WREN handmade

Special delivery

Yesterday I received in the mail a special little postcard from Jill Wignall, part of her series "Today I saw". Thanks so much I love it! And fitting since I just posted again about my knitting group this past weekend.

Shop update!

here

Sunday afternoon

A few pics from my knitting group this past Sunday. It's actually not just knitting, any sort of needlework or craft will do. Ben takes part too by baking. A very pleasant way to spend an early Fall afternoon!

new bulletin board

This weekend I decided to switch out my framed pegboard in my craft room for a bulletin board. I've been wanting to hang up inspiration lately and didn't have a spot. I did like using the pegboard to hang tools, we'll see if I miss it. To make the bulletin board I covered a pieced of foam core cut to the size of the frame and covered it with linen.

Here is the pegboard I had before. Which do you like better?

Crafting supplies

Not too much here to report but a few of my supplies I've been stocking up on around here...

I went shopping this weekend to Purl and City Quilter. I can't resist the call of buying more and more cute prints and lovely yarn. I especially love the Heather Ross fabric and the Kaffe Fassett shot cotton which comes in such beautiful colors. The yarn which I make my doll cardigans out of is Koigu mori which also comes in an amazing range of hand dyed colors. It's dangerous for me to go to these stores because I already have SO much fabric and yarn.

One place I've newly discovered for inexpensive supplies is Etsy. Maybe you already know this but supplies on Etsy seem very reasonably priced. Probably because sellers in other parts of the country don't have the overhead costs sellers in New York do! I've always found the tiny buttons I use for my doll clothes great at places like M + J Buttons and Tender Buttons here in the city but SO expensive.

Aren't these calico china buttons so cute from kalliedesigns?

Lots of mother of pearl buttons also on Etsy. (grlyhead)

Also, I just discovered that Variegated is now selling vintage wallpaper by the piece in their Etsy shop. Vintage wallpaper rolls are so expensive at places like Second Hand Rose here in NYC (which is amazing by the way) but all I ever need are small pieces for backdrops or collaging so I love these assortments.

And finally some vintage feedsack fabric from thecherrychic which I love.

Do you have any tips for saving money on craft supplies? Or great sources to share with us?

Shop update!

I have updated my shop with some new crochet hairclips, fabric flower hairclips and paper garlands. Hope you take a look!

One last Stockholm post.

I've been busy trying to stock my shop and get ready for fall sales. I have recently listed some more recycled paper garlands if you're looking for those.

One last post about our Stockholm trip (I think!) is about Skansen. It's really an amazing place. It's an open air museum in Stockholm where they have moved buildings, homes and businesses from all different eras and all different parts of Sweden. They also have people working there who are dressed up the time of their building either selling things in the shops, baking sweets, knitting, doing pottery etc. I would highly recommend a visit to anyone visiting Sweden!

I loved this kitchen from a 1930's house.

An office from a machine shop.

A "modern" milk shop from the 1930's.

A Gustavian manor.

They even had a little greenhouse full of fancy leaf geraniums, my favorite!

Tiny cottages and gardens

Hope I'm not dragging out our vacation pictures too long. I just found so many aspects inspiring and wanted to share. One of my favorite things in Stockholm was the tiny allotment gardens and cottages. We rented bikes and then set out to cover many different Stockholm neighborhoods. This area of Tantolunden has tiny garden plots and sheds that were originally issued to the industrial workers so they could have some rest and relaxation. I love the scale and how overgrown and natural they are. We followed a bike path all along the shore and stopped at this little cafe in a trailer for a coffee. We also stumbled across a traditional Swedish food festival called Smaklust which had tons of free samples of delicious foods. Ben tried some surströmming (fermented herring) which was a once in a lifetime experience! I knew better than to try that myself. The best part about biking around a city is that you can cover so much more ground than walking and happen upon amazing things!

Plate of food from the delicious food festival.