New

New month, so warmly welcome. Warm it wasn't this morning thought, we woke up for sunshine but it was astonishing -22C. Oh my, but with this ever so optimistic *ahem* attitude it still feels like spring. Take a look, please:

There's sunshine, pretty flowers so in my colors, sunshine, happy and pretty presents, sunshine, new CountryLiving (March) and some seasonal chocs, sunshine, this year's Easter coaster-fabric and a pair of happy feet. 

There are also two new kids on the block, Ralph the Raccoon and Ove-owl, they'll have their March-party in here soon.

Happiest March!

Yours,

Mia

Counting the days

Oh my, in two weeks time my blogger profile's thirtysomething will be needed to be changed to... Something which I haven't quite yet decided. I have no age-crisis per se, but I can't help wondering how we got here, where did the time go and on darker moments "is this it?" (so I might have a crisis of somesort after all). It's also funny how lately many of my sentences have been "Do you remember --- it was 20 years ago, blimey!" This is all I am going to write about this issue here (or anywhere); I might show some b-day pictures later (not the candles on the cake, though), but otherwise this sudden *ahem* midlife that lurks around the corner is now dealt with. You may offer your congratulations or condolences in the comment-box, and I love to read them, but otherwise only time will heal this... Maybe in ten years time I will be laughing how I freaked over this?

But but but this is a milestone still, and I would love to celebrate it with you all, and I am going to put on a little sale in my shop, the code BIRTHDAY will give you a -20% off your purchase (shipping excluded). The sale is on from today 21.2.2013 until 7.3.2013. 

Happy Thursday!

Yours,

Mia

Kindness

I have written about this many, many times earlier, but it still amazes me: the kindness of people. I know, it sounds somewhat cynical, but reading and watching the news with so many bad things happening all the time makes you think that simple kindness seems to be forgotten. And then, out of the blue, something really nice happens. Nice is good, and nice is what we need, not those larger than life gestures, nice makes us smile.

You still remember my post on December about me and my lovely little nephew baking? And how you lovely readers of mine gently suggested an apron for the next go? It (once again) seems that the shoemaker's children have no shoes, and even I sew daily, we needed one nice person far far away to get the little baker a new apron. Seriously. 

One day it just arrived on my doorstep, the cutest little Moomin-apron. Just a perfect size for that little baker. It made me smile so wide (and I shed a few tears too, to be honest). This all said I would like to emphasize that no friendship is based on gifts or anything material, but it was the nice gesture that made our day, the though of someone somewhere was thinking of us and what we might need. And after knowing this lovely, lovely person for years, it is the right time for a public thank you: Thank you so much, dear Anne, you're the best. Thank you for all your letters (yes, real letters, they're rare treats these SMS/facebook/twitter-days!) and other nice gestures over the years, and here's to years of friendship to come! Please take a look at her brand new blog here, it's wonderful to be able to "see" each other even more often now that we both have blogs.

We celebrated Valentine's Day last week, and for that we received some more wonderful treats, and I also got an another yummy surprise parcel the other day - the kindness is all around me! Thank you, dears, you know who you are and how much you're appreciated.

Have a nice day, everyone!

Yours,
Mia

P.S. The pictures here were taken by my sis&brother-in-law, thank you! And I appreciate you even trying to capture that little hurricane when he's excited of something - there's no camera quick enough.

Chatty gang

Hello friends!

We're are the secret visitors from the other day - and we were so anxious to be seen here in out full glory! Mia has been planning to make us for a loooong time, and finally she found the time to make us happen - we've been on her sketch book for years months. We are now happily waiting our new homes; Mia said that she loves us dearly, but there's simply no room for all of us here (and we're ready to make you smile!), and that's why we still would like to introduce ourselves a bit more:

I'm Mr.Fox, and I have my friend, Mr. Blackbird with me all the time. He's a great guy but he naps a lot. I mean a lot.

My name is Kitty Black, and I love flowers and all things pink. My friend Bob Pink is representing my favorite shade of pink (see him on my head) but I also love the color Mia finally managed skillfully painted on my stand with.

Hello! I'm Bob the Yellow, and I am here with my friend Busy Bee! We both love sunshine and flowers, and our color is just sunny-yellow Mia said, although we're not absolutely sure if she really remembers sun as it's been so dark and gloomy here lately?

Good afternoon! I am Miss Bunny B (B is for Brown but I love a bit of mystery) and I really have the green gene Mia so much misses, flowers keep growing where ever I hop. I love them in pink as they match to my nose and ears. 

Hi, Hefner Heffalump aka the Blue Elephant here! I have the best friend any Heffalump can have, and I am carrying her around most of the time, please meet F. Uchcia the bird! And I know, she's just about to fall asleep in this photoshoot and I need to hold her with my trunk. I asked her to get a good night sleep last night but my, did she listen? Nope, and look at those bags under her eyes now...

Hello! We are the team of Kitty Sweet and Bob the Pink! Whaat? You can't see Bob here? Wait, wait...Mia! Help! We need a picture of Bob here too! Alright, here we go...

Da-daah!

***

These little guys would have chatted for hours, and if you wished to see a bit more of them (or maybe adopt one of them?) they can all be seen soon in my shop here. This really was one of my dreams to come true to get these cuties done, and I wish you'll love them as much as I do!

Lovely, lovely weekend, everyone!

Yours,

Mia

Just a sneak peek

To be continued...

Yours,
Mia

Heffalumping

Have you seen any heffalumps lately? Oh my, they're all here!

Happy February!

Yours,
Mia

Paa-pa-pa-paa-pa Maa-ma-ma-maa-ma

I haven't quite lost it yet, I just wanted to  give you an ear worm share this rather catchy song with you (just listen until the chorus!) as it's been singing in my head all day. Why? I have been sorting and trying to destash my oldest (and dearest!) fabrics, and I also went through my Moomins too. I had quite a stash a few years ago, and I actually was a pleasantly surprised how much less  small it was now. But too much still, I love Moomins, oh I do, but there's just no space for all my fabrics anywhere. So it's time to get some out there to you, other Moomin-fans, to see and maybe to purchase too.

Starting with some pouches and matching (naturally!) keyrings, I am using the very last of this blue fabric as we speak...

 Moomins inside too! And then some other little cuties...

 

...these and quite a few more will be appearing here soon! I am really, really trying to use all the fabrics I have left this time, so if you wished to have your own Paa-pa-pa-paa (aka Moomin Pappa) or Maa-ma-ma-maa-ma (aka Mamma) or anything else Moomins, please take a look! I will add a few larger bags there tomorrow, and then the boxes should be pretty empty. Hooray!

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Yours,
Mia

By the book

Some of you might remember my sketchbook - the precious one I have learned to use after enough times of making something pretty and NOT remembering how many stitches or rows there were *ahem* I have scribbled down many, many my own patterns there and so much else too. When ever something important comes to mind - my sketchbook is always near - and there it goes. So it's almost full and also... no that pretty anymore. Precious, still, and much used too, but I thought a new year needs a new book, and here we go:

Say HI! to my new book! And as gray and dull the old one was from the outside - this is the clear opposite, the brightest I could find! The cute kitty on top is the original version of Göstä Knuttson's Peter No-Tail (Pekka Töpöhäntä in Finnish), his adventures were most treasured in my childhood. But even the book is the prettiest, and I had all the good intentions to keep the pages tidy...

My sketches are messy! Something little here and there, scribble, scribble... *sigh* But that said, I sometimes surprise myself too by following my own instructions aka make something by the book. Take a look at the sketch above and...

This! A foxy-pillowcase! And buttons on back and all!

I've been wanting to make these pillowcases for ages (over a year at least?), but the time has never been right. This and that and those to make... Not anymore! I finished my first cushion cover just by the book, and even used the tweed I bought for it last year (oh yes, I spotted this tweed-skirt in a local thrift store and saw it as a foxy-cover! I visioned the original buttons being used and all.). I am thrilled!

And then... you know me... I can't just make one of anything... So here we go:

A kitty-cover in colors of re-white-green and yellow! This one was made of tweed too, but there were no buttons to use, so I made some loops of the red ricrac-trim and chose a few pretty buttons for closing.

What a great feeling: to accomplish something you've been thinking about for a long, long time! And when it even turns out just about as you've visioned...Yippee! These little guys will hop into my shop, and many more will follow I'm sure. 

Lovely Tuesday, everyone!

Yours,

Mia