Tilda fabrics, Paper Goods & New Sashiko Threads

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Tilda Old Rose

Hello dear readers!

This year has gone by so fast; I can't believe Christmas will be here in 6 weeks. Looking back I have  spent a good chunk of my precious time in doctor's offices, so a lot of my planned projects had to be put on hold. I am one step closer to figuring out what is causing my persistent symptoms, so there's that. A while ago I decided to focus less on the physical pain and more on the things that bring me joy. The Tilda fabrics seen in the picture above definitely make my heart skip! There are matching buttons in two sizes and woven jacquard ribbon with rose motif as well. I made some Christmas decor using the small red rose and the large grey rose fabric.

If you are looking for unique Christmas cards, check out these vintage-style card sets from April Rose. They come in sets of 8, with two designs and include a white envelope. There are four sets to choose from! Premium quality printed in England.

April Rose Card Sets

Jot down your Christmas gift or to-do list on these fun and practical Christmas-themed note pads from German paper goods supplier Krima & Isa. Matching pencils available too! Apart from these, there's a fun range of Christmas postcards, gift bags, tags, ribbons and advent stickers.

Krima & Isa

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New in are these sweet and romantic fabrics from well-known Japanese fabric supplier Lecien. I had ordered these a long time ago, and I have to admit it's becoming increasingly difficult to acquire these fabrics. The bulk of fabrics usually go to the huge craft stores - independent stores like mine are at the bottom of the list. I'm lucky if I even get half of what I ordered. Nevertheless I love these floral prints from the Antique Flower 2019 collection!

Antique Flower in Pastel

Speaking of Japan, some of you might be familiar with Sashiko, the simple stitching tradition of northern Japan. Sashiko means "little stabs" creating little stitches that look a bit like rice grains. Originally this technique was used to mend and recycle garments with white thread. Nowadays Sashiko has developed into richly patterned and often brightly colored designs. I have been studying and practicing the art of Sashiko embroidery for several months now. I am still learning, but I find the results of the mostly geometric patterns quite satisfying. And now that we've entered the winter season, those long evenings at home are perfect for some meditative Sashiko stitching! You can find the original Sashiko threads in several colors in my shop. I especially like that they come on practical cones. To get started all you need is a long needle with a large eye and some fabric with an open weave, like linen, jeans fabric, cotton flannel etc. You don't require a hoop for this embroidery technique.

I am working on traditional pattern - Shippou

Mini Tutorial using Sashiko Thread

Apart from traditional Sashiko stitching, the thread is suitable for crossstitch, crochet and other crafts, such as tiny tassels or these wrapped beads - Here's my little tutorial for making a Sashiko thread bead necklace!

You will need:

wooden beads with large hole (as used for Makramee)

Sashiko thread

needle with large eye

glue

cord

small wooden beads (optional)

Cosmo Sashiko Thread

How to:

Thread the needle with a very long piece of Sashiko thread, double it up and tie a knot at the end. Dab a little bit of glue on the inside of the wooden bead and press the knotted end of the thread into it. Then start "wrapping" the bead with the thread, carefully pulling it through the hole. Make sure that all areas of the bead are covered. Weave the end through two or three threads on the inside and snip off. You can add a tiny bit of glue to secure on the inside. Make two more. 

Cut a piece of cord to the length you wish your necklace to be. Thread your Sashiko beads and (optional) smaller wooden beads and tie the ends. And you're done! Enjoy :)

New fabric line, Handmade, Life lately & more fabric!

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Hello lovelies!

true to my new motto of "blogging without obligation" this happens to be only my second blog post this year. I admit it feels kind of weird after blogging three times per week for years. If you follow my business account on Instagram you'll find that I have been working on several projects which I'm excited to share here on the blog.
US fabric designer Tanya Whelan, who switched to a different manufacturer last year released a new collection - Janey. These fabrics have such a happy vibe and feature her signature nostalgic rose bouquets in fresh aqua, vibrant pink and red plus fun rose cameos on gingham. It took a while for these to arrive over here in Germany, but when they did I couldn't resist making a little something.

I honestly wish I could sew more, but since I'm still experiencing pain almost every day in varying intensity I can only do as much as my body will allow. As you can imagine I have seen one doctor after the other, sat for hours in stuffy waiting rooms and argued with (at least) one of them. It's frustrating, but I've vowed not to let this, whatever *this* is, become the focus of my attention. Nope.
We've had a weird summer, alternating between relatively cool, rainy days and exceptionally hot days. And two weeks in July were absolutely scorching. Every day I had to fill those water bowls that I had placed in shadow-y areas in the garden for the thirsty birds. Speaking of garden. Earlier this year we decided to turn ours into a low-maintenance one. Right now it's a pretty muddy mess - Leo loves it :) Ever seen a cat roll around in mud?
Also our upper balcony is getting a make-over! I know I mentioned this around three years ago, but you wouldn't believe how difficult it is to find and coordinate contractors. So far we've had a new balcony door and the electrical stuff installed, but the big part, the actual renovation is only going to start early next year. Still, I'm so glad we've made progress and finalized our design.

Over the summer my illustrator friend Siobhan and I collaborated on a cute new post card range!Check out these vintage style numbers cards. Coincidentally, I turned fabulous fifty this summer and I spent my birthday weekend in my favorite city Amsterdam. Too bad it was raining, but I enjoyed the scenery, the flower market and the food none the less...and how cute is that hotel kitty?

In additional fabric news, I don't know how I could have missed out on these whimsical fabrics by German company acufactum for so long. Particularly as the company headquarters is only about an hours drive from my home! These are selling really well in my shop. The delicate motifs featuring dainty girls, pretty flowers, birds, magical fairies and little mice are original illustrations by Daniela Drescher. There's also a matching range of satin ribbons. It's all so cute! I made a little zip pouch and tried my hand at stitching letters by hand.

Coming soon, hopefully beginning of October is another new fabric range, which has gained a huge following in Europe in the last ten years or so - the popular Tilda fabrics designed by Norwegian Tone Finnanger. She has published a number of craft books and is known for her sewing patterns for soft toys, home decoration and colorful quilts. Super excited to be receiving "Old Rose" this Fall.

There's some other items coming this Fall as well, but I'll keep that under wraps for now :) Take care everyone and thank you for reading along! Till next time...

Hello again!

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Amberley by Brenda Riddle

We're four months into 2019, so I guess it's a bit late to wish my dear readers a happy new year, assuming you are still reading my blog! I have an excuse for neglecting my blog all these months. Early January I had a major set back healthwise and ended up in hospital, not once but twice. I'm still not feeling all that great, so blogging is really the last thing on my mind right now. I apologize. 

Also, ever since the implementation of all these new rules and regulations effectively censoring online activity, it's become a lot less fun to blog. I remember back in 2008 (!) blogging was a mix of creative writing, journaling, sharing and exchanging information, the occasional promotion and link building. It was casual, easy, and fun! These days I have to weigh each word carefully and linking is a tricky business. Frankly, it's not worth the risk being fined. There are people out there being paid to scan (German) blogs for even the tiniest of "mistakes". And the fines are hefty. It sucks.

I have been a little more active on Instagram. But even on there I have to be careful what to post and how I formulate the description.

This year I didn't get around to sewing much, even though my fingers are itching to complete a couple of projects. I do still have a few of my foldable shopping bags available at Etsy. Heads up - international shipping has gone up this year, so it pays to buy more as it's a fixed price up to 1 kg.

In between hospital stays and work commitments I have collaborated with my illustrator friend Siobhan on a wonderful design project for my main shop. Check out this gorgeous collection of postcards with vintage/shabby chic illustrations. There are 10 happy designs to choose from. Printed in UK on high quality, matte finish card. New in are also lovely "Thank You" and "Birthday" greeting cards with envelopes included. Below are some of my favorites.

Last weekend I managed to visit the trade fair in Cologne after all. This fair is important in my line of work, and although it was quite exhausting I was glad I got to meet up with some colleagues and preview the latest fabric collections. Here's a sneak peek of Tanya Whelan's latest "Janey" due to arrive in May. So pretty!

Easter is only two weeks away, can you believe? I'm hoping for some milder weather. It's been quite chilly and rainy these past few weeks. I generally feel better physically and emotionally in warmer weather. A bit of sunshine can do wonders. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, take care and enjoy every moment. Love,