This time of the year...

Usually around this time, when children go back to school, and you can just about to smell the autumn, I start to dig deeper in my fabric stash, and get out darker shades and more wool-ish stuff. Back to school-time usually inspires for pencil cases and other study sort of makes, but this August our weather has been so lovely (best weeks of whole summer), that I just opted for quick makes (so I could get out and about quicker), and made a little batch of bookmarks and keyrings. But a hint of autumn there too, perhaps?

As soon as weather took the unevitable turn to rain rain rain, my color palette changed, and out came browns, oranges, deep wine reds...

I am not the greatest sewer, and patchwork I usually leave for those who master it. But I've always said I wish my handmades to look like handmade too, and happily put together a patchwork-ish bag from my reused tweeds. And well...It would not be me and my makes if I didn't start decorating that...

So some needle felting here and there, and little wool yarns too for embroidery... Mostly on top, patchworked part, but a little on back too:

And this I ended up with:

The very first autumn-ish bag for this year, yippee! And you know me, never ever ever ever there's only one of my makes, and the more the merrier being my motto and all - second bag in making already:

And I can feel those pencil cases coming soon too... Happy August days to you!

Yours,
Mia

Hello?

The title just says it, a shy little hello? It's been a while *ahem*, and I am not absolutely sure what happened,  I just... Somehow fell off blogging wagon and went all the way to Instagram. It is lovely and quick and easy cool there, and I went through all excuses possible from "blogging with tablet is hard" (yup, so very, doing it here right now) to "who reads the blogs anymore" and all the other lamos. I think it was mainly the longer I was away the harder writing the first lines became. Phew, that part done now!

I know there really are not as many people reading blogs regularly these days as there used to be, but when not thinking that "communicating-sharing-connecting-marketing"-mantra at all, a blog can be a visual (and in my case, a natural born blabber that I am, a literate too) diary. A blog post can show not just the finished thing (in my case a bag, pouch, knitted anything or even a weave) but the creative path you took to get there also. That I have missed so! It is lovely to show your a completed project (in my case especially as I have quite a few wip's at the same time), but it really doesn't tell you how (or why, which sometimes is the most interesting thing, why something turned out as it did) you got there in the end.

Last weekend when I seriously started thinking getting back to blog writing, I read some of my older posts. And even some of those pictures got my eyes sore (dark, gloomy, yellow, shaken, all over the place...), I was amazed still. I read posts from years 2011 and 2012 (quite a while ago!) when I turned my dream to reality and started HandmadebyMia full time, and suddenly I very vividly remembered that happiness and joy. I remembered my first bigger orders, our trips to get wool, my first "studio" in attic of our tiny house (a table by our bed). I remembered how hilariously bad I was at sewing but how happily I still did it five hours in a row. Those memories I have missed!

So here I am, trying to start my diary again. If you are still there, reading, it would be lovely to hear from you, but I am keeping in mind that diaries usually are a one man show, and sharing them is an added bonus. I am not making any promises (not even to myself) how often should I write, I just took the first step. But here I am, happy happy happy!

Yours,

Mia

P.S.  Pictures just quick phone ones around my studio, quality saluting those old ones I just complained, dark and shaky, but at the same time just "I would love to tell you more about" stuff. So fingers crossed for more stories to come...

Old habits die hard

It seems that old dog like me does not learn new tricks that easily, I think it was back in 2012 (oh yes, May 2012 actually, here ) when I found a basket full of almost finished tiny pouches, and oops! the very same happened again! I did some spring clean last week, and there they were, some missing just a few seams, and some had a happy little thing needle felted on them but nothing pretty on back. 

What could I do except get to sewing, choose some pretty trims and some buttons...

... and get the first batch finished!

And then, just as expected (you know me), I just had to make some more:

And then when all the "finish when time"-pouches were ready, what did I do? Moved on to something else? Nope, I went shopping some more...

...happy zips! In many colors! So summery! And a few more...

...happy pouches were made! These all jumped into my shop here (some have already flown out!), and they all are in sale, just like my last batch back in 2012. So if you need  want a happy little coin purse, this is the time!

Happy May to you all, I continue enjoying my sewing/knitting/felting in my outside studio on our terrace, sun shines and weather is just fantastic! Sending you some sunshine too!

Yours,

Mia

Hip hey, welcome May

Even the winter felt very long (especially January and February), it still took me by surprise that we are in May! I am not complaining, though, fantastic it is! We have had wonderful weather, sunny and warm, and fingers and toes crossed this will continue all the way 'til September October. Nature is blooming around here, and as every year, that inspires me in my crafts not only the flowers but also the colors, they get brighter (if that even is possible!), and my style... Well I stick what I have chosen!

I also have made a few summer bags, which in my case means still little wool&needle felting, but gets out pretty linens...

... and cottons!

Other than crafts it's also pretty exciting times, I know you all are not ice hockey fans (not even the slightest), but here we get it via mom's milk to love it, and every year around this time the World Championships are on. We have won gold only twice, 1995 and 2011, even we simply are the best in the world (there must be some mistake on the placings other years), and every year this small nation of ours gets crazy and supports our team with bottom of its heart. We have played four games so far and won every single of them (ta-dah!), so there is time to wave that blue-white flag. To balance that success our song was left out of the Eurovision Song Contest final this year (which we only have won once, 2006) but I will still enjoy the whole thing next Saturday, such fun and definitely not to be taken too seriously. Love the surprises like Australia participating this year (well they made an entrance last year too), not part of the Europe but they love the show - a good enough for me! Have a look if you can, makes you smile and dance!

Wishing you happy and sunny May days!

Yours,

Mia

Anybody out there still?

Uh-oh, it has been far too long since I last posted. Somehow my days seem to be so full of everything that blogging just... Also the dark&gloomy days we have had do not inspire for picture taking, but not it all has changed - spring is here (today it's still rainy and gray but otherwise), days are longer and sun even shines at the times. So what have you been up to? Still munching those post-easter-y chocks? 

Easter was fun and relaxing here, snowing a bit as usual, but otherwise just great. Slow knitting, reading, and of course that chocolate. Evenings are quite dark still, and flower I got from my Sis for Easter is perfect for those:

This year I also managed to get some Easter decorations done, I made some little felt fabric eggs and sent them all over the world (well last minute as usual, but I think they got to their receivers quite in time), those I think I need to make more later, some even to my shop for next year (I may need to start today, this year Easter got me, and I did not get any special things on my shop shelves!), but before that I would need to find some 100% wool felt fabric in lovely colors, any suggestion, friends?

I also celebrated my birthdays earlier, nothing big as the years were not round (but number is getting BIGGER, yikes), but lovely family time, happy gifts and lot's flowers. Just as I like it! We also traveled to Helsinki, had fantastic time there, saw some happy cats in Cat Cafe Helsinki, shopped some Moomins in Moomin Shop Helsinki, and just laughed and enjoyed it all!

So all in all great start for 2016 - and I wish it'll all get better by the day when summer gets closer! I can't wait to take my crafting studio to our patio and turn it into a happy sweatshop (you know what I mean, we have had two really BAD summers, please fingers&toes crossed it will be happy sweating for three months this year!). And it's only a few weeks away!

Wishing you lovely April days, hope you all get to walk your happy paths in sunshine! See you soon again!

Yours,

Mia

The memory lane

I just received some happy mail, a pretty card from my dear, dear friend Anne, thank you so much! And not only did that handwritten card make me smile wide, it also throw me back to my childhood.

It was the UNICEF-card which I recognized from the style immediately, and looking on the back confirmed it, and that brought back some happy memories. We, me and my sister, used to get puzzles for Christmas, and UNICEF-puzzles to be more precise. Those always came in white box with a really colorful and detailed picture on top. They were not the easiest ones to make, but we loved them. Seeing Anne's card made me remember those happy times, and also got me rushing into my studios storage room and...

That is one of those puzzles! Actually this is not an old one, I got this for Christmas a few years back (the old ones are in my mom's storage), but how could I have forgotten this? It seems that I have opened the plastic bag inside, but the puzzle itself got never made. Not until...

Today! This is just what I needed after this week. We all know (and have) those "color you calm&happy"-coloring books, and there is a time and place for them (I have one too), but I think it is time to give good old puzzles some praise. I can't think of a better way to slow down, leave your mind in peace, and concentrate on finding just the right pieces...

...starting from the edges, always, starting from the edges.

Thank you for this trip down to the memory lane, Anne, and happy&tranquil weekend to you all!

Yours,

Mia

P.S. I was not sure where to link as this was no way a commercial post, but buying the UNICEF cards, puzzles and all the other things you also donate money for a good cause. More about UNICEF's wonderful job can be read here, worth checking out.

Happy little scraps

After a mild autumn/winter our temperatures have dropped dramatically; we woke up to -26C this morning! I always get confused when I try to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, so I will guess nothing but say this is REALLY cold, and it seems this continues for a few days at least. We have little snow to make everything white&pretty, so looking out of the window it all seems quite winter wonderland-ish. But to actually go outside it is an another thing. I almost got my fingers frostbitten earlier today, when I went to get some pictures of my new cozies...

These happy little pouches were born from the inspiration of this post from Teje! She discovered a bunch of fabric scraps and instead of throwing them away, she is happily creating a quilt with them! Her lovely blog just moved, so she can now be found here, please go and say hi! But back to scraps: I took a look of my woolen stash, maybe, just maybe I would have some happy scraps there too...

... alright, how about any smaller?

Some (read: a whole basket), definitely some.. Okay, what to do with those then... Maybe to knit something... but do I just always knit? How about crocheting then? Buahahahah say you, who know me from longer time, my crocheting skills are non-existing really. But how about if I just went free as a bird-method, meaning I pick up a hook and tiny woolen ball and...

Some happy flower-ish creations! And after some felting you could almost say they look like flowers!

And after a while I just could not resist some knitting too, and a pouch after a pouch was born. All from those yarn ends, so colorful was the name after the game. After a little felting this bunch was ready!

And how about those two scraps-creations put together? We have a happy scraps-pouch! Here's one in blue...

... and an another in shades of green...

... and then some violet, pink and orange too:

 Happy, happy, happy! And definitely to be continued...

Lovely Wednesday to you too!

Yours,
Mia