Homemade souvenir

M loved to buy souvenirs in the shops down the Sacre Coeur. But none of all possible 'I love Paris' t-shirts she liked. Some later we bumped into a great fabric shop where a friendly woman sold us quite some silk fabrics. This one was combined with a sample of a red transparent curtain. The skirt layers were wrinkled and attached to a shorter, silk waistband.

I'm glad how the length turned out.

As I don't have an overlock machine, the skirt was finished in a different way: I first rolled the silk edge through my fingers and finished it with a fine zigzag stitch. The red underskirt was already finished.
Tadaa! My first Paris buy result, today on M's hips to school.

Shining M

Last week was dedicated to M, being 12 years old! So I had something (and a lot of other things) on my to-do-list: making this dress, my first jersey project, made from another Fragile sale fabric.

According to a Knippie pattern, but oh! this magazine makes simple things really difficult! You rather skip the guiding text and only use your common sense. The outcome: things were changed the way I preferred them to be. Because I wanted the pattern to be continuous I added the waistband on the inside of the body and let the ribbon run through a button hole in the front. If you might think I made a fake zipper, you're wrong.

M always has been a child that suits everything. And she used to be happy with every dress or whatever I sew for her. Yes, mom, I would love to have balloons and yes, mom, I would love to have a birthday dress. She cherishes traditions, that is.
This dress tastes to more coming-soon jersey clothes. Let's see!

Wanna swap?

These fabrics of my stock, 50x110 cm of canvas cotton Pop and Popstar of Kokka, are apparently not my favorite. I thought that maybe one of you is into a fabric swap? Please let me know!

Being pampered

Back home from Denmark, very satisfied. Here's a brief summary for you. We went with 20 interior architects to see the factory of Fritz Hansen, a brand you all know from Arne Jacobsen's Egg and 3107. Right above the seat of the 3107 is being born.

By hand this time

This week I will be visiting Denmark. I'm invited by Kvadrat to enjoy three days of esthetic delight, full of design, fabrics, architecture, interiors, art...
The felt for this bag I bought already some weeks ago. The yellow strap is like here a thrifted judo belt. It's clear that last weekend a Kvadrat bag had to be made to accompany me to Denmark.

On the outside felt of Wernerkinck, on the inside a mix of fabric samples of Kvadrat: the traditional Hallingdal, Stripes of Paul Smith, Layers Vineyard of Hella Jongerius, Happy of Tord Boontje. I'm happy to carry all those great designers along.

Today I used the bag for the first time. A new project?, a colleague asked me. Yep, just finished. To be honest, it's wasn't a simple process. But it is what was in my mind. It's made all by hand, because I preferred to sit on our couch :). The stitches are done as invisible as possible (but very visible in strong sunlight!). It appeared to be easy to get the needle through the felt layers. Luckily the fabric samples already had overlocked edges. I'm not fully satisfied with the snappers. These are of Prym (I thought a trusty brand), but I think they snap not strong enough. Anybody better alternatives?

Keep on trying

Yesterday evening I was exhausted from work. Once I had decided to make a bag for my birthday neighbour I got soon in a better mood! I loved to combine different fabric samples for the front. The small stripes are Paul Smith's. The bag was almost finished, I thought.
Today only the zipper had to be added. Do you recognize this: party started at 1 p.m, would last till 5 p.m. I, again, 'only' had to add the zipper. But actually I didn't know how to. And, as a like-to-be-autodidact, just started and tried out. Due to timepressure it didn't work out. In the end I searched for a how-to on internet. Still, at 3 p.m. I sadly declared this bag for failed. And quickly went for a cold glass of white wine in our common garden. Dear Cariene, please be patient. There will be an improved one soon. Wine and food were delicious.

To stay overnight

We needed a sofa bed, but where to find a goodlooking one? As more often we solved the problem by making one ourselves. And this idea, a DIY sofa bed, I do recommend! We bought two good quality mattresses (no Ikea) and linked them by handstitching the long edges together with a strong thread. Then I made a cover. Doing this I suddenly got stressed because I accidentally cut the fabric in a wrong way. That's why the colored part was added. But I don't regret it at all! On the bottom I used one very long and four little zippers. So, one guest can sleep directly on the sofa; in case two people are going to stay overnight we get off the cover and rotate the upper mattress.
A tip about the upholstery I used. Some of you maybe know the beautiful fabrics of Kvadrat. Their Divina is used on a regular base in my professional projects. For this sofa bed however I used a slightly different option: the so-called Europost of Gabriel. This fabric is some cheaper and stronger. And I think the ocher is the most beautiful colored woolen upholstery there is. The picture doesn't show it properly; you should see it in real!

Staring at leaves

M loves this tree on the wall of her bedroom. She has a loft bed with direct view on this tree. Often we just cosily stare at the leaves to discover objects in the patterns of the used fabrics.
Last year I couldn't decide whether to buy this (in the meantime everywhere spotted) tree of Dutch Inke or not. But because of the high and sloping ceiling, it was clear that this tree wouldn't work out. So it became an own version made of different fabrics instead of wallpaper. To be honest, this way it turned out to be such a hugh project, that I wouldn't recommend to copy my idea. Although the final result is well succeeded and sustainable. The honours of the design of the tree and the detail with the bird go to Inke.

Stretched cabinet

In our house we have quite a lot made of birch plywood. So is this little cabinet in L's bedroom. I love the bit strange and stretched proportions. In our former house it was designed for hanging with reading lamps above our bed.
Lately I covered the back with a nice fabric of Heather Bailey. The two lamps are still not in use, and plans are made to make a pinboard underneath the cabinet. I'll report about that, but be patient.