Budapest III

Budapest II

Budapest I

Party flags, Kites, Porridge bowls, Diamond & Castle

This weekend I tried something new.

I got my materials in a paint shop: Free paint sample strips.

A lot of cutting, glueing and sticky fingertips... and voilà!

5 small square posters for Baby O's new playroom.

Another Color Affection

Color Affection

by Veera Välimäki

Yarn: Cascade Heritage

This one's for my sister.

Very addictive pattern. Third one in process already!

Award

I received an award from the Tie on kevyt -blog. Thank you!


The rules of the Liebster Award are:
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog
2. Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you
3. Copy and paste the blog award on your blog
4. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed (see below)
5. Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.

There's no way of knowing the number of followers, when there's no reader panel.. I also don't know if you like receiving awards and passing them on, but I want to use this opportunity to tell you that these blogs are among my favourite ones, and worth checking out:

My choices are:

- Koivukuja - A beautifully written blog with lovely photos.
- Nitsirk - Amazing talent. I can't get my head around at how anyone can make such beautiful knits with such thin yarn (and other crafts, too!)
- AL DI LÀ degli specchi - found through Koivukuja and was hooked right away. 
- Ladushki Design - Lovely handmade clothing 
- Ihmeitä vilppumaassa - Fantastic photography of everyday life!

Liebster tarkoittaa "rakkain" tai "rakastettu", mutta se voi tarkoittaa myös suosikkia. Liebster-palkinnon ajatuksena on saada huomiota blogeille, joilla on alle 200 seuraajaa.


Tunnustuksen säännöt:
                            
1. Kiitä antajaa ja linkitä bloggaaja, jonka antoi sen sinulle.
2.Valitse viisi suosikkiblogiasi ja kerro se heille jättämällä kommentti heidän blogiinsa.
3. Kopioi ja liitä palkinto blogiisi.
4. Toivo, että ihmiset, joille lähetit palkinnon, antavat sen eteenpäin heidän viidelle suosikkiblogilleen!

Ta-daa!

From this..

to this:

This what I've been working on since last September: Patchwork coat (with the dress I made last year).


The coat is mainly made of recycled materials and old fabrics: skirts, pants, grandma's leftover fabric.. Only the lining (windproof) and buttons are bought new. 


In September I started with a sketch, then measuring, then drawing the pattern from a base pattern made last year. During that time I went countless times to flea markets and secondhand shops, asked around if anyone had old men's jackets that I could use. It turned out that women's skirts and large size pants were my best finds, though. I carried two bagfuls of old clothes every Tuesday to sewing course and started taking the seams apart accompanied with sneezes and running nose. Boy, it was a dusty job! 


Slowly I could see my coat taking shape. Almost all seams have been done, undone and re-done at least 3 times, and at times it was very frustrating. But the people at our pattern course are just wonderful, and every time I was waiting the time of week to leave the house and go to the pattern course. 


Now, that the coat is finally in use, I am most proud of what's hidden inside the jacket. There's so much detailed work between the outer fabric and lining, that it certainly gives a perspective to quality clothing and why they cost so much.


This week we had a wonderful fashion show and it's just amazing what we all have achieved!


And I still have two bags full of those same fabrics..

The finish line

Last autumn I started a new project at sewing/pattern course. On Tuesday we're having a "fashion show"with our group to show what we have done, not just this year, but over the time that we've been going to this course. I only started about 2 years ago, and have finished this dress and now I've been working on this coat (which felt like a never ending job), which is almost there, but not quite..

I've been trying to use as much recycled materials as possible. I've only bought new fabric for the lining and new buttons, because I didn't have enough similar buttons. Now I need to sew on the buttons, but need clear under buttons. So tonight, 2 days prior the fashion show I rummaged through my jars for 7 clear buttons which would be about the same size and shape, but was not able to find more than 2 that would be suitable. That was a good excuse to stop for the day. I'm quite excited, though, because I'm so close to finishing it. When I started making the pattern for the coat, I hoped to have the finished garment by the end of spring, but seeing how much there was to do I decided that my goal needs to be postponed for 6 months. If I'd have it ready for next Christmas, I'd be more than happy. But now it seems my first goal is in fact quite possible! Yay!

Spring or winter?

No, it's not dead.

I didn't know that brown bears eat grapes. That they LOVE to eat them. 

So if you're afraid you might encounter a bear when picking berries in the forest you might consider carrying clusters of grapes with you. They seem to prefer the dark ones. Although that might just lure them nearer.. 

I met these cute giants two days ago, in May, when it snowed heavily. How do I always end up to places with the worst weather? I still love winter and snow, but in May..? There's a limit in my love for winter, and I think it's way past that.. But I trust that the bears know that springtime is here, otherwise they would still be hibernating.

(The lynx is there just because I've never seen one before and wanted to show off!)

London

Looking through the weather forecast last week, the destination with the worse weather seemed to be London. Rain, rain, showers, rain, rain. That was where I was going to travel.

The weatherman proved to be right. Having left my umbrella at home, I had to go and get a new one. The label read "wind proof". I don't know about that. It wasn't immune to the gusts of wind.. 

London was foggy, wet and cold, but never boring nor dull. It was fun to do all the first timer's things again, after so many years: to watch the stumping of the feet of the guards at Buckingham Palace, bear the crowds at Harrods, get confused about the traffic and eat fish'n chips and tea and scones.

And, in the end, the sun came up. Just before we had to leave home.