Featured !!

I was thrilled when I saw my denim hat with leaves featured on Julie Marie's beautiful blog ! And even more when I read her comment :))) Have a look !



And have a look at Julie Marie's Etsy shop too; she makes the most lovely bags and aprons !

Traditional Costumes : Japanese Drapes

This week I finished two Samurai drapes in small sizes and in wool. I fiddled so long with the Japanese pattern to make it really nice fitting for a European size S/M. The black and white checkered one is from a pretty thick tweed wool I bought some years ago in Edinburgh (when we lived there); it has turned out much nicer than I thought, because I was first afraid it would be too stiff. But it drapes gorgeously, like a thick winter scarf. The other one is from a lovely purple striped wool fabric, much thinner and suppler than the tweed one. So, this one is a more flexible drape.

My lovely friend Anne is modelling them here, and she looks great in them ! They are for sale in my P8Accessories etsy shop ! Will also start to make some more in sizes L and XL.

Bags : Tiny Baskets

This week I finished six tiny baskets with traditional costume couples from The Netherlands. I found these tiny cross stitch patterns in a vintage embroidery book and I loved them. When I was a teenager (ahum, pretty long time ago) I had my legs several times in plaster (don't ask, but I was a fanatic sporter), and it is from that time on that I started to make cross stitch embroideries. I think I did not make any cross stitch anymore in the last 20 years or so, but when I saw these charming couples in folk dress, I had to make them.

And then I bought this gorgeous vintage linen tablecloth on a flea market in the nearby town, beautifully coarse and stiff. Perfect for making baskets. I lined them with remnants of an old fabric I bought once in Staphorst (must be at least 30 years old); I bought lots of this fabric back then to make me bed clothes from it. So, the whole set has a real vintage and traditional flair.

And they are for sale in my P8Accessories etsy shop ! There are more little baskets in the make .....

Challenge : The Tulip

The challenge of the European Street Team for this week is from ZsBcreations and is called "The Tulip".

As a Dutchie I am a bit biased of course and I had to make something special for this; thought about tulip bags, hats, even a tulip made from buttons, but then I decided to go for an apron. I saw a picture of an old apron pattern with a tulip pocket on Etsy, and the whole thing started to take form into my head.

Then I remembered the beautiful vintage linen dish clothes I bought last year on a flea market here in northern Germany, and the design was complete. It's for sale in my P8 Accessories shop on Etsy. Maybe the beginning of a new line ?

I wish you could feel the vintage linen; it's gorgeously rough and there is a beautiful stripe pattern woven into it.
At the end of this post some of the tulips in my own garden; I hope they will appear soon again !