First mitered corner

I have been working on napkins for my daughters for quite a while now.
I designed a couple of patterns and finally found the right one.
It has to be long enough to fall on their lap and easy to tie around their necks.
Then, I had to think about the finishing. I did not want to apply a bias tape and I wanted neat and clean angles.
I searched my various sewing manuals and found the instructions for the "mitered corner"!!!

Quick and easy to do - ideal for beginners!!!
I will share the instructions with you soon!!! Stay tuned.

Recycling shoeboxes

Why throwing away 2 nice grey shoeboxes while we desperately need some boxes to put away tiny toys in the girls' rooms?
Why not customising them to make them a little more "girly"?

Homemade yogurt - second try

A week ago, I received my Seb "yogurt machine"...
I could not wait but I missed one of the key ingredients: powdered milk.
I convinced myself that it did not matter and that I should give it a try anyway.
In addition, I did not dilute enough the base yogurt (that you need for the ferments).
I was not really satisfied or confident with what I was doing and the result was not up to my expectations. To be honest, I have a sweet memory of the homemade yogurts I made during my summer vacations at my grandparents near Arcachon.

But, I could not stop after this failure.... I bought powdered milk, a new base yogurt et tried again....
I also followed the instructions on the yogurt machine manual (it can certainly help).
Tomorrow is the verdict.
Of course, I keep you posted!!!

A new sweater....

"What are you doing, Mummy ? You are knitting a sweater for me....?"
That's the question Louise and Charlotte keep on asking me when they see me knitting.
And, until now, the answer has always been "Yes, it is a sweater for you, my dear".
Here is the latest sweater:

100% from Citronille:
- pattern "tunique à encolure smockée"
- wool - colour verbena

Cheerful office

Flower power!!

While I was tidying up some cupboards last week, I found another cushion to cover.
I had enough now for my couch.... What shall I do with it then?
Why not bringing more comfort and cheerfulness to the office?
At last, the opportunity to use of the many fabrics I brought back from Ikea earlier this summer - Fredrika.

It took a little bit of time to figure out how to cut the pattern..... The outcome needs to be harmonious and aesthetic...
I am very happy with my brand new cushion and I look forward to take it to the office on Monday.

My favorites of the week

Vacation is over.... Suzon Grisou is back.

Let's celebrate with my 2 favorites of the week:

#1 - The Purl Bee
A very nice shop in New York which, on a blog, offers hundreds of creative ideas (knitting, sewing and crochet). The tutorials that you can find there are very well explained and you want to make almost everything they put in there!!!


#2 - The Beeetise shop in the old Guérande (West Coast of France - South of Britanny) where you can find vintage accessories and have a vintage dress tailormade. The designer is so sweet. If you are coming to France/Britanny on holiday, you should definitely visit this shop... 

my favorites of the week

Anna Graham's blog (from Wisconsin in the US) for her colorful and inspiring works, her two adorable daughters and because she seems to have a really good time and enjoy her life:
www.noodle-head.com

The pincushion pattern I have just found at Lil Weasel's (very nice shop in Paris, France) - a turtle called Henrietta....
My first pattern in English!

the family is getting bigger...

No, I am not pregnant...
I am talking about my sofa cushion's family.
Three additions this week (as planned). I have tried to mix part of the fabric so that they look a little bit different.

When we invite friends, sometimes we don't have enough space for them on the sofa.... so I made a big cushion to put on the floor so that we can comfortably sit there... If you wonder where I found this nice fabric.... the answer is Ikea!

ready for school

Since I knew that Louise and Charlotte would need bags for their first year at school, I started sketching what they would look like. 

They had to be big enough for a trouser, a pair of socks, a tee-shirt and a sweater... 

I started thinking about the size of the bag, how to carry it.... and finally completed my customised pattern.

My daughters being away for two weeks (thanks to my parents), I could work on them at my own pace...

This was a pretty easy project, except for the shoulders straps which really took a long time to make...

I am so proud of the result:

I hope my daughters also like them... ;-)))

My first cushion!!!

I finally made it!!! my first cushion!!!
I didn't want to put a zipper or button holes... I needed a tutorial for a cushion cover but more like a pillow cover. And I found it on this blog (in French).
I had to adapt it to the size of my cushion. Then I cut, I ironed, I stitched, I pinned, I stitched again, I cut the corners, I turned in inside out...

and tah da:

My beloved husband is amazed.
This lovely cushion is feeling a little bit lonely. Some friends will join next week ;-)))

Knitting on a train...

First time I knit on a train! So far I have not felt trainsick.... What about you? Where do you like knitting?

My favorites of the week...

# 1 blog
http://blog.betzwhite.com/
for her "green" approach and her love for colours

# 1 event
The Knit party of the "Pelotes Soniques" in Bordeaux (France).... because knitting on a boat with friends and some fresh beverages on a warm day is even better!!!

# 1 pattern
Ysolda is amazing us again with something to warm up our necks this winter - Marin.

Equation of the day

Thread + a needle + felt....

= a colourful flower in this grey and cold summer in Paris

Thanks again to The Coletterie for this great tutorial.
It is super easy... so why don't you try it?

Knitting...

I started knitting my shoulder-warmer....

I just love the colour and the yarn is really easy to knit (100% washable wool - colour chosen by Citronille)

Suzon Grisou also cooks

Apple pie - 100% handmade (including the short crust pastry)

Tea time....

I could not resist buying this colour of wool (Tisane - meaning "herbal tea" - from Citronille).

What am I going to knit with this?
- a shoulder-warmer for me (not sure it is the proper name in English - click on the link)
- another sweater for my daughters

Felt mix

I was not expecting to find felt in this craft/art shop called Graphigro (in Paris - 15th district).

This is exactly what I needed to start working on nice projects:
- heart barrettes for Louise and Charlotte
- Xmas ornaments (I know, it is a bit too early)
and I need to go back there and purchase some white felt to make some tooth fairy bags...
Thanks to The Purl Bee for all those creative ideas!

Capri pant - tested and approved by my daughter

Although I thought this capri pant should be shorter, Louise is thrilled to wear a handmade pant!

Another sweater?

I have just completed another sweater, once again following a Citronille pattern.

Very easy to knit, thanks to Astrid' really clear explanations.