Moving

As I was working on my improvised quilt I got in the groove and decided to make the move over to typepad that I've been planning for so long, so please do come over and forgive me for the building dust: syko.typepad.com

I will still keep this blog for reference and archives!

Welcome new year of fabric play!

Hello blog! I've been looking forward to this moment, but at the same time it is hard to decide where to start after a long break. The last two months of 2008 were very hectic and the theme seemed to be "one flu a week", so I decided to take a break from work to get well, be a full-time mum and recharge my batteries. It seems to have worked, even the weather is on my side this year, it is freezing and sunny so I think I will have to take a walk at lunch to catch some of the beauty before it disappears!
It has been a challenge to stay off the sewing machine so I have had to express my creativity in other ways. Big E got a very nice cookbook published by Unicef for Christmas so I have enjoyed exploring kid's favourite foods from different corners of the world. So far our favourite is adobo, chicken from the Philippines. We celebrated New Year's Eve at my parent's place and I didn't even bring a ball of yarn with me! Luckily my mum is a knitter so I made Big E a winter cap, I got to take a pic when she gets home (she actually wears it to school, which must mean it is a success)!

I also took up my crocheting hobby again, the progress is slow, but the blanket is already warming my knees at night :) I am using this pattern for my hexagons, but I'm sure I would have used the pattern from attic24, if she had written it down when I started, the progress would be much faster! Explore more loveliness in her flickr album. I use thin washable wool yarn instead of cotton, because I wanted to make a warm lap blanket, that wasn't too heavy.
And since I am know officially allowed to play with fabrics again I started planning a quilt inspired by the lovely piece of bird fabric I got in a Christmas swap with Anna. Can you spot the red fabric with the flying white birds? I found that at the fleamarket the other day! I love it so much! I think it might be made in Finland, probably in the early 80's. You rarely find fabrics with small patterns second hand so this made me really happy, I would probably have bought this if I had found it in the fabric store too.

And of course I had to join Katy's FQ swap!

Wishing you all a joyful and crafty year of 2009!

God Jul to you

The illness of the week is eye inflammation. Big E just got rid of her one week long fever (still coughing though) when little e started looking odd. This Autumn has been crazy! I have given up on getting any more work done before Christmas, I'm too used to peace and quiet when I create. We have made some Christmas gifts, which I can't show you yet :) I also managed to bake gingerbread with the two E's last Saturday and even put together this Moomin-house, which is still standing! We also brought out the boxes with Christmas decorations and I was reminded of the fact that children are maximalists when it comes to decorating. The longer I have kids, the more drawn I am to clean white spaces myself...

I am wishing you all a relaxing, joyful, white (if at all possible) and jolly Christmas with your loved ones! It has been a joy to spend this year with you! I will now try to "recharge my batteries" and will be back in 2009 for a fresh start! Happy New Year!

Hugs,
Kajsa

Craft fair rained away and a happy winner

Gamla stortorget i Åbo, originally uploaded by -syko-.

Turned out I chose a pretty crappy weekend for this outdoor craft fair :( Saturday was really low sales and I came home with a fever, Sunday was spent at the fair, in the rain with a fever. Blaaah. An experience I could have lived without. At least I had the best company I could wish for (see pic)! The Christmas market is held every weekend in December on the Old Great Square here in town, I love the atmosphere so I have attended a few years now, but I think this was my last, many people come there just to get that special Christmas spirit or just to walk the dog and not really to buy anything, and I need my sales :) I am very much looking forward to the INDOOR fair in Helsinki next week (Kvinnornas julmässa/Naisten joulumessut).

And then to the winner of the magazine, chosen by a random number machine on-line out of 62 submissions(!) is Isabel f.!!! I am so happy that the machine picked you! Take a look at isabel's beautiful houses over at flickr! Thank you all for sharing your craft projects this Christmas! I am so sorry that I did not respond personally to all of you! I am looking forward to making Christmas presents together with Big E when I come home from Helsinki, but I will have to wait until after Christmas to talk about these projects....

Winter wonderland and a magazine to give away

I'm here again! I felt an urge to tell the world about this view outside my window! We woke up to winter wonderland this morning, the kids have probably never got into their clothes so fast before! Please Santa, or whoever decides about these matters, let us have a white Christmas and winter this year! The last winters have been awfully wet and grey, let this stay! By the way, did you now that Santa Claus lives up in Finnish Lapland? They fly in hoards of tourists every year that want to deliver their wish lists personally. I uploaded more pictures from my wonderland walk on flickr, if you want to see more snow.


So this means I'm officially out of the Christmas closet, what can be better than serious Christmas crafting to the tones of The most relaxing Christmas album in the world...ever! with the view above outside the window! In the evening I enjoy a cup of glögg while stuffing tomte limbs in candle light. Everything to make working at night more joyful.


Last but not least this magazine with my tomte sitting on the cover came in the mail today :) I've got two issues of it so I thought I'd give one away to one of you. Just leave a comment here telling me about one of your Christmas projects and I'll draw a winner early next week.

Shop Local Scandinavia

Shop Local Scandinavia on Etsy, originally uploaded by -syko-.

This is one of many reasons it's been so quiet here on the blog lately. I was asked to make a "Shop Local Scandinavia"-guide for the Storque, which is the Etsy blog. Click here to meet some great crafters from all over Scandinavia! The bags under my eyes tell the story about how many tomte people I have created during the last month. I have two craft shows coming up, the first one in two weeks and I've still got lots to do. Next year I will have to hire someone to help me cope with everything! I am also supposed to make a pattern for a book, a nice swap parcel and a few other things... I guess all this means my business is growing :) Which is a good thing, right?

For those of you who are in Finland - please check out my web site for information on where to find my Christmas stuff for sale.

More news soon! Hope you are all well! We've been coughing for a couple of weeks now :(

I'm too old to be young

I am so tired. I got to spend the day out with good friends on Friday which meant I did not get much sleep and the two hour drive back home in the dark yesterday was exhausting! Turning 32 is hard work :) What is a joy is that I picked up the new Christmas cards from my brother while in Helsinki, so here they are! I've kept a few of the designs from last year that I showed in my last post, but printed them on quality paper this time.

And there is more good news, since the dollar seems to be recovering (or is it the Euro going down) I have reduced the price on all printed products in my shop, the price for shipping is also lower since today!

*edit* Turned out I have a fever, so I'm off to bed hoping to feel a little younger tomorrow. Good night everyone!