Summer that never came

Hello dear friends! I am wishing there is still someone out there reading, even I have been away blogland for quite a while. I have started (in my mind) writing a new post many times, but somehow the longer you're off the harder starting gets. But here we are, and the title tells it all. June and July 2015 were miserable, rainy, cold, full of illness, sadness, sorrow and eventually loss. Sun literally did not shine for me (we had one hot day during those two months, August brought one more) but it was not just me, summer skipped this whole country this year. This all said August was much better, we had some brighter days and many happy occasions, so I am not burdening you with my moaning any more, just saying a shy Hi! and wishing that someone's waving back.

Someone turned seven, and started...

...School! How did this happen? Where did the time go? Questions, questions...

All my beloved wool and stuff were abandoned this summer along with my little shop, oh my what a (virtual) layer of dust I wiped off the shelves recently. I started safely with some Moomins, and slowly built it from there. To my surprise I still could sew...

...and that gave me courage to get back to those happy plans I had for this summer, those that were first postponed and eventually almost forgotten. I did an another wipe, for my notebook this time, and started creating something new. Some of you might still remember the little bunny-sisters born last November, they are here. Their cousin Bella was in my sketchbook for quite a while, and finally she saw the daylight a while ago:

She was followed by crafty fox Albert...

Oh yes, he knits!

And last but not least as the schools are just starting there is Miss Agatha Kitty, the teacher all ready for the new school year:

She has a big pen and chalk board...

...and the first apple for the season on its way too!

These little guys make me smile, and they are by far the happiest makes for 2015, and I wish you will like them too. They jumped into my shop here a while ago, and to welcome you all back to there too with coupon code

 SMILE 

you will get -20% off any purchase you make (shipping costs excluded) 1.9.2015 - 12.9.2015.

Wishing you a happy, sunny and bright September, it is good to be back!

Yours,
Mia

Midsummer in my mind

Midsummer Eve started with rain and dark clouds, but it was thankfully soon cleared by some pretty blue skies and sunshine. Cold it has been, so my Midsummer roses are still in buds, but oh boy there will be quite a few flowers once all those are open! And thanks to rain we have had here daily *sigh* nature is in full bloom, green and beautiful.

Due to not-so-brilliant weather forecast we planned being indoors a lot, and stocked up board games, movies and all kind of treats from marshmallows to pop corn and blueberry cheese cake. And Moomin cookies, one must not forget the Moomin cookies.

It was a lovely surprise to see the sun appear after all the darkness and rain, and even the torrent wind was gone. We happily parked outside, dined out (BBQ!) and played our games and ate our treats at patio too. And loved every second of it!

How was your Midsummer-weekend?

***

I know I have been away the blogland a lot lately, and have abandoned even the wonderful blog-posts you lovely people have written during the last months. I have had some laptop problems (now blogging from hb's), but the main reason is that I have had quite a lot on my plate again. Since January I had a special project here in my hometown, and it just took almost all I got and some, even it was truly rewarding and wonderful at the same time. We had the last of it just before Midsummer, and now the school's out and so am I - and hopefully getting back to blogging saddle again. My Etsy-shop is also looking a bit sad and lonely, but I wish to get it blooming soon again. In the meanwhile I am still taking it somewhat slow, and getting inspiration from Pinterest and IG and all over - and I will be visiting you all wonderful bloggers asap. Happy summer days to you all, and if you happen to have any sunshine to spare: send it over, please!

Some lilac-scented greetings to you all!

Mia

Sunshine stay with me

Hello dear friends!

After a bad relapse (snow, wind, cold weather) spring is really here! Sun shines and skies are blue, and little green is peaking here and there, more by the day. Lovely, and not a minute too soon! May 1st, which is a big spring celebration here (and actually opens summer-season but that might bee too much to ask this year) is just a few days away. We have cleaned and raked the yard and hb has pimped the BBQ (new wheels and overall scrub) and we are crossing our fingers to get some action to it on May Day. The weatherguys here have been pretty shy to say anything certain about May weather, but some snow is coming still (can you believe it?) but it seems that eastern parts of Finland will be safe this time, phew.

Spring gear is out (Thank you M for the cutest ever ladybug coinpurse!), and all things wintery have been stuffed away for good a several months at least. House still needs some decluttering (when not?) and windows scream washing, and my shop also could do some shelf emptying, so I made a SPRING-SALE -section there, and items there are -30% - -40% (prices reduced already, no need for coupon codes), and you are all so welcome to take a look.

I wish you all happy last days of April, and wonderful May soon too! Sunshine to your days!

Yours,

Mia

Lovely times

We have the very first sunny day for a week today. I grabbed my camera and started shooting; Easter-things have been out for a while but pictures of them have been gray and gloomy. Not today - I wish you get the sunshine through your screen from these:

 

Lot's of flowers, tulips and hopefully soon-opening-daffodils in a vase, happy egg-hunt treasuries, Beth Foster's fantastic bunnies, mice and chicken and my treasured bunny-purse by her, and like last years minions, some toilet-roll figurines this year too, Maisy&Charlie (Maisa&Keke for us) for my little niece to find tomorrow (and a Super Mario and Yoshi to be made for my nephew still), these are the key ingredients for our Easter this year. How about you?

Lovely Easter-time to you all, enjoy!

Yours,
Mia

Baby stuff

It is funny how sometimes the simplest ideas turn out to be the greatest, but you just need to get the idea first. This time all it took was a question from a beloved friend "How about...?" and my answer was "Let me think, I have never done one before" followed by a big WHY? Oh my, I am sure at this point you all are more likely to ask WHAT? so let's get to the point: Bibs. Baby bibs with happy Moomins:

Baby-models can cost a pretty penny so my beloved teddy Jaques aka Jaska (just turned 38yrs) did the job, and quite well I must add. Above he is starring a yellow bias binded number with winter/summer theme.

Since there are no babies living at my house currently (one little princess visits quite often but she has just decided that age 1,5yrs is the right to loose the bibs for good) there was no any ready made bibs to find a pattern-ideas so a little googleing for the approximate measurements was in order. Then a newspaper and a plate were taken into action and a template was created. I have heard some real designers use computers and such to create their masterpieces but here we trust the old ways. Seems to work pretty well still.

After the basic design for the bib was done it was just matter of choosing the prettiest fabrics and refreshing memories from 25 some years back from school "How to use bias binding" and getting the very same heureka-moment than back then: the other side really is a tad wider and when you place that right (down), the sewing really is much, much easier. Big moments, friends...

And ta-dah! Happy bibs for pretty spring babies! 

These are such fun to make, so if any babies around yours are in need of pretty bibs, just let me know and I will sew some more (a lot more, I think, as the baby-news keep coming from all over the world), materials I definitely have enough *ahem* 

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Yours,

Mia

Welcoming March with flowers

Welcome March! Welcome sunshine, colors and flowers! Welcome yet an another year under my belt soon *ahem*, welcome lighter days and melting snow! Thank you dear Jane from that fantastic piece-of-art flowers-card, and thanks mom for those striking tulips. I simply need to have a daily fix of flowers, and have been buying a happy bunch weekly since beginning of February. Talk about a cheap addiction!

Flower-y details have found their way to my handmades too, lately, and somehow they seem to make those woolen items much more springlier (I know, a word handmadebyMia), or what do you think? These colors can be found in my shop here, and for the first week of March there will be a sale on too, with code

  FLOWERS

(hah, you just did not see that coming?) you will get -20% of your order (excluding shipping fees). Here is info how to use the coupon code in Etsy. Happy browsing, Etsy is a treasury box full of handmade goodies to be found!

Happy March-days everyone!

Yours,

Mia