tiny happy

summer holiday

 

My Mum and Dad have arrived here in Norway, so we're spending lots of time by the water, checking out local markets and shops, on the train and walking in the forest. It's been so nice to see them again, and A and K are especially joyful. Keira keeps turning around to me and whispering, 'It's okay Mum, you can leave now', which I'm not taking personally. She's so happy to be holding the hands of her grandparents, showing them the sights and sounds of our new town.

I've realised that I'm not going to have much time for blogging, making things or stocking my etsy shop while we're on summer holiday, so I'm pretty sure my updates here will be sporadic over the next couple of weeks. Big apologies too for being very slow to answer emails lately. I promise to catch up eventually!

And now, I'm taking Keira's advice and heading to Oslo for the evening. Tom and I are going to go to a Bonnie Prince Billy concert. I can't wait...

lilies

I was a bit sad about Arlo's birthday lilies slowly dying on the windowsill this week, so I thought I'd immortalise them in a set of printed cards. I tried using a thick line drawing then printing that with the gocco, but the result was somewhat mixed. The print is more 'textured' than clear, but I think it's okay like that.
Above is a set I printed using 'avocado' ink, and then I made some in a dark yellow shade, as well as some smaller tags to use up all the card offcuts. Should keep me in stationery for a while...

sweet longevity

Here are a few of the new pieces I made for my shop update today. A few bags, shoes and two new additions to the 'min' family- a cat and a bear. I decided to name them the 'Min' family after Keira's cat Norris Min.

I found this tin of condensed milk in the Asian food store a while ago. It was exciting, because I hadn't previously seen this wicked sweet stuff here in Norway. I'd never heard of 'longevity brand' before, but it makes me laugh. Do you think I will have better health through eating more condensed milk? I certainly hope so, but I have my doubts.
And this is what I made using Longevity condensed milk.  'Nana Joan's Walnut Slice' from Issue #2 of the World Sweet World zine. Funnily enough, I actually had a Nana Joan when I was growing up, and this is exactly the kind of baking she used to do. Super sweet and moreish, Kiwi-style. Chopped walnuts featured heavily in her repertoire. I'm glad I discovered Longevity here, because my parents are coming to visit tomorrow (!) and my dad is condensed milk's biggest fan. I'm looking forward to making this for him.

more about linen

I'm often asked where I find the old embroidered linens that I use to make baby shoes. There are lots of places, but lately, I've been lucky to receive some in the mail from blog readers and friends. Back in NZ, i would often find embroidered pieces of linen in opshops, antique stores and at the flea market. My favourite pieces are those that are generally worn and stained, because then I feel I am doing them a service to live the rest of their lives as small shoes, rather than sitting in the bottom of a drawer unused. But here in Norway it's a little harder to find such pieces. We have just two second-hand shops in the town I live in (that i know of) and most of the older goods in them seem to be bought quickly by antique dealers, so I haven't had much luck finding old linens.

Above are some pieces that I got in the mail this week from Louana in Auckland, who very generously shared some of her stash with me. She also sent these, (along with some treats for the children):
.. which are gorgeous. Thank you Louana.

This parcel came from Kathleen in Australia, who so kindly sent me some linen pieces she found in a Sydney op-shop. The pansy shoes I posted a few days ago were also made using fabric from K.
Those buttons on the little cards are great. Keira wants me to 'sew them on a cardigan' for her.
And this is the last piece of mail I have to show. Alison sent me this original 70s Clothkits set after I blogged about Clothkits' resurgence a while ago. She said that her Mum bought this in the UK to make her an outfit, but never got around to it. I love the idea of 'kits' and everything being provided. You just cut the pattern directly from the sheet of fabric. Excellent for a lazy person like me.

good mail.

Our mailbox has been full of the most wonderful things this week. There is so much to report back on, that i think i'll have to do it over two days. I hope it doesn't seem like I'm showing off, and usually I don't write about the mail I get, but there was so much fabric goodness this week that I feel I must give it credit. The 'World Sweet World' magazines were a gift from the generous Bonnie in Wellington (originally from Canada.) I had read a bit about this new NZ (crafty, d-i-y, gardening, environmental) magazine online, and was thrilled to have a look at it in 'real life'- they're beautifully produced and designed.

Bonnie makes stylish children's clothing and accessories under the label Lone Moose. She sent me these feather screenprints she made, and this beautiful hooded scarf, made from NZ merino wool fabric. It's enough to make me wish for wintry weather again.

And I had a parcel from Leandra in Austria, too. She said that she'd found these fabrics at a garage sale, and thought I might like them.

She was right about that. Thank you Leandra.

clover for luck

I found this pink clover growing up through a crack in the pavement today. At home it's normally found in grazing pasture, but I never realised how pretty it was before. Especially in that little yellow jug. It was a gift from Charlotte.

I am hoping that it's not just four-leaf clover that brings luck, because we're in the midst of a busy and tiring week. Actually, I think it really did bring luck today, because I got some amazing mail (as if I wasn't lucky enough, with all those sewing notions.) I'll show you the things that arrived today later on the week.

I updated my etsy shop with some new things today. Including these pansy shoes. Isn't the embroidery beautiful? I will write more about that soon.

I also added one of these brown-leaf bags to the shop. I made another one for my friend Tine. We had a deal: one bag for a tray of smiley-face cupcakes. She delivered them today, and they were the best-loved element at A's birthday party. Thank you Tine!

second-hand stash

Yesterday I was given a big bag full of treasure. The same lady who gave me these embroidery supplies a while back, recently emptied her mother's sewing box, which had been packed to the brim with vintage trims, elastic, threads and buttons. Her mother was a serious needleworker. I have never seen so many old packets of needles, supplies for making corsets, ends of lace, ribbon and tape before in one place. I would say most of it dates from 1930-80, when her work slowed down. I am truly honoured to be given this stuff. I hope i can do it justice.

Here are some (really- just some..) of the things I found in the bag:

ric-rac, cotton tape, velvet ribbon and bias binding,

Sewing and embroidery threads on wooden spools,

Old buttons in every colour..

All sorts of old things- notions, sets of needles wrapped in paper, beads, belt buckles and brooches...

And an old, wooden cigarillo case holding fine embroidery threads, wrapped around little pieces of brown paper..

party plans

Arlo's birthday is this week, and we're hosting a party at our house for his kindergarten classmates. He has a friend with a birthday in the same week, so we're going to combine their parties. I made this blue and navy bunting for the party. Hopefully the weather will be good and we can hang it up in a tree in the garden.

Over the weekend we had a bit of an (overdue) spring clean, and I sorted out all the kid's books and art supplies. It took ages but it's so good to have a organised system for the stacks of drawings, crayons, pens, paints, etc. I arranged all their supplies on a big shelf in the living room, inspired by The Creative Family book.

I also made the invitations for the party, using my gocco machine and a drawing of Arlo's I found in the huge pile of paper. I think he's currently dreaming of trains that stop right at your door.

And this was Tom's project with A and K on Saturday, while I was at the little craft market. (It went well, by the way- thanks for all your encouragement! I didn't sell much, but I did make some excellent new friends. So it was well worth it.) Anyway, these are little homemade notebooks to put in the children's take-home bags with some coloured pencils and sweets, or something. Arlo drew a picture ('The King's Birthday' - he fancies himself as royalty these days) and then they used the gocco to print the drawing onto coloured card. Tom hand-sewed blank pages inside. Yes, i was pretty impressed he went to such effort.

grey clouds

 
Here are two embroideries I've been working on over the past few weeks, a stitch here and there whenever I get a chance. I call them 'home: i and ii'.
They are both free-form chainstitched, on beige linen, with a limited colour pallette, which I really enjoyed. They're greatly inspired by this book, and the Norwegian artists Lasse Kolsrud and Gunhild Vegge. While I was working on them, I was thinking a lot about the idea of 'home' and how it affects the way we view the landscape around us.

the wool basket

Thank you for your kind and encouraging messages on my last post. It feels quite amazing to have a support team whenever I need it. I'll let you know how the market goes on Saturday!

Yesterday I found this old plastic-and-cane woven basket at the op-shop. I sorted all the stray balls of yarn around the house and they are happy in their new home. I've been feeling inspired to knit since receiving my friend Cosette's new book in the mail. It's called 'Knit One, Embellish Too' (you can buy a signed copy from her etsy shop) and even though it's sunny and hot here, I still feel inspired to cast on for one of the designs. I really can't decide which one to knit first, which is a rare thing (for me) in a new knitting book.
The book combines Cosette's eye for shape (her hat designs are original and yet totally wearable) with her flair for colour and wool embroidery.

Nearly two years ago, Cosette and I did a swap: one of my bags for a hat she had knitted. And I received a beautiful sea-green hat (this one) with branch-embroidery and vintage buttons. It's a much-loved piece on our coat rack and was worn every day this winter.
So I was especially glad to see that the book contained the 'root vegetable' design:
...as well as many others to choose from.
The book contains a decent section describing how to knit more complicated stitches, embroider with wool, think about colour in a new way, and how to knit in the round. But my favourite page is the one describing how to recycle storebought/thrifted sweaters into useable yarn. I can't wait to give that a go. I think that the recycled and handspun yarns that Cosette uses are what gives her work such a quirky, and truly 'crafty' vibe. And that's what makes her book special for me: its' practical and creative approach to knitting small pieces that is often missing in slicker, more commercial knitting books.

There are patterns for hats, headbands, scarves and gloves, with guidelines for embroidery and choosing yarns to use in your own pieces. But there is a sense that these are very much guidelines, and you can't help but imagine where your own needles and wool basket will take you...