Silk beauties, silkki-ihanuuksia

One of my biggest treasures is a lace petticoat of my grandmother's. It has sumptuous Chantilly lace inserts, an embroidered monogram with her initials and is absolutely beautifully hand sewn. I renewed my old silk nightgown (which somehow had shrunk in the cupboard) by adding a tatted lace edging to the neckline and copying the… Continue reading Silk beauties, silkki-ihanuuksia

An upholstery job, nojatuolin verhoilua

This was easier than I had expected! Our old armchairs had served well but were looking a bit dreary. I found this velvet upholstery fabric that suited our colours and decided to give it a go. * Vanhojen kauhtuneiden nojatuolien verhoileminen onnistui mainiosti ja oli loppujen lopuksi helpompaa kuin kuvittelin. Väreihimme sopivan kankaan löysin Eurokankaan… Continue reading An upholstery job, nojatuolin verhoilua

Umbrella to shopping bag, sateenvarjosta ostoskassiksi

A lightweight shopping bag made from the fabric of a broken umbrella. Roll it up into a tiny parcel and it won't take much room in your handbag. Now where is that umbrella I bought from the Van Gogh Museum? Not thrown away I hope! * Kevyt ja pieneen tilaan kääriytyvä ostoskassi valmistui nopeasti rikkinäisen… Continue reading Umbrella to shopping bag, sateenvarjosta ostoskassiksi

Renewing chairs with lace, ulkotuolien uudistusta virkkaamalla

We bought some synthetic wicker chairs for the terrace some years ago which, not surprisingly, didn't last very long. The metal frame though was in perfect condition so I decided to redo the seat and back with some crocheted pieces. * Sain ajatuksen näiden tuolien korjaamiseen sisustuslehden kansikuvan tuolista johon oli punottu leveää satulanauhaa kauniiksi ristikkäiskuvioksi.… Continue reading Renewing chairs with lace, ulkotuolien uudistusta virkkaamalla

Dressing up for a formal occasion, akateemisiin juhliin sonnustautumista

It's not often that I get to wear an evening gown, but this week-end a friend of mine celebrated her doctoral degree in the traditional way. She was dressed in a black long dress, which I had the honour of making for her and the guests got to put on their best and look quite… Continue reading Dressing up for a formal occasion, akateemisiin juhliin sonnustautumista

Men’s shirt refashioned into a top, kesätoppi miesten paidasta

To prepare for the summer holidays I made this little top out of my husband's old worn out shirt. You can easily make the pattern with a top that fits you - if it's a knit just make sure you take measurements before cutting! * Mukavan pehmeä ja vilpoinen kesätoppi syntyi helposti vanhasta miesten kauluspaidasta.… Continue reading Men’s shirt refashioned into a top, kesätoppi miesten paidasta

Dyeing with coffee and blackcurrants, värjäystä kahvilla ja marjamehulla

This year's top fashion colour - rose quarz - seems to have been the theme of my posts just lately. I decided to dye my tatted new earrings from the previous post that colour too to go with my pale pink cardigan. After my experiments of dyeing with avocado skins I've been reading a lot about natural dyes.… Continue reading Dyeing with coffee and blackcurrants, värjäystä kahvilla ja marjamehulla

Dyeing with avocado, värjäystä avokadon kuorilla

This is really easy and fun! The internet is full of inspiring photos and blog posts about natural dyes and dyeing techniques, see textile artist Ruth Singer's fantastic work for example. In her blog I stumbled across something I had to try straight away: dyeing with avocado! * Pari viikkoa sitten luin tekstiilitaiteilija Ruth Singerin hurmaavaa… Continue reading Dyeing with avocado, värjäystä avokadon kuorilla

Sauna gear, saunavarusteet

The sleeves of my bathrobe ended up too short so I lengthened them by sewing on some lace. Being one of my favourite colours I had some linen yarn of the same green in my stash that I could use to crochet the lace edgings. I undid the cuff, turned a narrow hem onto the right… Continue reading Sauna gear, saunavarusteet

New curtains, verhojen ompelua

I had to replace the curtains in the changing room of our country sauna after ruining the old ones in the wash. I was going to sew some of my lace edgings onto the old ones, but had to buy some new linen instead. * Saunan pukuhuoneen verhot oli pakko uusia sen jälkeen kun olin… Continue reading New curtains, verhojen ompelua