A Stitchy Trip to Pirmasens, Germany

Tags

embroidery, etsy, finished project

I’ve really enjoyed stitching maps for the shop as a way to combine travel and handmade. I usually concentrate on places I’ve been but a few weeks ago I was contacted for a custom order of somewhere I’d never even heard of: Pirmasens, Germany. The customer wanted a map of the little German town for her mother-in-law, who grew up there. What a sweet gift!

I did some research to familiarize myself with the town before stitching, and ended up falling for it. The next time I’m in southern Germany with time to kill, I’m heading to Pirmasens! Near the border of France in Rhineland, Germany, it’s a small city with a population of 40,000. Their claim to fame is the manufacturing of shoes: they even have a shoe museum!Besides that, it looks like a thoroughly liveable city, with cute old buildings, street markets, lots of events, plenty of parks. That dotted yellow line on the map is a pedestrian-only zone passing shops, cafes, squares, and historic buildings. What a nice place to stroll on a sunny day! (All images below are from Pirmasens city website.)

The map ended up being 8×10″ in nice dusky colors: maroon, mustard, and forest green. I love how it turned out–what a great virtual trip to Germany!

Have you ever been to Pirmasens?

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Etsy Shop Opening!

Tags

embroidery, etsy

Friends and readers, I have such an exciting announcement to make. I’ve just opened my very own Etsy store, Needle and Compass!

Last year I thought embroidered city maps would be perfect for remembering past travels or favorite places, and I searched high and low for something like what I was envisioning… finding nothing. So I’ve spent the last few months tinkering with some designs and ideas, and now I’m offering them up to the world, just in case anyone else thinks they’re nifty.

Santa Fe Embroidered Map

It’s a little eerie how well this combines my two big loves, needlecraft and travel. Now when I’m visiting a new city it’s “research.” Perfect!

Prague Old Town Embroidered Map

I currently have about eight maps available, and I’ll be adding more as I go, including a few of Amsterdam, of course. Though these canals are proving difficult.

London Tube Map

I’m happy to offer custom-made maps, as well. You can find the details in the shop!

Become a fan of the store on Facebook for updates and special discounts! And if you like the look of them, I’d so appreciate if you shared it on any social media you deem worthy. It’s so tricky to start out sometimes.

Watch for a discount code on the Facebook page in the coming days, and thanks for putting up with this shameless self-promotion. Regularly scheduled programming to follow!

Lovely Object #2

Tags

embroidery

What: Crane Embroidery Scissors

Where: In my hands, snipping threads, most every night

How: A gift from my Mother-in-Law a few years ago

A few years ago, I was just getting interested in sewing, trying my hand at it. I borrowed a sewing machine, looked up tutorials online, and messed up a lot. By Christmastime I had gotten a bit better, but still not great. That year I received a package from Jesse’s mom, Monterey, who has sewn a fair number of wonderful things herself. She gave me a basket tied up with a pretty ribbon, and inside was nestled a whole treasure trove of sewing utensils: embroidery floss, pins, needles, a thimble, and these scissors. It was a supportive little bundle, wrapped up with “You can do it,” and “Don’t give up.”

I’ve already used up most of the floss, lost a few pins, and left the basket in storage. But the scissors never go far: I use them constantly. I love the crisp snip the sharp beak makes. I love the gentle curve of the neck. I love that the screw doubles as an eye. And I love that women have been using crane scissors for centuries, and I’m just another in a long line.

These scissors are the perfect combination of beautiful and useful, and were such a thoughtful gift!

 

{This is part of a series on appreciating the things I have and use. In case you missed it, here you find my introduction to it, and the 1st Object.}

Goodbye and Hello, Years

Tags

Amsterdam Blogs, bikes, embroidery, finished project, London, Prague

It’s New Year’s Eve, and I can already hear the pops of fireworks going off this morning. Rumor is that Amsterdam is a pretty crazy place on this night every year, and we’ll be off to enjoy the spectacle later, though I doubt we’ll make it to 5am.

I’m not going to do any full Year in Review or New Year’s Resolution posts, so instead here’s a quick snapshot of things.

Something I’m better at now than when we arrived in Amsterdam:

Biking. I feel so Dutch. My beat-up bike is pure workhouse to me now, and I can carry heavy bags in one hand while steering with the other. I can bike in heels, boots, and flip-flops. I can even ride on the back of Jesse’s bike, which is extremely popular here.

Something I accomplished this year:

Crewel Embroidery, Woodland in Wool from Embroidery Companion

I made this forest scene for my dear friend, and since Christmas is done I can post it now! I really loved working on this with thick crewel wool, and following the colorful designs. The animals even turned out better than expected. I think I need to find more patterns like this.

Something I hope to accomplish next year:

My big goal is to finish my quilt. I’m hand-quilting it right now, stitch by stitch, every night before bed, and it’s actually moving along. I have hope!

Something I hope for next year:

Traveling. This first semester a lot of our money went to getting here, getting settled, getting residence permits, and all that. It got quite expensive. Next semester we’re hoping to budget a lot more of our money towards travel of the international variety. Plans are in the works to places like Edinburgh, Morocco, and Scandinavia! I’m practically gurgling with excitement.

While we wait for the big trips, I’d like to try to see more of the Netherlands. We can reach exciting new cities within 2 hours, so why not head out to see more? Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Dordrecht are all a quick trip away and make perfect day trips.

And, lest I get too much wanderlust, Things I feel blessed for:

Traveling to Paris, Prague, London, and calling Amsterdam our new home. Supportive family and friends back home. Friends in the city. Getting better at embroidering. Learning words in Dutch. Trying new food and exploring our city. Jesse getting his master’s in one year. Life.

View from Prague Castle

At the Tower of London

2011 has been pretty good to us, and I have high hopes for 2012. So Happy New Year to you all, and may the next year bring wonderful things!

Merry Christmas to All

Tags

Amsterdam Blogs, embroidery, holidays

Merry Christmas! Today is what the Dutch call Tweede Kerstdag, or Second Christmas, which they use to celebrate with the other side of the family. Smart and practical, these Dutch. We are using it to celebrate with our friend Sarah this afternoon.

Our real Christmas yesterday was spent Skyping far away family members, making ourselves delicious food, watching copious amounts of Christmas movies, and taking a walk through the city with a thermos of hot chocolate. It was a little bittersweet to be just the two of us, without any family around. You can try your best to make a day festive and bright, but without the right people it’s just not the same.

Since I was really hoping for a white Christmas to cover the city, I spent the day embroidering my wishes and making my own snowflakes. I used Appleton crewel wool, the kind that really pops out–I love the texture!

Though it was a quiet Christmas celebration, it was still full of happiness and thanks and warm feelings. It’s something special to be able to take a Christmas walk around your neighborhood and see houseboats parked on canals, antique chairs waiting by the water, bridges festooned with lights, and 17th century buildings lining the streets. I consider myself pretty lucky this year.

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

-Dr. Seuss

News From the Crafty Front

Tags

embroidery, finished project, quilts, Scandinavian Love

In my last post I mentioned all the Made by Hand stores in Amsterdam–now it’s time to update a few of my own made by hand crafts!

First off, I finished this embroidered pillowcase I’ve been working on forever:

It shows up in my trusty Embroidery Companion book as the Karin curtain design, but I bought a plain pillowcase from Ikea to use instead. I am in love with the Scandinavian feel of this, and the cheery red with the stoical partridges (I’m guessing they’re partridges. What do you think?). I might fill in the middle with more designs, but I’m going to take a break from this for awhile first.

Next on my list is a Dresden Plate quilt that I promised myself I’d make here. I had all the pieces cut out in Portland, I sewed the front blocks and the entire back together. Now I need to applique the Dresden Plates to the front, and then quilt it. By hand. I’m beginning to think this was way too ambitious, and I was most likely out of my mind when I thought this was a great idea. But I’m determined to do this, so I’m doggedly sewing. Truth is, I love the repetitive, mindless work while we’re watching tv (my friend got me hooked on BBC’s Gavin & Stacey). Here’s the work-in-progress, draped over a chair. I still love the fabrics I chose, and I just keep thinking how cozy this will be when it’s done! Happy thoughts…

The last project isn’t mine at all, but Jesse’s. He’s decided to pick up a new hobby, settled on knitting the past few weeks, and has been knocking it out of the park since then. He’s already finished two things! He’s also spouting knowledge about purling, decreasing, dropped stitches, and what a yarn’s ‘loft’ and ‘wpi’ mean.

The first is this big scarf in a chunky gray wool, and the second is a maroon cowl in soft fluffy wool. I am thrilled by this new hobby, and have already created a small list of items that I would enjoy wearing if he were so kind as to make them. Don’t tell him I said this, but he’s so cute when he does something like this.He gets a really concentrate-y look on his face, and he will rip something out and re-do it three times to make sure it’s to his specifications. It’s worked out well so far.

So, if anyone is in the market for a new scarf or hat, Jesse is working through projects like wildfire and needs some commissions. You can find him on Ravelry here. If you need a new quilt (and would like it in the next 10 years) you’re out of luck. Make it yourself. And not by hand.

Finished Sampler!

Tags

embroidery

I finished this weeks ago, but kept forgetting to take a picture of it. This is the ABC Daisychain Crewel Work Sampler from Posie Gets Cozy. I believe the whole kits are sold out, but you can order the pdf pattern here.

I loved doing this. I’ve never done crewel work before–that’s normal stitches but in a fuzzy, thick wool instead of regular embroidery floss. The texture is amazing, I loved to run my fingers along all the edges while I was making this. And I even learned a few new stitches! It gave me enough confidence to start a bigger crewel work piece, but it’s super secret. Shh.

I was going to frame it all pretty, but whaddya know, European frame sizes are different, and and 11×14 was nowhere to be found (yes, I converted to cm before looking.) So instead of getting it custom-framed, I did a running stitch around the edge and pinned it right to my wall. Easy enough!

I’ve been doing a lot of embroidery lately, and not much else. Which, despite a few feelings of guilt for not making any money, has been pretty nice. The only drawback is the amount of time I have to think about my next project… it’s a scary circle. But there are so many inspiring things to get me going! Have you seen Jillian Tamaki’s embroidered covers for Penguin Classics? Just beautiful.

Autumn, Instagrammed

Tags

Amsterdam Blogs, embroidery

Time for a few words on Amsterdam. I’m realizing that I am so behind posting about Prague and our trip, and now it’s already October, and autumnal things are happening here that I’d like to write about. I need to catch up! So expect a flurry of Czech Republic posts, and then I’ll settle down and focus on the here and now.

Speaking of the here and now, it’s a wet and chilly fall day today! I officially broke out my winter coat, destined to be my best companion for the next six months. These photos are just a few things that are going on today.

1) New boots! I left my old ratty boots in the States with promises to buy myself new ones, and here they are! This is the most I’ve ever spent on boots, and it feels kinda good. They’ve already been christened by the rain on my bike ride today.

2) The leaves are turning colors and falling off. I love seeing them on the cobblestones, and floating in the canals like little yellow boats. I also love seeing the rain streaks on our windows.

3) My current pastime is embroidery–this is a white pillowcase from Ikea that I’m doing a Scandinavian design on, from my Embroidery Companion book. I love the dusky blue with that bright red, and the partridge friend is so sweet!

4) Flea market finds. On Saturday morning Jesse and I caught a ferry across the IJ harbor to a giant flea market. There were dozens of booths with so many things–I get so overwhelmed with things like that. But we did manage to find a precious little plate from Marken, an island just north of here. I’ll have to go visit someday to legitimize owning the plate. And Jesse found an ash tray and a clay pipe–he’s become quite the knowledgeable pipe man since we came here. (I suspect it’s because he’s stuck without his pastime of choice, music, for now.)

That’s all–just a slow relaxing day! I’m feeling a bit nostalgic for fall back in the US. Corn mazes, apple cider, pumpkin-flavored drinks, and Halloween decorations. I took things into my own hands and am brewing up some spiced cider this very moment, I’m going to sip it slowly while watching the rain, and maybe working a bit more on that pillowcase.

Craftiness So Far

Tags

embroidery, finished project

You didn’t think I abandoned my craftiness when we started traveling, did you? Not at all. While I’m saying goodbye to sewing for awhile, I stuffed an arsenal of embroidery supplies into my suitcase. There’s nothing more comforting on a dark rainy night than putting on my pajamas, making a cup of tea, and settling in with my embroidery and a movie. I know, I’m 80 years old, apparently. Sign me up for “A Cat A Day Calendar” right now.

Past that, though, I really do love it. It takes so much concentration and at the same time it’s something I can zone out and just do by rote. I’ve managed to finish a project I started way back in January–laughingly I posted on this very blog that I would finish it by Valentine’s Day. Only 8 months later…

This is based on the Blackwork Sampler from Embroidery Companion, by Alicia Paulson. I changed the color and widened it to a rectangular shape. I love how this turned out, with the bright red against the snowy white. It’s not perfect, but with all those intricacies, who can tell? I’m not sure if I want to put this out now or store it until Christmas.

Next up in my embroidery hoop is the ABC Daisy Chain Sampler, also by Alicia Paulson, and is my first foray into crewelwork. Stitched in thick woolly Appleton Crewel Wool, the texture of this is amazing. I love how it pops out. I’ve already learned new stitches, and am getting better at my french knots and satin stitches.

The other day I went on a little walk, and in between bursts of sunshine and showers I found a little embroidery/knitting store, and a quilting store. It felt so nice to wander around those places of possibility. I had the familiar feeling of having so many things to do and make. It felt like home.

Illustrated Maps for Your Life

Tags

art, embroidery

I just love this collection of illustrated maps from artist Lena Corwin.

The style of these is so perfect, and I love all the different colors and shapes she puts in there.

The book has 20 cities in the US (including Portland!), and 20 cities internationally, all equally lovely and full of color. I just love the idea of doing something like this personally as a map of your life. What are the most important places to you? Where you grew up? Where you live now? Your favorite vacation spot? Would the map be a big one of the city you’ve lived in all your life (think of the details you could put in!), or would it be lots of different places? Or would it be a book of every single place you’ve visited?  If I collected maps of important places to Jesse and I, it would include:

Lincoln, Nebraska, where we met. (It’s such a good little town, it deserves a map.)

Portland, Oregon, where we got married and live, and where Jesse grew up

Santa Fe, New Mexico, where we honeymooned and ate a lot (I would include the food, of course).

There are many other places we’ve been, but those three stand out in my mind as being important places for us. And now I get to add Amsterdam! I’m toying with the idea of making embroidered maps like this for myself. The colors and lines would be perfect for embroidery, I’d just have to practice a bit. And it would be so lovely to have a collection of 3 or 4 personalized maps on my wall. My favorite places. No time right now, but I’m keeping it on my inspiration list for a rainy Amsterdam day!