Name cushions Black friday deal

Here is my contribution to Black friday deals. Name cushions that will make it possible to fit the whole family into the sofa. Great christmas present to the ones that have everything already and can be difficult to buy for.
They are for sale in my Etsy shop and until the 8 dec you can receive a 20% discount if you go to VillaPernillas Facebook page and get the coupon code there.

The photograph is taken in my hallway. The sofa is a find from a fleamarket, loppisfind that I made years ago and it was all purple and now it is painted in a lovely egg tempera paint in a dark pewter grey. The scandis like their graffic black and white and I normally use more colour but I thought this made a bold impression. Here are some more pictures.

This is my sons cat Sixten who always have to check up on things.

Wall collage for the local library/ Vägg dekoration för biblioteket

As part of of the Emil i Lönneberga celebrations I made a wall collage for the children section at the library. I've never done a project like this before so it was a bit nerve wrecking from beginning to end but I was glad it was so well received. The big empty wall really cried out for something and it got me thinking. I started out with going to an exhibition at Astrid Lindgren's museum and saw an exhibiton with illustrations by Björn Berg who illustrated all books about Emil.
I then went on a begging tour to the local paint shops and got some wallpaper to make the collage with. Here are some photos of my progress.

I started with Emil

Once I realised I could use the wallpapers and cut them into strips and shape them the way fabric drapes I found my way. Since the shape was so detailed I couldn't mount it on a board from the back. I asked a glass shop to cut plexiglass and glued it so that the collage sat on the outside.

And the carried on with his sister Ida. 

Here is the final result at the library.

Rough and tumble leggings in Etsy shop

I found some nice printed cotton jersey and have made som leggings and matching hats. They are for  sale in my Etsy shop. You can buy them separate but if you buy them both there is a good deal on the shipping cost. They come in  four different prints. With colder weather around the corner legging are great  for wearing underneath winter overalls.

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Emil day at the local library

So last Saturday was the Emil i Lönneberga day at the local library. I helped arrange the  children craft section and then there was a storytelling room, fika, film session and a quiz that I also wrote.
At ten o'clock the doors opened and there was people hanging on the door waiting to get in. We estimated about 80-90 kids and parent turned up. A lot more than we expected so we had to arrange for more tables and chairs so that all the kids could sit down. So I dont have that many pictures to show of the masks the kids made but they where all great.

We made masks based on the theme Emil and his friends. For the youngest I had cut out various shapes the were a cat, the pig, a frog and face out of paper plates. The children then decorated them using watercolors , pens and colored paper. We also made some noses out of egg cartons. Th older kids cut and made their owns shapes. It is very fulfilling doing this with the kids and I think I will come up with some more ideas . Me and Anna, the local librarian have started brainstorming ways of collaborating and making the library a much needed meeting place for families in Högsby.

I also mad a wallpaper collage that is now placed on the wall in the childrens section. Next post will be showing pictures of VillaPernilla first public art!

It's Halloween time again

It's that time of the year again. Halloween has become something that we now also celebrate in Sweden. I found these images via Handmade Charlotte while researching for a project with my local library.

 Funnie shaped leaves on the first picture but since the leaves are tumbling down I wanted to include them. I like my craft to be achivable for kids and that is what I like about picture number two.

Take a piece of cardboard, score it and bend it an draw a face. Great

The last picture is a great combo of dream mask, the shark and then there is the apple that is the realistic version. I'm making prototypes myself now inspired by Day of the Dead in Mexico.

Costumes for Lilla Vilda Teatern

I dont normally show pictures of my costume work but I received these photos the other day from Matilda and Magnus who run a two man show theatre for kids called Lilla Vilda Teatern .The Little wild Theatre.

They wanted new costumes for their shows and I designed a 70s inspired base outfit made in baby blue corduroy and then different tops for the different shows. 

Here are photos from their Bakery show.

 What fun to receive  pictures off the costumes in action. Its so fun and rewarding doing stuff for kids and the actors where a joy to work with!

Paul and Linda McCartney - 'Heart Of The Country'

Found this on Pinterest and been playing it a bit in my studio. Just love the illustration. Someone told me that Paul andLinda only spent one night apart from each other during their marriage and that was when Paul spent a night in japanese jail. Not sure if it's true. Any one knows?

Creative catwalk and Filmstudio

VillaPernilla  is part of a collective here in the local area, Högsby, that is called Höllywood Studios. We all work within various creative areas and come together when given a chance to make projects that try to put Högsby and Småland on the map.

Our latest project is an alternative model contest called Greta G. Greta Garbo's roots was from this area and there is even a Greta Garbo museum here. My job is to, apart from measuring and style the models to create a studio for the jury and a catwalk that has a Småland feeling. I have also been asked to recreate one of Garbo's film costumes. The aim of the project is to give young people that live in Småland  good role models and an opportunity to start daring to dream.

Yesterday I made connection with a local wood/furniture company that will sponsor us with furniture. They are called Lövsjö Loghouse and make rustic furniture using wood and timber from our local forrest here. Very happy to meet them and this evening they are coming down with a lorry full off furniture. Here are some photos and I will post some more photos of the studio one's we have got it all together.

Nice new project- Emil i Lönneberga birthday party

Sweden's most famous child author Astrid Lindgren wrote about Pippi Longstocking- the worlds strongest girl but wrote about many more fantastic characters. Emil the very naughty boy is celebrating his 50th birthday this year. Not sure how a character that is about 5 years old in the books can have a 50th birthday but it's a good enough reason for celebrating a fantastic story. So the local library has asked me to come up with a good idea for a birthday party.
So I've started to look at the illustrations off Björn Berg and now I'm lost in his world.

© Björn Berg / Bildmakarna Berg

The story is set in the area here in Småland where I live and apart from a very tasteful adventure park there is also a museum in Astrid Lindgrens childhood house where there is an exhibition about Björn Berg. The color illustrations in the books I've looked at since I was a child but now I'm discovering the line drawing.

The childrens area in the library needs to be decorated and then I will prepare for a craft session that will take place on the 26 of October. So a bit of time to start new ideas and get them up and running.

© Björn Berg / Bildmakarna Berg

All pictures are borrowed from Sven-Harry.se and astridlindgrensnas.se. I'm using the pictures for a project to promote children's reading. Please contact me if you have any thoughts on the subject.

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Pictures from this summer

 

This summer has been a great one. We have done so much and I've had some time to take photos and nature has started to make it's way into my Etsy product photos.
 Especially the island called Öland here in Sweden left an impression on me. Not that it is the first time I'm there but we have found a spot that to me is magical.Down an unmarked dirt road that takes you down to a sandy beach lies a very simple campsite. It provides no electricity or water but there is stunning nature and you can listen to the waves from your tent and in the morning you can take a swim and watch the cows come down for a splash in the water. 

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Cool ways of mending clothes

We are cycling along and it is all lovely and then all of a sudden my son and his bicycle are on big heap on the ground and I'm trying to untangle him and his bike. Then there is a big hole in his new t-shirt that wasn't there 2 seconds earlier.
Recognise the scene?
So I've been making knee patches for my Etsy shop and wrote about it last week here.
And  here is a great tutorial on how to put on the patches and other great tips on mending clothes.

The top one I found at this blog called Refashion Co-op

And this cute on is from Design Mum, nice blog I think. This last one is actually the back of a rug but I would like to use this as an idea for more organic and arty looking knee patches .

My MacBook finally got a cover.

I've been meaning to make a case for my Macbook. I've bought the classic rose embroidery at a fleamarket last year and it stayed carefully framed until last night . I love the way embroidery looks like pixels but really it is the other way around. I need more roses now to extend my High Tec collection in my Etsy shop.

In my Etsy shop

Knee patches for busy kids

Giving worn out jeans and trousers new life with some cool looking knee patches has taken some of my time lately. At the same time it is a great way of using up even the tiniest fabric scraps. They will be on sale in the shop and  maybe it will include a small sewing kit with some pins, needle and thread so that even the least sewable person can do a bit of mending. Of course the would also look good as elbow patches on a much loved cardigan or if you are a bit crafty you could use them as pockets on a plain skirt.

Midsummer in Sweden

So this photo is taken the night before midsummer. It is 9.30 in the evening and I have not altered the picture at all. So serene and beautiful, but I'm asking myself if the long winters are worth it. I haven't
got the answer but I'm enjoying the summer. Staying up late sewing actually

VillaPernilla had a day out and met customers

This Saturday Högsby my local town( well with a population of 1800 people and the borough has a total of 6000 I'm not sure what to call it) had a small festival to celebrate the town. I thought it would be a nice idea to have a stall and meet some customers. So many returning customers ! Good to get feedback on the products and to get some new ideas. I should try to reach out and do more craft shows and markets so if you readers have any suggestions of good places please let me know. Many of my readers are international so it might be a bit tricky:)

I have now invested in a small party tent. I think it works better against shade than to keep rain out. 

I decided to have big sale on my cushions and they sold very well. Great to have some more storage space here at home but Leon my son felt a bit attached to the cushions and jumped into the old laundry basket. 

Patchwork washbags

made in traditional oilcloth

I have been making these wash bags for a few years now and this is the last lot being made in the traditional oilcloth. My new fabric purchases have all been in laminated cotton that is a more eco friendly way of producing a cloth that will whit stand water. It is slightly softer than oilcloth and there are lots of great prints so I'm having a hard time choosing.

textil times in the garden

I've got given this beautiful  rag rug from an old lady in the village where we live. Didn't want to wash it in the washing machine but this weekend the weather was so nice that we could wash it outside and it dried in a day.

I'm going to sew it together so it becomes double as wide and use it on the veranda. To stop the warp from unraveling I will have to sew a band on the sides.

We also made a nice new wooden frame for the flower border using wood that got left over when we knocked down a wall in the kitchen.  I grow my lavender for my lavender bag in this border. Lavender is a natural moth repellent and I've made some bags to give as gifts to large orders in my shop. I like the challenge of finding material for a project around the house and the wooden timber used here worked really feel. I have also started to make sure that I'm using up all my scraps from sewing into new products. After making the laminated wash bags I then make makeup/pen cases with the strip that gets leftover. With the cotton fabric I have started to make patchworkshapes to be used for patching and mending holes on kiddie jeans. What is left then is cut into squares for patchwork that soon will be on sale in the shop.

I've made them with a ribbon so that you can either put them in a draw or hang them on a hanger with your favorite dress. The fabric I've used are from old tablecloth with nice embroidery carefully cut out.

Lasse Maja day at the local library

I've been asked by my local library to organize a Lasse Maja Day with a treasure hunt and some crafting. Lasse Maja Detective club is one of swedens most popular children's books for early readers.
The author Martin Widmark seems to be turning out a steady stream of the books.

Here is one of the book covers

I have to become very friendly with my computer (which is always tricky for me )since I have to make a diploma for all the little detective that solve the treasure hunt and a flyer/poster that will be sent out to the local schools .
Looking at the fab illustrations by artist Helena Willis I thought it would be a nice project to machine embroider the poster.



So here is my beginning..

top of picture is a paper copy of the logo that is on all the book covers.

I then put two layers of fabric on top of one another .
first white and then black. then I machine embroider the image and cut away the black fabric
to reveal the letters in white.

My old favorite sewing machine is the best for this kind of job
and its always a great day when I can let her out!

I have now attached the machine embroidery to my backing fabric that is the background of the poster.
This is when my eyes need a break and I have to contemplate the rest.
Time is running out and it needs to be sent to printers soon. I think I will have to limit the machine embroidery and blame it on the nasty flu I've had for the last weeks.