My Creative Space_Sky is the Limit

Like-minded people think alike, right? Just last week, preparing my My Creative Space post, I was debating with myself if I should write down a recipe instead of a routine knitting/sewing thing, kitchen is a creative space too, after all! In the end sewing won, as I wanted also to show off my new towels. And then I open Kirsty’s post for the week and bang! what she suggests if not thinking about all the other places we do get creative! Well, the last week post was about sewing all right, but this week I change my direction.
Besides, this week’s challenge is my top tip for staying creative. The first thing that came into my mind was keep going, keep making stuff, try something new – but it all seemed so banal, so everyone-knows-that-already and, most of all, not really me. And I realized that when my creative springs run dry, I go backwards, into the past. Look through the photos I took maybe years ago, remember the sweaters I knit so many years ago I don’t even want to count them. And believe me, the effect is close to a kick in the butt. IF I COULD DO IT THEN´, WHY CAN’T I DO SOMETHING EVEN BETTER NOW????? is the inevitable question. It’s like a breath of fresh air.
The recipe has to wait for another round, I’m afraid. This time it’s going to be photography, another dream of mine, for realization of which I don’t really have time right now (does it sound as lame to you as to me?) I do try, but it’s lots of baby (who became a toddler in the meanwhile) photos in chaotic domestic surroundings recently. If you are a fan of portrait photos, I’m sorry, I’m not your guy. I’ve always been fascinated by landscapes. And the sky. I grew up deep in the North, where in summer the sun goes down only for a couple of hours. It simply doesn’t get dark, you have a summer of perpetual day. Unfortunately, at that time my camera was totally incapable of capturing THAT sky. Many years later and a different camera, I decided to try my hand at some sky photography, in town. Here are some pictures taken two years ago (sorry, nothing recent!), but every time I look at them I remember how much fun I had in the process! (For those interested in technical details: Nikon CoolPix P100, edited in Picasa, as I I don’t have the Photoshop).



And my heavily edited favorite, it looks… electric, don’t you think?

Head over here to read more tips for staying creative!

My Creative Space_Bearing Gifts

You know, a question like Who doesn’t like to get presents? just a little while ago was … hmm… rhetorical. Now It’s turning realistic. The number of people warning their friends BEFOREHAND that they actually don’t want any presents seems to be growing. (Though I have to say, I’m never sure if they really don’t want any presents or it’s their idea of being nice and considerate, in the times of financial crisis. Whatever). But I simply can’t bear turning up at a birthday party or, even worse, a wedding party empty-handed. It just seems rude, to me, at least. Maybe I’m too old-fashioned? Or the people around really have it ALL? And then I remembered a discussion I had with an acquaintance of mine, about crafting some, say, 30-40  years ago and today. Before women used to knit/sew a lot often because it was cheaper or you simply couldn’t find what you wanted. Today we craft to get something UNIQUE, that stands out of the crowd (and it’s not necessarily cheaper than buying, but that’s another discussion altogether). So now, when I feel baffled with the choice of a perfect gift, I think about something handmade, original, at the same time practical, that will tickle the recipient or simply will brighten the day a bit.

I’m really happy I started sewing, as we’ve been experiencing rather tropical temperatures lately (though it has cooled off a bit now), and I’m not in the fan club, I am not. I don’t like cold, either, for me it’s all about moderation. I should have been born in Sweden – they have a WORD in Swedish, lagom, which means … well, just in the middle, moderate. You know, the magic  balance, not too much, not too little. But I’m deviating (as usual), let’s get back to gifts I’ve been laboriously creating lately :)
I was so blown away by these dishtowels from Purl Bee, that I decided to make my own, with coarse linen I bought at IKEA, and some trim band and lace – the last too were literally BREATHING Alpine charm. Let me tell you, I LOVE linen. Before I loved it in (store-bought) clothes, it’s simply indispensible for summer, but for home… a bit expensive. Especially dishtowels. Even for gifts.  The linen I’ve used is cheaper, as it’s the coarse variety (I’ve did some cross stitching on this kind of linen when I was young and my eyesight was better; not many years ago at all), and I actually have no idea whatsoever how absorbent it is, as I’ve cut it all up for the towels and haven’t left any scrap to test, but I think they will be used mostly as decoration by the recipient, anyway. But it is perfect if you are after  a somewhat rustic look for your kitchen. Ahh, they turned out lovely!
 
Here’s the trim/lace:

The hangers are in fact done with the help of a tutorial I’ve found some time ago, but I haven’t saved the link, alas! The idea is however very simple – you just tuck in the ends of the twill tape (or whatever you are using for a hanger) DIAGONALLY when you are hemming the towel, let’s say, top and left side. Very easy and very practical. I like in particular that there’s no hanger sticking out.

I’ve got so carried away by these towels, that I made another set, in lovely soft waffle fabric (actually I was planning just simple towels for myself, but so happy I changed my mind!):


And here is a small make-up bag, doubling as a present package in this case, made for my DB’s niece. She’s 15 now, and pretty often she gets money or a gift card, which is not that bad, at least she can choose what she really likes. But in the long run, it’s boring. Wouldn’t you be bored too? She has decorated her room recently, in trendy purple-green color combo, and I had a pale lilac linen and a sweet polka dot cotton in my stash already, so I guess it’s a rather practical item however it will be used… I love the green zipper!

I still have some fabric and bright yellow trim left, but I think these towels will be for me:

If you haven’t got enough of picture overload, more creative spaces you find here.