Erleperle

Leather and Note Books

Let's start with the leather stuff. I don't have a need for showing you everything from my holiday, but you must see my leather bargains. A couple of years ago my husband gave me a red leather bag. I don't have many leather bags, but mostly fabric bags. Not that I don't like leather, but I can't buy every bag I like. Especially not the Italien ones, which are being sold in a shop in my town. The shop has so many different models in so many colours. Then there was the market in Firenze..... At least twenty different places to buy leather bags from this particular manufacturer! My sister and I were in heaven!!! So many models, so many colours and the prices were even better!! The hardest part was to choose, which bag to buy. Therefore my sister and I went by train to Firenze a couple of days later...

I have been crazy with this purple colour for such a long time. I have been looking every time, I was in the local shop.

On our first day in Firenze we passed a small studio and there it was. The red leather jacket made just for me. I went to the shop to take a look and was not going to buy at all. The jacket fitted me perfect and my husband liked it! I guess it is his fault, that I feel like the most spoiled woman on earth!

This brown shoulder bag was my first bargain and I really needed that instead of my very old and dusty rucksack. I don't like spending too much money on clothes and prefer to buy my sisters design. I feel that these bargains are unnecessary luxury - it doesn't keep my from being very happy! Just had to share it with you.

Then it's time for the note books.

It was so great to sew again! Because of the Danish summer heat it is difficult to sit in my craftingroom on second floor. Yesterday I had to. I made these two vintage note books. I hope to continue with this project soon.

All for now - have a nice day!

Malika og Rosa.dk

I write this post in Danish, because I want my Danish visitors to hear about a new online shop in Denmark. It's difficult to find that kind of fabric in DK.

 

Hvis du, som jeg, har en svaghed for Amy Butler stof, japanske stoffer eller bare stof - så kig forbi den nyåbnede netshop Malika og Rosa. Her er noget for enhver smag! Det er også muligt at finde en stofrest til en god pris. Det er vel overflødigt at fortælle, at jeg har ladet mig friste. Det blev til lidt skønne kirsebær.

Du finder også farvestrålende børnetøj og brugsting til hjemmet. Husk at tilmelde dig nyhedsbrevet.

Villa Nardi

In the hillsides south of Lucca you find Villa Nardi. We went there for a tasting of their olive oil and found the most dylic place.

Orange and lemon trees every where. In the center of the garden was one of the biggest and oldest camellia trees in Europe. Inside the tree walked a very happy chicken and a turtle. The Nardi family was very kind and told about the beautiful garden and their amazing villa. We were not allowed inside the villa, but we passed an open door and saw the most amazing room. It was not covered with wallpaper, but with paintings painted on the wall. The room was filled with vintage furniture. It was such a great visit.

I'm back!

Thank you for all your sweet comments and best wishes for our trip to Tuscany. We have spent two great weeks at Casolare dei Fiori with my sister and her family (4 adults and six children, age 8 to 17). We have enjoyed local meals made by the owners of Casolare dei Fiori - not every day! 

At first I show you some pictures from the antique market in Lucca.

  

It was a real treasure market. Old iron beds, vintage furniture, lace and much more.

Lucca is a very charming town. As tourist we had to visit the old town inside the old town wall.  

If you ever go to Lucca, you must visit a street named Via Borgo Gianotti. It's a street outside the old town wall. The street is very charming with shops and restaurants. We didn't meet any tourist there at all. We bought a new coffe maker in the most fantastic shop. It was a very old and dark shop filled with all from teaspons to kitchen machines. We had dinner at Tratorria Gosto & Mea in this street. The food was great, but it is not traditional Italian cooking.

All for now - I don't want to bore you! More pictures will come. Some of you have already asked me, if I've bought fabric. No - I've bought leather stuff!

 

Last minute Patchwork Project - WIP

Yesterday just before midnight I had jo start this quilting project. I had turned off the tv. It was late and I was going to bed. I thought I was..... The rest of the family was all asleep and the house was so quiet and cosy. Then I began to cut, sew, iron, cut, sew, iron for a couple of hours. It was so great!!

Today I finished the top of the quilt (approx 150 x 110 cm). I should be busy packing my stuff for the holiday, but my husband says, that all is fine and it's okay for me to sew. I take his word for that. Now I will clean up the mess in the studio and take a break. Now it's time to join my family and concentrate about our holiday in Toscana. We leave early tomorrow morning (6 o'clock). My mother will take care of the house, the rabbits and our big dog. Have a great summer - see you in a couple of weeks!

Lingerie Bag

Now I'm almost ready to go to Italy, almost...

Vintage embroidery and lace - love it!  I hope to sew a little more before leaving my sewingmachine home all alone. Poor thing.... or it is poor me....?!

....later today! Another photo here.

Paper Crafting

I'm blessed with many friends and I'm so grateful for that! Friendships need care and attention. Yesterday I spent some time with a dear friend of mine. When we meet, we talk a lot about crafting. I mean a lot about crafting! Every time I come home from one of our meetings, I'm so inspired! Yesterday we talked about scrapbooking. I haven't made papercraft for such a long time. Late last night the temperature in the studio was fine and it was raining cats and dogs. I like rain. Before getting to bed I had to make these small paper projects.

I made som fabric covered buttons too.

More pictures here. It's great with small paper projects these days. It has been too warm to sit in the studio during the daytime. If I don't craft at all, I don't make life easy for my family... I'm sure, you know what I mean! I will make more tags and paper cards for swaps and gifts. You should try it too!

Very early Friday morning we will go to Lucca, Toscana. Perhaps it's time to pack. I think, I'll start with the creative stuff for the holiday. Very important!

Coasters

Set of four coasters made of fabric from the Park Slope collection mixed with dots and gingham. Making coasters is great! If you haven't done it before, you must try it. It's also a great way to use fabric from stash and then there is space for new fabrics. Use linen, cotton or what ever you want and make your own personal coasters.

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This set is a gift for a dear friend of mine - hope she likes my gift!

Being a Tourist

Today I have been tourist in my own town. I had promised my husband to take care of myself and not concentrate about housework or any other boring projects. I started my day with a new knitting therapy project - a scarf. Who the h... needs a scarf, when it is summer in Denmark.....!? Then the postman brought me a package from Pink by post

Park Slope by Erin McMorris.

Then I borrowed my daughters bicykle - my own is too old, I must have a new one! I didn't know, where I wanted to go, so I let me feet take me on tour. My feet were very kind to me. We visited a yarnshop, a couple of second hand shops (I bought a vintage cloth - price 2$), bougth me new jeans, three t-shirts and a cardigan, went to a cafe for latte and cookie and shopped some groceries for dinner (mussel soup with saffron). Beside all that I enjoyed the sunny weather, tourists in town (real tourists!), people laughing, the small ferry which sails in the lake around Frederiksborg Castle and life in general. I had three great hours in town, before I went home. On my way home I went through a small forest named The Tuesday Forest.

I only wished, that I had brought my camera, then you could have enjoyed my town too!

 

One more perfect day!

Knitting Therapy

Yes, it's true. I've been knitting. It took me one week to knit the top and I enjoyed every minute!

The top is designed by the Danish knit designer Helga Isager, Amimono. The pattern was published in my favorite magazine, Boligliv, a couple of months ago (issue.no. 5). 

Yarn: Black Bomulin, very thin brown cotton, Isager Bomuld, and some green Isager cotton from stash. I like the mix of the black and brown yarn. I'm not the only one, who likes this model. Take a look at this gorgeous colour mix. The green flower is for my hair!

The top is ready to wear, the sun is shining, the love of my life has invited me out for dinner and to the movies afterwards. Beside that I've started my vacation today. No more work until August, 5th. Today us a perfect day! I hope, you have a nice day too!