To Market!

Today, the eve of my first craft fair, seems fitting for a revival of my little space here.

I have made many thins in the past years, and many I would have liked to share, but the longer I went without posting, the more difficult it felt go get back into it.

My mini quilts!

So tomorrow, from 10-16 I will join the "Koffermarkt", a craft fair where everyone presents their handmades in a suitcase. The initial motivation came from my stash - I had (and still have) a lot of great fabric that I once loved, but I just don't find exciting anymore. In order to free up space and still use this material, I made drawstring bags, mini quilts and zipper pouches over the last few months. Since the same goes for my yarn stash, I also made armwarmers and fingerless mitts for the market.

Fingerless Mittens! The black smudge is actually a pair of mitts, the same pattern as the pale green ones.

I'm so excited for tomorrow, to see if anyone is interested in my stuff, and also what the other people are selling! I have no doubt that some of the money I will (hopefully) earn will go right back into handmades.
And if I sell nothing, I will have christmas and birthday presents for the next few years, haha.

the suitcase, stuffed full of drawstring bags. I put in the green lining, and I looove it!

So, off to market I go!

The first snow

Yesterday morning, after a wonderfully long night thanks to the daylight saving time change, I woke up to the first snow of the winter. The forecast said that
we would get some snow, and I expected a light fluff maybe, but was surprised with much more.

Initially this Sunday was planned as a stay at home craft day - but I just had to get out and enjoy the snow while it lasted, its already almost gone now. Because the temperatures fell, I could finally wear my hat (pattern from Quince&co, knit in snap pea). It is 100% american wool, and since I knit it in May, it has never been cold enough to wear it.

Yesterday it was perfect, I walked in the soothing quiet of the snowy woods for almost an hour, and recharged for the week.

Pants!

Me and my sewing machine have made our peace, and I'm sewing up a storm lately! With the very hot day we had in the beginning of july, I was in need of some light summer pants, but all my closet offered were heavy jeans... so I looked around in my burda patterns and got to work.

Super confortable light plaid pants, perfect for summer, nice enough for work but loose enough for biking... They are awesome.


But I couldn't stop there. I had fabric lying around, intended for comfy stay-at-home pants, and it called to me. After all, I was on a wave of sewing success, right? I combined my mock-patchwork with some castle peeps by lizzie House and BAM! another pair of pants. 

Having more and more handmade items around me, in my closet and also for daily life, makes me so happy!

Feeling challenged

This was the situation on my desk a few days ago.

I knew what I wanted to make, I had the pattern cut out.
And then it took me ages to decide on a fabric combination. I played around with the fabric for the better part of an evening.

Sometimes, the fabric choice for a project is crystal clear to me. Other times, it comes over time, when I play around with the prints and put them next to each other. But I don't think a fabric decision ever took that long before. I hope the end result will be as I imagine it...

Still with the small things

Me and my sewing machine get along much much better lately. So well actually, that I am planning clothesmaking again. But in order to not break the peace, I focused on small projects in the last weeks, First of all my first mug rug:

I Used an absolutely gorgeous mushroom print that I bought a while ago, having no idea what it would become. I still have a lot left, and it is really hard to cut into because the colors are so vibrant and beautiful.

After that, when I was playing around with some stuff while I actually shout have been organizing my sewing supplies, I found a baby pink zipper. Pink. I would have never bought that, it must have come from my grandmothers stuff - and I wanted to make something special out of it.

So a zippered pouch it became, after I dug around my fabric stash looking for a print that at least features pink. I think this was the only one (back then - I ordered a ton of fabric since). I love the polka dots on the inside, and it was fun to try a patchwork pattern for the outside without committing to a whole quilt. I like how the star turned out, but I am sure that there is a more efficient way to do this pattern, I just winged it. If I would do it again, I would look for a pattern first.

And of course, there have to be buttons. Big colorful ones.
The pouch has already found a home in my office, I keep all my girl stuff in there that one needs but does not want to have floating around in a drawer - like aspirin, hand lotion, tampons and such. Now they are stored away prettily, and I don't have to worry about accidentally spilling tampons everywhere.

The little things

My life is very full right now. Full of work, training, sunshine, cozy nights in with my man, cinema nights out with my girl friends... And here and there, in between all that, I snatch away a few minutes to craft. I still don't trust myself with big projects, so I have been focusing on smaller things lately, and finishing old projects.

These socks are one of the old, old projects... I started them in September last year I think, and only finished them a few days ago. But I love them so much.

I like the colorful stripes and the cable pattern (which almost drove me insane while knitting), and I like to wear woolen socks even on summer nights.

In a sudden burst of courage, I wanted to try a dresden plate patchwork pattern a a few weeks ago. Inspired by this post, I set to work, paper piecing the pattern, and I love how my new pincushion turned out. Almost too pretty to stick pins into...

Harry Potter

Look what a kind owl dropped off at my doorstep yesterday!

My very own complete hardcover Harry Potter series.
Don't worry, I have read them before, but I had to hurry because the books were usually borrowed... Now I can read and reread them as often as I want, yeah!
I think the program for easter holidays is set! (Unless, of course, me and my sewing machine get along again. Then I may also make some stuff.)