compulsively crafting

I'm not one of them!!

2010-09-30T20:51:00.000+02:00

This is to end speculations about my being one of the 33 people that got trapped in a Chilean copper mine 2 months ago - I am still here, I swear!
I am just dealing with some major changes in my life and will resume posting as soon as everything's back to 'normal'. :)

In the meantime, I spend my evenings knitting... learned to knit socks, too!
Here's a great & easy baby sock pattern if anyone's interested:

http://www.valleycafe.com/knitting/sock-pattern.html

You're gonna hear from me... ;)

One million pillowcases...

2010-08-14T20:56:00.002+02:00

That's the challenge from allpeoplequilt and Craft Hope... donating 1 000 000 pillowcases to charities all over the world.

I'll be sending a couple to Craft Hope member Sylvia, who runs the ConKerrCancer chapter for Europe, in Oxford next week.

Apart from that, I am getting ready for the hoodie sew-along on Christine's blog... it'll start next Monday. Will be my first time sewing with knits, I am so excited!
Hope it'll work out...

SUMMERTIME!!

2010-07-29T22:36:00.003+02:00

We spent a couple of days at the beach... oh, what a joy!

I just love the North Sea. The wind, the mist, the clouds,

the dunes... and the doggie beach!

It was great fun to watch all these chaps play... so cute!

I could have spent hours there.

This little fellow was so afraid of the waves coming in,

but his owner made him retrieve the ball out the water

over and over... poor little doggie!

And this one, besides from retrieving the ball,

kept running up and down the beach,

continuously barking at the waves... so funny!

This group of Cavaliers really was the number one riot, though!

In their funny high-pitched voices, they didn't stop barking

for a second, and were having such a great time with their ball!

I had a blast watching them!

We rented bikes and cycled around the dunes a lot...

boy, my backside hurt!

We were really lucky weather-wise, though -
it was perfectly lovely.

It can be quite a pain at the North Sea at times,

but we had six days of sunshine this year!

Did some crafting on the beach, too... like here,

my first attempt at paper piecing!

It was a lot easier and faster than I had expected.

Just a shame I didn't bring enough different fabrics

to finish the hexagon flower... *sigh*

Wanted to finish binding the Echino quilt so

I could take some pictures.

But I was so excited to try the hexagons

I didn't get around to it.

Took some pictures nonetheless.

We really had some fun couple of days.

Thanks in part to him, who run our very dog-friendly hotel.

He never introduced himself to us, but I like to think

of him as Boris - it would suit him!

Thanks for the great stay, Boris!

See you next year... on the beach!

So little time!

2010-07-18T22:51:00.002+02:00

I have several different projects I want to get done over the next few weeks, and there's these two right at the very top of my list:

1. hand quilt Fritzen's new mini quilt, finally using my quilting hoop (that I got a year ago) for the first time!

2. paper piece some hexagon potholders (scroll down a bit for pictures).

I often think I should give hand sewing/quilting a second try. It's a great thing to do on the bus, or while waiting at the doctor's... Occasions I used to take a knitting project along to, but I just don't have one ongoing at the moment, and I don't feel like starting a new one.

I decided not to use the Hope Valley flying geese top for Fritz' new mini quilt...

...it had too many serious flaws (it really looks like I pieced it while sleepwalking, or after I poured down a couple of pints!) that would have made it even more difficult for me to hand quilt it (zero experience in hand quilting).

So I thought I would make a string quilt with some fun Sis Boom fabrics... and I am glad I went for those, it is so cheerful and wild, just like Fritz himself. He has shown himself to be a big Sis Boom fan anyway, so I am pretty sure he will love it!

Wasn't sure what fabric to use for the backing, so juggling around with my stack of Sis Boom this here evolved... and I love love love it!

The simple square pattern makes these wild and colourful designs work so wonderfully together, I think it looks just gorgeous! I said it before, I guess, but I just need to say again how much I love the zebra fabric! It adds so much fun to whatever project, and this vivid kitschy floral is just the perfect match!

I will definately need to make another project with these paired together, maybe even a larger quilt!
With this quilt the back is the real eyecatcher!

Yes, Michel, I do take the hint - you're tired of your old boring kitty quilt and want a mod one just like this! I'll see what I can do, sweetie.

Apart from that, I still need to bind the new Echino quilt... so many projects, so little time!

Almost finished!

2010-07-16T23:15:00.001+02:00

Finished the Echino quilt today... that is, almost. The binding's not yet sewn, just pinned, but hey... it feels as if it was finished!
Love these crib size quilts for the instant gratification they provide!

And of course, like all quilts I make (with one exception, because that one moved to Hawaii), this one now belongs to Fritz.

More (and hopefully better) pictures to follow!
Good night!

Dreaming of Heather Ross...

2010-07-12T22:13:00.004+02:00

The Echino quilt top is done. Now on to the back!

I'ts only a crib size, so that one was really fast.

Just preshrunk the batting (will be using Moda's "Luna" quilt batting "Soy Soft", which is a blend of soy and organic cotton, for the first time - can't wait to try this out), and realized I haven't prewashed the backing fabric yet, so layering the quilt will have to wait until tomorrow evening.
Don't particularly enjoy this part anyway, it kills my back.

Very happy with the colours.

So glad I stocked up on the Echino stripes... all out of print!

I have to confess I dreamed of Heather Ross ALL NIGHT last night.
Well, not actually of Heather Ross as a person, but of her new Far Far Away II line for Kokka... now how sad is that? Ha!

I ordered some of this superprecious fabric yesterday, and am so excited to get my hands on it!
Never been a huge fan of Heather Ross, but this really grew on me. Actually, I seem to like all her designs lately... unfortunately, she always sells out like crazy.

Oh, Far Far Away II! I hope you get here FAST!!! Already have a quilt pattern for you in mind.

New Echino quilt project and kitty mini quilt.

2010-07-08T23:09:00.002+02:00

Voilà the colour palette for my new quilt:

I have been thinking about this project for a couple of weeks now... started some drawings and calculations on the weekend, and today I finally got around to cutting and sewing the first four blocks.

Great fun so far! Love all the colours together... inspired by one of Ashley's quilts, from filminthefridge.

Particularly like the quilty bee... though it's probably a wasp, at least that's what the fabric's called.

Etsuko Furuya's designs are so much fun!
I am glad I collected so many different ones over the years... since the prettiest have long sold out.

Fritzen's mini quilt's top is also finished... though I made some major mistakes here, and there is no way I will be able to hide them.

Oh well, Fritzle won't mind. It will sure be prettier than his old hairy carpet.

Finished baby boots and Kona colour card.

2010-07-06T11:33:00.001+02:00

I finally got around to trying out the pattern I purchased with sewingwithme on etsy a couple of weeks ago.

I think it turned out very cute, love the Japanese turtle fabric, too!

I didn't sew on the buttons yet, not even sure if I will... I think they look good on a fabric with no motif, like the gingham that was used for the original pattern pictures, but might cause an overload on the tiny shoes with all the turtles on... we'll see.

I already made another pair in Echino dots. Love the pattern, and it's just the right kind of baby shoe for our cold winters over here in the West of Europe. A bit tricky to sew because the shoes are really tiny, but the outcome is so cute it's definately worth the effort.

In the meantime, I purchased 6 more patterns with sewingwithme and can't wait to try them all. Will post pics of what I made!

And I received my anxiously awaited KONA colour card in the mail yesterday!

So happy to be able to check them all at a glance. It's a pain to have to order them from what you see (guess, rather) on screen, a real challenge when you don't have a brick & mortar quilt shop around, so I was dying to get my hands on one when I found out these were available.

Hoping it will help a great deal with planning my next quilt! I've seen this on flickr and would love to make something similar - I think it looks amazing!
I am actually working on a mini quilt for kitty Fritz right now - finished the top yesterday. Pics to follow.

Now, back to work...
It's so hot we are taking breaks every hour... Tinka just gave me the evil eye for waking her up.

I can tell she's really suffering from the heat... she will be 15 in September, and it must be quite strenuous for her.
Poor Tinka.

Bestest ever Japanese zipper pouch tutorial.

2010-06-30T22:31:00.009+02:00

A long long time ago, shortly after I started sewing, I found a pattern for a zipper pouch that was THE perfect pen case.

It was on a blog that I unfortunately don't remember, and there actually wasn't even a 'proper' tutorial coming with it, but just a picture the blog owner had taken from a Japanese craft magazine.

No, not a kimono - it's going to be a pouch!

However, as these pattern pictures in Japanese magazines tend to be very easy to follow even for a not so experienced seamstress (with, of course, not a clue of the Japanese language), I gave it a try and ended up with a perfect pen pouch, that I still use to store small knitting projects in when on the go (so much as to the pen case).

I had, though, lost the link to the tutorial, and remembering that the lining had to be sewn in by hand I didn't want to make another one all too soon (really not keen on hand sewing).
But recently I googled for that tutorial again... and voilà... I found one, not THAT one, but a similar one on craftster:

Pen / cosmetics / knitting needle pouch, 'Japanese' way

The only difference is that this one doesn't even bother to add a lining, but instead serges the inner visible seams of the pouch (no-go for me, I always need to have a 'proper' lining that makes all seams invisible).

Anyway, I can still recommend that pattern because it's just the perfect pouch shape and you can make them in a gazillion different sizes for each and every purpose, and if you want to have a lining just sew one that is identical to the outer pouch and sew it in by hand.

Here's the ones I made for my MIL's birthday last week, with Moda's Shangri La, which I love but have never used before (it would add another non-match to the thousands of different non-matching designs in my flat, and I will leave it at that):

I did a lot of quilting on these, it took ages, and I loved it. It was so soothing to be a bit creative. I sew much to many functional things that I forgot what "sewing for the plain fun of it" means.

I even quilted around the outlines of the flowers... it was not as difficult as I thought it would be!

I didn't sew in the lining by hand, though. It is a bit tricky to figure out how to add the lining at the same time while sewing the outer pouch, but doable (if I can do it anyone can, just wouldn't recommend it to a sewing newbie, it will drive you mad).
Here's the pouch once more, with cute kitty (Michel) feet:

If I were better with descriptions and words I would try to explain how it is done, but I can barely express what I mean when talking to myself. Maybe when I next sew one I will take pictures and do some drawings... drawings of what, I wonder? ;)

Good night, peeps. Would love to see pics of your pouches if you decide to try this out (see my flickr group?).

We're Germans. Football play we better zan you...

2010-06-28T11:01:00.001+02:00

...hope you like Germans, too! :)

I will need to apologize to the English in our family (my grandma's brother was a POW in England and got married there) living in beautiful Welwyn Garden City... but only AFTER we won the cup. ;)

And, please, English fans! Stop bashing your team, this is heartbreaking! They were not THAT bad after all. Please stop torturing yourselves.
It's just because ze Germans played so well - it was not solely YOUR fault.
Embrace your team and support them, there will be better times ahead!!

Quilting my way through the World Cup.

2010-06-21T10:14:00.003+02:00

Sorry peeps, long time no post!
We are much too busy watching the Holy World Cup over here, and though I really don't like hand sewing / binding quilts, I have quite enjoyed binding this one, because it gave me an excuse to sit on the couch in front of the telly, and not at the machine, where I can't follow the games.

Most remarkable matches so far:

* Switzerland beating Spain 1:0!
* US draw vs England, draw vs Slovenja (so unfair, the US clearly won!)
* New Zealand beating Italy 1:0! WOW!
* Mexico beating France 2:0 (by the way, WHAT THE *** is going on there?? Come on French team, get serious, this is ridiculous!!)
* ...and, of course, the most remarkable match, Germany vs Australia 4:0 !!!

Even though we all felt a bit sorry for the Aussies, as they have given us no reason to dislike them or even show schadenfreude. Sorry, Australia!!! Sorry, Mark Schwarzer! It was necessary, though, please don't hate us.

Having all thumbs and fingers crossed for Germany vs Ghana on Wednesday, and counting on your support!!!

Now for some quilty pictures... front... and back:

Martin, the new proprietor, didn't have a chance to use it just yet.
Fritz claimed it to be his'.
I must remember to make a few more kitty quilts to have everybody happy in here.

Brought to you by the creative minds of ... a must see.

2010-06-17T10:46:00.000+02:00

Craft Hope!

2010-06-08T21:38:00.002+02:00

I totally forgot about Craft Hope in the last weeks... but I just saw them on Facebook again, and they are currently promoting Project 8 - if you are in North America, go check it out and see if you want to / can contribute something!

They are mainly asking for towels and cloth (rags even) to be donated to organizations (The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, the Audubon Nature Institute, and the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge) that clean the oiled wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico. So, no need to be elaborately crafty, it will do if you can sew a straight line, or if you can knit or crochet a square piece of cloth! :)

I hear there are contributors from Europe even, but I am not sure if I'd want to advocate this, because it doesn't seem to me to be making much sense to send rags from all over the world, taking into consideration the fossil fuels it will use up to get them there (and also because I think that there will definately be enough people in North America that will donate towels and such).

For us Euros who'd like to help, a financial donation might be better, like it can easily be done via Paypal to organizations such as Save Our Seabirds in Florida (please see 'donate' button at the bottom of the page for immediate and easy donation).

Evan's I SPY baby quilt

2010-05-24T18:53:00.105+02:00

This is the quilt I am submitting to Amy Park City Girl's Spring 2010 Bloggers' Quilt Festival - thanks Amy for hosting yet another great quilt festival!

I made this quilt for my dear friend Kathleen and her beautiful baby boy Evan, who was born on 12 April.

I had actually planned to make an overall for him, but when his mom mentioned that she had received tons of clothes for him at the baby shower I was forced to change my plans!

At that point, I realized that I probably wouldn't be able to finish a quilt in time before her due date, considering that I am not a very experienced quilter and that it still had to travel all the way from Germany to Hawaii! But somehow it all worked out... it took me about a week of non-stop-sewing-quilting-binding, but I made it!

I really enjoyed making this one, in part because I have never made a baby quilt before and it was sooo much easier to handle than a twin or queen size one, and also because with my friend being half American and half Japanese, it was a great opportunity to use both my favourite American as well as Japanese kids' fabrics!

As with every quilt I make, I experienced difficult working conditions with this one, too. Michel just has to monitor my every stippling to check if I am doing it with enough care and attention. But I guess this is what every kitty person has to deal with...*sigh*.

And as with every quilt I made a lot of mistakes in this one, too... mostly in planning the quilting, but also with the binding. But I think that's the only way for me to learn... I'm just not getting it otherwise!
But I am pretty sure that Evan, the new owner, doesn't mind the flaws.

I liked it so much it was hard not to blog about it while I was making it, and when I posted a picture to my flickr after I had shipped it to her I made sure to caption it "baby quilt for a local customer", just in case she would see it and might suspect it was for her... worked out fine, I think. ;)

Ribbon, patterns and quilt festival news.

2010-05-17T22:28:00.006+02:00

I just received the cutest new ribbon from Tausendschön in Germany... and they sent me some this fun lollipop with my order! Haven't seen this kind of candy since I was about... 10?

I am in love with this ribbon! Darling design!

I already listed it in my etsy shop.
Thanks to my friend Terri who keeps me up to date on the German ribbon market, hehe!!

Speaking about patterns... I stumbled across this wonderful pattern shop on etsy, 'sewingwithme', selling patterns for tons of cute baby shoes!

I LOVE LOVE the Echino Mary Janes!!! You can make such stinkin' cute shoes for baby girls!!! And I am so excited because I will be getting in a HUGE GIGANTIC KOKKA shipment either today or tomorrow... with some Echino dots, too... though not in 'gold'.

I ordered the Baby Boots pattern with the three buttons (she even has a pattern for baby-wellingtons, hehe!) and will let you know how it turned out! Can't wait to try, but it will probably take a few days until I get around to it.
The owner has a couple of pattern shops apparently, and she even sells a pattern for a metal frame purse I have always wanted to try, but never managed to figure out.

I am so glad I found this shop!! I will be busy!
OH, and not to forget!! Sue, the owner, even allows you to sell items made with her patterns!!! Provided you give her full credit, of course! Isn't that great??

AND... have y'all seen? The Bloggers' Quilt Festival is coming up again! Can't wait to see all the wonderful quilts!

Be sure to head over to Amy Park City Girl's blog, and submit your quilts and win some fabric!

See you there!!

And now for something completely different.

2010-05-16T21:51:00.006+02:00

Hey folks, I know my blog has not been a very positive one to visit in the last weeks!

I just can't get this oil disaster out of my head... but I will have to learn to accept that it has happened, and that there's no way to turn back time.

It's been almost a month (!!!) that oil has been spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, and there's no end in sight. And I realize it doesn't make it any better if I sit here complaining and whining to you all.

So... now for something completely different!

I got Anna Maria Horner's new book on Friday:

It's got a couple of fun projects, like the Dad Bag...

...or the Quick Change Trousers...

...or the Baby-in-the-Hood Jacket - love the Sis Boom fabrics in this one!!!

The Here We Go Bag seems an easy and chic pattern, and I love the picture because of the lady's wonderful red hair! I love red hair!!

The Cute as a Button Booties and the Mariposa dress and tunic pattern are lovely, too!

I don't know if I'll ever sew anything from these books - like I haven't made a single project from my Amy Butler books, or my much loved Denyse Schmidt book, but still, I love to look at the pictures and that makes them worth it - so inspirational!

I have been sewing quite a bit recently anyway... currently working on a project I cannot yet show you, because it's going to be a surprise, but I have been making these for myself: a roomy Echino shopping bag/tote, Sis Boom's Meghan peasant dress, and a couple of Nigella pillowcases for our sad couch:

I needed some new stuff for myself, with the weather still being so depressing over here... and COLD!!! Hopefully that will change soon.

Here's what we (they!) get.

2010-05-11T10:06:00.000+02:00

Good thing we can only see and not feel the suffering.
It will be a long and painful death.

Picture from Guardian: "An oil soaked bird struggles against the side of the HOS Iron Horse supply vessel at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana."

We should let the picture sink in. And not forget too quickly.

CONGRATS NRW!!!

2010-05-09T21:10:00.001+02:00

Hooray for the state elections in Germany's North Rhine Westphalia!!!

A red-green government... can it be possible?? YAY!! I am hoping they will make it. Wonderful news!

GOODBYE, SCHWARZ-GELB!!! See you in hell, hahaha!

Let's HELP!

2010-05-06T00:06:00.001+02:00

For those of us who are so far away but nonetheless are immensely saddened by the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, those wo cannot just pop over to volunteer (and I am glad to read that organizations seem to have been INUNDATED with people offering their help to clean up beaches and help rescue wildlife):

I found an article on the Tampa Bay Tribune that lists organizations that still need help, be it towels, linen, sheets, toothbrushes and kennels etc, and while I realize it might not be very economical to send over a couple of towels to the US from Europe (and I am assuming that US citizens will be donating plenty of towels themselves, as Americans are always eager to donate and help), those who are willing to donate a couple of $ or EUR or whatever currency can do so on the website of SAVE OUR SEABIRDS, which is located in Sarasota but is preparing to leave for the Florida panhandle region soon, to be ready to help when the oil reaches the shore.

For those who are skeptical as to whether these birds have any chance of surviving at all after having been covered in oil:
"In 1991, Lee (founder of SAVE OUR SEABIRDS) worked with major oil companies, environmental groups, state officials, and the U.S. Coast Guard to develop an oil spill response plan... (...) An unprecedented 85% of the birds affected - a total of 371 were saved! (quote from SAVE OUR SEABIRDS 'about us' on their website)."

I guess you have to at least try... it doesn't say if this number of birds 'just' survived the actual washing or if they actually survived for a significant period afterwards (with German scientists claiming it's better to kill the birds right away and spare them the washing), but who am I to assess.
I am fine if they spend the money on cleaning the shores also.

It's so easy to help and donate via Paypal - please consider to give a couple of bucks, even if it's $ 10 only!
I just made my donation.

Every little bit helps! THANKS from the bottom of my heart!

Drafting a new pattern.

2010-05-05T22:20:00.001+02:00

Working on something to keep myself from compulsively checking the news every 15 minutes.

I'll either be able to finish it tomorrow or it will be sitting here for another 2 weeks.

Off to bed now... hoping Labour will make it in the UK elections tomorrow.

A catastrophe beyond imagination.

2010-04-30T23:59:00.009+02:00

Up until yesterday I had seriously hoped that eventually someone would come up with a solution that might finally save the US Southern coastline from what is now happening.
Silly, how naive of me.
Though fatalistic, I am very superstitious at times, and having been brought up by an extremely religious catholic grandmother I still have thoughts like "the Good Lord will not want this to happen" or "He will spare us this misery" crossing my mind very frequently, even though I am not at all religious myself.

And I really didn't want to believe something like that could happen AGAIN... it is mortifying, my heart sank this morning when I got up and checked the news. The oil has already reached the coast. I wanted to throw up.

Do they ever learn???

Picture from GREENPEACE blog US

How could this have been allowed to happen? How can darn Bf***P be allowed to drill in deep seas without EVEN HAVING A DOABLE PLAN AS TO WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY???
Now they are building a dome... hahaha! How cute! Why aren't these things produced in advance, BEFORE something has happened?? Oh, wait, they cost money.
I hope the costs of the clean up f*** ruin BP and ALL OF THEIR SHAREHOLDERS who make their dirty money with the world's misery.

I am not so naive as to ask for an end to be put to offshore drilling, I know what can be achieved and what is out of reach. But how can these UNSCRUPULOUS, IRRESPONSIBLE and UNPRINCIPLED corporations be allowed to greedily go for their profits even though NOBODY CARES TO PUT TOGETHER SENSIBLE EMERGENCY PLANS IN ADVANCE???
Makes me SICK.

How many millions of birds and baby birds, fish and wildlife and their offspring will find their DOLOROUS and AGONIZING DEATH - hell, it is breeding season.
I wish for those responsible to die in the same manner.

They say that the Louisiana marshlands will soak the oil up like a sponge. There is no way to clean this area.

I don't know if I want to cry or kill someone (not anyone).

Am I the only one...

2010-04-28T21:00:00.000+02:00

...who is having the impression that far from "everything we can" is being done to end the oil leakage in the Gulf of Mexico???

Makes me so angry... sure, go ahead, Mr Obama, let's go for some more offshore drilling! Great idea!!

Is anyone going to hold BP responsible for this mess???

WAAAHOO the house of my dreams!!!

2010-04-14T21:03:00.004+02:00

I needed to change colours on my blog a bit... It seemed so depressing to me after a while (hehe, or is it just me?).

Anyway... the house of my wildest Florida dreams (some of you might know I feel a strong affiliation with the Sunshine State) on the NYT Great Homes and Destinations series:

Oh, be it mine!! What a coincidence they featured a house in Bradenton this week... The other night I dreamed I was relocating to St. Petersburg (FL, of course, not Russia... where it's just as cold as here, hehe).
And it's not a silly price range, as ever so often ("What you get... for $ 750,000", or the like).

Love love love this house!!! I can has?
Omnes viae Floridam ducunt. ;)

Read the article here or just look at the pictures here. Hmmm...

FOOD BLOG: Apple Cake and Scrambled Tofu

2010-04-11T22:17:00.000+02:00

We had Isa's scrambled tofu for brunch today... it was really great! We both loved it!! What on earth took me so long to give it a try???
No need to mention that the two of us made do with all four servings, right?

And then I finally did try the German apple cake from the German vegan Tierrechtskochbuch.

Well, the recipe could do with some editing... for example, it won't tell you how much of the batter you will have to set aside for the top, and how much you use for the bottom. Also, it doesn't mention that you will have to put a layer of batter on the inside of the baking dish, all around, BEFORE you put the apple mix in... because the apple mix will have to have some kind of 'frame' to not fall apart.
I guess any person who has made this kind of cake before would know this; however, I didn't.
Fortunately, it didn't fall apart in the end... well, not too much.

And it tastes quite good, surprisingly (surprisingly relates to me having made it, it's not meant to be an insult to the recipe author).
The wholemeal makes it a little more dense in its texture, so you feel quite full after just one piece, and don't have to eat the whole thing, hehe!

So... we had roasted potatoes and salad for supper (since having tried the Jambalaya yesterday I need to have hot chili sauce with everything I eat).
Seems like we have done nothing but cooking and eating all day - now that's what I call Sunday!

Charlie news... and vegan Jambalaya!!

2010-04-10T20:18:00.000+02:00

We have news from Charlie!!!

The family that adopted him sent a picture of Charles and his new superbuddy to the Eifeltierheim animal shelter!

Here he is, with Queeny, his new Cavalier King Charles friend:

They say it took him around 6 weeks to get adjusted to his new home, poor little man.
And he still doesn't want to go outside, only very reluctantly, and they say he's back in in no time. He's probably so happy to finally have a home and not have to stay outside in -15C / 5F.

But now with the arrival of the puppy a couple of weeks ago he seemed to become more and more comfortable in his new home, and he and Queeny became good friends, even though Charles still is the boss and helps "train" the doggy. :)

I am so glad it all turned out so well for him! Hooray for Charles!!!

And now for something completely different...
Some of you might have read that I am much into cooking right now, and today we tried another new recipe that my friend Kathleen posted on her blog a couple of days ago, and veganized it: Jambalaya, a traditional Southern US dish prepared in Creole and Cajun cooking (I think it 'evolved' from Spanish paella-like dishes, and it tastes very mediterranean to me).

Sorry, my food pictures aren't ever mouth-watering, I know...

We just omitted the meat and seafood, and for some reason, even though I currently can't stand it, we used tofu as a substitute (I asked Martin if he wanted tofu or a meatball-substitute as a replacement, and much to my surprise and sorrow he said tofu, so there was no way out).

Anyway, I can really recommend the recipe - thanks Kathleen!
It's supereasy to prepare, I usually have all ingredients at home anyway, so it's a convenient and easy dish for me. And really yummy!

It's not hot or too spicy, so the hot chili sauce is a must to go with it if you like it a bit spicy. The recipe is for 4 servings, but we had no problem eating the whole thing just the two of us (burp).
Next time I will just omit the tofu, I am happy with veggies and rice only, and actually not keen on tofu at the moment (I used to love it, though, but just not now).
I was just wondering why this would be called a healthy appetite-dish...? Probably because of the salad that goes with it but is not mentionned in the recipe...hehe.

Bon appétit!

I am sure I will be back with food news soon. Looks like Kathleen's and my blog turn into a food blog after all... :)

Cooking around...

2010-04-07T21:32:00.000+02:00

I must admit I have not been much into sewing recently... I don't know why, but I am praying it's just a phase!
Gosh, what to do with all that fabric otherwise... ouff!

To keep myself from uselessly lying on the couch in the evenings (it's hard to manage, I must say - I have never experienced such a period of total lethargy before, and it scares the hell out of me - I feel so useless!), I finally started to cook around a bit again, trying out recipes from this great vegan cook book I stumbled across accidentally last year, while killing time roaming around a bookstore: Isa Moskowitz' 'Vegan (with a) Vengeance' (for reviews, check out Amazon).

I made co-author Terry Romero's 'chili sin carne con mole' today... yummy. I ate three bowls. No, wait, it was four... ;)
I made sure to only use a third of the cocoa that's supposed to go in there, though, and half of the molasses (I just couldn't picture it with THAT much sugar and chocolate, and it still turned out great).
It's really a fabulous book, and considering myself a cuisine dummy I was nothing but happy with the recipes, easy to prepare even for me, and all I tried turned out great so far (unfortunately, I haven't been so lucky with Isa Moskowitz' and Terry Romero's other books, like the cupcake or the cookie books - I keep trying, though - transferring the recipes to German/Euro baking measurements and "habits" isn't that easy - try to get a 9" x 13" baking pan over here, hahaha!).

Anyway, I have a feeling that I might be entering a 'cooking phase'... tomorrow I might try the German apple cake (Gedeckter Apfelkuchen, recipe in German) recipe from the online "Tierrechtskochbuch" (don't let the name fool you, the providers are very much engaged into animal rights and just named their website and recipe collection for it)... wish me luck!!

Oh, and whoever is interested in real estate (I love looking at properties I will never be able to afford!), after presenting some really awful homes the last few weeks the NYT finally put together another lovely collection in their Great Homes and Destinations series. I love the one in New Orleans, and the one in Maryland is so freaky it's almost charming!

Handarbeit & Hobby!!!

2010-03-27T23:59:00.007+01:00

Hey peeps, long time no post!!

But I have an excuse... I've been busy! And sick unfortunately... but doing a lot better now. :)

And I just returned from the Handarbeit & Hobby trade show in Cologne with some pictures of the best booths (sorry the pictures are so crappy, I tried not to use lightning because that gets on people's nerves, but of course that made the pictures blurry), and some AMY BUTLER NEWS I had NO IDEA of!!

Anyway... here's the booth of my German Michael Miller & Robert Kaufman distributor, Kurt Frowein Patchwork fabrics.

Mr. Frowein's daughter Silke was wearing an awesome German Dirndl dress made with Michael Miller fabrics, I loved it, she looked so cute! And they had by far the nicest booth of all the patchwork fabric distributors.

And voilà Amy Schimler's new On A Whim II for Robert Kaufman fabrics, once again with a supercute owl design:

Of course the most sophisticated and stylish booth (which was much too small for the crowds queuing and piling up everywhere) was Seven Islands' with all the Echino designs and wonderful Japanese prints:

And look at the wonderful traditional Japanese fabrics and quilts!

This beautiful quilt was hanging at the MAKOWER UK booth, I love the pattern:

The kimono style pj is made with Joel Dewberry's new MODERN MEADOW line for Westminster... just beautiful!

And now the stunning news... Miss AMY BUTLER has knitting patterns for ROWAN out: MIDWEST MODERN KNITS!

Of course I neither have the time nor the knitting expertise nor the patience to knit these elaborate patterns, but it certainly was a joy to look at them!!

She put together some wonderful colours for her first yarn designed for Rowan, BELLE ORGANIC, which is made of 50% organic cotton and 50% organic wool. It will be available in DK and Aran weight.
Set to launch in April, according to the Rowan website.

Of course I had to pop round to the Ashford booth, too, to see some "live" spinning... I wish I had more time... :)

And finally... I couldn't resist taking a picture of the booth of Tulip Japanese hand knitting needle manufacturers... *smile*... ;)

Oh, I also ordered some new Little Red Riding Hood Japanese fabric with kawaii German phrases all over it, like "Geschichte von Wäldern" or "Ich traf Tiere in Wäldern". I am normally not very keen on fabrics that contain words or phrases in their designs, but sometimes it's so cute I can't resist. ;)

And last, but not least, an Indian "quilt" in my new favourite Indian restaurant in Colonge, Ganesha's on Händelstraße - I highly recommend!!!

Good night, peeps!

Good days, bad days.

2010-03-10T22:48:00.001+01:00

Oh, what a beautiful day!
I have received a box with tons of supercute things from my friend Terri today!!

Just look at this cute little pouch Terri's friend Mieko made for me:

I had told them how much I liked this fabric (I am a sucker for all owl fabrics, anyways), and that I had tried to get it with my Moda distributor over here, but of course it was sold out... so they made this little pouch for me! Isn't it cute!?! Thank you so much, girls!!! This really made my day!!

And they also sent me this lovely note pad (yes, some of you might know that I am an avid collector of note pads, too... ;) with cutie owls:

Okay, the bug's back... sorry! The pictures won't turn... :(

And also a ton of supercute ribbon, and fabrics, and wonderful stuff... yippie, what a day!!

AND... I also received an Amazon DVD shipment... with THIS:

WAAAHOOO!!! The three investigators in the mystery of the screaming alarm clock, or what it would be called in English... MY CHILDHOOD HEROES!!!

Justus, Peter & Bob aka Oliver Rohrbeck, Jens Wawrczek and Andreas Fröhlich... these guys have been recording radio plays for about ... 30 years??

And they still "enact" teenagers, now that they're approaching their ... dunno, just look at the picture. :)

I loved them and their mysteries when I was a kid... I had a lot of the books as well as almost all of the plays on tape. Genuine German thing, I don't think it was popular anywhere else... And I still love them!!

Saw them in Cologne last November, when they were on tour with this stage adaption of one of the radio plays, and I had a BLAST!! I had gotten the tickets for Martin's birthday (Mika, if you're reading this, yes, these were the tickets I accidentally sent to you when you were still living in KY), and we had a great evening. Can't wait to see the show!!

Off to bed now... it was a long day! Night, peeps!

I'm not dead!!!

2010-03-06T09:25:00.000+01:00

Hey kids, I am sorry for not having been around at all!
The shop has been crazy busy, and trying to ship it all in a timely manner I didn't have much time for anything else!

But I'm back!! And I made some changes to my shop... and I am sorry but I won't be handling all these mini orders of one single metre of ribbon any more, I just can't do it. :(

It takes up so much time and money and nerve to handle these that I am sitting here at the end of the day, crazy stressed, and with all the listing and paypal fees I am struggling not to loose money on these transactions. And from having maybe one sale of a single metre of ribbon a day it climbed to up to 20, and I just can't do that, since it's a no-win for me. Sorry guys!! I am really struggling to keep my sanity... I hope you understand.

Otherwise, everything is fine, and surprise, haha, it started to snow again today!! Not that I approve of it, but it's kinda funny.

Last winter we had 6 months of rain and mud. This winter we had 3 months of snow and storms (our neighbour's beautiful fir tree crashed into our driveway last Sunday, and almost hit the car... beautiful tree, it always used to be full of birds), then He gives us a little rainy break, and now the snow's back. Time to leave for the South, haha!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, I am off to quilt a bit... if the kitties are okay with that.

Petra sold!!

2010-02-19T02:33:00.000+01:00

I already briefly told you about Connie from SunnySideUp Studio ...well, this wonderful & crafty person named a spoolie doll for me!! How cool is that!! And ain't I cute???

She quite captured me, I think! Tiny, cute, elegantly shapeless, and a bit fairy-tale-absent-minded... ;)

Of course I flew off her shelve and guess who I am going to live with??

Amy "Oblinaknit" and Kenny Ken & Miss Dilly!!

I hope they won't be rolling me around all the time, and tossing me under the sofa. If so, this will mean no more kitty cushions from me for their next birthday.
Amy, I need to be fed at least 7 times a day to maintain the shapelessness, okay?? And don't give me bananas, they make me sick.

So, now that Petra sold... don't worry, there's plenty more cuteness to be found at SunnySideUp Studio...

...like Sachiko...

...or these two sweeties...

...or E. Gadzilla and Mitch the Monster...

...or Pepper the Penguin and the Cosmic Girl - so adorable!!

I am very proud to have modeled for such a cute little doll.

You rock, Conny! And thanks for adopting me, Miss Amy!!

Helau!!

2010-02-16T02:20:00.000+01:00

Typical Trier Carnival parade, just about where the parades start/line up before they enter the city centre, where the crowds wait and cheer.
By the time they get there quite a few of them are so drunk they don't do much voluntary dancing anymore... hehe.

...and we still march!!

It was so loud in my office I couldn't work, so I HAD to watch it, hehe.
It was so silly... and I had a BLAST!!

Next year I'll march along.

STOP IT!!!

2010-02-13T11:23:00.000+01:00

It's NOT FUNNY!!

Picture AP/Spiegel Magazine, taken in Stockholm, Sweden.

See the whole 'climate crazy' photo series here.

Spring is here! Or ...?

2010-02-12T03:13:00.000+01:00

Hangin' about... sorry, they're not usually pink, hehe, the camera has a bug. ;)

"Someone at the door, Sibyl?!"

"Naaah, don't see anyone out there."

"Ye sure?"

"Yup. Don't smell anyone either."

...or could it be spring after all??

Most certainly not. It has been snowing here like mad again today. Hehehe, and carnival started today... okay, no more schadenfreude.

It's really awful out there, and we all are totally not used to this.

My poor Granddad keeps complaining that he can't leave the house anymore, for fear of catching a cold, or even worse, slipping and falling somewhere.

Time for some anticipation projects... new pouches needed!!!

In springy colours!!!

All the while... waiting for the weather to change for the better, and loitering on the sofa like a proper furball.

Charles has a home!!!

2010-02-10T00:27:00.001+01:00

Mr. Kordel who runs the Eifeltierheim animal shelter called me tonight, to let me know that my good Charlie found a new home today!
He is moving to a village on the banks of the Moselle river. The pair he's moving in with loved him from the start, Mr. Kordel said. Of course they would, he's such a dear little fellow!!
And best of all, these people have a Cavalier King Charles dog!! I hope they'll send us pictures... and I really hope Charles and King Charles (significant, innit??) do get along well and become superbuddies.
All the best to Charlie!!! WOOHOOO!!

As to myself, I finally finished one of the custom orders... this one has been torturing me since December, since I knew I'd have to draw a completely new pattern... yes, I know, my patterns always look very much alike (Annabella, hehe) so it can't be a big deal, but it's still difficult to do them in different sizes and with different closures etc, at least for me it is.... just look at my cryptic drawings!

When I have to draw a new pattern for someone else it always haunts me day and night. I am not afraid to make mistakes when I make something for myself, but it's an entirely different thing to sew for other people, particularly with my stickler-ish personality disorder.

And I ALWAYS significantly miscalculate something, so that I end up with TONS of waste, and I HATE waste!!

I like how it turned out, though. It is roomy and just the kind of purse I would need and want for myself, as it can be worn over the shoulder or across the body, and can hold quite a bit of "stuff".

And the fabric is beautiful, too.

She has been approved by her new owner, too, and so she will be on her way to Misses Zauberstrumpf tomorrow! Goodbye, Sakura purse! Always sad to let 'em go, hehe.

I'll make one for myself soon! Maybe with my new ECHINO fabrics!!! Yippi!! Aren't they just beautiful??

SunnySideUP!!!

2010-02-06T20:44:00.000+01:00

Hey kids, Connie from SunnySideUpStudio wrote a blog post about her spoolie dolls and the ribbon she uses for them (mine, of course, hehe) - be sure to check it out here!

Aren't these just darling little dolls?? Totally adorable!

My favourite place in Germany.

2010-02-06T00:37:00.002+01:00

Peeps, this is Cologne.

I had been wanting to post about this beautiful place for a long time.

It's the most wonderful town in Germany.

I have lived there for some time, long ago, and enjoyed every minute of it. Would love to go back more often, but unfortunately Martin doesn't like it, so I hardly get to go there at all any more (and don't even dare to dream of moving back there).

Sometimes you ask yourself if these places from your past, the places you are so extremely fond of, are actually not THAT supergreat after all, or if they just seem so great to you in retrospective, because they remind you of good old times, that is, a time when you were younger and maybe less restricted by responsibilities.

Anyway, if I had to choose a place in Germany where to move to, I'd definitely pick Cologne.

Cologne has it all: Romano-Germanic history, stunning medieval church architecture...

Cologne Cathedral

Groß St Martin

St Aposteln

St Maria im Kapitol

...great medieval and contemporary art museums... there's only one thing I wouldn't quite be able to get used to: they're obsessed with carnival.

(Sorry about the pictures, but after my last computer crash all my images on my hard drive where deleted... rrrroooarr!!)

Apart from all that, it is rather small and comfy, a cozy place to spend a pleasant life.

***

Here I'll show you my two all time favourite places that I HAVE to visit whenever I get a chance to go to Cologne.

First of all, the flagship store of the world famous TASCHEN publishing house on Hohenzollernring 28.

I could seriously spend days in there. The bestest coffeetable books in the world, they say... and it's true.

Shelves and shelves full of the world's best photography and art, and vintage finds.

I particularly love their "Living in..." and "...Interior" series...

...providing simply the best interior decorating & design books on the planet.

And I just discovered this new cutie:

Shall join my collection next week. Very cute.

And after having spent a couple of hours and tons of money in there, it is time to grab a bite and get a glimpse of my new books a couple of blocks down the road at Osho's Place on Venloer Straße 5-7.

A haven of peace and quiet serving great vegan and vegetarian food, with a nice and (despite the name's connotation) not too overtly spiritual atmosphere and a lovely patio. Make sure to stop by if you are around!

I am looking forward to the Handarbeit & Hobby trade show in Cologne, when I will be staying two full days and nights in my favourite place on earth.

Blog dress up under way.

2010-02-04T20:21:00.000+01:00

One of my regular ribbon customers is going to write a blog post about my etsy shop!!!

Wooohoo, I am flattered. :)

Especially as she makes some real cute stuff with my ribbons... more about her and her shop & blog soon. WAY cute! And she has four kitties (and a dog!), too.

So, I guess I will have to dress up a bit and get some nice post up until tomorrow... whew. That'll need some thinking... good thing I have all of today's orders packed and out the door already, so there will be a little time for me tomorrow to make up some fancy pics or something... ;)

Crazy busy.

2010-02-02T22:32:00.002+01:00

Hey peeps, this week has started out crazy busy again, and I am a bit behind and probably will be until tomorrow or Thursday...
Just so you know, I will be scarce.

Nothing new here, anyway. Except that we are being buried in snow now... it's getting worse every day. Schools are closed tomorrow in the Northern states, I hear, and the islands are having meds and food flown in with helicopters (no more shipping on the frozen sea). Not as bad where I am, in the Wild West, but still... totally not used to it. And I HATE it.

I am glad we got the kitty in the shelter.

Anyone up for pictures? Here's the Spiegel Magazine photoes.

Charles at the shelter

2010-01-31T13:14:00.003+01:00

For those of you who'd like to keep up with what's going on with Charles, Mr. Kordel from the animal shelter he's at has already blogged about him in the shelter's diary on 31 Jan.

It's in German, so some of you might not be able to read it, but it says pretty much what I wrote about him anyway, except for the slight misunderstanding that Charles had been allowed inside the other people's house every once in a while, which is not true, he had NEVER been allowed inside, not even after he had been treated for fleas and whatever vermin (which was what they had originally told me, that the cat was allowed inside under the condition that he be treated for vermin and fleas), and not even with the horrible snow storms we had here.

And that the woman to whose house he had been coming called me yesterday and abused me, but that's what happens all the time when people feel it affects their pride that "THEIR" cat has been taken away from them (a cat they didn't even bother to name, or have examined, but all of a sudden it's "MY CAT!!!", even though it had been "THIS cat" all along).

So, it's all a matter of personal sensitivities rather than animal welfare.

Here he is, our dear Charles:

I hope it was okay to steal the picture from the shelter's website. :)

And thanks so much to those of you who sent me encouraging emails.
Terri, who is into dog rescue, says it can wipe you out emotionally, and that's pretty much what it does, I guess.
I so hope Charlie finds a good home.

Bad bad day.

2010-01-29T23:11:00.002+01:00

As some of you might know, I try to help out with our local kitty rescue every once in a while, as good as I can, because it clearly makes me more miserable than it does most other people.

So, I recently had a call about a cat that used to turn up at a house just outside of town here. They fed it, so kitty used to come back, and it used to beg at the door to be let in, because it is unbearably cold up there.

However, these people didn't want to give it a home because they have a baby and think cats are too dangerous for babies (I hear they eat them).
Well, they told me they'd keep feeding it and allow it inside occasionally if the kitty was brought to the vet and examined, and if I made 100% sure that kitty can't be of danger to the people or the baby, and also we can manage to get rid of the fleas. Also, as a proper kitty rescue member, I had to make sure it would be neutered, too (the people had told me it looked pregnant, but fortunately it wasn't).

So, I get my kitty transportation thingy and bring it there. Needless to say, it's impossible to catch a cat outside and just drop it into such a box, right?
So I had to get a proper trap from the women that run the kitty rescue.
We had kitty in the trap yesterday evening, and it was sooo frightened, poor thing, but it was too late to bring it to the vet's, they were closed already, so we had to keep kitty in the trap in the bitter cold car all night (I have no spare room to put it, and with my youngest cat not being properly vaccinated I am not going to take a chance).

So, I drive it to the vet this morning, turns out the supposedly pregnant cat is a already neutered male, and such a lovely one! Even the vets were impressed how happy and easy and thankful it was... such a lovely nice kitty! It must have been abandoned, poor thing... anyway, it's perfectly fit and healthy, all tests negative, so I paid for all its vaccinations myself (the kitty rescue can't afford to pay for vaccinations, they only pay the general exams and the neutering) and was happy I could bring him back to a home.

So I happily drive back to town with him, call the people, and they let me know that they wouldn't be letting it inside after all (it's f*** freezing out there, we had dozens of inches of snow today), because of the baby, and well, it's used to living outside anyway, and if it survived up to now there's no need to change that...
It sure has not deserved that! It's hard to let go the kitties that are really wild and will not get used to living with people and just put them back to where they came from after having had them neutered, but such a lovely and charming and friendly one, surely there's no need to make it live outside... it used the kitty litter box perfectly, has no illnesses whatsoever, had all vaccinations, and really wants to come live with people, and be inside... no, it had not deserved that for sure.

I make a few calls and then one of the women from our kitty help organization tells me of this relatively new shelter, approximately 30 minutes out of town. They seem to have quite a reputation (the one in our town no one would ever voluntarily bring a kitty, it has a darn reputation, too... poor things), and I decide to call them and give it a try.

Anyway, after getting caught in a snow storm outside and almost getting stuck with the car we manage to drive there (the poor man had to wait ages for us to turn up, he had just wanted to leave when I called) and bring kitty to it's temporary new shelter box. It's a good place, I think, lots of spacious clean rooms with lovely furniture and toys for the kitties... I am glad I found them. The man who runs it was in good spirits, and seems to be really trying hard to make it run smoothly and make it as comfortable as possible a stay (and a short stay!) for the kitties.
They say the average time a kitty dwells in the shelter before leaving for a new home was 28 days! That's an amazingly short span!
It's so sad to bring a kitty to a shelter (never done that before, and I hopefully won't have to do it again), but they seem to be really eager to get them to good new homes. And I am sure kitty prefers sitting in a warm and cozy shelter box with plenty of food and a very own litter box and a lovely comfy bed to sitting outside in the snow storm, on a back porch where it doesn't even have a box or house to sit in, right across a busy road in an area where there's almost no housing but an industrial park only.

I so hope it will find a good home... poor kitty. Charles, they named him. He was such a happy kitty, and so thankful. I wished we could have taken him home with us, I am crying all the time now.

I definitely found another place to donate to, and become member of:

EIFELTIERHEIM ALTRICH

Sorry for the chaotic and depressing post, but I just wanted to share this with some of you who would want to know. Bad day :(

Oettinger: English is our Esperanto.

2010-01-26T02:47:00.004+01:00

German Günther Oettinger, European Commissioner-to-be from Schwaben, where Martin is from.

Oh my God, I am still crying... seriously, watch it to the end, it's hilarious!!!
He keeps mentioning (in German) how vital "the ability to speak English fluently" is!!

WOW! What happened here? I just realized the video was not available on YOUTUBE any more... dunno for how long... sorry about that! Here's a new version! ENJOY... ;)

AND NOW EVEN THE NEW VERSION WAS DELETED... so sorry, no idea why this keeps happening. I guess you better go to youtube.com and type in "OETTINGER ENGLISH", and then it should pop up...SORRY!!

Knitting witty and packing nit-pickily.

2010-01-25T00:30:00.015+01:00

I had a very pleasant & lazy weekend... even though I feel a little guilty for not having worked much (I have three outstanding custom orders which I didn't even bother to think about...ssshhh!!).

But I was just too knackered, could hardly get up from the couch, I feel really worn out at times.
So, again, no sewing on the weekend, no progress on the quilt... hm. Not even managed to get my friend's birthday box packed... ouch. That annoys me the most.

But I finally started a new knitting project. Not that I had finished much recently, apart from a couple of baby boots every once in a while.
So, this is pretty much a witty project for me... never finished a lace knitting project before, and it forces me to really concentrate on the pattern.

And since I am entirely self-taught knitting-wise it sometimes seems a bit hard to figure certain things out. Particularly because I have been making most of the things over and over again for years, so whatever I learnt wrong I have been doing wrong for years, and that's hard to get rid of.
Anyway, I really wanted to knit a lacey scarf for springtime (please come, spring, we're SO READY!!).

It's a stone grey LANA GROSSA Italian pure cotton. Love it - I have always wanted to make something lacey! Let's hope it gets ready for spring... ;)
And if anyone is interested in the pattern, it's free and here.

Oh, I didn't really not work at all... of course I got all my ribbon orders from the weekend packed so they can leave for Luxembourg in a couple of hours.

And for the ones that enjoy mocking me, this is how a Prussian stickler does it (please note I make them STAND UP on their side):

Kinda hard to manage for orders of 50+ yds because they get tangled up within each other, but I won't have that - I am stubborn and start over. ;)

Oh, and finally some sad news.
It is with regret that I have to inform you that Herr Eberle passed away in our bathroom last week.

Always sad when a life ends, whatever kind of life it had been.

Now for some eye candy: TRUCK ART

2010-01-18T21:57:00.003+01:00

I found this article (in German) from Hasnain Kazim on Truck Art today.
All pictures by Hasnain Kazim.

Picture by Hasnain Kazim.

I think this is just beautiful. I have always loved the vibrant, colourful and storytelling art of India and Pakistan and Southeast Asia, but I have never before come across this. It is wonderful, and I am sure it gives a very distinct ambiance to the roads of Pakistan.

Pictures by Hasnain Kazim.

It's pretty costly to have your truck decorated like this, and I assume that only relatively well-off men can have their trucks painted like this.

I just love these painted household items, too... I have a tin like this from Bangladesh and admire it, even though it's not half as elaborate as these things here are.

Pictures by Hasnain Kazim.

I found an article on this in English here.

Also check out this flickr account of Abro, the person who contributed all the amazing pictures to the aforementioned article.

A feast for the eyes - thank you for that.

All pictures taken from Hasnain Kazim's article in Der Spiegel magazine.

Learnt a new word today.

2010-01-16T01:38:00.002+01:00

Stickler.

My friend Terri taught me this new favourite word.

I like it. And it suits me, haha. :)

Cute Prussian tin soldier.

That's him, officer.

2010-01-14T00:37:00.001+01:00

This is Mr. Eberle.

Underneath him you can see his bread. To his left is his Wurst (sausage).

He still has not taken a bite.

Carla Zauberstrumpf was wondering if spiders hibernated in winter.

That would be an explanation.

I hope he's not just prone to anorexia. We all know what this body cult did to our teenage kids.

Maybe I should take him to see a psychiatrist. But maybe then the psychiatrist would see ME. H;)

Herr Eberle the no-meat-eater.

2010-01-13T00:53:00.001+01:00

We have this spider living in the bathroom. He moved in a couple of weeks ago.

He covered the whole room with webs already, but I decided not to move him out to the cold, and now he has been officially accepted as an inhabitant of our bathroom.
I named him "Herr Eberle", with "Herr" being German for "Mr", and "Eberle" being a common name in the South German dialect Martin speaks.
Of course he's not that large... I am afraid if he was he would unfortunately have been moved outside. I can live with him having about 1 cm or 3/8" diameter, but wouldn't be able to bear a larger one... which makes me feel bad, but I just can't.

I am wondering what to feed him. Of course we have no flies in the bathroom, particularly not in winter, and so he is sitting there food-less. I shoveled a loaf of bread (of course it was a tiny bit only) into his web, but he ignored it. Seemed a bit frightened in fact... ouuhh, I can't stand him moving about!

Then we tried some sausage from Martin... I thought we'd have to eventually feed him meat as he wouldn't go for veggie food.
But he ignored that, too... I don't want him to starve! But I am not killing a fly for him.

Anyone can come up with an idea as to what to give him? I'll be posting pics of him tomorrow... hope the kitties don't realize he's there, I'd have to move him up to the ceiling for him to be safe... ourgh.

10 homeless dead.

2010-01-09T00:56:00.000+01:00

We hit the two digit mark in Germany, now, too.
10 homeless people have died as per today, due to the horribly cold weather and the snow. Poor creatures.
I wonder what it's like in England and Scotland, where the weather is even worse and where people are totally not used to these temperatures, and not used to snow at all.

Winter's just no good.

Hey peeps...

2010-01-07T02:03:00.000+01:00

...I have been crazy busy again the last days, and haven't had time to post. Not that anything post-worthy had been going on over here, just the usual crazyness.

Except for that I watched Avatar tonight, and was rather fascinated. The colours and pictures are magical and left me staring wide-eyed at the screen, enchanted. Bummer the entire second half of the film was just plain warfare.
***
Here's another interesting article about China, for those who care to read... I am slightly obsessed with finding negative media coverage about China, so here goes:

New toxic milk case in China kept secret for a year, reports say

From the Guardian.

Good night, girls! More soon... :)

Let this picture sink in.

2009-12-28T13:40:00.006+01:00

June 2009: A worn out boy photographed in police detention after a raid in a New Delhi sewing/embroidery factory.
Police sources confirmed they freed 52 children between 8 and 14 years, all chained to their workplace.

A long way to go in the fight against child labour.

Picture REUTERS, taken from DER SPIEGEL magazine.

Too good to be cut.

2009-12-23T23:32:00.013+01:00

We are ready for Christmas.

We made a ton of yummy vegan vanilla cookies today (btw, the cookies were tested by non-vegans and vegans alike and were everyone's cookies of choice at the bake sale!).

...and I made sure to get some Christmas presents for myself, haha!

Like... I got my shipment from Cynthia kittyanydots today!! I just love her signature design, the smiling kitty... and she has a lot of other cute art prints in her shop, too. And best of all, she donates 10% of all her sales to a charity, through etsyforanimals.

They choose a charity every month, and every member donates 10% of their sales to this respective charity. I think this is great!! I was thinking about joining in myself one day, when all the financial worries of the beginning have cleared and my shop has "grown up". But maybe I should make sure not to have to many places to donate to, so that in the end nobody ends up with a reasonable amount... I will think about it.

So, etsyforanimals was how I found Cynthia's art in the first place, coming to think of it... anyway, thanks, Cynthia!! I love all my goodies, and the Christmas card is just too cute!
And bless my dam house (can't wait to get that up)!!

If you ever feel like checking out Cynthia's blog please do - remember to check back every year or two. She is véritablement the laziest blogger on earth. ;)

And I got some of my vintage fabrics today! Whew, this was almost like birthday and Christmas on the same day!!!
It is so beautiful... oh my.

(Hehehe, here comes my bug again... but it doesn't really matter with this picture.)

Maybe I won't be using it at all. Like so many other fabrics. Too good to be cut.

Even more snow and plans for 2010

2009-12-23T01:36:00.023+01:00

It warmed up here again in the meantime, I am glad (probably the only person to be glad the snow is gone).
But nonetheless it started to snow like crazy tonight, thick fat snowflakes! But of course they thawed already.
I hear the death toll in Poland rose to 15 (from homeless people who died in the snow), but somebody said it was 29 already... oh my. I hope that was as bad as it gets this winter.

And now for something completey different... I received Christmas gifts!!! Within the family we agreed to not buy any presents this year, so I wasn't expecting anything, but of course my sweet friend Kathleen from Hawaii never forgets to send something cute my way!!

I received it last week already, and didn't want to open it, but when Martin saw it said "chocolates" on the declaration we had to open it immediately *sigh*. Men! ;)
It were the yummiest chocolatey-macadamias... mmmhh. I stole one... and let him have the rest.
Thank you Kathleen for thinking of us!!

She sent a wonderful Christmas card my way... with a picture of her cute not-so-baby-anymore boy Aiden playing at the beach, and a funny "snowman-made-of-sand" picture at the bottom... it is so funny how we get jealous of each other, I would much prefer to be in a warmer climate, and she misses the changing of the seasons so much!

And she even got me a yd of one of my favourite fabrics ever, from Amy Butler's long out of print and so hard to find "Charm" line, her last line for Free Spirit!! Such a treasure!!
Here's all the cuteness I got, Japanese mini mushroom magnets (soo cute!!!), strawberry deco tape and a wonderful wall calendar with animal motives... thank you again, Kathleen, you really made my day!!
I'll put it back in the box and will not open it until Christmas eve... :)

And I haven't yet had the chance to tell you about my new friend Terri from daydogdesigns, whom I *met* on etsy... she makes great pet accessories with my Farbenmix ribbon, and has four ever so cute Cavalier dogs to sport her collars for the pictures on her site. If you haven't got a dog or a cat to wear the collars check out the site nonetheless - it's worth the cute pictures of the dogs alone!

Anyway, Terri's into dog rescue and often raises foster puppies amongst her posse. And when she heard I was selling charity items in my German shop she ordered a metal frame coin purse with a kitty motive for her kitty-loving-daughter for Christmas (I think it is safe to post here, she wouldn't read my blog, would she, Terri???).
We donated the money to the Arzberg animal shelter near Leipzig in Germany... they were delighted to learn they have a supporter in Colorado in the US!!

A couple of days later I received another email from her, in which she ordered two more coin purses, one for her sister in law and one for her mom in law. So I got those made and on the way, and wooohooo - one got to California in four days, from me in Germany!! It took a little longer to Arizona for the other one, and it took AGES to Colorado for the first one to arrive, but if finally got there today - whew, I am so relieved, and glad it got there before Christmas!!

The Arzberg kitty shelter says THANK YOU, John & Terri, for a total of EUR 35 for the shelter!! We wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas! Thank you soooo much!!!

Here they are, the red one's for Terri's daughter Lexi, and the blue one for her sister in law Karen, and the brown one for her mom in law, Hazel:

(Hahaha! Here comes the bug again... haven't seen him in a while!).

Right now I am sitting on the sofa with kitty Michel, watching the GOLDEN GIRLS (wooohooo!!! there will never be a better show on television!!!), and thinking of future projects...

I have a ton of shabby Ava Rose fabrics sitting here waiting for me...

...and I bid on a couple of the most wonderful vintage German farmers' bedcloth fabrics on eBay, can't wait til they get here, I bet you could make the cutest stuff with these mixed with some of my Tanya Whelan fabrics I have piling up here... it just needs some time and inspiration!
And I think January will be rather quiet business-wise, so I can finally take some time off to get on with my other quilt. And to get a Christmas present out to my friend Kathleen... but sshhh! ;)

Oh, and I have some of the new Denyse Schmidt HOPE VALLEY fabrics coming here from Jona, I will have to make something with that, too! I hope I will find the time for at least one of the things I already have spinning around in my brain... *sigh*.

Like the tropical floral quilt I want to make since having seen the beachcomber baby quilt in my newest quilt book (Baby Quilts with Love, from Alex Anderson):

(Now that bug's got some nerve!!)

I was looking for a fabric that meets my expectations, now that I've seen this wonderful print from Amy Butler's Ginger Bliss, no, Temple Flowers collection... wasn't this her first ever? However, there's of course no such thing to be found, so I decided to go for these Alexander Henry prints:

And I got this wonderful Braemore floral print at a super bargain price with Hancock's of Paducah recently, I sooo love it, but gosh, it's heavy!!

Let's see what we can finish next year... ;)

Oh, and now a funny picture... My kitty Nin, who is well known for her particularly anti-social behaviour towards people and cats, is getting more peculiar the older she gets (she is 11 now).

She decided to move to the bathroom to not be bothered by us any more, and now lives on the dirty laundry next to the washing machine.

Good night, Nin. See you sometime tonight, though.

Night, peeps!
Up to some much needed beauty sleep, tomorrow will be baking day!!

It started to snow...

2009-12-19T21:48:00.010+01:00

...last night.
When I looked out the window before I went to bed the sky was pink and the streets were white.

I am absolutely not a cold climate person.
Whereas a lot of people look forward to snow and cold and find delight in sitting by a fireplace, I can only think of its horrible features.
I am really not up for white Christmas. A snow covered countryside does not in the least evoke positive things for me.

For me, winter is a time of despair, misery and death. The only thing I can think of when I see snow covered landscapes is the suffering of the wildlife that will eventually both starve and freeze to death, and the many homeless people around who struggle to survive.
Since this current cold climate period started in Europe a week ago, in Poland alone 8 homeless people died.

All these things keep me from recognizing anything positive in snow. Same for extreme heat, by the way. But we rarely have that here.

Anyway, when I got out the door this morning it was -16 Celsius / 0 Fahrenheit.
I don't remember it ever being that cold here, maybe when I was still a kid... Martin is from the South of Germany, where it gets much much colder than here on a regular basis, and even he was complaining and didn't want to stay outside.

It was so cold it hurt. I could bear it for some time in the beginning, but after six hours your hand and feet are numb and it doesn't even hurt anymore, you just feel like you're going nuts and your brain freezes.

And this time it seemed people didn't stop at our booth because they all hurried to get somewhere indoors. There weren't many people around anyway, the cold was really hurting you physically.
The snacks froze and the wine bottles burst. :(

We were our own best customers, drunk by 3 pm. :)

But I still think we made some money, even though our treasurer says she had the feeling it wasn't much. We'll see... but woohoo, last time, two weeks ago, in the rain... we did make a lot of money after all, I learnt today! It wasn't significantly less than when the weather was nice, so it was definitely worth it!

And we had a supercute visitor who begged for some treats. Everybody was ooo-ing and aawww-ing, she was really darling! Would have looked even cuter with a collar from daydogdesings, of course... ;)

And I'll find out what it was like today... I really don't think it was THAT bad money-wise!

I'm sitting at home now, trying to warm up... I've been sitting here for three hours now and it's still not much better... but oh well. There are people outside who have no shelter whatsoever, and animals without shelter nor food, so what the heck am I to complain.

Bake sale prep - vanilla cookies recipe, anyone?

2009-12-18T22:09:00.009+01:00

I am in full bake sale prep mode and just made a ton of vanilla cookies (with only a pinch of salt this time, haha).

They turned out real good, so here's the recipe, kids!
Tried to figure it out in both gram and oz, so pretty much anyone should be able to try them out. =)

Vanilla Christmas Cookies
(called "Vanille Kipferl" over here)

200 g / 6.65 oz margarine (I use soy margarine) at room temperature

70 g / 2.35 oz sugar (brown if you like)

100 g / 3.35 oz ground hazelnuts

250 g / 8.35 oz all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of vanilla flavour, or better yet, if you have it, fresh vanilla = content of 1 bean

a pinch of salt (ha!)

1 tablespoon soy milk (whatever, really, can be rice or oat milk, or even water won't make a difference, I think)

confectioner's sugar
vanilla scented/flavoured sugar

Mix the margarine and the sugar until thouroughly mixed and fluffy.
Add the hazelnuts, flour, salt and soy milk and disperse with your hands.

Some recipes ask you to let the dough cool down in the fridge for some time now, I don't think this is necessary, though? I don't do it for the vanilla cookies.

Now roll dough balls (appr. the size of a walnut) between your palms and form into kidney shape and place on a tray with baking paper. You can put them pretty close to each other as they hardly spread.
Preheat the oven as you roll kidneys, to 180 Celsius / 360 Fahrenheit.
Bake the cookies for appr. 16-18 minutes.

As soon as you take them out the oven, roll them in some vanilla scented sugar and sift confectioner's sugar on top.
Now eat some warm... yum. ;)

Speaking of cookies, I got this book in the mail today (from my favourite online book store, the bookdepository)...

...and hope I'll find some time next week to try out the one or other recipe... I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. :)

I seriously hope we'll have a successful fundraiser tomorrow!

What you get...

2009-12-16T02:32:00.005+01:00

...for $ 1.3 Million.

My favourite real estate series Great homes and destinations has a new one out.
I have really neglected this over the past weeks...missed looking at all the beautiful properties, though. And at some funny ones, too.

Picture taken from the NYT
Here's the article, here's the pictures.

Enjoy! ;)

My Apple Cinnamon Christmas Muffins recipe

2009-12-12T01:15:00.014+01:00

Hey folks!
I had promised my friend Kathleen, a long long time ago, to share some of my vegan experimental recipes, mostly from my cupcake period. ;)
Well, the experimentation is over now, and the recipes have become grown-ups - taaa daaa!

Here is one of my favourite Christmas muffins recipe for you to try out - easy peasy, too, if you are new to vegan baking!
I have done my best to convert exactly from gram to oz and vice versa, so that most of you would find the measurement they are used to.

If you give them a try, I would love to hear from you!!

Happy & cruelty-free baking! :)

Chickadee's Christmas Muffins

250 g / 8.3 oz all purpose wheat flour

150 g / 5 oz sugar (brown if you like)

50 g / 1.6 oz oat flakes

50 g /1.6 oz ground hazelnuts

15 g / 0.5 oz (= a tablespoon) baking powder

15 g / 0.5 oz (= a tablespoon) soy meal
This is generally used as an egg replacement, but not even every vegan 'chef' uses egg replacements in muffins. I always do, though, as mine always seem to fall apart if I don't.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or whatever you use for vanilla flavour

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (if you like a strong cinnamon flavour, you can add up to one teaspoon)

1/4 teaspoon of allspice

a pinch of salt

250 ml / 1 cup of soy/rice/oat milk (use whatever milk you have at hand or like best, I mostly use vanilla soy milk)

100 ml vegetable oil, I use canola or sunflower

1 medium size apple, sliced and cut into approximately 1/2"/1 cm cubes

30 g / 1 oz (= 2 tablespoons) chocolate chips (you can use up to 50 g / 1.6 oz if you like it more chocolatey)

1. Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius/400 Fahrenheit.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, soy meal and spices in a bowl (honestly, I never sift, but I'd strongly recommend you to do it and am constantly trying to get myself to sift more!). Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix them.

3. Add the oil and the milk and mix until the batter is smooth.

4. Then fold in the apples and the chocolate chips.

Fill 12 muffin paper cups about 3/4 full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes (insert a knife or toothpick to see if it comes out clean).

Serve warm with a little sifted confectioners' sugar on top.

Bon appétit!

And stay tuned for my vanilla cookie recipe that's to follow! ;)

Busy days... and a sneak peek

2009-12-10T01:33:00.007+01:00

Hi peeps!
I had actually planned to write some more today and get all the recent news out to you, but oh well... it's around 1:30 am, I still have to get some orders packed, and of course I didn't get nearly as much done today as I wanted to! Same procedure as every day, hehe.

Just wanted to give you a sneak peak of the cute new ribbons I got in today - wonderful! How come Germans make such cute things, and I never even noticed all these years?
It was a very nice lady from Missouri, an etsy customer, who told me that these were German, and asked if I could get them for her. I had no idea these were German, but of course I am persistent and found them, hehe.
By the way, the woman from Missouri, Heidi, was of course German, too... we're everywhere. :)

Here they are:

Love them!!
I am still waiting for a deer ribbon to come in, and they are coming out with brand new designs next week - can't wait! I've seen a couple already, with monsters and aliens and birdies, and they are to die for!
Also waiting for the cutest owl ribbon in the world... thanks to Terri, of whom I will be telling you some more soon, for encouraging me to *enriching* my stock. :)

When it's warm it rains.

2009-12-05T19:58:00.018+01:00

Thanks to you for the wellwishes for today's charity sale.
Unfortunately, it was a MAJOR disappointment. :(

It started out with me baking yesterday... these lovely vanilla cookies are by far not as yummy as they look here! =)

I forgot that there's a difference between a "dash" of salt in the pasta bowl and in the cookie dough... they taste lovely in the beginning, really crispy yet tender, vanilla-yummy... but after a couple of seconds their aftermath is ... well, really really salty!
It was worth a try, though, because the texture and all is PERFECT. I told you I am not into cookie baking, but I will use this very recipe again next time and will make sure not to use ANY salt at all!

Next bad news was my friend who had wanted to come help us calling this morning, with the hell of a toothache. Needless to say she couldn't come...
Bummer, I thought, and hoped she'd feel better soon, but didn't really take this as a foreshadowing for what was to come... the day was doomed, though!

When I arrived at the stall around noon it was suspiciously warm. Really warm for Germany in December, an estimated 10 Celsius or in the 50s Fahrenheit. That usually means it's going to rain (and it had already rained in the morning, when they were setting up the stall).

Anyway, it didn't take long, and it was pouring down. Of course we weren't fast enough to get all the things packed up again, so a lot of it got wet, real wet.

Most of our things can take a little rain, so it wasn't that much of a problem... but who wants to stand outside by a stall and drink their hot wine and pick some gifts for the family when the rain is pouring down and the stall doesn't provide a shelter to stand under... needless to say we didn't make a lot of sales, and it didn't really stop raining all day, just a couple of minutes of dry in between. :(

We really tried to keep up the good spirit, though.

What a shame... we have been spoilt the last years I guess, the weather has always been really good whenever we had our sales, summer or winter. So finally we had to have an unlucky day, I guess. But I am just so disappointed.

I sold one bib, one pair of knitted baby shoes, and two wristlets. That was it.
I had brought around 15 times as much... Oh yes, we sold quite a few of the kitty catnip cushions, but they don't really count... I guess we made as much money the whole day as on an average day in two hours. Oh well... another try on the 19th! Please all have your fingers crossed, the weather is crucial here!

We really had it all, though... wonderful hot spicey wine from the Moselle valley...

...a bunch of handmade gift and seasonal items, as well as Christmas cookies...

...yummy homemade jams and preserves...

...and even happy drunkards. =)

At least we weren't cold.

Maybe next time will be better!
Fingers & toes crossed. ;)

Slow motion days.

2009-12-04T02:25:00.012+01:00

I didn't get nearly half as much as I had wanted done today, I am having slow motion days again.

I wanted to start baking for the bake sale on Saturday - nope.
I wanted to get at least five metal frame purses done for the charity sale - nope.
I wanted to make at least 20 kitty cushions - not a single one.

All left for tomorrow, haha. Needless to say it's 2:30 am here and I know I won't be up before 9 tomorrow... *yawn*

And I am letting myself get distracted all the time. I keep checking the news for the Amanda Knox tria l hourly, but what is supposed to happen at night? The verdict is awaited for tomorrow.
I don't know what to think of this. Seems so hard to believe that this cute girl should have done such a thing. It seems so media-made-up, I really don't know. But I seriously hope she will get acquitted, in dubio pro reo, right? And there seem to be nothing but doubts in this case.

Imagine she was innocent and they send her to jail for 30 years - oh my God! She's had two years in prison already, and assuming she really is innocent... what a horrible thing to take her freedom and ruin her life.
Let's see what tomorrow brings. I seriously hope she will get acquitted.

I'm off for today.
But not without showing you some cute I made today. ;)

These Japanese fabrics make me happy. Cute cute apples! :)

Oh, by the way, talking about cute... the kitty tote sold!! To Martin's sister, who bought it in my DaWanda shop, and she doubled the purchase price and sent the animal shelter twice as much as was asked!! WOOOOHOOO, thank you, Gaby!!! :)

Followed by some sad news, there apparently really was a woman who had the nerve to buy something in my charity shop and never pay for it, but keep the item (it was a pencil case).
I sent it out the day it was purchased, of course - I simply can't wait for the animal shelter to confirm that payment was received, they have other things to take care of that are more important, and therefore I send these things out immediately, hoping that nobody would cheat when it comes to a charity sale... shouldn't have made the assumption, I guess. The animal shelter never received the money, and the woman is ignoring my emails. I am so disappointed I could cry (or slap her if she weren't that far away).

What should I do? Send her a letter? Hmmm... ignore her back? How to get rid of my anger... ack. Shouldn't have talked about it, it makes me furious.

NIGHT!! Darn it!!!

PS: Oh, and if anyone ever heard about or used SCHMAP travel guides, please leave me a comment. Two of my pictures, one of NY, one of Berlin, have been picked for their guides, and I wonder if I should give them permission to use them... why not? Sounds okay, I am not forfeiting my copyright or anything, right?

Blissful day.

2009-12-02T02:12:00.007+01:00

For me, today was full of

...and

...and

...but I also made a bit of

And now I am tired and off to bed.
Captions to the pictures will follow tomorrow. :)

Still life.

2009-11-29T02:42:00.002+01:00

Somewhere in Germany on one Saturday night 2:42 am.

Night, kids! :)

Black Friday bustle and still a SALE

2009-11-27T22:06:00.021+01:00

We don't have Black Friday over here (booohoo!), so I decided to get busy and make another tote bag.

I am a lucky owner of so many wonderful vintage ribbons and laces which I hoarded over the years that I am pretty fortunate with almost any project I start out: I can always find a perfectly matching lace or ribbon for something I have in mind.

Here's just a tiny selection of my treasury, of course the picture was supposed to be horizontal but the annoying bug won't let go of my blog! Pretty obvious I have a weakness for green lace. :)

I guess this was quite a natural thing for me to do, the hoarding, because when you live in a place that doesn't supply you with any of the things you need for your daily crafts dose and you have to order everything online (mostly in different countries even!) you develop that kind of a "buy-some-of-this-now-so-you-have-it-in-stock-whenever-you-might-eventually-need-it"-mentality.
You know, it can be pretty frustrating if you're working on a quilt project and need some teal solid for it, and that takes 2-4 weeks to be shipped to your place from the US (because your local fabric shop only has primaries, and of poor quality), not to mention not ever being able to walk into a quilt shop and let your eye wander over all these colours, and get a feeling for how they can work together, or look at some new designs IN PERSON... *sigh*

So, the only thing you can do to end this misery is to either move to a different place (no way, better half wants to keep working in Luxembourg), or to stock up on EVERYTHING so you dispose of it whenever you might need it, or open up a fabric shop yourself.
I decided to go for the last two, so I am well off, haha. Still, my selection is of course very limited, but I am quite happy with the current stock (used to call it stash in the old days, hehe).

So, I assembled this Christmas shopping tote today, which I will be adding to my shop some time tomorrow, along with the kitty tote.

I used baby pom poms at the top seam (baby pom poms are a pain to work with!), and a wonderful black lace with a green glittery-shimmery edge for the bottom seam.

See the lace in the close-up pictures - it's divine in person! And was the one and only perfect ribbon for this very project!

When I got it I thougth "gosh, you never gonna use that one!", because it's so special (I had ordered it online, of course, and it looked different on the monitor... one of the unfortunate things about ordering online).

Anyway, I was so lucky to have a bolt of kona black solid in my shop along with the Alexander Henry girls fabric, and the red kona (lining) I got for my private stash while on holiday in the US, and the Jennifer Paganelli zebra print I have of course both in my private stash as well as my shop - this fabric is probably my favourite ever, it is so versatile and can make an already fun project even more fun.
Sure thing I have a bunch of magnetic snaps in my private stash, and the dot fabric for the straps I have been treasuring for years, I think it was Makower UK, I got it a long time ago and was hesitant to use it because it's so cute and it's hard to find a dottie fabric like this (isn't it weird how I can tell the story of each and every one of my fabrics!).
And glad I got myself a huge roll of fusible batting... woohoo, I had it all in stock and didn't have to leave the house for once - perfect! So love being a fabric shop owner, hehe! ;)

But you know what, in the end, it's all about the contrasting lining, really. ;)

Here comes the bug again - this is driving me crazy - nobody else having problems with the pictures being turned upside down??

Don't forget my BLACK FRIDAY FARBENMIX ribbon SALE that's still going on til tomorrow. :)

I myself am off to do some vintage lace shopping on etsy now. :)

Knackered. * And a SALE!! *

2009-11-27T01:05:00.007+01:00

I am soo tired today I won't be doing anything at all for the night. Instead, I am off to bed!

Tried out a couple more vegan cookie recipes for the bake sale next week, but still nothing I am entirely happy with. If anyone can come up with any - I would be delighted and thankful for any tips! I am unfortunately not much into cookie baking... not yet!
Oh, and I finished the kitty tote... pics follow tomorrow. ;)

So, I am off for the night.

But my etsy BLACK FRIDAY Farbenmix ribbon sale is up... check it out! :)

Sneak peak...

2009-11-26T00:47:00.010+01:00

...of what I've been doing today:

Everybody needs a shopping tote, especially around Christmas time, right? And wouldn't you all be glad to buy one of these cute and superexpensive (lol!=) kitty totes if 100% of the proceeds were to go to a cat shelter? ;)

I still need to put a magnetic snap inside, and then it will be up in my charity shop for purchase. Proceeds go to the TIERHEIM ARZBERG animal shelter near Leipzig in Germany (if it doesn't sell by 5 December I will take it to our local craft & bake sale, and proceeds will go to our local cat rescue).

Full glimpses tomorrow! :)

***

Oh, and I had another custom in my DaWanda shop:

Everybody just LOVES these owls (including me)! They are insanely popular, I definitely need to order another bolt.

(hahaha, here comes the bug again!!)

This fabric would make such cute PJs for a kiddo, too...

Night, peeps!

:)

Oh, have I already announced that I will be running a

HUGE BLACK FRIDAY RIBBON SALE

in my etsy shop?? Don't forget to check back... ;)

I need to get...

2009-11-23T22:06:00.026+01:00

...real busy real soon!!!

We went to our local cat shelter's charity sale on Saturday, and of course donated a couple of things, but not nearly enough... need to sew a lot more for the upcoming sales next month! We will be having charity bake & craft sales here in my home town on Saturday 5 and Saturday 19, I hope it all goes well and we make a lot of money. :)

But I didn't get around to sewing much the last few days... I made a couple of pouches for my shop, and still have a custom to do, but somehow it seems I am working in slow motion!

I knitted a baby hat and mittens... took me ages, and I still haven't sewn on the flaps, but hey! I knitted a hat in the round!

Nobody around here has a baby to put it on, and my only pregnant friend lives in a climate where these are of no use... hehe. Which reminds me that she begged for some seasonal pictures of our area, seems she can stand the heat better when she looks at pictures of cold climates, hehe! Will post some more soon. It's been incredibly warm here the last days, by the way. :)

Anyway, the hat and mittens pattern is from this cute "Knitting for Baby"-book, I love it and have found it extremely help- and useful for the not so experienced knitter:

The authors are Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas, who teamed up to come out with a really cute book.

(the bug's back... oh well!)

I bought it from the bookdepository, which is a great site to shop your books at... I can highly recommend them, they are fast and reliable, and ship free anywhere in the world!
Will be browsing their site for some "Teach Yourself Japanese" soon, I am going to give that to myself for Christmas. Can't wait to learn a new language.
Bummer we have no language schools that offer Japanese classes around here, just at the university, and I can't afford that. :)
***

Right now it's 3:15 am and I am sitting in the kitchen waiting for the coconut muffins I made for my sweetheart to bake, and in the meantime I finished the custom. Oh my, this post must be chaotic to read, I should stop now!

Anyway, Carla, here's your Clamshell pouch with the Japanese cherry blossom fabric!

I picked Amy Butler's Martini from the Midwest Modern line for the lining, I thought the colours matched well, and it seems a nice contrast. I also like the zipper colour... I hope you do, too!

It was kind of difficult because I didn't really have matching fabrics, and I decided not to take a risk and didn't combine the cherry blossom fabric with any other fabrics. Hope that was okay... anyway, it's still blue, and it has some contrasting fabric for the lining. Let me know what you think... and please keep in mind I can totally make a new one for you, if this doesn't turn out to be what you had in mind. :)

But it was great fun to make her!! I haven't used my clamshell pattern in a while, and I just realized how versatile it is.

I also realized I shouldn't start to write a post in the early evening and then continue to write at night, this is so chaotic... I apologize.

I will try and rearrange it again tomorrow. A bit confused as we had some really bad news, so please forgive my silly-brain.
Well, I better be off to bed! Night.

Still numb.

2009-11-18T01:39:00.012+01:00

I still keep searching the news, but what is it that I am actually expecting to read about Robert Enke's death? Hasn't it all been said?
Maybe I am still waiting to find out it was all some kind of weird illusion.

I find myself looking at all the pictures (there's a picture gallery on his club's site with tons of pictures), looking deep into his eyes, searching for traces of his misery.

Picture taken from Stern magazine, from a photo shoot with Kai Stuht for PETA Germany.

Still numb. Hard to believe that the death of a person you never even met could make you feel so miserable.
We were almost born on the same day.

But recently, every once in a while, I find myself getting angry looking into his face, angry at him for making so many people suffer.

I guess when anger's finally coming up that means you're starting to get over it, right?

I would never have believed anything like that could absorb me so much.

A day of mourning.

2009-11-15T12:30:00.026+01:00

Germany says good-bye to ROBERT ENKE
(24 August 1977 - 10 November 2009).
(Please see NYT or GUARDIAN)

A highly intelligent and very sensitive man that has suffered from severe depression for 6 years, and nobody except his very close family knew of it or even had an idea.

A professional footballer has to keep quiet about certain things, or they will put an end to his career. Which is sad, but sure true, as the career of Sebastian Deisler has taught us.

Robert Enke's widow Teresa gave a press conference immediately after his death, in which she revealed his illness and his fears for putting an end to his career if it became public, or even losing custody of his second (adopted) child, after his first baby girl Lara died aged 2 due to a severe heart condition - the latter an irrational fear certainly.

He left a farewell note to his family, a note which has not been made public but which is said to express his apologies to his wife and family for deliberately having made them feel safe about his allegedly stabilizing condition in order to be able to finally take his life.

The whole of Germany is paying their tribute to this man, a man for whose outstandingly great personality I simply lack words. And it seems so stunning to see that our entire nation feels the same about this man: apparently there has not been a public memorial service in Germany with so many mourners since the death of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer in 1967. The Hannover stadium was packed with 45.000 people, and about the same number was expected to gather outside to watch the ceremony on huge video screens. The rest of us watched it on television.

There are no words to express the sadness we feel.

I wish you were still among us. It is an unexplicable and unbearable loss in so many respects. The German public is in such desperate need for role models like you were - you will be missed and mourned and loved forever.

FOTO: ddp

He will be buried next to his baby girl who died aged 2 three years ago.

I am unable to stop thinking about him. Still wish it was a hoax.

All pictures taken from German Der SPIEGEL magazine and Süddeutsche newspaper (unless noted otherwise).

What a sad day for Germany

2009-11-11T00:00:00.011+01:00

Robert Enke committed suicide
(see German Spiegel or UK Guardian).

Picture taken from SPIEGEL ONLINE.

The 32 year old outstanding German goalkeeper and anxious PETA supporter killed himself today in Hannover.
He was hit by a train... how awful.

I am deeply and immensely grateful for his efforts to reach out to a kind of people that are hardly ever touched by PETA's actions or words.

He must have been incredibly miserable.

Picture taken from Hannoversche Allgemeine.

Thank you, Robert Enke.

What an unbearable loss for our entire nation, for PETA and all its supporters and most of all for your wife and little daughter, and your beloved doggies.

Picture taken from the German PETA campaign against cat & dog fur imports from China.

Receiving ART

2009-11-04T12:33:00.008+01:00

Look what I had in the mail this morning!!!
I am delighted, these prints look AWESOME in person. Receiving such great art in the mail is just exhilarating.

(silly! another one of these bugs that won't let me turn the image! If anyone can let me know how to get rid of this please please let me know - this is MOST ANNOYING and drives me CRAZY!!!)

All these great prints are created in Italy by the artist VINCENZO RIZZO - visit his etsy shop and get yourself a great piece of art!

Mille grazie, Vincenzo. Mi piacciono molto, e siamo fieri che siamo possessori di queste eccellente opere d'arte!

(THAT IS RIDICULOUS!! NOW EVEN THE THIRD IMAGE WON'T TURN!! Oh, darn it!!! Someone please help, or I'll throw that darn computer out the window!!!)

Only recently became a great fan of his.

2009-11-03T13:28:00.002+01:00

He ROCKS!!
Great song, amazing voice.
Looking forward to the album.

I'm featured!!!

2009-11-01T12:38:00.007+01:00

Italian Paw, a lovely etsy seller in Italy, featured me in her treasury!!!

Check it out, she chose some great items, and I am totally flattered and honoured to be featured among some great art work with my silly ribbon!!!

Look at Vincenzo Rizzo's amazing prints, like this one:

I think this one is meant to be mine.

Picture taken from Vincenzo Rizzo's site, all rights reserved by him.

I said it before, I guess...

2009-10-30T14:50:00.003+01:00

...but I LOVE LOVE!!!

It's gonna be a long long winter over here, and looking out the window just makes me want to not get out of bed EVER AGAIN.
But looking at Amy Butler's LOVE helps me over it a bit... makes the day a lot more cheerful! So glad they launched this in winter!! :)

I might keep it for myself... :))

Love LOVE!!

2009-10-27T23:54:00.005+01:00

Oh my, lookie what I had in the mail today... love love love Amy Butler LOVE!!!

This line reminds me ever so much of the Charm... the more I look at it, the more I am charmed, hehe. And the more I love it. :)
God bless Amy Butler for her amazing talent!!! She makes my life a bit happier and definitely a lot more beautiful to look at. :)

And my friend Maria made me some really great sew-in labels, can't wait to use them! Gotta get some sewing done soon!!

Wow, this fabric is so beautiful it just kills me!!

Quilt progress

2009-10-25T02:05:00.007+02:00

Well, I can't actually call it much of a progress.

But I am working on a few more blocks. :)

I love the Kona charcoal - it really makes the other fabrics pop out.
The top will be done in a bit - can't wait to start quilting. :)

Our mailman died on Monday.

2009-10-24T17:57:00.007+02:00

It's football day over here (Saturday), so Martin went to the pub and was told the bad news (some of you might have read my post from 5 Oct).

Our mailman died last Monday.
He was 45 and had been working as a mailman for Deutsche Post for 29 years. We call this a 'faithful soul' in German.

We also learned that he had had no family. How sad. He was such a good person.
I wish I could at least have told him that.

Great homes and destinations

2009-10-23T12:37:00.004+02:00

Oh my, please take a look at this week's properties, I can't even decide which one I like best, they all have some great features!!

Here's the slide show.

Love this living room... so romantic and 'old world-ish'. Mmmh...

Autumn in the Wild Wild West II

2009-10-22T22:17:00.021+02:00

Another beautiful tree.
Funny, I was never able to see the beauty in decay, except for in these trees.
Even though I feel kinda sorry for them.

My granddad laughed when he saw this. It says "Bob's bench" on the bench.
We didn't sit on it. :)

That's all a couple of days ago, folks.
By now, it already looks completely different.

Bye for today.

WE vs THE BIG BAD WOLFSKIN

2009-10-20T22:35:00.012+02:00

For anyone who is on DaWanda and would like to participate in the charity sales and donate for the DaWanda sellers warned by Jack Wolfskin please post/list your goodies here.

I thought it appropriate and donated a Little Red Riding Hood Japanese fabric fat quarter & matching Farbenmix ribbon.
So, who won, in the end? ;)

Thank God I have not a single piece of Jack Wolfskin clothing in my closet (and there sure never will be one), and neither does my better half nor my cats - who on earth would want to be seen in such a thing now and in the near future? I wouldn't be able to handle the harrassments.

I am thinking of knitting cat socks for my kitties so their paws will not be track- nor traceable - better safe than sorry.

I still can't believe they got in trouble for using Michael Miller Fabrics in the first place!! I had this fabric myself and made kitty toys for our animal shelter's charity sales with it... I wonder if they are planning on warning Michael Miller now?

Autumn in the Wild West of Germany I

2009-10-20T01:26:00.008+02:00

Here's some pictures of our region as it looks like right now.
As promised, to those of you who are sweating in hot climates yearning for a *real* winter - something I will never be able to understand, but anyway, here's your pics. ;)

PART I

I particularly like that tree above.
Even though it's dead and that's sad, and these things usually make me feel uncomfortable. But it is beautiful.

More pictures tomorrow.

Bye-bye for today, chaps.

Quilt Festival aftermath

2009-10-18T18:12:00.003+02:00

I feel I really *need* to make another quilt again SOON.
The Quilt Festival left me with so many ideas in my head and so many memories of long forgotten projects in my mind that I literally feel the *urge* to quilt.

I wanted to make an autumn-coloured quilt for us anyway, but haven't gotten around to it just yet.
Martin wanted "something brown". ;)

So I decided to make "something brown" and mix it with my favourite Kona, charcoal.
This is going to be a very solid quilt, with only very few printed patterns. And wobbly-wonky, too - I have seen so many wonderful Denyse Schmidt-inspired quilts that I will give this a try. :)

My first trial block, which will be turned into a pillowcase:

Imagine a quilt free country

2009-10-16T20:12:00.029+02:00

This is my quilt story for the Fall 2009 Quilt Festival over at Amy Park City Girl's blog.
I am very much looking forward to reading your comments! :)

Imagine a quilt free country.

Imagine a place from where it would take you so long to get to the nearest quilt shop that you are tempted to stay the night because you'd be driving the WHOLE DAY.

Imagine a region where quilts are unknown and mostly unheard of. Where people ask you what you are planning on making with all that fabric. And when you tell them you're using it for a quilt, you can guess from the puzzled expression on their faces that they are trying to picture you in Scottish heritage skirts.

I started to sew roughly three years ago. Don't get me wrong, I had always wanted to learn it, but somehow I had never gotten around to it. I had done many things by hand over the years, but that's just not it. You will never make anything elaborate or even think of sewing clothes by hand (well, I wouldn't, that is).

But when I got my first (used & pretty crappy, to be honest) sewing machine I very quickly got hooked.
Like many (or most?) of us do, I started collecting fabric very soon, and became an experienced hoarder in a couple of months, hiding fabric from my hubby in the weirdest places.

I discovered patchwork and quilting very soon, by accident, though. I was looking for a fabric shop around here (I am in a small town in a rural area on the border of Germany and Luxembourg, and there really isn't much around, particularly when it comes to such exotic hobbies as sewing or even quilting), and came across an ad online: there was a patchwork shop near by, in a village just half an hour outside our town, having a close-out sale.
It was run by a stay-at-home-mom and she was about to close down because it was "not worth the while".
She had lived in Nebraska before coming to Germany, and because of the lack of quilt shops she had simply brought her own, but Germans never felt very comfortable in Scottish folklore clothing, so she didn't really have much business.

I simply bought the whole shop, or so it seemed to me back then.
I had no idea that I would soon be buying plastic boxes in bulk to store all the other shops I'd buy along my road to quilt heaven.

To cut a long story short, after a couple of months of practicing with tons of table runners, pillowcases, pot holders, a baby quilt I gave to a friend and of which I sadly don't even have pictures any more, and a charity quilt I started out for our local animal shelter but never finished due to serious imperfection I decided to give it a try and go for a large one, for myself and my gang.

I was really worried about so many things before... would it be possible to have 30 blocks all exactly the same size? What about the sashing? What about the puckering on the back, and all... because the charity quilt had had "puckering" all over its back...
It's pretty difficult when you have no quilters to talk to and no quilt shop owners to ask, and no quilt fabric shops to shop at, and no quilts around to look at!! And soo sad... all this beauty that we miss - by the way, I have been to the US first time this year, and been to PA's Amish County, where I visited the Lancaster Quilt & Textile Museum and was so overwhelmed I very nearly cried at the sight of this beauty they have on display:

If you ever get the chance to get to Lancaster County visit the museum - the collection is simply breathtaking, and the ladies are very very nice, and they have a wonderful museum shop, too (sorry for the crappy picture, indoors without a flashlight my camera produces pretty random results - but I had to show you this).

ANYWAY, my quilt... it took me two months to finish it. But I finished it. It is machine pieced and machine quilted.

I chose the log cabin because I really liked it, and to be honest, I expected it to be rather simple, hehe. And it was pleasant and easy to sew, and I love it because you can display so many different beautiful fabrics at a time (and believe me, I have a bunch of *favourite* fabrics).

It was easier than I thought!
And I was so lucky there's no puckering anywhere, and I couldn't be happier with it! Of course the quilt stitches are not too even everywhere but for a first time free motion trial I thought it was pretty much okay.

It's king size and accommodates us all, and is made with a selection of my dearest fabrics from Amy Butler and Joel Dewberry, with amazing Jennifer Paganelli's zebra print giving it the spice.
I used Kona charcoal for the binding.
I am so proud. And me and my better half as well as all four kitties can cuddle up together under it, now that it is getting cold over here. :)

I really really miss being able to go to quilt shops or quilt markets, or quilt museums... or simply have other quilters to talk to and quilt with. Oh well.

If asked what the best thing was about the US from what I can judge by only having been there once I'd say it's the amazing and totally unconditional friendliness and openness of the people, something that completely baffled us since we are not used to this over here, and their QUILTS. :)

One day I will move to Vermont and open up a quilt shop in the woods.

See y'all there! :))

Picture taken from freefoto.com, with thanks to Ian Britton, the photographer!

Got some new Alexander Henry in...

2009-10-16T11:46:00.005+02:00

...and must make sure not to look at it too often - otherwise I will fall in love with this lovely lady here.

Isn't she just irresistibly cute?

What was the 80s video called, I mean the song, with the man falling in love with a dressmaker's doll or something? Gotta ask Amy, she would know... Amy?? Wasn't that one from these sisters, what were they called again?

Anyway, here she is in full:

Winter's coming.

2009-10-15T00:38:00.007+02:00

I took a few pictures to show you what it looks like over here at this time of the year.

Just one sneak peek, more to follow soon.

Good night... oh, the new houses on the NYT real estate are out. Will be posting a link to them tomorrow, too.
Too tired today.

Oh, and I decided to take part in the Quilt Festival FALL 2009 with my quilt.
Actually it was supposed to be a quilt for hot summer nights, don't know why, when I pictured it (before I made it, that was last winter) I always thought of really hot weather (not surprising, with the winter we had last year)... but in some places even autumn is hot, so I guess it's okay to do the Fall Festival. :)

So, pictures of my quilt coming up tomorrow or the day after, too.

Her designs are so good...

2009-10-10T13:16:00.008+02:00

...they make me speechless!!

I LOVE ECHINO.

The stripes and dots and circles and the colours are just stunning, as with the grey one below.

Another one I totally adore, and would love to keep, hehe, but which will be added to my shop tonight.

What I get...

2009-10-09T02:01:00.003+02:00

...is the one in Washington. :))

I love the Arizona home because of the garden and the pool, but I would feel bad to have a pool in such a dry region, so I rather move to Washington, where the best radio stations are anyway. And the house is nicer inside. Oh, and the garden and patio are cute, too... gotta see that again... Boston's not bad either... oh, I can't decide.

You see for yourselves which is the nicest. :)

Night, I'm off.

Doki doki!!

2009-10-08T12:15:00.001+02:00

Today is posting day!

Found this jewel on youtube, never heard that version before.
I wish they were still making music together, I swear I'd travel to Japan just to see them. And to spend some days in Nippori, of course - hahaha! ;)

Rocker Gerrit modelling my overall

2009-10-08T11:42:00.004+02:00

Please take a look at Carla's Blog if you want to see pics of her suupercute baby boy in my supercool tattoo overall - thanks for the pics, Carla!! Sehr sehr süß, der kleine Typ... ;)

That for me???

2009-10-08T10:59:00.004+02:00

see more Engrish

No idea why it always cuts the right edge, but it says "good luch" of course.

I am a very superstitious person, just so you know.

Sounds promising. I can handle that, I think!!! :))

That's what I get...

2009-10-08T10:47:00.003+02:00

...for going to bed early.

As a cause I get up early, and so already had lunch and it's not even 11 am yet. :))

More time to eat. ;)

Like, a vegan cheezfrnz burger.

I think I lost it...

2009-10-07T23:50:00.010+02:00

Wow, what a day.

I've had ups and downs like crazy all day, and I can't handle that. Either the one or the other is good, but constant changes I don't like.

I have been working my b*** off, and I am so tired I just want to die.
For the couple of you who are waiting for a message from me (well, that could possibly be two, hehe, uhm, people, not messages) I want to apologize... I am and will be happy to hear from you, but please excuse if I don't get around to answering as fast as I'd like to.

It has just been pretty frustrating a day (apart from a few nice things ;) and I will now go to bed with my new quilt mag that arrived today.

I really hope this was a good idea, to start out a *real* business, I mean full time and all. It has been pretty much of a 16-working-hours/day thing and I am already knocked out, lol. Sorry guys for all the complaints... I just hope it will be less chaotic tomorrow.

But one fabulous thing I had today... a nice woman, some of you might remember, the one I made the mommy-&-me pillowcase dress for...

...sent me a picture of herself and her supercute daughter in my dresses!!!
The daughter is actually a teeny baby, and soo cute! It was a fabulous pic, I might even ask her if I might post it here... might be a bit awkward for her, though. Maybe I'll ask.

And then another supercool woman I know from DaWanda, who will be the lucky future owner of my beloved supercool Echino KAT wristlet you can see below in an older post, told me she'd be sending me a picture of her little son in one of my overalls (the tattoo overall, that was a fun one, but I remember setting the snaps... awful, I swore to myself never to do such a horrible thing ever again, lol). Can't wait to see that, as she had already promised that months ago, haha- thanks so much Carla! That made my day!! :)

***

In German we say "someone is lying on your bag" when he takes advantage of and is relying on you financially, something like that.

I wonder what that means, then, with Nin lying on my bag and my (empty as usual!) wallet next to her, open... :))

Night, girls. Oh, and man. ;)

Not having the chance to at least say good-bye

2009-10-05T19:13:00.013+02:00

We just had our worries confirmed that our mailman is dying from cancer.
Martin overheard a discussion about it in the pub.
He's already in the hospital and they do not expect him to be able to leave it again, he has already been taken to palliative care.

He has been the most cheerful and friendly and helpful mailman you could ever imagine. He always had a nice word for everybody he met in the street, and gave everyone a smile.
He was cheerful and humming even the 300 days a year when rain is pouring down over here.
When he was tipped for his great service or given delicious chocolate goodies around Christmas time he gave you a hug, even Martin. :)
He was THE perfect small town mailman, who knew your name and only jokingly rolled his eyes when he delivered five flat rate envelopes full of fabric in one day AGAIN.
He always rang the doorbell to let you know there was something for you to pick up, so you wouldn't have to get down the stairs for nothing.

I should think he was/is (how awful!) around 40. I have no idea if he had family... I hope so.
Last time I saw him must be around 6 months ago, he was cheerful as ever.
While I worked in Luxembourg the last year of course I hardly ever got to meet him in person, sometimes on Saturdays, but when I quit working in July and as a cause of that was home again in the mornings I never heard the doorbell again, and that puzzled me.

First I thought it might be because he was used to me not being at home in the mornings any more, then I wondered if he had been sent to a different district, and later I thought that he might be on holiday, but as a couple of weeks passed and there were different mailmen every day who could not possibly have all just been helping out over the summer holidays I started to worry.

Martin overheard a person in the football pub talk about their cancer treatment.
Martin does not have a good memory when it comes to people and faces, and of course he hasn't seen the mailman day after day over a couple of years, but he told me about it and said that this person had somewhat resembled our "old" mailman.
And I was like "yes, I have thought of something like that, too"... That's only a couple of weeks ago.

So last weekend, when Martin was about to leave the house for the pub, I asked him to talk to the owner of the pub about what he overheard, and if it was possible that that had been our mailman.
In a small town like our's we all know each other, and the pub is right around the corner where I used to live when I was still living on my own, so my mailman was the pub's mailman also, and I know he also went there every once in a while because of the music (he is one 80s rock music fan which I could tell by the shirts he was wearing when I saw him around when he was not "on duty", and that was a rock music & football pub).
And the pub owner I know because he was not only a neighbour but pub people know each other, and I had worked in another pub just round the corner all my college years...so.
And the pub owner confirmed our worries. It is our mailman after all.

He's in palliative care already and I can't even say goodbye. Goodbye, and thank you.

Thank you for being such a heartwarming person, you made so many peoples' days, day after day.
Thanks for your unconditional friendliness, your humour and good spirits.

You are an outstanding mailman, and there will never be a mailman just like you.

I am sorry if this sounds pathetic, but that's just the way it is.

I hope our mailman at least has a nice family to look after him.

We had so many people die from cancer in the last two years.
I hate cancer.

I'm still here.

2009-10-04T15:06:00.007+02:00

...just so you know. ;)

I have been quite busy with the new shop and all, and sewing some things as Christmas is coming up, but I am still here and will resume posting again in a bit... :)

I made some new wristlets with fabulous fabrics and sometimes just wish to be able to use them all myself, when the fabrics are just so fabulous, hehe.

Like this ECHINO wristlet, I love Echino.
And they say anything looks good paired with natural linen, that is true also.

And I just love these matryoshkas, and the zebra print from Jennifer Paganelli is simply awesome with just about anything.

Off to work some more and I will be back tonight. :)

KICK. ME. HARD.

2009-09-27T20:11:00.040+02:00

A DISASTROUS ELECTION DAY FOR GERMANY.

The German government moves to the very right wing:
Black centre-right conservative CDU make up the next government coalition with yellow capitalist neoliberal FDP.
We all move back to the eighties: hooray for nuclear energy! Bail out the banks! Deprive the lower classes of their right to health care and social security! F*** it, sustainable living and environmentalism is for sissies!!!

It's about time to emigrate.
I am pretty upset, disappointed and ashamed of my country.

Even though the Green Party didn't lose as much as the Social Democrats.
In fact, the Greens didn't lose at all - but with such a weak Social Democrats party they will not be able to influence much.
The frightening black-yellow scenario just freaks me out - it's a disaster for our country.
This is not the country, this is not the government I want to be associated with.

Great homes and a fancy car..

2009-09-25T01:26:00.007+02:00

My next beloved real estate weekly top picks is out.

I am sorry I don't get around to writing much at the moment, I am just doing so many things at a time right now that my head is spinning... I don't want to complain as it is all very pleasant things, like looking at fabric catalogues and placing orders for new Japanese fabrics that I will be getting in (thanks Kathleen!!!), but I must say I didn't even get around to reading my real estate section today!!! Not even seen the pics yet!! Ts!!

My *man* took me to the drive-in cinema today, I have never been to such a thing! It really felt like back in time... Thanks man! LOL

It was great to have a couple of hours off and to get to watch a darn good movie... Back to the future!! Ha, that was a good laugh... I loved it!!
That De Lorean just takes my breath away... I will be dreaming of buying a fancy car all night. :)

I can already picture myself behind the wheel... off to some sleep and fancy car dreams.
Night, peeps!

YIPPIE!

2009-09-20T21:18:00.012+02:00

I made my first sale from my "charity shop" section in my DaWanda shop today!!

This toiletry bag is going to Beate, one lovely woman in the North of Germany, who will be donating the money for it to the Arzberg animal shelter (instead of paying me for it).

YIPPIE! Thanks to Beate, from me and the inhabitants of the shelter!!!

Like Dara, and Denise...

...and Tamina and Pepita...

...and Simja... and many many more.

And let's hope there's many sales to follow!! THANKS!!!

Great homes and destinations...

2009-09-18T10:33:00.008+02:00

...what you get for $ 220,000.

Another one! Yippie!

As an avid follower of the above mentioned New York Times real estate series, I am presenting you this week's top picks!

Looks cute from the outside (let's not talk about the interior, shall we), and is certainly much more in my price range than last week's ads...

Cute!!!

Click here to read the article, and here for the pics.

Come up and see me...

2009-09-17T11:27:00.005+02:00

...make my day!!!

This is the BEST SONG EVER.

I just love this song, whenever I hear it it really does make me smile. Not only smile, but sing and dance and cheer... ;)

Listen to it and you will see.

Thanks so much, my dear BBC Radio 2, for drawing my attention to this cherished jewel again.

My new purse! * Introducing KAT!! *

2009-09-14T18:41:00.013+02:00

It's official!!

My new purse is up, in my DaWanda shop!

I've been dreaming of creating a round purse pattern (yes, it's possible that I am slightly obsessed with round pouch and purse shapes) that is both pleasing to the eye and functional as well as handy.
So, it had to have a zipper closure, because I am constantly afraid of pick-pockets... one of my many needless worries. :)
Apart from that, the body would have to be made with stunningly beautiful fabrics - only plant fibres would be allowed here, no animal skins, of course, and no synthetic fibres - and by an expert hand, hehe - please the eye forever, so to say.

She shall be named KAT - pleasing to the ear, catchy, sewphisticated, smart, cool, and positive! :)

I got these cotton twigs at IKEA on Saturday - I love them, they are so cute and cuddly. The kitties love to smell (and taste!) them, but they don't seem to smell of anything at all to me... :)

A very nice Parisian lady complimented me on the purse already this morning (via the comment function on DaWanda), that made my day! Merci, Aphykit! :))

Oh, and I appreciate any comment on this whatsover. I don't mind negative ones, just please try not to be too rude, it's been raining here all day and I just learnt that IKEA's Rosali is sold out everywhere already (again!! and will not be reprinted!!) and that affects my mood severely. ;)

I should consider sleeping from time to time.

2009-09-14T01:48:00.004+02:00

Off to bed now... I guess it's about time! 2 am, oh noooo...

Just have one more sad news story to share, that makes me want to cry, and that I feel like I have to draw attention to.

How Islamist gangs use internet to track, torture and kill Iraqi gays

Iraqi militias infiltrate internet gay chatrooms to hunt their quarry – and hundreds are feared to be victims

Taken from today's Guardian.
Not a very pleasant read, though, as you can probably guess.

I feel like I need to comment, but can't.