Balcony Strawberries.

Last year we had a bumper crop of balcony strawberries. Lovely, juicy and sweet. I kept the plants out on the balcony over the winter and they managed to survive the minus 20 Celsius temperatures we had here in Hamburg in December!

This year they didn't produce as much, but I think that is normal, each season they give a little less and a new generation of plants should be cultivated (they put out shoots which when planted become brand new little plants!).

We just ate up the last of the 2012 balcony strawberries. They were yummy! I wonder what else we can grow on the balcony? I tried garlic too, I'll have to post a photo of my little fists soon :)

African Block Printed Fabric

Made in Holland!

A good friend of mine here in Hamburg is originally from Nigeria. Recently I found out that she used to work there as a dressmaker. This piqued my curiosity! Then one day we went to a special event and she wore one of her outfits. It was lovely, fitted and classic in a dark colour. I especially loved the long skirt.

So I asked her to make me an outfit in the same style and she agreed!

Shopping

First things first... We had to buy the fabric.

In Hamburg near the Hauptbahnhof (the main train station) there are lots of ethnic shops where you can buy imported goods and food. So we went together to have a look in a shop in a basement. We got there at 10am and the owner, an Indian gentleman, was just opening up. He called us to come in, so we went down some steps into a dark Aladdin's Cave. The lights flashed on and revealed a treasure trove of bright patterns, different textures, lace, sequins, mirrors.

In the small front room there were piles of cotton fabrics covered with African style patterns. I was surprised to find out that they don't come from Africa, but from Holland! I didn't think to take pictures I was so in awe, but you can see an idea of the designs I'm talking about here.

Brief history

Originally wax resist dye techniques came from Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), related to Batik methods. Then the concept spread. One theory is this: In the mid-19th century, the Dutch enlisted a bunch of West African men—both slaves and mercenaries—to beef up their army in Indonesia. While there, these men took a liking to the local handicrafts and brought batik back to their home countries. And voila: A taste emerged in West Africa for these Indonesian designs.*

Meanwhile at home the Dutch tried to work out a cheaper mechanical system for Batik, hoping to undercut the expensive hand batik designers in Indonesia. The plan didn't go entirely well in Asia and the resulting cloth was adopted by Africa instead, resulting in a design collaboration with Europe.

Today this instantly recognisable cloth with striking designs, a complicated history and a nationality crisis holds strong cultural, social and economic importance in both Africa and Europe and is recognised throughout the world. I gotta get me some of that!

Do you like the bolt that I chose? It's 6 yards. Enough for an outfit for me and plenty left over... :)


*This article is well worth a read, delving deeper into the history of Dutch Block Print and its use in western fashion and as a status symbol on the African continent.

Etsy Stock Take - Week Twenty-five

Most clicked on last week: Hand dyed silk scarf from SlendidLittleStars

Etsy Stock Take - Week Twenty-five - Sunday Linky Party

Hi guys,

What have you all been up to this week?

I've been having a lovely creative week! I hosted a craft party at my place yesterday and got some projects finished :)

Today I made the pink silk clutch that I plan to use at a wedding I'm going to next Saturday. And I made a matching fascinator hat, complete with feathers! Look out for photos on the blog soon.

I've neglected my Etsy shop recently, making a lot of stuff for me and family and friends instead... I plan to reactivate it in a big way in the autumn after our adventurous summer!

Oh, and I have a question: Etsy people, would you like me to send you an email to let you know that the Esty Stock Take is live each week? I noticed a lot of bloggers do that, but I'm not sure if it would be a helpful reminder for you or just another spam email? Let me know in the comments section!

So, on to the important stuff...

Shoppers of handmade stuff:

Scroll down for some more beautiful products made by some of my readers. Please visit their shops on Etsy and consider buying something! You'll be glad you did :)

I will list each week's stock take on my Etsy Stock Take page. Please go and have a browse... Also each month I will feature a round up of my favourite items.

Etsy Sellers:

Link up your items to get more exposure for your shop. You might be featured in the next Best of the Month feature :)

You have 2 options:

1. Bloggers:

Write a new post on your blog (telling us about your new items), mention the Etsy Stock Take and link back here so your readers get a chance to find the link up list (or add the button above).

Then link up using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post. Then we can find your blog :)

2. Link up directly to your Etsy shop:  
Post a link that goes directly to your new items in Etsy using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post. You can put up as many as you want and we will see your images nice and big :)


It'd be lovely if you took a moment to go and check out some stuff that others post below - go shopping!

It seems that there have been some difficulties with the Linky widget. If you have problems, please let me know and I will give you a hand (my email).

Let's show our support for each other craftwise! I'm hoping that my goal of listing one item a week will be a powerful motivator and a source of exposure for us all.


Ciao!

Katz :)

PS: If you enjoyed this, please share it with your twitter followers:         Tweet #etsystocktake



If the list at the bottom of this post is closed, link up with a live list anytime, click here and choose the latest Etsy Stock Take...

Vintage Cars in Hamburg: Classic American

American Auto outside a retro mechanic in Osdorf, Hamburg

This is part of my photography project: Vintage Cars in Hamburg. I now carry my camera wherever I go and I will collect pictures of classic cars that I see while out and about. They just make me happy.

1. Mini Cooper
2. V.W. Beetle 
3. V.W. Beetle with vintage skis
4. Mini Cooper
5. Vintage cars in the UK Winter 2012  
6. Renault 5 
7. Classic cars in Sylt, Germany Spring 2012

LOVE classic cars!

PS. Like to buy handmade? Check out amazing stuff in the Etsy Stock Take.  If you sell your craft on Etsy, please come and join in :)

Trousers (pants) into a clutch bag.

Not long ago I posted about how I turned a pair of long trousers into shorts. Now, not one to throw away any scrap of fabric I got to musing on how to use up the unwanted legs...

I am going to a wedding soon and I want to made a little clutch bag to match my outfit. I have a very beautiful piece of fuchsia* silk that I will use. Thing is, I'm a bit scared of cutting into that beautiful piece of silk.

So I had the idea of making a 'muslin', a practice bag, using the fabric left over from the pants-to-shorts adventure.

I looked high and low for a pattern that I liked and eventually settled on this great and simple clutch pattern at the Purl Bee (currently one of my favourite crafting websites packed full of gorgeous patterns).

I will not attempt a tutorial for this bag because there is no way I could do a better job than the Purl Bee's, but I will note my thoughts as this project progressed.

What I learnt:

• I love iron-on interfacing. It's great for adding structure to something like this that needs to exhibit a bit of personality. I found a very useful resource at the Sewing Directory which explains how to choose and use interfacing properly.
• It's fun to pick out a colour from plaid and use it as the main stitching colour. 
• I found a fascinating glossary of fabric patterns (I wanted to check that plaid is what I thought it is!)
• The current size is a little narrower than I need, my wallet is quite wide and doesn't fit inside. I need another couple of inches width. 

I think the most important thing I learnt about was how to deal with magnetic clasps. Inserting a magnetic clasp is quite simple (explained at Purl Bee) and looks very professional.

However, I had some problems with the clasp once the clutch was finished. The magnet is too strong for my fabric! I risk ripping the material every time I try to open the bag. My clasp didn't come with a metal backing plate like you see in the Purl Bee pattern and this might have something to do with the problem.

The picture below shows how the clasp pulls on the material. I had anticipated this and put an extra layer of interfacing over this spot on the wrong side of the fabric, but it isn't enough to protect it. I am not sure how to rectify this now that the bag is finished. Any ideas?

Based on this experience I have decided not to use the same type of clasp for my silk bag. I believe that the rough silk I have is a bit too delicate and that these clasps would be much better suited to a heavy material like denim or suede. I will do a little more research. The wedding is less than two weeks away though, so I had better get a move on!

*I have always thought that fuchsia was spelt 'fuschia'. I am wrong according to Wikipedia and The British Fuchsia Society. As I'm pretty sure they know better than me, I will go with their spelling. But I remain suspicious, despite Google's spell check agreeing with them. How do you spell it?

PS: I'll probably be linking this post up to a lot of lovely craft linky parties, to see which ones view the party buttons on the What I'm... page.

PPS: Have you discovered the Etsy Stock Take yet? Check out the tab at the top of the page, you can find great handmade items, jewellery, bags, clothes etc. for sale. Need a meaningful gift? You'll find one at Etsy...

Etsy Stock Take - Week Twenty-four

Wooden wedding invitations from Memoriesforlifesb

<a href="http://lifesjewelsonstring.blogspot.de/p/etsy-stock-take.html"><img border="0"  src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0d5S6etnnAJSX1gdtTBIfZ-2s8IVeZqHrnorF9jPBZCXbsew-VdSoig43UA7Sbsclf3qI6aolYv75Cb0vKR76pJfG9LGfTTgsI0qbwuiJUncB5M-kPfuCFTD2q9tpPlH-ucmMIRT8fk/s1600/Etsy+Stock+Take+blog+button.jpg" /></a>

Etsy Stock Take - Week Twenty-four - Sunday Linky Party

Hi guys,

What have you all been up to this week?

I have finished knitting a lace sample in silk and attached it to a little fascinator hat. It's a commission for a friend and she's going to wear it at a wedding at the end of June. I need to take some photos so I can feature it here and then I will box it up and pass it on to its new owner.

I've also made a mock-up of a little clutch bag that I will make up in silk soon. That's for a wedding that I'm going to at the end of the month, in Switzerland! Can't wait :)

Shoppers of handmade stuff:

Scroll down for some more beautiful products made by some of my readers. Please visit their shops on Etsy and consider buying something! You'll be glad you did :)

I will list each week's stock take on my Etsy Stock Take page. Please go and have a browse... Also each month I will feature a round up of my favourite items.

Etsy Sellers:

Link up your items to get more exposure for your shop. You might be featured in the next Best of the Month feature :)

You have 2 options:

1. Bloggers:

Write a new post on your blog (telling us about your new items), mention the Etsy Stock Take and link back here so your readers get a chance to find the link up list (or add the button above).

Then link up using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post. Then we can find your blog :)

2. Link up directly to your Etsy shop:  
Post a link that goes directly to your new items in Etsy using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post. You can put up as many as you want and we will see your images nice and big :)


It'd be lovely if you took a moment to go and check out some stuff that others post below - go shopping!

It seems that there have been some difficulties with the Linky widget. If you have problems, please let me know and I will give you a hand (my email).

Let's show our support for each other craftwise! I'm hoping that my goal of listing one item a week will be a powerful motivator and a source of exposure for us all.


Ciao!

Katz :)

PS: If you enjoyed this, please share it with your twitter followers:         Tweet #etsystocktake



If the list at the bottom of this post is closed, link up with a live list anytime, click here and choose the latest Etsy Stock Take...

Versatile Blogger Award.

Onwards and upwards! Another photo from Sylt. This little seedling illustrates how I felt when I started my blog. I'm growing though!

I've been handed a blogging award! Coolio! Hurrah! Hooray!

It's called the Versatile Blogger Award and it is passed on from blogger to blogger in appreciation of the work that they are doing.

I was nominated by Naomi at mrsmcindoe, who writes a lovely blog about her adventures in papercutting. I love the beautiful work that she is creating and selling, please go and check it out.

Its seems that winning a blogger award carries some responsibility!

The Rules

1. Add the award to your blog.
2. Thank the blogger(s) who gave it to you.
3. Mention 7 random things about yourself.
4. List the rules.
5. Award to 15 bloggers.
6. Inform each of those 15 by leaving a comment on their blog.

So, 1, 2 and 4 done already. Let's take care of the rest:

7 Random things about me:

1. I love orchids. I keep them even when they look scraggly and half dead. Then in return after a couple of years they reward me with a breathtaking display of enduring beauty. People say they are fussy plants that need knowledgeable care. They're not, mine don't get watered, sit in front of open windows for weeks and never get fed. But they still flower eventually. I love orchids!

2. I am unable to throw away wine bottle corks and metal bottle caps (from beer bottles etc). I have jars and drawers overflowing with them but I can't do it.

3. I would love to own a high end amazingly powerful professional camera (and learn how to use it), but I refuse to research or indeed buy one because I am clumsy. I would drop it and that would be the end of that. 

4. I need a studio (and a fresh water infinity swimming pool).

5. If I didn't live in a rented home I would paint the walls with subtle silhouettes.  

6. I don't like dark chocolate. Or coffee.

7. I love getting lost in the classics: Dickens, Austen, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Tolkien...

I hereby pass on this award to 15 super cool bloggers:

1. Sylvia and Simona at the Artsy Ants
2. Rebecca naughty shorts!
3. Liz at Zilredloh
4. Anna at A Few Threads Loose
5. Gertie at Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing
6. Azita at Turmeric and Saffron
7. Julia at Good Cafe Coffee
8. Disney at Ruffles and Stuff
9. Heather at Little Tin Bird
10. Lucy at Attic24
11. Francesca at FuoriBorgo
12. Emma at SilverPebble
13. Katjusha at Katjusha-Dawai
14. Pinkundine at Misadventures in Craft
15. Scarlett at TeenGranny

Wow, what a lovely list of fantastic bloggers, mostly craft related, but there are also a couple of fashion and food blogs in there too... Enjoy!

Oh, also, if you like buying handmade, or if you sell handmade items, you had better check out the Etsy Stock Take!

Marmee Made.

Last week I posted about an outfit that my mum made for herself years ago. It has made itself comfortable in my wardrobe now and I wanted to surprise Marmee by posting a picture of me wearing it!

I asked her to tell me about the background of this outfit and this is what she said:

What inspired me to make my blue oriental outfit was the beauty of the fabric. As far as I remember it was brought back from Tokyo as a gift from my aunty Jan. I treasured it for the colour and excellent quality. I saw it and I knew straight away what I wanted to make. 

I really wanted to make the top with a narrow stand up collar but as I was making it without a pattern I didn't have the confidence. So whenever I wore the outfit I missed the collar! But the beautiful blue and dear little pattern made me feel special when I wore it. What a lovely surprise to see my daughter in it! How lovely that she also values it!

There are many little pictures of oriental life printed on the fabric: buildings and workers and fishermen. This is my favourite scene.

The wrong side also has the patterns, so perhaps a batik method is used to dye the fabric before the black details are printed on the right side only.

Do you value handmade items? Would you like to shop handmade? Come and see what my very talented readers are making and selling online, click here for the Etsy Stock Take!

(If you are an Etsy seller please do link your shop up to the latest Etsy Stock Take for more exposure)

Etsy Stock Take - Week Twenty-three

The most popular item in the Etsy Stock Take Week Twenty-Two, from EDCCollective

<a href="http://lifesjewelsonstring.blogspot.de/p/etsy-stock-take.html"><img border="0"  src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0d5S6etnnAJSX1gdtTBIfZ-2s8IVeZqHrnorF9jPBZCXbsew-VdSoig43UA7Sbsclf3qI6aolYv75Cb0vKR76pJfG9LGfTTgsI0qbwuiJUncB5M-kPfuCFTD2q9tpPlH-ucmMIRT8fk/s1600/Etsy+Stock+Take+blog+button.jpg" /></a>

Etsy Stock Take - Week Twenty-three - Sunday Linky Party

I've had a new idea for the Etsy Stock Take! I've just discovered that I can view the stats of each link up and so I have decided to feature the most clicked on item of last week. What do you think about that? Then we get extra exposure for the best linker-uppers!

The most clicked on item last week was this lovely pearl necklace and earring set from EDCCollective. They are rather similar to the jewellery I wore for my wedding :)

I will continue to choose my favourites for the best of the month feature, so tune in the first weekend of July to find out what I loved in June...

Meanwhile don't forget to link up below and I'll see you all next week...

Shoppers of handmade stuff:

Scroll down for some more beautiful products made by some of my readers. Please visit their shops on Etsy and consider buying something! You'll be glad you did :)

I will list each week's stock take on my Etsy Stock Take page. Please go and have a browse... Also each month I will feature a round up of my favourite items.

Etsy Sellers:

Link up your items to get more exposure for your shop. You might be featured in the next Best of the Month feature :)

You have 2 options:

1. Bloggers:

Write a new post on your blog (telling us about your new items), mention the Etsy Stock Take and link back here so your readers get a chance to find the link up list (or add the button above).

Then link up using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post. Then we can find your blog :)

2. Link up directly to your Etsy shop:  
Post a link that goes directly to your new items in Etsy using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post. You can put up as many as you want and we will see your images nice and big :)


It'd be lovely if you took a moment to go and check out some stuff that others post below - go shopping!

It seems that there have been some difficulties with the Linky widget. If you have problems, please let me know and I will give you a hand (my email).

Let's show our support for each other craftwise! I'm hoping that my goal of listing one item a week will be a powerful motivator and a source of exposure for us all.




Ciao!

Katz :)

PS: If you enjoyed this, please share it with your twitter followers:         Tweet #etsystocktake



If the list at the bottom of this post is closed, link up with a live list anytime, click here and choose the latest Etsy Stock Take...

Vintage Cars - Sylt Spring 2012

Very posh Jaguar in Kampen. Can't find my notes where I wrote down the model...

VW Beetle Soft Top in a garden, also in Kampen.

Another car in Kampen, probably antique, not vintage! Make and model also gone off with the fairies...

Good old VW Beetle in not so posh Rantum by the sea. This is a fisherman's car me thinks.

This is part of my photography project: Vintage Cars in Hamburg. I now carry my camera wherever I go and I will collect pictures of classic cars that I see while out and about. They just make me happy.

1. Mini Cooper
2. V.W. Beetle 
3. V.W. Beetle with vintage skis
4. Mini Cooper
5. Vintage Cars in the UK Winter 2012  
6. Renault 5

LOVE classic cars!

PS. If you are an Etsy Seller you can promote your items on this blog right now for free in the Etsy Stock Take. Please come and join in :)

How to: Trousers (Pants) into Smart Shorts.

How to turn trousers into shorts (which is the same as turning pants into shorts!)

A friend of mine recently moved from Hamburg to London and I went to help pack up her flat. While there she showed me a pair of trousers that she said were very nice, but had sustained some damage. She didn't like to throw them away, but they didn't cut it for the move abroad.
"You're crafty" she said, "make them into shorts".

So I did!

Here's how to turn pants / trousers into shorts! Phew, with the majority of my readers visiting from the USA I've had to turn bilingual... ;)

One thing I do want to make crystal clear here is that I am talking about smart trousers / suit trousers. Not jeans. To explain how to make jeans into shorts would alienate you all (an insult to your intelligence).

How to sew shorts:

1. Choose an old tired pair of trousers that fit good, but you are sick of the sight of. Alternatively, take a good look at that beloved pair of trousers that are getting a bit saggy around the knees, but that you can't bear to chuck out.

2. Decide how long (or shorty short) they should be. Try them on and mark the cut off point (with a pen or a pin).

3. Lay them out on a table or ironing board. If they are trousers with a crease down the front, lay them down folded at the crease as if you are going to iron them (like in the picture). Make sure everything is lined up perfectly.

4. Cut the legs off at the point where previously marked. Scary, that's the point of no return... oh well, onwards and upwards...

5. Get out the iron. Turn the trousers inside out and turn the cut edges up about 1cm (1/2"). Iron them up.

6. Turn the edges up once more, about the same distance and press again. Then pin them in position.

 

7. Hand stitch the hem using a blind hem stitch. Click for a video tutorial of how to do a blind hem stitch. I would love to try and note how I do this stitch here on the blog, but I'm left handed so I don't think my method would be particularly helpful for the majority as I go in the opposite direction! It's really very easy and a great skill to acquire. My stitches can just be made out in black in the picture below.

8. Turn the new shorts back the right way out and press. Voila!

If you make some shorts, please let me know how it went :)

Tune in again soon to find out what I have planned for the scrap fabric from the cut off legs!

I am linking this post up to lots of creative linky parties, you can find out which ones by checking out the buttons here.  

Update:  I made the cut off ends into a lovely clutch bag :)

If you appreciate handmade items, please check out the tab above titled Etsy Stock Take. The Etsy Stock Take is a weekly event where artisans showcase what they are making and selling. Need a gift? This is the perfect place to look - buy handmade!

If you are an Etsy seller, please check out the latest link up, we want to see what you are working on. 

Etsy Stock Take - Week Twenty-Two - Best of May

<a href="http://lifesjewelsonstring.blogspot.de/p/etsy-stock-take.html"><img border="0"  src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0d5S6etnnAJSX1gdtTBIfZ-2s8IVeZqHrnorF9jPBZCXbsew-VdSoig43UA7Sbsclf3qI6aolYv75Cb0vKR76pJfG9LGfTTgsI0qbwuiJUncB5M-kPfuCFTD2q9tpPlH-ucmMIRT8fk/s1600/Etsy+Stock+Take+blog+button.jpg" /></a>

Etsy Stock Take - Week Twenty-Two - Sunday Linky Party - Best of May

This week's Etsy Stock Take is all about you! I have chosen my favourite item from your submissions each week in May to feature in today's post. It's a pretty stunning collection, the best yet!

Which item do you like the best?

Etsy sellers, please don't forget to link up as usual below.

Right, let's go!

Week Eighteen:

DagazDesigns

Week Nineteen:

Ginderellas

Week Twenty:

925maille

Week Twenty-one:

Corkycrafts

Shoppers of handmade stuff!

Scroll down for some more beautiful products made by some of my readers. Please visit their shops on Etsy and consider buying something! You'll be glad you did :)

I will list each week's stock take on my Etsy Stock Take page. Please go and have a browse... Also each month I will feature a round up of my favourite items.

Etsy Sellers! 

Link up your items to get more exposure for your shop. You might be featured in the next Best of the Month feature :)

You have 2 options:

1. Bloggers:

Write a new post on your blog (telling us about your new items), mention the Etsy Stock Take and link back here so your readers get a chance to find the link up list (or add the button above).

Then link up using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post. Then we can find your blog :)

2. Link up directly to your Etsy shop:  
Post a link that goes directly to your new items in Etsy using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post. You can put up as many as you want and we will see your images nice and big :)


It'd be lovely if you took a moment to go and check out some stuff that others post below - go shopping!

It seems that there have been some difficulties with the Linky widget. If you have problems, please let me know and I will give you a hand (my email).

Let's show our support for each other craftwise! I'm hoping that my goal of listing one item a week will be a powerful motivator and a source of exposure for us all.

Ciao!

Katz :)

PS: If you enjoyed this, please share it with your twitter followers:         Tweet #etsystocktake



If the list at the bottom of this post is closed, link up with a live list anytime, click here and choose the latest Etsy Stock Take...

What I wore... Marmee made.

What I wore last week in the sunny weather - A Marmee made outfit!

Surprised mum? Did you know that I've had this tucked away in my wardrobe all these years?

My mum made this for herself years ago and passed it on to me when I was in my late teens. I used to love wearing the oriental style jacket open over a vest top with jeans when I went partying. The skirt shape never appealed to me, until now. I've matured :)



PS. I love to buy handmade. Do you? If yes, I recommend you go and explore the Etsy Stock Take. It's full of lovely things that some of my blog readers make and sell online.

If you are an Etsy seller check it out too, you can link up your new beautiful creations :)

Featured on Pocket Change!

PocketChange Lifestyle Blog

I've been featured on a lifestyle blog, Pocket Change. They've put Life's Jewels up on their weekly Best of the Web feature!

It's very exciting for me to see that others appreciate what I am doing here. Hurrah :)

Just so you know, I have many new craft projects in the pipeline:

-Everyday and party clutch bags

-Trousers into shorts

-Fascinator hats

-Velvet cushions

I've started on some already and I'm researching how to go about the others. I have arranged links to some great online information under the tab 'What I'm...' at the top of the screen. I recommend you go and have a look if you are thinking of tackling some similar projects. 

Meanwhile I'm enjoying shopping for the various bits I need to get cracking!

What are you up to creatively?