Waiting, thinking, wondering...

...I´m having big difficulties with my almost ex-husband who is having financial problems which he is trying to drag us into. I´m trying to stay positive while the bank decides over our future in this house .
I want to reach above myself, stay calm and strong and focused so I don´t get emotional every time I am reminded of just how little the children and I mean to him.
If worse comes to worse, Erich and I will pack up the children and find a new home and start a new adventure but that would be very hard for me so keep your fingers crossed for us.

Nice Things

This is one of my set of five Lotta Jansdotter inspired place mats. I made them a little smaller because they are for outdoors and picnic dishes and cutlery are a little smaller too and they should fit perfectly in my picnic bag which is also in the works. The older I get, the more I see the importance of having nice things. I don´t mean expensive things or "in" things -I mean simple, useful and when possible, hand made things. Things that make me joyful and emotional and more alive and aware of the colour and beauty around me. I am so looking forward to hearing the children run up the stairs after school to have a lunch of ham and vegetable omelettes outside in the garden on our blue table and our new place mats.

A new book!

I was really torn between buying this book and one of Amy Butler´s books - I decided on this one because of the title, Simple Sewing and because I am an admirer of Lotta Jansdotter and Scandinavian style. The book seemed a little too simple at first glance but the more I look through it, the more I realise that the simplicity of it leaves room for my own imagination. It´s a little like Ikea furniture, the structure is there but you can make so much more out of it. The book has a lot of practical hints and instructions for sewing in general aswell as lovely photos and useful patterns in their own hard pocket so they can´t be lost. I started with some things that I needed, the sun hat (I had to adapt this pattern as it was much too big so I recommend that you make a test hat with a cheap fabric first) and a pot holder and I`m working on the all-day tote which will be used as a picnic bag and filled with a napkins and place-mats with cutlery pockets. We have booked our summer holiday to Italy in August and I can´t wait to have a picnic overlooking beautiful Lake Garda, wearing my sun hat with a lovely place-mat on my lap!