This and That

I was preparing a brief for Madelyn and added one of my favorite website as a reference: Cinq-Design

Looking at those images, it makes me want to live a simper life, makes me miss our apartment in Helsinki, to sit in front of the window, hold a cup of tea, and look at the rain drops hit the window and flow away

Tea towels

I ordered three beautiful tea towels from ferm Living this morning. There is one little problem, I tend to pack the kitchen textiles instead of use them once they arrive, I felt they are too pretty to be left food stain on it. I know, I know, that is silly. I still have two napkins from third drawer down I got during a business trip in Paris that still lies in their original package for many years. Love the new 'can we dance' tea towel from third drawer down by Camilla Engman. I promise, I am going to use them once they arrives, a cup of tea, a slice of pie and my new tea towels

Morning

Every morning, mum will take Landon to the park up the hill where she will meet other grandmas and Landon will meet other babies. And those 3 hours is my moment of solitary, I can take a shower, make myself a cup of tea, check my emails and my newly discovered amazing blogging space, write my own blog and sew. Sometimes these 3 hours felt so short, I didn't even have time to drink the tea, and it had turned cold already... Sometimes these 3 hours felt so long. I can't wait to have them back to the house and hold my little man into my arms.

Sewing more

This morning, when we went to downstairs and saw our messy dining table full of my sewing stuff. My husband said, you should update on your blog that you and your sewing machine are friends now. Yes! my sewing machine and I are finally friends, like women's friendship, we tend to become pretty close in a rather short time. In the past days I have started my amateur sewing production right in our living room. Boy, it was so much fun! I have made 3 totes, 1 diaper bag, 2 change mats, 1 tag blankie which my son couldn't care less about, 1 pair of baby pants that needs some renovation already( who knows Jersey can be so hard to sew?), 5 small, smaller bags from the leftover fabrics that I didn't want to throw away, and my favorite is my latest - fabric buckets. I bought a set of Danish fabric buckets a few years ago, costed me 76 euro, I still remember the sum! But they are beautiful, I took them out and put bread and fruits in them only when we have visitors. Now I can make my own! And I will use them everyday with or without visitors! huuu...I need to calm down, I need to take a break, my eyes are tired, my neck is stiff, my dining table is occupied, domestic goddess needs a break

8:30 Tuesday night

Am I obessed with sewing now? Maybe a bit. But my new sewing machine and me has not made friends yet. The truth is, I started to hate my sewing machine. Everything looked so easy in the instructional DVD, but i just can't sew one line straight with that damn machine. So I went back to the old fashion way, one thread, one needle and a pair of hands. Made a pair of pants and a Tshirt for Landon.

3 hours in LA

Went to LA yesterday, had a few free hours and decided to visit the nearby Melrose Ave. One of the stores that I have been buying online is creatures of comfort. All the Zucca pieces I own are from them. This is the first time I visit the actual store, it is quite small and maybe you could say even a bit unorganized. I didn't mind. I tried to think the store is like the lines they carry, not pretentious. They are having a final sale, never shy of buying from sales, I actually really enjoyed it. I got myself a skirt, a cardigan and a dress, all Zucca. Maybe I am a bit obsessed with this line right now.

After Creatures of comfort, we stopped at Fred Segal, wasn't too inspired to buy anything there, am I the only one who finds the store floors very confusing? Had lunch at Mauro's cafe, do agree with one of the articles I read before, it feels 'so LA'. Well the olives they serve before meal was really tasty.

Last stop before heading home is a must for me, Opening ceremony. Been to their New York store, first time to the LA one. Crazy about their men's collection. Very rare selection in the States. Besides my favorite Swedish brands, bought a few jackets for my husband from some of the new Japanese brands they carry. One is Kolor, effortless chic, especially like their choice of fabric, an uncommon but in a good way's combination of comfort and luxury. Another one is Haversack. Many of the clothes are made from Linen, one of my favorite fabric, the cut is just amazing. The subtle leather detail around the collar makes it very special

Sewing

I got so excited of sewing, decided to get myself a sewing machine. My husband helped me to set up the machine on our dining table, the only surface big enough to put my newly acquired sewing accessories. I also have a ruler now. I have absolutely no idea what each stitch means and what its for. I tried to sew on some leftover fabrics and it looked awful. Determined to be a self taught designer, went to the neighborhood bookstore to get a teach yourself sewing book. And happened to see a lovely book by Lotta Jansdotter. Like her modern scandinavian style, all the Marimekko fabrics. I miss Marimekko, one of many things I miss from Finland. Went to Lotta's online store, bought some linen fabrics, I don't know if I will ever be able to make those beautiful things Lotta taught in the book. But I am going to give a try

Little dresses

Three of my friends are having baby girls, I wanted to give them something special, that inspired me to start my little sewing project. Have never made any clothes before, don't own a sewing machine. I started the old fashion way, one needle, one thread and a pair of hands. Probably I did everything the wrong way. my fabric was not cut straight because I don't have a ruler, each piece is not 100% symmetrical since I don't have a pattern and don't know how to use it even if I do, I just kept cutting, sewing, cutting, sewing, modifying and thinking... I hope the dresses will fit them, I did try to put it on my son, only to see the size and oh boy how he disliked the idea and struggled so much that I couldn't even bring the dress close to him. How did he know those are for girls?

Thanks le vestiaire de jeanne for inspiration.