Friendship begins

I have a new best friend. A friend, who I will be carrying around every single minute of my day (and it lays almost next to me at nights), and I'll be for sure addicted up to my eyeballs within next two days or so. This new friend of mine only cares for soft touch and connects me within seconds to you all, too.

It really does not matter that much that I find it quite hard to use my new friend to its main purpose: calling. I really do not mind that when someone calls me, I have great troubles answering. (My sister had call me several times without me hitting the right spot to answer - she has the same best friend and she struggles with same problems, thank goodness).



I now have a friend which I have needed (read: wanted) for long a time, and all I need to do now is to get to know her (yes, she definitely is a one moody lady) better and we'll be together, forever. If I just managed to open the damn thing first.

Sunny Monday!

Gray skies

Who ever said gray is a dull color was wrong. I mean there are so many shades of gray and they're all different yet beautiful. I was so lucky to found all these gray wool-blend fabrics when thrifting yesterday and look how beautiful they are!

Alright, these pictures were taken black&white but I think that just strengthens my point: there's no need for color when there's gray. Besides gray can be paired with almost any color - and both just come more beautiful. Case closed.

I am admiring this mornings gray skies - very happy weekend to you all!

Autumnish

It's way cooler here today, and it's been like this a few days already. For this following weekend there might be some hotter air coming (+25c - +28c) but the hottest summer is definitely gone. It's a bit sad but not entirely. We had the summer of the century and it was almost too hot (can I say that?) at times. And now I am starting to feel autumn-ish, which is great.

Autumn-ish is sort of pre-autumn feeling. It has all the best sides of the autumn: sunny, bright days, pretty new clothes, knitting with earthy-tones and plans for socks, mittens and slippers. I have planned (and designed a bit, also) some felted mittens and slippers for this following winter. I tried mittens last autumn already but wasn't happy with the results. They were great for shoveling snow at home but put them on when doing some Christmas shopping? I don't think so.



I also made a pair of slippers too but wasn't too happy with those either. They definitely need more twist meaning more something different, maybe a strap, maybe... I want to write my own patterns rather than copy-with-a-slight-change from someone else (I know pattern-writing is hard work) so I'm back to drawing board (well knitting board in my case) again!

Happy autumnish!

For the love of...languages, what else?

I have spent most of this morning online. Yes, that's something I probably would have done anyway, but now I had a real purpose. I wanted to sign up for one of those rare interesting courses that there are available in this city - starting this autumn. The registering system is somewhat annoying: you need to be online on a certain time (and date) and try to sign up as fast as possible (as they only take 8-24 quickest depending on a course). Yes, it can only be done online - I still remember the good old days when we used to camp outside the registering office to enroll into jazz dance or aerobics, which both really sound like good old days to me today. It seems now, though, that both me and my sis are in, and all I have to do still is to pay the (hefty) bill they´ll send me (oh yes, these courses are not cheap and by no means free) and hunt down the pricey textbook and then I just may be in that class. But hey, what wouldn't I do to make sure that when I bump into him, I'll be able to introduce myself clean and clear? Yes, I knew you would agree.

***

While stalking the registering I have finished some new tweets too. Some are saying that quite literally this time too, and some just hang around with rather skinny looking bee. See yourself, please, I am now off to make some coffee to celebrate my incredible speediness this morning!

¡Que te vaya bien - hasta pronto!

Mismatchingly challenged

Let me explain. I loved the pouches and key fobs as they were but they just didn't match. Cute? Sure, but no match. What am I talking about? These key rings and these pouches. Still not seeing my challenge? Alright, let's see them today:

and



followed by these two

I know. It could be a syndrome or a condition of some sort, but I just couldn't leave these hanging there on their own - they needed a pair. There were some little key holders in need of a pouch and vice versa. And yes, you may choose them separately, no problem (as long as I know there is a pair). And oops... I may have done some more. A condition, definitely.

Help?

Thinking of you

I was thinking of you, when I cut, cut, cut and cut my new little HandmadebyMia-tags to be used on my new creations. You, my dear blog readers all over the world, who keep visiting me here. You, who leave most wonderful, funny, cheering and loving comments. And you, who just like me sometimes peek in, read a bit, enjoy some pictures and hopefully come again.

I was also thinking of you, who have visited my shop, and to whom I have send my little I-wish-to-make-you-smile -packages during these years. I counted and counted and what a discovery: my birdies, cats, dogs, Moomins, bugs, flowers and other HandmadebyMia-creations have traveled to all these countries (I did my best with the alphabetical order):

Australia
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Portugal
Russia
Singapore
Spain
Sweden
Taiwan
United Kingdom
USA

Quite a list?



It has taken some label-sewing to get all those packages on their way, to you in all those 26 (twenty and six) countries. I wish to sew some more in the future, and maybe add some new countries into my list. I also would love have a map on my wall, and put a pin to every country I have sent my packages to. And I just may have the pins ready too:



Thinking of you all this Monday!

Self pity on its best aka Saturday night fever

I am feeling somewhat sorry for myself. I am having the summer-flu of the century, and outside sun shines and it's almost +30c already. I have made a nest on sofa, drink hot tea and watch Murder She Wrote on DVD (well those episodes I love but cannot really follow the plot with all coughing, sneezing and nose-blowing). I am too tired even to knit and my eyes hurt. Wonderful.

This weekend's essentials (replace the coffee with some tea&honey every second cup)

I wish you all a great weekend and I'll be (hopefully) back with better stories and some pretty pictures on Monday. Oh, I am feeling a bit better already just thinking of Monday (that's a first!) - see you then!

Feverishly yours,
Mia

P.S. What brightened my day very much was my birdie-pouch being featured in Sharla's beautiful blog! Thank you so much!

Mr. F(ox)

The other day doorbell rang. I opened the door and peered out. There was nobody there. I almost closed the door when I heard a harrumph...

- Down here, please!
- But hello - are you Mr. Fox?
- I prefer Mr.F myself.
- Alright. I was just going to have my evening coffee at the garden - would you like to join me?
- Delighted to - but could I have some tea, please?

- Is it always this hot here in August? And it's an evening already?
Mr. F took off his precious linen vest but finished his tea, though.
- Well no, last time it was 1904 or so, I think. Would you prefer indoors?
- I should think so, I'm British after all. But I love this red china, lovely fox-birdies!

***

He took a careful look around and sat on sofa.
- Is this my new home then? I kind of like it here, especially that bag -very me.
He wanted to try it on and yes, it was very becoming on him.
- Well...You'll be here with us for a few weeks and then you'll move into your new home. You'll be a little boy's new best friend and his birthday surprise.
- That's right, now I remember! Beth actually told me that when she booked me the ticket.

- Hey, I think I know that girl!
Mr. F makes a bow of his tie, he's a little flirty.

- Hello Miss B, remember me from Beth's?

They chatted and chatted, and I made Mr. F bed on sofa, and went upstairs to do some sewing. After a while I sneaked back just to see Mr. F happily tucked it. I was leaving the room when he said sleepily:
- Can I keep the bag, though? and smirked, very foxily.

***

Story: Mia
The most beautiful fox: Beth from The Linen Cat
The prettiest bunny bag: Beth from The Linen Cat
The pretty red china: Iittala´s Taika in red
The foxy bag: HandmadebyMia

***

Thank you so much, Beth, he's so much loved already - I can't wait to give him to my nephew!
Kisses from us all!

Small, smaller... and the smallest

I have talked about crafting from fabric scraps earlier already, but it just still seems to be so very hard for me to throw any fabric out. No matter how small piece (patch, strip, rag - you name it), I keep it because I might need it... later.

I also have mentioned (alright a few times?) my love for tweed. And moaned about the lack of it (even I managed to score some gentlemen clothing, my tweed-stash is still almost non-existent). These together cause a serious problem: I need to use the teeniest scraps too.

There were the tweed bags first, then pouches, then smaller pouches, coin purses and last (and also least) came keyrings. Tweed and some birdies, too. There seem not to be a scrap so small that I couldn't fit in a birdie. But yes, I am so happy I have managed to use even the smallest and darn cutely, too (even if I say so myself) - or what do you think?

Happy hoarding!

Time management issues

It´s just beginning of August, but can you still remember how it felt on 1st of January? Can you recall the feeling you opened a new page of a new calendar and it was completely empty? All pages still crisp and white with no "be there at three! " or "remember the library books!" or some other scribbles that are very meaningful at the time. That is how I feel right now.

I have turned a new page of my calendar (quite literally as August just started but mentally too) and I am both excited and stunned. I have all these days every week and hours each day to use as I feel best? There´s no need to be anywhere at specific time? I can plan and decide how and when and where to work? I have so much time it feels almost overwhelming.

I have ALL these hours to fill up with meaningful, productive, profitable and creative things? How do I know when to start and when to stop? How long does it take to learn to know the difference between too much and too little? How on earth am I able to pull this off?

So many questions - answers yet to be found. I love this adventure!

***

Thank you all for your beautiful, supportive and enthusiastic comments on my post yesterday! They made my day and made me feel special. So I made my first August scribbling to all of you:

check.

Something new for me

It seems that no matter how many bags, purses and pouches I do, not one of them stays at home. I mean with me. I am always in love with my latest creation, but then put it up to my shop, and it´s no longer mine. Of course that´s the way it should be but hey, I think I should own one of my bags at least? For promotional reasons if not anything else?

Now I have one! I found this pretty red-white-plaid pillow case while thrifting last week. What caught my eye was the embroidery, it had initials PM which happen to be mine (last name first but close enough) - that was if not an omen at least it made it much easier to keep that fabric myself.

I lined the bag with pretty floral cotton which used to be my sister´s curtains so this bag is more than one way very me. Very much indeed.



Natutrally I had to include some wool, felting and a little birdie, and size of the bag is totally up to my use (very large). I love it!

So I have a new pretty bag. What´s even more new is my way of living. It´s Sunday 1st of August when I write this, and today is the first day of my new life. I am having time off my daily work to pursue this HandmadebyMia-life of mine. I have thought this through times enough and now was the time. I did spend last month not only having little bit of holidays but also stocking up for autumn, made some research, took millions of photographs and made some great contacts (and some wholesale possibilities, too).

I have many exiting things happening right now. I cannot talk all of that quite yet, but you´ll be first ones to know as I made a decision to blog more regularly. So watch this space Mon-Fri to see how my journey goes! I hope you´ll be joining me and keep commenting as you have done so spectacularly already. Thank you, dears!

This is so exiting and wonderful and I am loving it. Happy week, everyone!