The New Collection on the Beach

Finally ready to let go of 2013 . . . .

I am soooooo tired - But it was a good day. 

The last weeks I did nothing else but finishing off my NEW Collection - BASIS - and today I was ready to take all the pieces with me to the Beach to take some pics. Obviously it was freezing cold but the sun was out and we chose a rather sheltered corner. So filled with my excitement of being at the Beach - home! - but also because I finally can show the collection and offer it in my shop, I felt almost warm.

Just after a couple of hours I could not feel my toes anymore and we had enough shots captured and could drive back home, where we shot the rest of the details and voilà: my first listing is online!

The collection is the Best of ONE year work. There are Yoga pants, three different styles of Long sleeve Tops including a Tunic and a Tank Top and ALL pieces are Hand stitched. I offer size S, M or L and the fabric is either Organic Bamboo/Cotton Jersey or Organic Cotton Jersey in black, white and colours. (I will show the colours available but will have to order them on demand according to availability.) For the seams there is a choice of contrasting Red, or a similar colour to the tone of the chosen material and you can state your wish at the check-out.

There is still much more to do but I can feel a chapter is finishing and I am ready for the New of 2014! 

Bob and the hooded Tunic

I probably should be stressing about ...

It is all a bit hectic and busy. If I could I would be on a sunny warm island, watching the kids dig in the sand right now. 

Off school, Birthdays, Christmas and little parties are making december an interesting month. I am very busy but not very christmas-y so I just do all I need to do and try to take one step at the time. Before diving into some child-minding days I had one working day to myself and was very successful.

I avoided to get to town to get the fabric that I had in mind. So instead of using a fleece and creating a winter tunic that includes a hoodie to warm my head instead of a hat I found some very nice wool-mix in midnight blue in one of my boxes. I don't know why hoodies are on my mind at the moment but I guess it is the desire to hibernate and some japanese influence.


I can wear this lighter version with layers and probably all year round. The hood is disguised in a scarf and still warms my head in this freezing weather. This Hand stitched Tunic is made out of one piece and the hood. Slightly V-shaped is leaves enough room for layers. Off to test it I still might venture to get some fleece for a second one, after the holidays. 

I really love projects that go fast and are simple but still have nice details. I guess when the kids are both in school that will change. Working on the model I was thinking for ages that a wrist pin cushion would be handy, as I do not want to have to get another scan in case I swallow a pin. So I was searching for DIY ones. Also handmade pin cushions crossed my search and I was about to get one when I remembered another idea I had. 

I can get quite annoyed that things take so much time. 
The kids have grown out of babyhood and I got rid of a lot of things but kept the best of. Either to find a baby that I could give it to or ebay but as a lot in my life it just stood there in a bag on the landing prepared to be dealt with. And today I was glad I did not give it away. I found what I was looking for. An early learning sock for newborns, with a rattle in form of a bug. And voila, 10 minutes later I had my wrist pin cushion, Bob.

I cut the rattle out, put a bit of plastic on the bottom as protection from pins and sew it back together. The sock I just cut off into a wrist band and sew the seam down to secure it. 
The kids obviously want it now I have it on me. But it is mine!!!

Lotus and the Beach

Yoga in progress

My newest challenge is Bound Lotus. I have avoided Lotus in general the last years as I was either too fat or not flexible enough. But now the Baby-fat is fading and this summer had a good aspect as I had nothing else to do at night than doing my Yoga Set, every day. So Lotus is possible now, Bound Lotus still a big mission though. But I must say after 11 minutes with lots of props and some suffering, I feel really good afterwards, just wondering when will I enjoy 31 minutes without too much pain.....

Meanwhile my Hand stitched Yoga Tunic in natural Organic Cotton Bamboo Jersey is finished. The seam is at the front this time, as it might bother me while practicing kriyas on the back. Also, it is neither too wide nor too tight as I want to be able to do inverted postures without showing my belly. I enjoy being aware of my body but do not want to be trapped like a sausage, so I chose the middle way. 

As you can see on the picture, I took it on an outing and this Tunic is really fun to mix with blue and grey. The material is fantastic to wear (Bamboo!) and with the Yoga Bra, the white feels even better, as it breaks the brightness.

The second Top of this special Hand stitched Yoga collection is also about to be finished, already thinking of variations with different seam colours but I might add some coloured versions anyway, as I am not sure to keep it all white....

I love big projects!

summertime

Funny times. So long have I waited for the warm season and now I feel stressed by all events around me. New school, new projects, planning, dealing with other peoples issues, trying to stay cool, scouting for the best summer recipe. 

So apart from being extremely busy it is time to announce summertime. Time to enjoy the warm weather, relax into a stress-free body and gather all new ideas. 
I hope you enjoy your summer too!

Stay tuned, xx.

Bikini Top (Pattern)

Change the fabric and seam colour and have a new Bikini Top whenever you need it!

Once again this project started with a need. To go aqua running I needed a Bikini Top that is safe enough to wear and not to worry.

I usually find sportive bikinis too thick in material and not feminine enough, so I decided to create one myself. But it also seems that I want to be surrounded by handmade only. This is the second one I made for myself and they are both in constant use and test and I love them! But see for yourself.

If you enjoyed watching this movie please do't forget to share it. Thank you.
♥ handmade

If you watched the movie you can start now! All you need is Lycra, buttonhole Thread, a needle (sharps NO4), thin pins, fabric scissors, paper and paper scissors for the pattern (to repeat), a mat and a rotary cutter (optional).

The pattern is a fusion of a Bikini and a Tank Top. You can use a bra or bikini Top for reference (cup size) or just measure how wide the cup needs to be so you will feel safe. I cut the opening as low as possible but again not too deep to keep it safe. You will need 1 cm seam allowance. The band around the ribcage is 2 cm wide and 2x folded, which makes it very comfortable and strong enough to pull it tight.

The first version I made is black with a pattern and red seams, this new one is grey-ish with yellow seams, both very thin and comfortable. If you ask me now where are the pants for the Bikini Top I have to confess I had no time yet. But I guess you made your own Hand stitched knickers over and over again so I am sure you will finish your Bikini pants in no time and before I do ;)

blowin' in the wind

A Beach Experience

It has been about a week that I have waited to make it to the beach. The car was unavailable, or it was too late or it was raining, or something else was in the way.
Today should have been our 'family' day, which means we try to put work into the background :) but we spent it doing the tax year, which is not very nice in itself but when it is done it is done...anyway, the sun came out, the car was parked in front of the house and the kids helped nanny cooking and we managed to sneak out and drive to the nearest beach about 35 minutes away.
Being sunday afternoon we thought to find the beach heaving and were relieved to find it empty. On the path through the dunes we understood why. A gale was beating us with sand and it was hard to see at all. I got really upset but still as I made it here I wanted to at least see the sea. There was no chance to take the camera out of the bag with the wind full of sand......
But on the beach the sand stopped beating.
It was still rather freezing but determined to finish what we started, we went ahead with the shooting....
Mad.

bikini dreams

It was Saturday..

and like through magic I had a babysitter and went to the Swimming Pool. I arrived early enough to organize a member's card, chose a locker and changed. I had forgotten my costume. I went back to the reception and tried my best to find a solution, they even let me ring home as I did not have my phone on me, only to find out that there was no solution but going home. I know I had not slept the last nights due to little people kicking and crying but I was shocked how advanced my sleep deprivation had come. Walking back I really wanted to let go of being annoyed with myself. There I stood in front of the red door ringing the doorbell as I did not bring door keys either. And strangely enough magic lingered on. My mother in law suggested to take the kids to town to see the big ships at the docks. O wow. I had the afternoon off, workout and a nap. 

Tonight I try again. This time I will wear my costume on the way to the Pool. And it is a special one too. I designed a new Hand stitched bikini top and take it to the test. 

It is developed from my Hand stitched Tank Top design. I wanted to have a comfortable feminine top, sexy enough but also secure to survive a session aqua running without worries. 

I hope I succeeded or you will hear me scream.....

some holiday

Beach hopping

Still recovering of various stages of coughs and colds and trying to boost the system, I must say the beach is my favorite and most effective destination and I have seen quite some during the last week. Apart from being far away and blowy, Scotland is a dream and I love returning, especially now as my friends settled down up there. The kids run free and equipped with beach tools they build and throw and sleep and I love watching their faces.


I always take way too much to do on my holiday and I return slightly disappointed but that lasts only for a minute. I am working at the moment on a new way of assembling and therefor a different experience of seams and I managed to finish a tank top just in time to take on holiday and to test in blowy terrain and another long sleeve top had a chance to see the light after some scottish nights! I am not sure yet where to go with this but it feels good and is even lighter and more comfortable! 

We are back now, confused with beauty and fresh air 
and ready for a new season. . .

a sunday on the beach

Freezing Sunday but cool pictures:   i can cu   on the beach

Sometimes it is just perfect. 

The sun is shining, nanny minds the kids and the car is available. O wow. I was so excited all day to venture to the beach and show off i can cu Hand stitched Yoga wear / fashion in front of a not so patient camera man.

The newest top got finished in time and the selected clothes had to face the iron and were neatly packed into a big bag. Wellies on off we went.

I am so not used to realize plans lately so I was a bit tense all way . . . . .

But no worries. We found some nice dunes, after a bit of moaning because of the sunlight not being on our side and getting used to the blowing wind, the photo shooting started and after a bit we had about 300 pic and I was freezing.

Here is the first pic:

* Hand stitched classic jacket in organic cotton jersey 

* stitched stripy tank top/harmony collection

* Hand stitched Yoga pants in black Organic Cotton/Bamboo Jersey