My 2013 Favorites

It's hard to believe the another year has almost past. What a year it's been! The most surprising year of my life, that's for sure (but that will be another post). Despite all the big changes in my life, some things remain the same. I'm still a believer in handmade. We had a lot of crafting for Christmas in our home, and it's such a pleasure to see the joy other people get from making something with their own hands. And, this being primarily a diy/craft blog, it's only right to wrap up the year with my favorite projects of the year.

1. The lace heart back tee is definitely the most used sewing project I made this year. It's super versatile, goes with almost everything, and is so comfortable. And, also probably the quickest sewing project of the year. Two thumbs up!

2. This has got to be one of the cleverest refashion projects. Sleeves into a blouse! Yes, I do pat myself on the back for thinking of this one.

3. My venture into crochet jewelry was a great success. I've worn these a lot this year. It's nice to turn to other crafts besides sewing and knitting from time to time.

4. Now, you might be a little bit surprised to see my blog design makeover in this list, but it's one of the biggest design projects I've ever tackled, and my first html-coding challenge. I'm so proud that I managed to create my own design from scratch and get it all to function as it's supposed to. I'm already dreaming up my next blog design!

5. My concert gown is hands down my very favorite project this year. I'm so proud of this dress! It was a challenge to sew, but I learned so much in the process, and it gave me so much confidence to keep on pushing my limits.

6. The gathered skirt is a favorite of both you and me looking at google analytics. It's one of those projects that I wanted to do for ages, but never got around to doing. I'm so glad I finally did!

7. The lacy tee was also one of the most popular projects from this year, both on and off line. It was my summer favorite for sure, and I've also worn it lots this autumn and winter. I'm glad we don't have the silly "no white after Labor Day" rule around here.

8. My Granny's old skirt turned into the perfect summer skirt. I was so sad to see summer go, but I'm sure it will get a ton of wear next summer as well.

9. My second favorite of this summer was this maxi dress I made from vintage fabric my Granny gave me. The fabric was patiently waiting for the perfect project in my stash, and I think I made the right choice with this dress.

10. My favorite blouse as of late is the pussy bow blouse I refashioned. For me, the garments I refashion from my Mom's old clothing are all special because they're part of our family history. They all have a story that's close to my heart and now they can gather even more stories for my daughter.

11. I wanted to make this list an even 10, but I just could leave out the open front sweater I made recently. It's been my go to sweater ever since the day I made it, and it's the hit of the season for sure. And, it's one of those refashion that waited for years for the right idea. It was definitely worth the wait!

Scrolling through my blog made me realize how much I myself have changed over the year. My style has evolved, and so have my designs and project. I think it's a positive change, and something I'm looking forward to developing even further. I'd like to try out new styles and ideas next year and try something completely new. I already have a couple of ideas, but that's another story for another time.

I hope to make even more handmade things in 2014. Creating makes me happy, and we should all fill our lives with things that make us happy. That's the biggest lesson I've learned this year.

What were some of your favorite projects from this year? What kind of crafts/projects would you like to make more in the coming year?

Enjoy the last days of the year!

Holiday decor

I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season. Santa's workshop has been in full working mode all throughout the week to get all the handmade presents ready. Since I can't share any of that just yet I thought I'd pop by and show a small bit of our Christmas decor this year.

I decided right away that I wouldn't buy ay new decorations this year. I have huge amounts of crafting supplies that are cluttering my bedroom, so I decided to try and use as much of what I already had in hand.

I've been using thrifted glasses as candle holders, and to add a little holiday spirit I painted the edge golden with permanent marker. A quick and simple fix, but I think it adds a lot. I also made some golden cardboard christmas trees. Then I gathered a bunch of random materials like yarn, foam balls and cardboard to make this easy hanging garland. I made pom-poms from yarn, covered the foam craft balls with yarn and rope leftovers, and cut golden circles from cardboard (which was actually a pizza box spray painted gold).

I love handmade decorations! They're so much more meaningful, and making them got me into the holiday spirit. I hope you had time to add handmade touches to your own holiday decor.

I wish you and yours a truly wonderful Christmas time!

Favorite Things: Getting inspired

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I've been feeling a little uninspired lately, or rather uncreative....no, that's not the right word either. I have a million ideas floating around in my head, but I can't seem to get going on making them in reality. I keep jotting ideas down in my notebook, but most of them stay just that - a scribble in my little black notebook. Is it possible to be inspired and uninspired at the same time?

Well, I thought that maybe the best way is just to let them be for now. Gather inspiration elsewhere and take the pressure off. I think all of us creatives feel the pressure to create sometimes. Especially when you're a blogger and you feel you should be creating new content. I've sure been feeling that pressure lately. The sad thing is that whenever I feel that way, I lose all the fun in blogging. So, my goal for the rest of the month is to get back into the fun of blogging.

Have you ever felt uninspired to create? If so, how did you get over it?

Handmade gifts for Christmas Round-up (part2)

Happy Monday, my friends! I can hardly believe it, but it's only two weeks until Christmas. So, it's high time to get started on those Christmas presents. Here are more ideas for handmade gifts:

1. Pillows aren't perhaps the first thing that come to mind as a Christmas gift, but it could be perfect for someone who's just moved into a new home.

2. Button hairpins are easy to make and a great gift for girls.

3. The braided bracelet is a great way to recycle and make something eco-friendly.

4. Memory wire bracelets are so easy to make, but can make a big statement. I've worn mine a million times.

5. The skirt tote bag is another great way to up-cycle and also cultivate green habits. It's a gift that reminds the receiver to think greener.

6. Collar necklaces are so much fun to wear, and easy to make.

7. A leather wrap watch is such a cool accessory, and surprisingly easy to make. And, it would also fit a man.

8. Last, but not least, you could make a friends something really memorable - a necklace containing bits and pieces from your mutual past.

Happy creating!

Refashionista: Trendy open front sweater

I don't know about you, but it's officially winter around here. It's been snowing, and it's getting really chilly outside. Which is why this sweater refashion jumped into my mind a couple of weeks ago. An hour later I had a cozy sweater to keep me warm. Yes, it took me only an hour to finish! I love when the light bulb goes on in my head like that.

I know I say that a lot about my creations (such an egomaniac), but I totally love this sweater! I have to remind myself that there are other things in my closet besides this at the moment. That's how much I love wearing it.

You can find the complete tutorial with step by step instructions on Oh Everything Handmade.

Four Simple Goals: December

It's time to check in on the "Four simple goals" challenge, take a look at November goals and set new ones for December. I actually had a little trouble setting goals for December. It always seems such a busy month that tackling more goals can feel intimidating. So, I wanted to make my goals really simple this month. But, before we get into them, lets review the goals of the past month.

So, how did I do on my November goals?

1. Organize my studio/bedroom one nook at a time. - I must admit I didn't do as good a job with that as I'd hoped. But, I did clean my closet and rearranged my fabrics, so that's a small dent in the overall mess. Then again, I'm not too bummed about it since my room is going to go through some major changes soon anyway.

2. Gather inspiration for a new blog design. - Again, could've done better. I was doing quite well at the beginning of the month, but soon my frequent trips to Pinterest got sidetracked into other categories like Christmas decorations and such. 

3. Exercise at least 3 times a week. - I totally nailed this one! I bought my first ever gym card for a month and I used quite heavily, so I'm very happy with that. I might even reconsider my manifestation of not doing sports. Between you and me, I actually really enjoyed it.

4. Reduce my "to refashion or mend" pile by at least 1 garment per week. - This was by far the easiest goal for me. I do a lot of refashions as it is, so I just tried to make sure I did something from the mend pile as well from time to time. 

For December, I decided to put down goals that would help me celebrate the holiday season andget into the Christmas spirit. So, during this December, I'm going to start a new holiday tradition, read a book, make something for myself among all the handmade gifts I'm planning to make, and do a good deed. Holidays are about giving, and I don't mean just giving gifts. It's also about giving to those in need, and giving your care and love to others.

We'll see by the end of the year how well I managed these goals. I feel it's going to be a magical month for me!

What are your goals for this month?

Hello December!

It seems that once again a year is coming to an end. It's December, the time for snowy walks, hot spiced wine, clementines and gingerbread. And, every day something to look forward to! This year we decided to make each other an Advent calendar. It was so much fun to put together and craft, and now we each have something to look forward to every morning.

For the calendars I sewed together different sized paper bags to fill with goodies, love, and hugs. We each decorated the bags and hung them on a long string. The finished advent calendars are now decorating our living room.

I must admit I'm a sucker for December. It's always the busiest time of year, but also the most fun time. It's when you appreciate what you have and enjoy time with your loved ones.

I'm going to try and make as many handmade gifts as possible. I love thinking up meaningful presents that my friends and family will appreciate for years to come. It's not always possible to make everyone something handmade, but I try my best every year. I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year!