Favorite Finds // Use Today Wisely

I love // 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 //

That should be written on my forehead these days. I feel like every day should be an endless sea of possibilities to get things done, to get closer to your goals and to have a happier life. Which is why I hate a day wasted. But, unfortunately, there have been too many of those lately. Or, maybe I'm being too hard on myself. Maybe the things I manage each day are enough. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't view each new day as a new start, a new opportunity, a new chance to make things better.

We had the most beautiful sunny day today, and it filled me with energy I haven't felt a lot lately. I got a lot done, and some promising news (more on that to come). These are the good days.

How is your weekend going?

xo. Hanna

Pearls and Scissors reader survey results!

TGIF, my friends! It's time to wrap up my little reader survey with some fun results. I actually had planned to post this yesterday, but I got so caught up in making pretty graphics and talking to my Mom via Skype (you know how it goes). Sometimes my need to tweak one little photo to "perfection" can just drive me crazy. Either way, I hope you enjoy this little summary!

First, would you just look at that map! The blue areas represent the countries that the blog has had visitors from over the past month (or so Google Analytics tells me). The darker the blue, the more visitors. That map just makes me smile. I'm so happy I have readers from all over the globe. It would be so fun if you mentioned where you were from more often in the comments. Or just comment... Either way I'm excited!

 Most of you who took the survey have been here for a while. Which also makes total sense, because a) if you're new here, you probably won't think to fill out a reader survey right away, and b) I had very few reader at the beginning, so it naturally most of you joined during the last 2 years. I'm truly thankful for all of you who have stuck around, especially the ones that have been here from the early days. Your continues support means the world to me!

 This was the most interesting question for me. I've often thought about what I should write more about, what you find interesting, and what I maybe should blog less about. It's not a shocker for me, but it was interesting that Refashionista turned out to be your favorite with a cleat lead. I thought it would be more neck and neck with the crafting DIYs. I guess you love your refashions just a tad more.

What was also interesting was that the hair style posts aren't that popular. Maybe it's because I haven't done them in a while? They are the ones that get a lot of love over the web (Pinterest, other blogs), but I guess you are here more for the crafty stuff, which I totally get. Another thing that surprised me was the love for my Sewn feature and personal posts that don't get that many comments always, but it's good to know you still enjoy them.

I loved reading all your comments about what you'd love to see more of on the blog. There were some interesting insights there and a couple of really good ideas, so thanks for sharing your thoughts!

This question was one part getting to know what type of craft DIYs you'd love to see more of, and one part research for an idea I had (more on that coming soon). I guess we're all sort of soul mates or something, because the lefthand graph is actually the exact order of my preferences. And it's great so many of you want to get more into crafts and learn new things this year. You also mentioned you'd like to learn pottery (me, too!) and tatting (had to google that one),  and basket weaving. Well, I can't help you with all of them, but I am going to help you with some of them. I'm brainstorming and working on a concept for the blog that will help me do just that (oh, so secretive, aren't I).

Oh, and one last things. Do give Bloglovin' a chance, will you. I've been using it as a blog reader for over a year now and I really like how easy it is to keep up with my favorite blogs, save the posts I love for later reference, and find new blogs to read. I noticed that a lot of you are relying on Facebook to get the latest news from me, but since Facebook only shows my posts to about 20% of people liking the page, I'm afraid that's not the best way to keep you updated. I'd hate it if you'd have to miss some of the posts because of Facebook's strange algorithms.

It was so helpful reading through your answers, so thank you so much for participating!

I do have big plans for the blog this year, and lots and lots of DIYs and tutorials planned, so I hope you'll follow along.

xo. Hanna

Sewn // Grey buttoned cardigan for Rein

 It's Wednesday again! This week sure is flying by, but that's what I say every other week, so it shouldn't surprise me. Anyway, I'm really been busting out some sewing projects lately, so I have a fresh one to show you today.

This cardigan for Rein has been on my to-sew list for about 1.5 years, which is actually not too shabby for me, given how some projects lurk on the fabric shelf for a decade or so. I had the idea when browsing Pinterest, as it often happens (TG for Pinterest), and then scored the fabric at the discounted left-over pile in a local Tallinn fabric store. The prices there are usually too high for me, but this was half off, so I took it. I new that squeezing a men's size cardigan out of it would be complicated to say the least, but I took that chance and hoped it would pay off.

 Well, as you can see, I did manage to squeeze, and I really do mean squeeze this garment out of that fabric. I had to cut the sleeves in to pieces and the hem band looks almost like an after-thought. I just didn't have anything left to cut it from. Needless to say, I had only tiny scraps left once I was done. Which is how I like it, so all is well that ends well. Although, for a moment after I'd cut the body pieces I did think I wasn't going to be able to cut all the pieces needed for this. I was a little panicky for a sec, but then I made it work.

What I learned from this project is that sometimes, cutting a pattern piece into two or even three pieces can really help make a tight fabric situation work. The fabric band for the hem combines 4 pieces I cut from the final square piece of fabric I had left.

Now, you might think at first glance that the cardigan is made of two different fabrics, but actually it's not. The fabric was a double-knit, so I ended up just alternating between the two sides of fabric to create this effect. That was my game-plan from the start.

I used vintage buttons from my stash. I'm so glad I decided to bring all my buttons to Germany. I thought long and hard about leaving them, but ultimately, I just couldn't. Buttons can be expensive, and having a stash around comes in handy.

I might have made the buttonholes a bit too big, but oh well...

The only part of the garment I'm not 100% happy with is the neckline (what's with me and those necklines lately). Since I had to, again, cut the band along the grain versus cross-grain, it didn't have enough stretch in it to make those neat curves on the shoulders. But, I guess it's not that noticeable when he's wearing it out and about. And he didn't mind it, so I guess it's all good.

As for the pattern, I used a Burda Magazine pattern (mod. 133 from 10/2008). I cut the smallest size, and ended up taking in 2 cm from each pattern piece on the sides, so a total of 8cm from the bust, and another 4cm from the sleeve width (2cm from each side). I always new Burda patterns were more on the large side, but taking into account that Reins actual measurements are a size up according to the size chart, that's a lot. So, whenever you work with Burda magazine patterns, check for the measurements on the pattern pieces before you cut, and when in doubt, always go a size down. That's why it's almost impossible for me to sew a Burda pattern for myself without major alterations, because even the smallest size is way too big for me.

One of my goals is to put together a range of tried and tested patterns for Rein, that I could whip up without alterations. So far, I've perfected a t-shirt pattern (more on that to come), and now I also have a cardigan pattern. I used to make every pattern only once, but now I'm seeing the benefits of perfecting the fit of one pattern, and them making different variations of it. A trouser pattern is next. I don't know if I dare try a Burda pattern, though. I tried to make him a pair that ended up being about 4 sizes too big, although it should have fit according to the size chart. I'm sure I'll figure something out.

What's on your sewing table?

xo. Hanna

Style Pearls // Burgundy and jeans

 I've got to admit, being unemployed does absolutely nothing for my style. These days, it's good if I get dressed at all, let alone choose an outfit. It's amazing how style-senseless I can get when i have nowhere to go. I'm guess I'm one of those "lazy" people who can wear pj's for days unless there's a need to put actual pants on. And, that's all good, but I'm getting so bored with my outfit choices lately. It's the same old sweater and jeans all the time.

Part of my frustration is due to my much smaller wardrobe after the move. And, while it's easier having less clothes and there for less options (I totally get why people love a capsule wardrobe), I find myself in a style rut. I don't think getting more clothes is an answer though. Rather, I think a few wardrobe reinvention experiments might do the trick.

We took these pics on one of our walks last week in our neighborhood. It was a little bit weird posing for photos while people were passing by. I don't know if I'll ever get used to that. Every time I do, it's just awkward. Oh, the things we do for get good blog photos, right? Speaking of which, I think Rein is constantly getting better at this blog photography thing. I don't know what I'd do without him. Thanks, hun!

 What I wore // Sweater - refashioned / Jeans - gift from Mom / Bag - thrifted from vintage Humana (added strap) / Shoes - Tamaris (a couple of years old) / Owl earrings - Christmas gift from hubby

In other news - I need to re-dye my hair badly. It's growing like crazy for some reason. I dyed it only a month ago, but I've already a 2cm outgrowth at least. My hair has never grown so fast, so I'm just in awe. Also, I have no idea where to get natural henna and indigo around here. Funny thing is, I just bought like a year's supply back at home, and forgot to pack it. That's so like me!

Have any of you tried a capsule wardrobe? I'm kind of forced into it right now, so I'd love to hear your thoughts.

xo. Hanna

P.S! Thanks to An Geli Ka for the new feature name! I'm going to send you a special treat, so look out for an e-mail from me :)

Words for the Week // No.25

Yes, you are right, this in not a courage related quote. Yes, it's still January. And yes, I haven't changed my mind about letting one little word hover over me this year. But, sometimes things come up that feel more important that what you had planned. And last week, I came about two links that I just had to share with you for so many reasons.

Some of you might think that the main reason I like thrifting is because it's cheap, or because I like to remake things, or for the thrill of finding a hidden treasure for a buck or two. And, don't get me wrong, those are all a part of why I do it. But, the main reason behind why I thrift, refashion, and create up-cycled accessories is because I care. I care about what I consume, what happens to the things after me, and most importantly, what happens to this beautiful planet of ours after I'm gone. I wouldn't call myself an environmentalist, but I do care.

I also care about other people around me. Which is why this documentary series moved me so much. The question being asked is not whether we know how it's possible for us to buy a t-shirt at a fast fashion chain for 5€. Rather, the question is "Do we care?"

I think we do care, were just too busy, far, and comfortable to do something about it. Like this 14-year-old environmentalist, eco-fashion designer, author and philanthropist (nope, I did not get her age wrong) put it - the issue seems so big and daunting that we hesitate to do anything. Who are we to tackle something so huge, right? While I agree, that it should be the companies themselves that take responsibility for the way they manufacture their products, I also think we as individuals can make a difference.

And the problem is not just in the sweatshops, it's also in the way fabric is made and used, it's in the way we consume and discard. We have the opportunity to step in and make a change in each and every step on the way from fibre to discarded clothing. And like I said yesterday, small steps go a long way.

I'm the first to admit that I'm not doing enough. Because of a hundred reasons excuses, vanity and ignorance being among them, I'm also just beginning to take those small steps. And, I'm far from saying that I'll never shop cheap, or I'll never discard clothing again, but I am making a very conscious effort to only buy what I truly love. And to truly love the things I have. Because, I think that the root of the problem is not really in that we value material things too much, but rather that we don't value them enough. If we truly valued the things we had, we would not be so eager to get rid of or replace them with the next seasons "must-haves".

There so much still to be said to this topic, but I won't get further into it at this point. I hope you will watch the documentary, and read the inspiring story of Maya, and perhaps think about what steps are you willing to take to create real change.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic, so please chime in in the comments.

xo. Hanna

Sunday Spirit // Little steps go a long way

I feel I've been making progress this week. When I wrote that post on Monday, I really felt defeated. No job, no plan and a lot of worry. But, I was determined to get out of that rut and start feeling more like myself. I know that only I can make things better for myself. Yes, there are a lot of things that just feel lucky in our lives, but we still have to open ourselves up for those possibilities.

I decided today, that I will start work tomorrow. How the hell are you going to find a job in 12 hours you might ask? Well, you see, I already have a job. I have a shop. A functioning e-shop that I've been neglecting for the past few weeks. I've been so caught up in finding a "real" job, that I completely forgot that I actually have my own business. Truth be told, I'm probably the worst employee of the month right now, and that's not ok. It's time to stop doubting myself and start really working on those big goals.

I'm not saying I'll stop looking for a "real" job - we still need that financial stability right now. But, I might as well make the most of my time until then. I hope you'll be here to cheer me on! (Also, feel free to share my shop link with family and friends. How's that for my first marketing efforts?)

We've been trying to cope with the stress we both feel right now by taking daily walks together. Just to get outside, move and breath some fresh air. It's been so good. Especially when the sun shines during our walk and we get to talk about good stuff. Like making something yummy for dinner, or planning a party with friends. I think it's so important to make room for and remember those good things in our lives even in times of stress and tension. Sometimes, it doesn't take much to make a happy life.

Speaking of yummy... One of our New Year's goals was to cook something new every week. If you don't know this yet, I don't like cooking. If I could have it my way, I would hardly ever cook anything. But lately I've realized that a big part of why I don't like to cook is that I make the same things over and over and it's boring. We've been watching a lot (like a lot) of Master Chef lately, and I've been feeling more inspired to try new recipes. So far, we managed to make even more than one new dish each week and I hope we can keep that up. One my favorite dishes from the last couple of weeks was the pesto chicken pasta with rucola tomato and mango salad pictured above, and the best brownies I've ever made (or eaten) using this recipe.

I've also been making progress on my sweater. This one is coming along slowly, but steadily. I hope that once it's ready I can share the pattern with you as well. I usually make my own patterns when knitting, because every time I've tried to use an existing pattern, I've failed horribly. The most painful fail was the sweater I spent 3 months secretly knitting for Rein last Christmas, which turned out to be 3 sizes too big. Ouch! Needless to say (pun intended), I lost my will to knit for a while after that.

How was your week, friends!

xo. Hanna

P.S! Thanks to all who took the time to respond to the reader survey! It's now closed. I'll be posting a summary of the results some time next week.

DIY Big Wooden Letters

Happy Friday, my friends! We've been making a lot of progress on decorating our new home this week, so it's only appropriate that I share this home decor DIY with you today. These letters are a very special piece of decor for us, because we originally made them for our wedding last summer. They are the perfect reminder of our perfect day.

Photo by Kerli Halliste

From the early planning stages, I knew I wanted to do our names in wooden letters as a decor element in our wedding, and they had to be golden of course. What I didn't consider, was the fact that we'd be hanging them on wood plank wall. Which is what color? And golden is basically what color? So you can imagine how that looked. You could hardly spot the letters on the wall when we hung them a couple days before the wedding. Yes, I was a "little" frustrated.

We had two options: we could either take them down and repaint them in a different color (probably navy) or paint a white boarder on them to make them stand out against the beige wall. We opted for the latter, since neither of us could really imagine navy blue letters on that wall. I spent the next 3 hours painting the letters with some left-over white paint and a random brush we could find. Did I mention this was late at night, just a little over 24 hours before the big day. But, alas, we made it and the letters looked half-decent, so I was fine with it. Until...

 ...moving to Germany. I knew I wanted to take our initials and the ampersand with me. After all, we'd put so much effort into these letters, and I loved them. And, I really wanted to have something in our new home that reminded us of our wedding day. So, I sanded the paint down, and repainted the letters back to golden. Ahh...sigh of relief. Much better this way.

Here's what you need:

• Printed letter posters
• X-acto knife or scissors
• Pencil
• Plywood
• Jigsaw
• A chisel and hammer
• Sanding paper
• Spray paint

1. The first thing you need to do, is make some letter posters. I created mine using Photoshop. Basically, created a new file the size of a A2 paper and then fitted the capital letters on that. Once I knew the size of the capital letters, I created a new file for each letter making sure they were all the same size. You could alternatively do this in Word and let the printer print it out on an A2 size.

The most difficult task at this point was choosing a font. Oh boy, me and fonts...

Order the cheapest prints of all the letters. The quality isn't all that important here.

 2. Next, cut out all the letters and trace them onto the plywood with pencil.

 3. Cut out all the letters with the jigsaw. Rein used a chisel and a hammer to punch a hole for the saw to go through inside the letters. After cutting, sand the edges with a fine sanding paper.
4. Finally, spray-paint the letters in your desired color. Do as many coats as needed for full coverage. Let dry. Hang on your wall or wherever you'd like. Enjoy!

These letters are my favorite part of the decor in our apartment. I'm not sure these will stay where they are right now, but I would love them anywhere. I can't wait for this apartment to be done, but I know we still have a long way to go.

What kind of decor projects are you working on?

xo. Hanna

Sewn // Self-drafted Patchwork Batwing Top

First off, guys, I just wanted to say a big thank you to all who have already participated in the reader survey. I've been loving reading through the answers. If you haven't gotten around to it yet, there's still time, so here is the link again.

Now, to todays project. This one has been on my mind for a long time. Actually, ever since I purchased a batch of industry leftover turquoise knit fabric scraps about 1.5 years ago. They were these long narrow strips, all about 20-25cm wide and about 1m long. I immediately fell in love with the softness of the fabric and the beautiful color. I had no idea though how to make use of these scraps. But, as with most things in my stash, an idea always emerges, I just have to wait for it.

And, as it goes, I had this idea one day. Why not sew the strips together and make one big piece of fabric to cut from? I almost loved the idea. But, I didn't like the thought of the seams running vertically across the garment. To fix this issue - why not cut the garment out diagonally? Boom! I had the perfect pattern in mind. A batwing top. It's easy, and doesn't have many seams. Too many seams would break up the already seam-full fabric and look sloppy.

Now that you're all caught up with my thought process...

I decided to draft my own pattern for this one. One of my goals for this year is to develop easy ways to draft simple patterns myself, and share them with you. So, a tutorial for the construction of your own batwing top is in the works and coming soon!

I sewed the top from start to finish only using my serger/overlocker. That little machine is my best ever sewing related purchase. So, if you're on the fence about getting one, I can't recommend it highly enough. To those who don't own a serger, I'll have tips to sew this on a regular sewing machine in the upcoming post.

Once I had done a little quilting and had my fabric in one piece, the rest of this top came together really quickly. There was a lot of fitting when I was cutting the pattern pieces since there was still fairly little fabric to work with, but I managed to make it work. There were only tiny scraps left when I was done. I love it when a project uses up all the fabric.

The only problem I had during construction was the neckline. And, I'm not loving the result. It's a bit too gaping. I cut the neckline too wide and deep, and since I couldn't cut the neck-band cross-grain, it didn't stretch enough for a snug-fitting neckline. Well, you win some, you lose some...

Overall, I'm loving my new top. The neckline aside, it came out exactly as I envisioned it in my head. It's a big win when that happens, don't you think? I mean, I remember my first few years sewing. Rarely anything turned out exactly as I thought it would. But, with every project, the percentage of success increases. And that's the really awesome part of developing my skills as a seamstress. 

What are you sewing these days?

xo. Hanna

Time to read your mind // Reader Survey!

Most of the time, writing a blog is a pretty lonesome activity. I know you are all out there and I'd love to know what you think. So I can make this blog a better, more inspiring place to visit. Sounds like a good plan, right?

The other day I got this awesome (or so I think at least) idea, but I really need a little feedback from you to get me started.

I hope you have a couple of minutes to fill out this little survey (only 9 questions).

GO TO SURVEY

I will keep this open until Friday night.

Thanks so much for letting me pick your brain!

xo. Hanna

Words for the Week // No.24

Another week, eh? I've got to tell you, these past couple of days have been rough on me. Somehow, this being unemployed and having all the time in the world doesn't suit me at all. Who would've guessed? I remember dreaming about these kinds of days. Days I could spend crafting and sewing and blogging and taking long walks and reading all my favorite blogs and sipping coffee all the while...

Well, the reality is, I'm not getting anything done. Ok, that's a mild understatement. I'm getting some stuff done, but not nearly as much as I thought I would. And a lot of my time is spent reading through job offers and writing applications in German. Or simply procrastinating and feeling guilty about it.

My initial plan when moving here was to find a job by January. That didn't happen. Then I thought surely I'd have something by February. Well, it's almost the end of January and guess what. Yep, no job in sight. I hate this waiting game. Sending out applications and then just waiting an waiting and waiting. Good things come to those who wait right? I sure hope so.

It's not all bad though. I sound like a regular negative-Nancy right now, but it's just one of those days, you know. I'm really thankful for my amazing husband who's been so supportive through all of this and I know that together we can manage anything.

Every time I write these types of posts, I hesitate a little. On the one hand, I want to keep this a positive place, but on the other hand, I don't want to hide all the rough spots of my life. Because, I think we all have our own struggles, and no-ones life is perfect.  There are good days and bad days. At the end of the day, it's all about just putting one foot before the other and make the most of each moment. Now is all we really have.

My mission for this week is to make every day count. Create every day. Enjoy every day.

What do you want your week to be like?

xo. Hanna

Refashionista // 3 Ways to embellish a beret

January is usually the month where I start getting tired of winter. I mean, when the winter starts it's fun to get out my hats and scarves and gloves, because I haven't seen them in months. I'm always waiting for the first snow, or some cooler weather to wear my winter wardrobe. But then, after the first (and second, and third) snow and the holidays, it feels like I've been wearing that same hat for months. And I get the winter fashion fatigue. Anyone else feel like this during January? Just me?

Well, either way, I thought this was the perfect time to show you 3 ways to embellish your beret and get excited about your winter accessories again. These are really easy and quick. In fact, I bet you could pull any of these off in just 20 minutes.

First, the classic bow with lots of beads. I love my pink beret - it's fluffy, and soft and pretty. So I wanted the embellishment to be sweet, feminine, and simple. I mean that's basically the definition of the bow, right? I'm so happy with the way it looks now.

 What you need:

• ribbon
• small pearls
• thread and needle

 1. Make a bow out of the ribbon and sew it onto the side of the beret.

 2. Take your beads and sew them on the of the bow spacing them out as you wish.

For my second beret, I chose feathers for a more sophisticated look. I think I'd look so fashionable walking the streets of Paris wearing this beret.

 What you need:

• Feathers
• Big sew-on rhinestone
• needle and thread

 1. Sew the feathers to the edge of the beret one at a time creating a nice feather fan.

 2. Cover the roots of the feathers with a rhinestone and sew it onto the beret.

Last but not least, you knew I had to add lace at some point, right? You know me too well. Lace is a classic and it looks good on almost anything, so I knew this was one embellishment I just had to use. It was the perfect fit for my red beret.

 What you need:

• venice lace
• seed beads
• scissors
• needle and thread

 1. Cut out the lace motifs and lay them on the beret. Find the pattern you like. I found I just needed 2 motifs.

2. Sew your motifs onto the beret. With every stitch, add a couple of seed beads to embellish the lace edge.

Hope you like the ideas and get inspired to restyle some of your own hats this weekend. We're having some pretty mild weather here in Germany, so I'm actually missing wearing my winter gear a little. But not enough to wish for cooler temperatures. If it's still the dead of winter where you live, I hope this will rekindle your love for winter fashion and bring some excitement back to your everyday wear.

xo. Hanna