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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.
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| 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)
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| 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 :)
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