stash is dwindling fast but I have some gorgeous vintage lace that I thought would also be perfect for my linen buntings. I am still really pleased to have found a way to show off some of my favorite vintage finds.

I wanted to show you more of the great Japanese crafting magazines that I received from Jan... who by the way seemed pretty pleased about the package I sent to her!

 

I wonder if Japanese homes realy look a lot like in the magazines?

 

This little lion is so charming with his plaid features!

 

I thought these shoes looked like an interesting design with the back heel flattened. I have never made slippers but think it would be fun to do sometime.

 

I guess this is the very first Cotton Time ever!

 

Don't you like how they used unusual fabrics for these baskets?

 

More slippers... I really like the Mary Jane style too.

Too cute?!

 

I have a whole big bunch of new and flowery dollies in my shop!

Things have really thawed out now in Norway and you can expect more photos of the children and outdoor things... my fingers will no longer freeze too much to take photos! I am so thrilled about spring's arrival!

Pretty useful

Do you too have the delicious feeling of anticipation of the weekend? Well, I sure have it bubbling up inside me.

Things are stacking up nicely here and I have even had a chance to list a few new needlebooks in my shop.

I thought it would be nice to try one in chocolate:

 

Making good use of my vintage fabric finds lately got me wondering what else I might make with it. My mother and a good friend have both mentioned needing knitting needle cases. This vintage piece was perfect and this cheerful one is listed in my shop.

Besides my happiness at using some of my cherished vintage fabrics, I fancy making things that are useful. I like thinking of them being enjoyed for their pretty fabrics and their utility.

 

I have to remember to tell you, Julia is having a give away. You might recall that she gave me this wonderful piece and when you do you will surely want to enter!

I loved finding my garland on this French blog which I spent far too much time perusing... And how fun to see that it popped up on Sina's blog too.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

Scary new project... and recycling

I have been really embarassed over my ugly and watermarked ironing board cover. I have wanted a new one for ages, but I have never attempted making an ironing board cover before and that meant I had the usual fear of not knowing how to do it properly hanging over me, preventing me from doing it. I don't know what finally got me going but one day last week I found myself removing the old cover, finding a fabric that was big enough to use to make a new cover. (That was the hardest part. I usually buy only a fat quarter at a time. I had some vintage peices that were suitable though.)

This pretty, decorator weight floral was once a curtain and now it is reincarnated as my new ironing board cover. I am so pleased that I am overcoming my fears of takling new projects.

I am also delighted to have found a good use for this wonderful textile.

A warm sunny day recently I had my first photo shoot of the season outdoors! Again I am upcyclying a thrifted linen curtain in perfect condition and have combined it with a couple of Japanese cotton fabrics. This bag is the perfect size for toting around a knitting or sewing project. I made it the same dimensions as a bag I made for myself and have used near daily for my sock, mitten or hat knitting projects.

The linen is the most beautiful palest of sage and makes me think of spring. It is coming isn't it? Just wondering... because tomorrow they are calling for more snow.

Thanks to Whipup, Vintage Glam Wedding and The Long Thread for featuring my doily garland.

Perhaps you'd like to see. I sent a little un-birthday package to Mervi - I have such a poor memory I was dreadfully afraid I might forget her birthday after she sent me the nicest surprises on mine. So I surprised her back, only it wasn't her bithday.

Linen and lacy

 Happy belated Valentine's Day! My little ones were surprised and pleased when they came down to breakfast and were greeted by their napkins and pairs of new mittens I made them to celebrate. I would show you the new mittens but they are outdoors wearing them now. And you have seen the napkins.

I am always making hearts. Here are three on a custom order. This is the first time I made 3 identical dolls.Things are good in threes aren't they? I made these last week:

Vintage thrifted doilies and linen were meant to be together...

 all tied up with sturdy but feminine cotton trim. These should be handy...

 

...for keeping track of little runaway pins.

I would be too cruel to cut up someone's beautiful work. I carefully salvaged the sections that were useable and sewed them in place so that their charm might live on.

Inside I have used Japanese cottons.

It has been difficult to find time to sew lately. I have had a lot of competition for the sewing machine...

He has seriously spent so much time at the machine and has been learning all about sewing, just by doing. He has plans of opening his own shop.

He'll be home this week for winter vacation. I hope we'll do more sewing, some sledding, read a few books and do lot of snuggling.

I attacked my thrifted Norwegian sweater

We were off line for nearly two days. I nearly went mad! It was probably good for me, but it is frustrating when you have things to do! I got a few sewing projects done instead. Remeber I showed you my pile of Norwegian hand made sweaters I had thrifted awhile ago?

Well one of them had numerous challenges: missing buttons, holes in the sleeve, a wrist coming apart at the seams, and a neck that was no longer staying sewn down.

I repaired the various holes and seams and then took off all but one button. I then dug into my stash of vintage pewter buttons and found mismatching buttons of the right size.

The sweater is so warm and cozy with a perfect fit. I have always wanted a sweater with mismatched buttons and now I have one of my very own! It is definitely sweater weather as it has gotten bitterly cold lately.

My little one having a picnic in the woods with daddy and big brother the other day. As you can see, we are still desprately in need of snow!

These little babies in a basket were barely in my shop before someone had taken pity on them and offered them a loving home! Thank you!

And these little ones are my latest creations!

 

I hope that I can find them a good home soon. They are snug in thier little quilts made from Japanese Lecien cotton fabrics which are my favorite at the moment.

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.

Squirrel quilt and other news

I promised you the squirrel quilt...

Mom's great grandmother Crego made it. 

It appears to be a summer bedspread because it is just one layer. Mom isn't sure if that was the intention or if perhaps it was just never made into a proper quilt. It is beautiful in any case and barely used at all.

 

Each of these quilts in my mother's possession are such treasures! It is so wonderful to be able to share them here with other's who appreciate the incredible time and effort put into making them. 

 

Etsy was once again an easy place for me to get some new supplies, this time baker's twine in 4 colors from nicabee. 

 

I made a skirt for Lilly from the curtain fabric I picked up awhile ago. She has only worn it once so far, under another dress. She is really into the layered look these days... and it wouldn't have photographed well.

I have also been sewing up a storm and there are a few new dolls in the shop today and more on the way soon. I just loved carrying my babies around in a sling, mei tai, or wrap. Ever since I began making dolls a few months ago I have been wanting to make some baby carrying mamas. For these I have cut into some of my US fabric purchases of Amy Butler, Kaffe Fassett and Martha Negly fabrics. The slings are sewn into the mamas (ouch!) and the babies are nestled in quite snugly, but they can also be taken out and played with!

I hope that your weekend was really good! I am looking forward to another week of lovely Norwegian summer and mom is coming to visit us in 2 weeks!

Rainy weekend = SEWING!

(Don't forget to enter my give away if you haven't already!)

I wasn't sad to see the rain this weekend, quite the opposite! How lovely to get some of it when it has been so hot and dry, and it gives me all the more reason to stay inside and sew.

I showed you the Take it Further embroidery on linen a few weeks ago and now it has become a book bag. The heavy and rather textured linen was some I found at a flea market awhile back. I think it was previously a curtain.

This fabric from my stash was ideal for the lining.

Speaking of embroidery, here are some linen embroidery flosses that I added to my collection awhile back thanks to ebay.

The paisley embroidery I had done was with cotton floss. Now I am eager to try linen and wonder if it will be different to work with... isn't it gorgeous?

Now, this is something I have been meaning to show you: the lovely decoration on the top of Lilly's present from Josefine on her birthday. Anne Katrine made it and I just love it. I will show you the gift soon too because it was also handmade!

And here is my girl playing in a cardboard box this weekend, her indoor activity during the rainy spell. The quilt is one I made and so is the little knitted bunny.

Surprise!!!

Hope that you had a great weekend too. I have so much more to share, so I will post again soon!

 

Easter Egg dolls anyone?

Fresh dolls are making their appearance! Wouldn't they look cute in an easter basket? They are rather egg shaped and most colorful!

Tuva (just sold!) is smiling so broadly because she was featured on Trendy Tots today. You can see that the other girls are being sweet about it and don't seem a bit miffed that they weren't mentioned. Well, their turns will come! (Faster than I thought - now Gunlaug is ready to go!)

I introduced Anne Katrine and Tonje to Liberty of London fabrics the other day when I got an order from the UK.

I orded some 6"x6" charms (pre-cut fabric squares).

I just love thinking of all the possibilities... If you want to see a dazzling array of prints: La plus belle collection de tissus Liberty.

Speaking of possibilities, I was asked today by Jellybelly-Bellybrain if I would like to sell my dolls through their website. I am thinking about it...

Better late than never!

I think you can chalk last week's absence up to procrastination. I am rather ashamed to say that I started on February's Take it Further Challenge yesterday, March 1. I guess my school day habit of waiting until the last minute hasn't changed.

Perhaps I can turn over a new leaf? I am going to try. No, I will change!

Anyway, my very late mini art quilt is finished! It even has a proper hook to hang it up!

I made it using what I had: brown cotton, light blue polyester, the medium blue is silk from a blouse I once wore and loved, the blue on the fish and cream with designs are silk from a talented photographer in Oslo, Gro Jarto, who kindly offered to share some of her wonderful fabric scraps with me (silk, linen and wool), the bubbles are cotton and  also from Gro.

I didn't start out by making an underwater scene. My husband suggested it after I had begun on the quilt using Swallowfield as inspiration. My husband walked in and said that it looked like the sea so I changed things a bit and that is what it became. Yous see, Melissa had given me a Swallowfield postcard along with the gifts she showered me with. The colors on the card were nearly identical with the color scheme for February's Take it Further Challenge. By the way, Melissa has just filled her shop with bags similar to the one she made me as well as cute purses!

If you would like to see what others have made for the February Take it Further you can take a look on the flickr group.

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!)

 

 

Happy weekend

I recently discovered this Embroidery magazine. I love some of the artists in it. Julie Arkell does some wonderful work with vintage embroidery and other textiles.

And isn't this a lovely embroidered garden done by Lilla Speir, who passed away in 2007.

I think these patterned animal appliques, by Rebecca Shreeve, are beautifully done and hilarious at the same time.

Doesn't this little bunny have heaps of personality? And the "Be here now" on her apron really pulls at my heartstrings. Sometimes I feel that way about my family in the US or even about my husband away at work if I am having a long day with the kids. Petal soft has done a wonderful post on Julie Arkell.

This all brings me to show you the tiny bit of embroidery that I have done this week. I have cut a few pieces of applique from a vintage pillow that was in quite a state of disrepair.

I love the simple animal figures.

I appliqued the cut outs onto the cloth bags I made. Then I embroidered small felt birds to the ties.

My neighbor's new baby was the inspiration for these bags. We will bring her a small gift enclosed in one of these bags which I thought might make a lovely diaper bag.

Now it is the weekend! May you have a nice one.

Take it Further Challenge for January

I have joined in the Take it Further challenge for the year 2008. I think this is going to be a good way for me to try new things and learn in the process. Each month you can chose between a set of colors or a theme presented by Sharon.

So far I have decided that I am going with the colors for January. They were so irresistible and I was surprised to find that I had kimono silks that matched near perfectly.

I didnt' get the the light beige in the fabric photo but I have it. Anyway that is how far I have gotten so far. I am notorious for procrastinating... I still have over a week to go! Plenty of time... Tonight though I was out at a knitting cafe. It was lovely to meet so many knitters of a variety of ages, and knitting the most beautiful of things. There was even another American there. It was so funny. She was embroidering a gift for her sister, who doesn't know any Norwegian.It was just 3 words cross stitched in Norwegian surrounded by pretty flowers. The three words were three swear words, but she was going to tell her sister that it says "home sweet home". I won't write the words here, this is supposed to be a nice blog.

Sweater quilt

My sweater quilt which I posted about awhile back is completed!

For the back I used a deliciously soft and supple velvet. It has a nice stretch making it a good match for the knitted side which is also surprisingly stretchy despite being felted. Lining this quilt would have been a bit much! The thick wool felt paired with the soft velvet is so warm as it is and has a lovely weight to it.

I did a very simple and near invisible tying of the quilt at the patch intersections. The sweater patterns seemed enough embelishment that I didn't want to have any ties showing.

Lilly likes to nestle down under the silky velvet. I learned a fair number of things making this quilt. Like you need a huge number of sweaters to make one. I thought it was going to be pretty large but it turned out to be a generous sized lap-quilt. My machine barely made it over some of the seams as some of the felted wools are so thick!   

I HEART Christmas decorations Turorial

You have already seen that I dare to cut things up; be it a vintage kimono, tablecloth or here a Norwegian sweater. This sweater is one of the most traditional Norwegian patterns.

What I did: tossed one of my thrifted sweaters (needless to say, it was in poor shape!) into the washing machine on 40C with some gentle detergent in a zippered pillowcase (to prevent the lint from the sweater from getting into and clogging my machine.) When it came out it seemed suitably felted. I knew it was felted enough as the fibers had matted together and the sweater had shrunk considerably. I let it dry flat.

I made a heart pattern by folding a sheet of paper in half and drawing a half heart on the fold, making it a bit bigger than I wanted the finished heart to be (seam allowance). I cut around it. I held the pattern in place over the felted wool (right side up) getting the heart lined up nicely with the sweater design. Then I cut around the paper using my rotary cutter. Watch those fingers! As you can see, after cutting out a few my rotary cutting mat looks like it has grown fur!

When I had a front and back cut out I pinned them together with right sides facing. I sewed the hearts together using a matching colored thread and leaving an opening on the straight edge near the tip for turning and stuffing the heart. Note that some felted sweaters might be too thick to sew together on the machine. I tried one that wouldn't fit under the presser foot, despite me adjusting the machine to free hand sewing. These sweater hearts are so nice though becuase they have some real stretch to them. The hearts turn out looking much more perfect than when you use fabric.

Next I turned the heart right side out and stuffed it pretty full. I sewed up the opening by hand using matching thread.

Now is the fun part! You get to decide what trim and decorations you will use! I used a loop of ribbon which I sewed on and then hid my stitches with the other trim: flowers or bows.  On these I used red satin ribbon and crochet alpaca flowers.  These are fantasy flowers, intentionally asymetrical and with  raggedy edges the way I like them.
Someone more clever than me would likely sew the loop on when sewing up the heart. I figured that out afterwards...

An idea is to make a larger heart with the felted sweater, omit the loop, and make it a sweater pillow! It is a great way to get more use out of a sweater that has shrunk or become outgrwown.

Here are some I made more Christmas decorations with bells and green ribbons.

If you would like to see another cut-up felted sweater turned into something new and useful, click here.

Green gift bags

I have actually been busy lately - here is some proof! Christmas gift bags! I cut up a vintage tablecloth to make countless reusable giftbags! The tablecloth was cute but had a few stains, so it was project material! I simply used the unstained parts. I made a simple bag and sewed a ribbon to the back that I could use to tie the bag together in the front.

Pictred below is another section of the tablecloth. The red squares on the bags are for the card accompanying the gift.

Here are the gifts all ready for the box and the long trip to my family in the US. I feel good about making the gift bags. I am trying to cut down on buying things. Plus wrapping paper is difficult to store and seems a bit wasteful (except I love the pretty papers- and my family tends to save the nicest papers and reuse them!) I know that my family will appreciate these bags and use them again. I will likely be getting my gifts in them next Christmas!

Also ready to go off tomorrow are the prizes from the kimono give away. Whew! Now just a few more gifts left to make!

Blog delight

As I have insinuated, I am rather addicted to reading crafting blogs. Lately I have found some new ones and even asked for permission to share a few photos with you! The following 3 photos from Alabama Chanin:

The patchwork quilt above is vintage and appliqués were artfully applied to repair holes. Jude is also gracefully mending holes and definitely worth a visit.

I like the roughness of her work. It reminded me of the rough beauty of my winter flowers nestled among dried leaves and pine needles in our back yard.

There are a few other blogs I want to share.

Merruli's - from Finland! I hadn't ever seen a Finnish crafting blog before a few days ago and was enchanted by it.

Ashley Anna Brown makes the most delightful little creatures. I have also taken quite a liking to the various birds made by Ann Wood. I am too big to play with stuffed animals but I really want some of these!

A bit of stitching cheeriness on these long dark days

Bright and cheery! Here is a look at a project completly out-of-keeping with the season. It is coming along but I don't know where I am going with it.

The flowers I cut off of a thrifted pillowcase. The squares, rectangles, and circles are from the fabulous Heather Bailey Freshcut fabric collection. I still have more french knots to make in the flowers' centers.

(You still have time to post a comment on the Kimono craze and give away if you want to be in the drawing!)

First Pay it Forward gift received!

Debbie from the creative and lovely blog Homespun Living sent me such a nice thank you letter yesterday! She wanted to let me know that she had received her small Pay it Forward gift from me (and that she loved it!) I was so pleased!

This is what I sent her (plus a couple of chocolate covered caramels). Debbie is going to be announcing her Pay it forward any day now, so go on over there if you would like something from her! Her Firefly Farm Shop is stocked with handmade goodness: pretty purses and handbags, vintage goodies, knitted dishcloths, and tea cosies with handmade vintage embroidery embellishments.

(Don't forget to leave a comment on the Kimono craze and give away post if you want to enter!) Lurking is nice, but I love to hear from people stopping by!

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 scarf

Just completed a patchwork scarf in the same fabrics as the quilt I made. It is fun to have lots of squares already cut and waiting to be put together.

The squares are all cotton, some new and others vintage, like the dotted rosebud that I got from a vintage pillowcase. The pink dots on brown in the foreground is ribbon purchased from a fiberartist who was destashing. Backing the scarf is vintage cotton velour.

November roses

It has been unseasonably warm in Norway for this time of the year. The shortening of days is right on schedule however(sun rise at 7:43 and sunset at 4:15 pm). Here are my November roses courtesy of global warming!

And here is a blossom I made myself! I made it from vintage silks. The center is 2 circles which I sewed right sides facing together, cut open the back, turned it right side out and then stuffed and stitched it up again. Then I attached it to the 2 layers of ruffled silk petals, beaded the center and put a brochback on the backside.

I love having roses nearly year round but hope to have some great snow storms too! I look forward to sledding with the children!

Amazing finds for speedy, greedy girl at flea market

I was so fast and so lucky! I was the first one to get to the textile section of the flea market. What a great feeling to have the entire place to myself for a matter of 10 seconds before the crouds start to push and shove. I started to look in a big cardboard box filled with fabric. Nothing too interesting. I catch a glimpse of a smaller box overflowing with the most amazing trims. I quickly grab it and carry it with me while I explore further.

Here are the green trims I found.

Look at the pile of rick rack! Someone really loved blue rick rack.

I love these deep blues. I only got one of the two long dark velvet ribbons in the photo!

This really was a treasure trove of a box that I found! Take a look at the beautiful red!

These are true vintage. The trims are all on cards of cardboard or wood. The silver trim in the forground is surprisingly heavy. And there are beautiful thick coppery metalic trims, cords and threads. I have no idea what I will be making with these treasures but in the meanwhile I enjoy looking at them!

I also find a jar filled with buttons! These are just a few of the many buttons made of shells, a large number of which are apparently quite old mother of pearl.

Flea market season is nearing a close for the fall. Hopefully then I will have more time to make things since I won't be spending all my free-time shopping!

Superfelted!

What the heck is that? Do you think it looks kind of like butterflies?

Ok, I am a tease. How about a better veiw?
Well, now you can see that it is a pair of mittens! Of course!

I have a thing for mittens. I really love to make them and since I live in a cold climate they really do come in handy. I guess it is the relative speed and the chance to do some fun patterns that appeals to me.  I have to show the rest because the cuffs are so pretty.

I made these using a vintage flea market sweater that I tossed into the washing machine on 40 degrees C. I made a rough pattern by tracing around my hand and then cut out the very thickly felted 100% wool from the sleeves of the sweater. I sewed it up on the machine and these are some of the warmest mittens in town!

Wristwarmer remake-reuse

Last winter I was completely taken with the combination of wool and silk. I made several variations of wristwarmers with vintage dupioni silk and felted or vintage sweaters and scarves.

That is one aspect about this project that I really like: all materials are reuse of castoffs or flea market purchases. Actually, for this pair everything is unused items I found at different flea markets. When I gathered these materials together I was so psyched by how well the colors harmonized.

The main section of this pair is made from the ends of a very nice woven wool scarf. I wish though that I hadn’t included the fringe. It is over the top. I could just fix that now…

The pretty flower boarder is made from strips of heavier weight cotton fabric. The silk edges I intentionally left unsown as I liked airy, wispy effect. However, I didn’t find it to be functional as threads kept unraveling. I would really like to find a way to keep the beauty of the raw edges while ensuring that the threads stay put.