Ravenhill

More fabric...

I want to thank you all for all the kindness and encouragement. I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me. Reading your comments makes me smile and help me to feel like what I do matters in some small way.

Some time back I contacted Randi to ask about ordering some fabric from her Etsy shop: Freshsqueezed. We chatted a bit and we ended up agreeing on a swap. I got a marvelous stack of her gorgeous fabrics and she got a dollie from me.

We had agreed on exactly what we would send eachother, but she cheated!!! She was so generous! This stack in the front is an extra surprise she snuck into the package! Thank you ever so much for this wonderful swap!

Fru Lillevik in aqua and orange and red is my latest creation made with some of Randi's fabrics.

I haven't done much sewing this weekend, the weather has been too good for that! The glorious sunshine has been shining its late summer rays on us this lovely weekend. I have done a bit of weeding in the garden too.

I hope you are enjoying a beautiful weekend too and will be starting the week with fresh energy and enthusiasm.

Twine and Heart Give Away

There is nothing like new craft supplies to get the creative juices flowing. The very nice Whitney sent me her Whisker Graphics Twine to use and to share some yardage with you!

Aren't the colors great! Who ever heard of lime or orange twine? And the aqua is delicious.

I only got a tiny taste of her new colors, and I am particularly enamoured with the cotton candy at the far right.

So, I get to give away some twine! Two lucky commenters will be receiving twine from me!

But that is not all, the winners will also receive one homemade heart ornamanent each.

As I mentioned earlier, new crafting supplies really can inspire! I made these hearts, with various twines to hang with, including Whisker Graphics.

I had a ball making them.

I used fabric scraps, snippets of ribbon, copious embroidery stitches (french knots, bullion stiches and daisy chains), surrouned it with crocheted lace, and topped them off with colorful twine or perle floss.

There are multiple of ways you may enter my give away. Each one counts as 1 entry (so the more you do the more chances you have to win).

1. Leave a comment on this blog post 
2. Link to this post on your blog (please feel free to use the photos from this post!) and then come back here to leave a comment telling me you have done so.
3. Link to this post on Twitter and then come back here to leave a comment telling me you have done so.
4. Link to this post on Facebook and then come back here to leave a comment telling me you have done so.

If you do 2,3, or 4 please make a separate comment on this post for each letting me know what you have done so as the comments are your entries. So if you do all four you need to leave 4 comments. 

So, please help me spread the word?

Giveaway ends this Sunday, June 20th at midnight and there will be two winners which I will announce soon after!

EXTRA!!! The next 5 buyers in my Etsy shop will each receive one free heart ornament along with their order.

   

Swap-CHOO

This pretty butterfly decorated hankie is from the hankie "Swap-CHOO" I joined a few weeks ago, hosted by Iris. Thank you so much Vanessa! I can't show you the one I sent to Vanessa yet, as it is still on its way and I don't want to ruin the surprise.

The hems she has hand rolled and hand stitched. Doesn't that make the edges sweet? Iris provided a great link from Purl Bee for a tutorial on how to make a hankie. It isn't so hard, just a bit of fiddling at the beginning and a bit more time than you might expect and it is done.

 

I made this wee baby the other day on a custom order for mama and baby in a sling.

Psst!
If you would like to join a give away for one or maybe even two of my dolls just follow this link .

I hope you are having a great weekend. We all went thrifting today and it was heap of fun. We hauled back as much as we could carry in our hands, on our backs and stuff into little one's stroller. I will try to have photos soon. I hope you are enjoying the 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!

Please, don't hate me...

Here are some virtual flowers for you to ask you to please not hate me because I am so lucky to get so much fabric...

Jennifer Paganelli sent me some fabrics to play with. I sent her dolls and she said she will be keeping one and giving the other one away sometime soon.

My heart was racing when I got the package... I couldn't wait! I have been admiring and longing for her newest collection, Flower Power, and was sure that is what she sent me!

Jennifer did. She is a tease, because she sent me one fabric from her newset collection, and these other wonderfully bright and beautiful fabrics from her Dance with Me collection.

So at first I nearly cried because I had been expecting Flower Power, then I fell madly for these fabrics and had the best time making dolls with them! These fabrics are perfect for my work and now I have a huge craving for more of Jennifer's fabrics.

Sleepy Fru Lund is the only one still in my shop.

This week my son is off from school on Easter vacation and my husband will also have 3 and a half days off! We don't have any big plans, just enjoying eachother's company, seeing some friends and lots of time outdoors hopefully soaking up the spring sunshine!

A good book

Things have been busy here lately. Nothing special, just the daily activities with two children and a husband. We are enjoying signs of spring.

The snow is still covering a larger percent of the ground than I would like though... but the other day my little one squealed: "Look Mommy, grass!" That is a sight for sore eyes after many months of snow coverage.

When I found this incredible book, Yllebroderier, by Ingrid Eggimann-Jonsson, from the library, about wool embroidery I nearly wanted winter to start again.

The link will get you to a site where you may purchase this book if you get the desire.

I think she is so talented and want to try doing this myself... I will just show you a few more photos...

I just wish I was more adept at reading Swedish. It really isn't that different from Norwegian, but different enough that I find it rather tedious.

I am sure you recall the recent swap I told you about in my last post, well, now Anne is hosting a give away of one of my matryoshka dolls if you would like to join in! These two happy mamas, Fru Lind and Fru Blomdal are in my shop.

Garlands and more birds

My garlands have been making a few appearances here and there. My first one is sold so I made another.

I am rather embarrased to tell you that I got more fabric in the mail, even Lilly can't keep her hands off it:

I know, you must be wondering where I put it all... This package was a bit special to me because a very talented fabric designer, Anne Sutton, sent it to me!

We agreed to a little swap: her wonderful fabric for a couple of my matryoshkas!

She is going to keep one of them and the other she'll be giving away on her blog sometime soon. I'll let you know when! In case you should feel the urge to sew with her wonderful fabrics, you can shop here. Thank you so much Anne for this huge stack of your beautiful fabrics!

Dolls for Anne are now packed and ready for mailing, and these have just appeared in my shop!

 

Fru Lawson and Fru Rype. I have had a bit of extra time these past few days as my hard working husband took two days off. Yesterday we cleaned off our outdoor table and chairs, put the cushions on the seats and soaked up some sun while our big boy was at school and our little one played merrily in the garden. I think it must have been close to 70 F or 20 C in the sun yesterday and today we got a dusting of snow! I am enjoying every sign of spring though and the extra daylight is making picture taking so muc fun!

Lots of great mail!

Your jaw is going to drop and you might turn green with envy...

This wonderful stack dropped into my mailbox all the way from Jan! She has such a kind heart, understanding my appreciation of Japanese crafting. Thank you for all of these treats which I will share a bit of today!

These photos are from the Handmade Zakka book from the top of the stack. I think the leaf potholders are adorable.

And here I really like the bees!

Thank you for the pile of crafing reading that I will enjoy over and over again! I will try to show more soon too!

Feast your eyes on these scraps from Ira, who sent me the left overs from making the most beautiful bags which she sells in her shop.

Some of my favorites...

The quality of these fabrics is incredible.

I am mad about the patterned and textured ones. Thank you so very much Ira!

Finally, Just wanted to show you the highlights of the surprises I sent to Jan. I hope Jan liked the package I sent her as much as I loved the crafting magazines. Since Jan collects dishtowels I was thrilled to find this vintage one at a flea market.

This sweater my friend Anne Katrine gave me to give to Jan. I love the collaboration of these swaps. I know Jan sent me some vintage textiles from her neighbor one time too.

 

If I remember correctly Anne Katrine's aunt made and owned this cardigan sweater and it was passed down to Anne Katrine. Well, I guess I am keeping the post office busy these days.

From Mai in Japan

Last week I sent off a package to a sweet person I have been getting acquainted with via blogging. It's funny, I have more time for blogging friends then friends I actually get to meet in the flesh. It is easier to grab a few minutes here and there on the computer than setting off several hours to meet up.  Well, I don't recall how I first found Mai's blog and Etsy shop but since the happy discovery I visit her shop daily as she is continally adding something new and charming to it.

What pretty colors she uses and such delicate embroidery.

She sews everything entirely by hand.

I couldn't stop taking photos of everything she sent me... there were just so many delightful little details to appreciate!

Even her packing material was unique and wonderful! She is both environmental and thrifty using several layers of pretty newspapers instead of an envelope.

Everything she sent was wrapped individualy in cellophane bags and decorated with her original cut outs... these bunnies holding hands are the sweetest!

You can just imagine my exclaims of delight on finding all of these beautiful Japanese fabrics and lace in one of the cellophane bags.

And more... It was a treat for the senses, to feel the different and unusual fabrics and enjoy the sight of the  pretty patterns and designs.

This one has the look of Liberty lawn, with the detailed design and ever so fine fabric, but I think it must be a Japanse fabric and I just love it.

Mai's fingers are most dexterous, these tiny oragami were such joy for my children! There were even more goodies in the package, some Japanese green tea, many more paper decorations and even some gorgeous Japanese silks! Mai how can I begin to thank you for your thoughtfulness? I am already using the bag for a knitting project and the fabric I will look at often until I decide what to make with it. Thank you so very much Mai!

Since Mai said she fancies Scandinavian knitting I made her a pair of mittens.

 

You can see the other goodies I sent to Mai on her blog.

 

 

The nicest mail and an award to pass on

Awhile back the highly talented fiber artist Julia and I agreed to do a swap. I was all excited when I got her package in the mail! And then when I started to photograph her incredible piece I could barely stop...and will use the photos throughout this post.

Notice the soft, velvety backing she has selected. These details I find so enchanting. Every piece she makes shows such a love and celebration of color. She has used countless types of fabrics, giving it a richness and uncommonly delightful texture. When my children have clean hands I allow them to touch it carefully... Lilly has done so frequently as I have it perched on our antique desk in the living room.

 

While you continue to enjoy the photo, I have to something to admit: I have been lousy, miserable about mentioning the awards I have received these last months. I intend to mend my ways... So I will start today.

A huge thank you to the incredibly kind Michele for the Lemonade Award! What a nice surprise to receive this sweet award. This is an easier award because I don't have to reveal any private or embarassing things about myself. The hard part was deciding which blogs to select from my super long list of favorites!

I have been updating my list of fabulous blogs that I like to visit. So I would like to pass the award along to some of the new and bright stars on the list! I am so excited to share them with you if you haven't already been fortunate enough to stumble upon them yourself.

UK: Lobster and Swan - she has such an eye for the beautiful

Norway: Fryd og Design - so much sweetness, including a darling baby girl

France: Rose Tea Room - an enchanting design blog

Germany: RoSa P. - the epitome of simplicity and lovely handmade

Maine, USA: Philigry - hailing from my own home state, this is a lovely place to visit...

Australia: Hop Skip and Jump - Domestic bliss, quilting, toys, etc... Ah, love it...

The Netherlands: Dutch Colors - All things bright and beautiful, especially nice to drop by when I need a bit of cheerful color on a grey winter day

USA: Orange Flower Sketchbook - perfectly wholesome handmade

Norway: Sjarmerende gjenbruk - Full of ideas on how to charmingly recycle

USA: Tallgrass Prarie Studio - an expert and inspirational quilter and host of Project Improv

What to Do Now

I want to say congratulations to all 10 of those awarded above. Please share this opportunity with your favorite bloggers by doing the following:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs, which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude! Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

3. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

4. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

 

Finally, I want to thank Julia for swapping with me. I will treasure it.

Something cute to show you

My Halloween matryoshkas popped up here the other day. And thank you to all of you who told me that I was featured on Decor8. The other recent place to feature my matryoshkas was an Australian site: Living Creatively. Wow, they do such wonderful articles about talented artists and I am pinching myself that I should be so fortunate to be featured there.

 

I just put these in my shop the other day and everyone but Jasmine at the very front of the line have disappeared from my shop already! 

I guess I am a bit behind because this was last week's challenge item: Two babies in a basket in need of a good home.

The theme for the European Street Team's challenge last week was "cute". They each have their own hand quilted blanket. Inside the 100% wool felt basket I have put a round mattress that fits it snuggly. The babies too are made of a lighter colored 100% wool felt and completely hand stitched.

 

 It was just like when i was a little kid and made a doll house for my younger cousin. I had so much fun planning and sewing all the little details. The fabrics are Japanese cottons. Jan might recognize the very sweet print with the berries on it? She gave it to me in our swap. I am so happy that I am getting around to using the fabrics in my stash and especially those given by friends.

Flip through my Japanese magazine with me?

Wow, it is the weekend already! The weeks seem to fly by now that Sebastian is in school again. The days here are crisp and beautiful. I still have many flowers blooming in our back yard, including these colorful snapdragons which I planted by seed the previous summer.

Would you like to flip through a Japanese crafting magazine with me today? This is one of the many I was so fortunate to receive from Jan in our swap last spring. I really treasure them! Thank you again Jan.

 

This is the cover on the Cotton friend Winter edition 2005~2006 vol. 17. I see Mette has already started making her Christmas gifts and maybe seeing this magazine will provide the rest of us with the inspiration we need to get started too!

 

You can see here that the instructions are so good that you almost don't have to read Japanese to understand how to make things.

 

I love these little handmade sewing kits, and although I don't need one it would be so fun to make!

 

I'm sorry they are so small in the photo, but I just adore those oven mitts!

 

Now that I have looked through all of my Japanese magazines countless times and shown them to you I am really wanting a new one... I have been thinking about placing an order.

Meanwhile,I am delighted to tell you about a lovely give away, hosted by the incredibly talented Pam. Visit her to enter by September 20th. Everything she makes is also on my wish list...

A night to myself

Do you know that I haven't had a night away from Lilly since she was born?

For over three years now I have been the ever-present mother and this weekend that is going to change.

My sweet man is going to make the three hour train trip to his grandmother's for an overnight - and I get to stay home! Alone. The truth is I am longing for some peace and quiet and not to have to pick up after anyone but myself for a day.  I am probably going to miss them like crazy! I spent the morning picking up and then cleaning so I could enjoy not only peace and quiet but also clean and tidy. With the kids around doing their creative things many a mess are made underway and despite my best efforts the place is never clean nor tidy for very long at all.

Now, a huge thank you is in order!

 

One fine, hot day this delightful package arrived in the mail from Nathalie. 

 

This is what was inside! Lilly isn't wanting to be a model these days so this is the best photo of her with the most beautiful red tutu that I could get. You will have to visit Nathalie's shop to see them, as they are cute as can be! Thank you Nathalie! She is really kind, I have already been so lucky to receive something else from her.

 

The red in the tutu brings me to the RED and GREEN fabrics that I have put to use on these Christmas babushkas now in my shop! I was debating whether or not to list these now but then I realized that many of my orders have been for more than one doll - often 3 or 4! Then it hit me that Christmas really isn't that far off and I knew that if people might want to order one of these already or in conjunction with another order.

For my Christmas babushkas I have used some festive cotton woven trim that I bought on my outing with Mom. These trims decorate the necks and serve as the ribbon loop that they hang from. The holly I made with felt and sewed on by hand. For the berries I made French knots using alpaca yarn as my crewel wool.

I think I will be making more of these as gifts for many of my friends and family who love to deck the halls for the holidays.

Hope you are having a great weekend. I am signing off now to make the most of my clean and quiet house and start sewing!

A chill in the air means it is time for quilts!

Air with a bit of fall chill has come to Norway but it didn't stop Lilly and me from taking an early morning walk to the beach.

It takes me about 30 minutes to roll her stroller down and I was not a bit surprised that we had the beach all to ourselves. My little one took a quick dip in the icy water and then huddled in a blanket.

Meanwhile I have been working hard on a doll quilt swap and July's Take it Further Challenge (OK, I know I am late again!) I thought if I were clever and combined the two into one project then I would finish on time, but with Mom's visit, etc. I just recently finished.

I am happy with how the label for the back turned out. Here it is before I sewed it on. To make it I sewed two pieces of fabric together right sides facing. Then I cut a small hole in the back, turned it right side out. I sewed the fussy-cut fabric flowers on to cover up the hole so it wouldn't show through the light colored fabric. The Pigma Micron pen was recommended to me by the amazing doll making artist, Mimi and the incredibly inspiring quilter, Marisa. I loved how I could write with such precision on the label.

Having finished with lettering and decorating the label, I blind stitched it to the back of the quilt.

 

The quilt back, hand stitched binding, and the flower cut outs are Chez Moi fabrics by Moda.

The front I made using Heather Bailey's Freshcut fabrics. The Take it Further Challenge for July asked us "What is it to be at the half way mark?" I made long strips of the quilt to represent what is past.

The flower appliqués depict the half way mark.

The future is less clear - represented by the small blocks of fabrics. I do hope the recipient will love it. I think I need to make Lilly some more doll quilts. A girl can never have too many can she? Besides now that it is getting colder we don't want her little dolls to freeze do we?

P.S. I plan on doing a major shop update starting tonight if all goes well.

More Japanese crafting madness!

Before I treat you to a peek of my favorite pages from another Japanese crafting magazine here are a few summer photos of my children for my Mom who is getting ready for her trip to visit us, for my dear brother who never fails to make me laugh at his sharp wit and who has a birthday today, and for my dad whom I know wishes to see his grandchildren more often if only they weren't so far away!

Isn't she is bright eyed and bushy tailed? She loves trying out new funny faces.

Blueberry picking is high up on the kid's lists of fun summertime activities. Big brother really loves it.

Discoveries abound this time of year. He would really love a pet but due to allergies most things are out. Maybe a moth?

I don't need a pet but I can't get enough Japanese craft books. This Cotton Time No. 76 is the first of two I will show you from my swap from Jan (Thank you again!).

The simple, country feel appeals to me. The little bunny is so dear.

Always fun to see a fresh version of a bag or pincushion.

Love the idea of the patchwork floor mat.

I want to make a needle case like the one in the right hand corner with a place for my scissors.

I adore everything on this page! I have more photos from this magazine on Flickr.

I wanted to thank Jo, Kay, and Nathalie for being so kind as to let me know that my mama and baby were featured on Etsy's Front Page today!

Haldis, on the right, is my newest addition to my shop. Some of these Amy Butler Midwest Modern fabrics were a kind gift from my good friend Anne Katrine. We are always sharing fabrics with eachother!

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!!!!

Two winners!

This is the post where I announce the winners of my give away! Since the give away was dolls I will show you my newest ones! These were done with one of my all-time favorite fabric lines: Heather Bailey's Fresh Cut. If you haven't seen yet that she has blogged about her two new fabric lines you should hop on over!
 

I loved hearing from so many of my friends and others who were de-lurking and commenting for the very first time. Thank you for dropping by. Thanks for showing an interest in my knitting, sewing and doll making adventures. Thank you for appreciating my children with me. Having a give away is just a small token of my appreciation of you, your friendship and support. It is also a way to give back to this wonderful creative community that I am so happy now to be a part of!

I am pleased to announce that with the assistance of the ever trustworthy Random Number Generator I have selected the two lucky winners of my little give away: Camilla will receive Trude and Anne Gry will be heading off to Jennifer. There will, of course, be little surprises accompanying the dolls but I couldn't reveal that now... but here are a few more dolls in the bird series I have been creating.

Now that Annie has received the doll I made as part of the doll swap I participated in I can show her to you!

 

Annie, you see, is particularly fond of tea so I knew that I had to incorporate tea into the doll in some way. I made her an apron with the little "tea time" embroidery to remind Annie to have a cup of her favorite beverage. I am not sure she really needs any prodding though. You really should see the photos Annie has taken of her though. She is so cute perched in a teacup! Silly me, I didn't even take a photo of the bag I sent her off it! So you really must visit Annie to see it! You will be happy that you did as her blog is full of handmade goodness!

 

I have a couple of pairs of socks (first blogged here) completed to share with you! Lilly trying on her new silk and alpaca socks for next winter.

 

Lilly in action doing some heel tapping with her stripy socks.

 

The socks again, staying still without their lively occupant.

Happy summer day

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

The weather was perfect today, not hot, but sunny and beautiful. Lilly and I had a ball first making sandcastles in the sandbox and then walking with friends to our local shops to do the grocery shopping. Lilly is wearing the sweater I made her awhile ago. She is growing so slowly that it still fits her.

The big hill on the walk home invited the little ones to roll, roll, roll. Here she is just reaching the bottom.

As I said it was a great day today. I got mail! As I can never resist entering a give away I am occasionally the lucky winner. It was lovely to win this very beautiful ATC by the very talented and sweet Iris.
 
I just love the various patterned papers, the colors and the quote that has left me thoughtful in wonder at what this means.
 

Even the backside is really thoughtfully done. Thank you dear Iris!

 
Here is Lilly in sweet slumber with this beautifully made doll from Anne Katrine.
 

As you can see, the doll is crocheted. Her dress is knitted and the cute flower embellishment is crocheted. Anne's daughter has the other one that Anne made of these dolls. I was so touched for Lilly to receive this precious gift.

Now this lovely day is drawing to a close, and I should be heading to bed. First though I have to take a peek at this stack of crafting books fresh from Amazon today!

Miss Myrtle has arrived and is greatly Loved!

What a happy day it was to receive "Miss Myrtle" from Annie for the doll swap!

Her attention to the fine details shined through everything she did. The handmade tag was decorated with this lovely brooch. The doll was so thoughtfully wrapped, not in paper but in fabric! How perfectly delightful!

Lilly here, seconds after opening the doll, examining her from top to toe.

Miss Myrtle came with a little satchel and the sweetest, tiniest books made by Annie's daughters.

Her dress is so clever with snaps at the neck. I think with a bit of practice Lilly will manage to dress her herself.

See what I mean when I said Annie has done such lovely details on Miss Myrtle? I just love her little felt heart with the pretty stitches.

Annie, you were so clever and having this little handmade sweetheart really makes me smile.

I can't show you the doll for Annie yet, because I just mailed it off today! Instead, you can see some dolls I am working on for my shop and for an order for Mosey Handmade.

I had to tell you too that the hexagon quilt that I showed you was likely made from flour sacks. I spoke with mom this weekend and she reminded me about some of the quilt's details. The other thing is that the blues weren't made from indigo dyes.

I did a bit of window shopping today after a trip to the dentist. I really wanted to capture these wonderful seagulls to show you. (No cavities! Just some repair work.) Now I need to dash off to wrap up some orders and stuff some dolls.

Today's lovely things

These potholders were among the gifts for my dear mother on her birthday the other day. Blue is one of her favorite colors and I was just smitten by this color combination. I really enjoyed doing the free-hand machine quilting.

Mona's colors reminded me so much of the colors in my mom's gift! She has joined Siv, Ada, Yvonne, and Ruth in my shop this evening! (Ruth is already spoken for.)

These aren't by me... but are vintage finds. Someone had a lovely stash of beautiful napkins and now they are mine!

Maybe someday I will have time to make such an embroidery. There are some worn spots but it is still so beautiful!

My contribution to the doll swap is finished and here is a linen gift bag similar to the one I have used. I can't give away the surprise before I have even sent it off!

Eye candy only

These are the socks I am working on now, this time for me. Mom gave me the pretty yarn.

I don't have a lot to say today. I am speechless after getting the test results back from our dr. We all still have major intestinal problems despite taking strong meds to remedy it. I won't get into the details beyond that it means we are stuck on a very strict diet of incredibly dull food for who knows how long. I can't eat sweets or treats of any kind and neither can my children. So I will continue with my textile and fiber treats - ok and the occasional pretty button or two...

These came in the mail the other day from Stockintrade.

If you want some more eye-candy, visit these new blogs that I have added to my blogroll and am rather crazy about: Quilt Otaku , Oiyi's Crafts, and Mairuru. Maybe it is looking forward to my long anticipated swap package arrival from Japan that is fueling this Japanese influence?

Doll swap!

I am joining in a doll swap! I found out about the doll swap via Annie's lovely blog. Here are two of my newest babushkas, Marta and Karoline.

You can go on over to Mee Crafty if you would like to sign up for the swap too! Signup closes on Saturday, April 19th.

I do love to swap but lately have unfortunately had more offers to swap than I could say yes to. I really want to have dolls of many different colors in the shop so anyone wanting a doll can find just the right one! I have been playing around and worked on some new dolls without the appliques and embroidery. I wonder what you think?

Karoline is featured in the Etsy baby gift guide!

I have never before had such a number of babushkas in my shop to select from! I have just added today: Borghild, Randi, Marie, Pernille, Vilde, Signe, and Karianne.

I will have a hard time parting with Marie as I so love the pink Liberty of London with the bold brown and white flowers.

Swap with Mette

My wonderful friend Mette from Denmark has spoiled me rotten this week. Lilly and I were giddy with excitement as we opened the gifts together!

We both have a "thing" for babushkas. She actually sent me FOUR babushka things! The painted wooden babushka tag on the gift was a sweet touch on already beautiful wrapping! Mette sent a pretty card.

Mette and I both make babushka dolls, and these you can find in Mette's newly opened shop.

I couldn't believe it when I found this babushka fabric in one of the gifts!

And look at these beautiful fabrics!

More!

Finally another lovely gift. The colors and beautiful fabrics make this pincushion so special. Mette sells her pincushions in her shop! Each one seems to have a bit of vintage embroidery in the center.

Speaking of embroidery... this was also in the package!

As they say in Norway,tusen takk (a thousand thank you's) Mette! I am dreaming of what I will make with all the new supplies. Are you a wee bit curious what I sent to Mette?

Swap with Mai in Finland

When I saw her adorable Russian doll softies, I asked Mai if she wanted to do a swap with me. She said yes and last week I received not one but three beautifully handmade dolls. Thank you dear Mai for such kindness. Lilly has been lining them up with the ones I have made and with the wooden nesting dolls.

I adore all the little details. Mai has taken such care and time in making these for me (and Lilly).

All the hand stiching and embroidery really makes her dolls so special. Another detail that makes these dolls so nice is that they can stand on their own. The bottom of the dolls are made so that stand up without any support.

I assure you Mai that the dolls are blissfully happy here in Lilly's little brood. I get so happy every time I see one on tucked into bed with Lilly or in her stroller being pushed around. Then I think of my blog friend and how sweet she was to send those to us. I hope that she will be patient as a package will be coming her way soon.

Takk Michelle!

My patchwork swap package from Michelle arrived in the mail today! I had to use every ounce of inner strength to snap a photo of the box before eagerly ripping it open.

Look what incredible goodies I found inside!

Thank you so very much Green Kitchen for your amazing gifts! I keep looking at them and feeling so touched.

Just look at the cute mushroom topped ribbon holding the perfectly folded fabrics together! The pile of scraps is just calling out to me to start cutting and sewing. I wish I could show you every single fabric because they are all pretty or cute or sweet! Each one is something I would like to use. Michelle enclosed a hand-made woodcut printed card with a sweet message. What attention to detail and thoughtfulness!

Michelle didn't stop at sending scraps. No! She enclosed not just one handmade gift as per the agreement - she sent three! How did I get so fortunate as to have Michelle as my swap partner?! Here is the lovely pin she made for me. You can see how perfectly she has done it. I love the clip it is on as I can use it in my hair, on a hat or even on a top. Michelle recetly opened her Green Kitchen Etsy shop and sells among other things these exquisite flower clips there now!

The felt barrett is so sweet and original with its handstitching. 

To send things completely over the top in her generosity, the third gift, a hexagonal quilt block is also partially hand-stitched. I love this too! I plan to incorporate it into one of my quilts.

I was completely overwhelmed by Michelle's generosity! Thank you so very much for being so kindhearted!!!

Lily enjoyed the package too! Here she is pounding on the bubble wrap...

It is funny how getting a package full of handmade gifts can make you feel special. Maybe it is because I know just how much time and effort has gone into each and every project.

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!

Quilting inspiration

The creative and generous Kristin La Flamme sent me a beautiful gift! Amazing, don't you think, to receive a handmade creation from a near stranger. I actually feel like I know her fairly well as I have been lurking on her blog near daily since spotting it, but she has only a couple of months worth of my blog to get to know me.

Anyway, her kids are adorable and her art quilts most inspiring. (Actually so far for me they are likely more intimidating than anything, but I am working on getting over my intimidation.) If you haven't yet seen her work then you are defintely missing out.

I even passed this postcard mini-quilt around at last night's local quilting meeting! Most of the women attending had never seen it before and thought it a splendid idea.

I thought you might like to see what Norwegian quilters are up to!

Gingerbread quilt by Elsa Nyseth. The pattern is from Brandywine Design.

This mouse embellished quilt was made by Gudrun Lindberg.

Kirsten Westvik Hverven shared one of her tumbler quilts with us.

Else Middelthon brought in a couple of pretty Holiday potholders. Great gift idea. My kids would sure love using these!

 

Quilted Christmas cards has been an annual tradition for Ebbe Aarsheim.

Anne Katrine made this cute-as-can be zippered bag. 

This quilt by Berit Mejlbo won the awe of everyone in the room. It is made up of 7006 hexagons. I believe it took two years to complete.

Astri Mørkved had not one but two beautiful quilts to show off. You can see the blue one being held up and the red one was tucked under her arm.

It took awhile to get to sleep last night after all the stimulous of the beautiful quilts. I wish I could show all the quilts that were there. I have pictures of a few others that didn't turn out well enough to show and a few quilts I didn't get photos of - like the Manchester United soccer quilt, made and designed by Hege Gundersen. That was a great idea. Her son had asked her to throw away his old Manchester United curtains. Hege saw her opportunity to put these to good use and designed a stunning quilt integrating them.

I didn't see any art quilts like Kristin makes but wonder if her postcard might be the catalyst to a new trend in Norway. I will keep you posted!   

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.