Something New!

How did this week pass sp quickly (they always do, I know)! I was a bit busy sewing frame bags for a Finnish boutique in Oulu. Now I can finally say I have finished some new work. I started to learn hand embroidery a couple of weeks ago and many other things have happened along the way. So to start easy I decided to make some pincushions & summery little clutches (pictures of clutches may appear here later on...). These will find their way to my shop as soon as I get all pictures edited. I was also thinking about drawing a tea cozy pattern. Maybe the hand emroidery would look nice on that. What do you think?

Oh, I just remembered I'll be participating at Poppytalk's upcoming "Here comes the Sun" market. It'll take place June 15 - July 10. I really need to get more new stuff ready next week. Actually I better start with these already this weekend!

Do you have plans for this weekend?

Exhibition Tour

It was a long weekend and I can happily say that for a change I do feel relaxed. Well, in fact for me all days are pretty much equal but as now H had a chance to spend more time at home it was extra nice for me too, of course. I'm glad that besides some gardening work, cooking, crafting, reading and snuggling we made a little trip to Fiskars Village on Sunday. Fiskars is full of beautiful old (and renovated) buildings where local artists and artisans reside and work.

Every summer they show two group exhibitions, one about design and another focusing on art. Led by Form is about production in series, showing mostly Finnish design, both industrially produced goods and items made by artisan methods. It is a mix of well known classics and something much more experimental. The following pieces are quite adorable, don't you think?!

Dance Shoes by Company (Aamu Song & Johan Olin)

Porcelain bowls by Heli Valaja

Animal stories by LEM

International textile exhibition It is Beautiful Here is held in a charming old wooden magazine building with three floors. Here are some of my very favorites from what I saw (did I just tell you I recently started my embroidery lessons?!)

A part of installation The Bear and the Girl by Helen Dahlman

Panier percé by Guillaume Delvigne & Ionna Vautrin

Sealpelt by Vik Prjónsdóttir
Autumn Collection by Severija Incirauskaité-Kriauneviciené

The Girl Is Growing by Outi Martikainen

The exhibitions opened on May 10th and they will keep the doors open till September 27th. Pay a visit if you're in the area this summer!

Learning Embroidery

I've been wanting to try embroidery for so long but somehow kept postponing it constantly. I feel that right now I need to find new ways to express my creativity so this is my moment to concentrate on learning something new. I went through my bookshelf and found a couple of Japanese embroidery books and magazines. I love Piu Sudo's work! Too bad her website didn't exist any longer but I found this book online here.

Delightful Creations with Embroidery and Appliqué by Piu Sudo is full of inspiring pictures and patterns. As the patterns are for personal use only, I never use them as they are. Nonetheless they work as a source of inspiration.

I made little drawing on my sketchbook.

Here's my first try, it's made freehand without any drawing on fabric. Masterpieces are yet to come but so far I enjoy making these!

Another try with a butterfly and a leaf motive to accompany a sakura flower on my upcycled fabric with nice prints. After making all embroideries I will continue with my sewing machine. These are supposed to turn out zippered clutches. Maybe I'll come up with a completely new idea too. Learning continues!

Wishing a creative day to you!