Christmas is on its Way

 

Time to wake up this blog with some Christmas inspiration! It's definitely my favourite time of the year and because it always seems to go by so quickly, this year I started my preparations much earlier than usual. 

I've been saving some Christmassy fabric for a while and this year I finally got round to sewing some cushion covers for our sofas. I love the Michael Miller fabric - red bakground and white print! The fabric with the lingon berries I found in a charity shop. It was a massive pair of curtains so I have a lot of this fabric left. I think it looks really nice mixed with other contrasting or coordinating fabrics. I'm very happy with how they turned out and our home is already slightly closer to Christmas! Let it roll!

I made these two cushion covers for my sister so this is all I can show till she receives the parcel I'm sending her...

Two Summer Dresses

Two very simple summer dresses which I wore a lot this Summer.

Based on this dress (Anda Dress - Burda #7969) that I made ages ago - the first dress I made! - I changed the silhouette by taking it in at the waist and removing the waist strap, made it sleeveless and added facing to the armholes.

I am very happy with how they turned out. The fabrics are superb! The top one is from Färgkulla from IKEA and the bottom one is from a local fabric shop. Not obvious dress fabric but great result in the end!

The Sound of... Curtains!

What is for you one of the most memorable scenes from "The Sound of Music"? My list of memorable scenes from this musical gem is endless. I Love this film and have seen it a thousand times! And we all know how much we laughed - and loved - in awe when all the Von Trapp children came running wearing their new clothes which adorable, talented and loving - let's just say, perfect - Maria had made for them from the curtains in her bedroom.

So I made my own version of the Curtain Style. Totally unconsciously. Or not? Deep in my subconscious was, I'm sure, those warm memories. 

Four years ago I found some very big curtains in a charity shop here in Stockholm. and the price was irresistable so I had to get them. I like the English rose country cottage style. A few months ago I finally decided to make an A-line skirt out of this fabric. Then I decided to make a bag. And when I wore the skirt and used the bag at the same time, for the first time, I couldn't stop thinking about the Sound of Music!

I love this outfit, skirt-and-bag, and I wear it in every season, with or without tights, with a warm polo neck or a summery top. 

The A-line skirt: Pattern inspired by the instructions in both "Sew What Skirts16 Simple Styles You Can Make with Fabulous Fabrics" and in "Sew-U-BuiltbyWendy".

The bag: Pattern from Keyka Lou. "Easy Grocery Bag" Check other ones I've made! Here and here.

Stockholm Spring Cushions

 

 

 

 

Even for something so simple as a cushion cover I needed the inspiration from Jane Foster's tutorial "How to make an IKEA cushion cover". I like the simplicity of the video and it just made me feel that I could make some covers myself! I added a top stitch all around the cushions to give it a little extra touch. And while you're at it, take a look around Jane Foster's blog and look at all the beautiful, colourful, happy-making things she makes!

Of course it doesn't have to be with fabric from IKEA, although these ones I made are! Don't you just love these strong bright greens of the Stockholm Ormbunke/Grön? I definitely do! After the long, white and grey winters here in Sweden, I always feel a craze for GREEN at this time of the year, before the leaves come out! 

 

Easy Grocery Bag - Yoko's Brand New Bag!

This is one of my versions of Keyka Lou's "Easy Grocery Bag". I made my first one three years ago and absolutely love the pattern and how it turns out. I have also made one for myself and will try to show it here soon. I use it all the time!

I wanted to give my friend Yoko a present and thought I could sew her a bag. She chose the fabrics and here it is!

 

My friend chose a contrasting - just how I like it - fabric from my stash: a green polka dot from a little old shop in Lisbon, Portugal. I then did all the top stitching in green.

The outer fabric is Gunilla, from IKEA. Love fabric with birds!

Happy Skirt With Meat Balls!

Saw this fabric at IKEA and, what do you know! I HAD to get some! It's the magnificent Eivor Leva with so many fun details that it's hard to just buy a bit because I really want to have all the little different pictures on it. (I need to go back and get some more!). And what could be more Swedish than meatballs? I mean, who else has a skirt with flying meatballs on it? I feel so happy wearing this skirt!

I've been in a skirt-making mode lately so I had to make another skirt. I made an A-Line Skirt from "Sew What! Skirts:16 Simple Styles You Can Make With Fabulous Fabrics" 

I added a red zip and finished the waistline  with a complementing bias tape: a lovely green that actually goes really well with the greens on the fabric.

 

Funky!

The Smell of Summer

 

 

While Spring is fighting its way in, very slowly, I couldn't wait with my summery wrap-around skirt! It almost has the smell of Summer! 

 

I used the "Breezy Beach Wrap" pattern from "Sew What! Skirts:16 Simple Styles You Can Make with Fabulous Fabrics". And with this fabulous fabric I made this skirt that I absolutely love! I bought this fabric a couple of years ago in a charity shop here in Stockholm. A long pair of curtains made from quite heavy woven cottony, woolly, lineny material.

I had to add another panel to the skirt just so my behind is properly covered... And I made the waistband and straps wider than in the original pattern and I'm really happy with how it fits around the waist and how the straps hang.

Roll on Summer!