My Etsy shop is now open!

Wow, it's been a long time! But there's a reason for this silence... I've now opened my own Etsy shop! For the moment it features rain hats made of Marimekko's super trendy and colorful coated cottons, and in the near future some beanies and purses will be listed, too. I'd also be happy to consider custom orders. Please come and visit!

This is my favorite hat, it's such a good color combination :)

Little Purse

I found a sample piece in Marimekko store a few weeks ago; a purple and off-white upholstery fabric, measuring 30 cm x 90 cm. It cost only 2 Euro, so I couldn't let it be. My idea was to make a little purse out of it, and here's the result.

I used almost all of the fabric, what remained was a tiny patch measuring 7 cm x 3 cm! I drew the pattern myself, and it's actually really simple if you measure the pieces carefully. You need two long strips for the straps (one of them is split into two for the zipper), and two larger pieces for the sides. Sewing was a bit more complicated due to the fraying fabric. If I did it all over again, I'd start with the serger and sew around all the pieces before starting to sew them together.

A visit to Marimekko's factory outlet was also scheduled for this week. I knew I was in trouble as soon as I saw the huge bags full of striped knit, costing only 12 Euro! (When I got home, I put the bag on scale, and it weighed more than six kilos - all that knit for almost nothing.) And then things got completely out of hand: a big selection of knits, rain cloth, wax cloth and lots of other things for 6 Euro per meter. I had two really big bags in my hands when I finally made my way out, and didn't even have the car with me ;) So, what you're going to see is a lot of Marimekko clothing in the future!

Marimekko Love

My childhood was filled with Marimekko fabrics. My mom made most of our curtains, bedspreads and tablecloths from Marimekko, and I still recognize many of their patterns: “Wow, I had ___ (insert an item from my childhood home here) from that fabric!”.

I still have some of the fabrics with me, and I thought I'd write a bit about them whenever there aren't any new crafty projects going on.

Here's my most favorite item: the quilt my mom made for me when I was around five or six years old (my brother has another one made from different fabrics, I'll try and get it photographed as well). It's really simple, just two Marimekko fabrics quilted together and a basting in between. I still sleep with it during summer, since it's nice and heavy without being too hot.

The two fabrics are original prints from the 60s, and the colors are still amazingly strong! The quilt has been washed time and time again, but it's still bright and lovely. The first one is called "Istuva härkä" (Sitting Bull) and the second is "Pioni", both by the famous Maija Isola (1967 and 1970 respectively).  


If you’re curious about Marimekko, the best place to go to is of course their own website. If you’re interested in the designers (who are a huge inspiration to me) and the history of Marimekko, go directly to http://www.marimekko.com/who-we-are/designers/

Fisherman's Hats

I've been looking for a simple bucket hat pattern with as few pieces to sew together as possible. Then I noticed that the latest summer issue of Ottobre Design had a hat pattern called Fisherman's, that actually had only six pieces to sew together (ok, six pieces times two, as there's the lining too). I made two of them, as usual...

On one side of the first hat I used Marimekko's "Silkkikuikka" fabric in lime green and on the other side plain lime green linen.

The second hat is made of some light-weight striped linen and Ikea cotton. Love them, as do the boys! They're always competing over who gets to wear which hat, so I guess there's a third one in the makings.

Bohemian Tunic

So here’s the finished Bohemian tunic! That piece of grey and black Marimekko knit was great for this purpose, and the tunic turned out beautifully. The little front pockets took most of the sewing time, but were definitely worth the effort. My colleagues would not believe this is self-made, which is a big compliment I guess :)

The pattern comes from Ottobre Design 5/2009.

As soon as I’d finished the Bohemian, I started on a new tunic. It’s also made from Marimekko cotton fabric called Tamburiini, designed by the iconic Maija Isola in 1962 (my fabric is a reprint from 2003). More about that later...

Writer's Block

Do you ever have a sort of writer’s block when planning to cut an expensive fabric? I always check the pattern and measurements twice before taking my scissors to a Marimekko fabric! I guess it’s a good thing too, since then you know you’ve made sure the pattern is the right one for that particular fabric. Especially Marimekko is something I get a bit apprehensive about, mostly because of their high prices… Last Sunday I was going to start cutting a Marimekko ”Samovaari” knit, and had to take a deep breath before doing anything. Funny.

Anyway, what I’m going to make out of the Samovaari knit is a summer top for myself using Ottobre’s “Bohemian” pattern. Fingers crossed it will fit me! (I’m going to have two whole days just for myself this week, preparing for a sewing marathon that is :)).

Striped Shirts

My new favorites are these striped shirts I made for the boys. I’ve been terrified of sewing stretchy fabrics (apart from college and velour type of fabrics, such as in the Dotty hoodies), but I’ve finally found a solution.

I experimented with all the different stretch stitches my sewing machine has, and none of them would work on thin t-shirt knit. I googled the problem and tried new settings again and again. Nothing would work. Then I found out that a twin needle (with ball points!) might do the trick, tried it and – just like magic – it worked! No rolling, puckering or holes, just a nice, even line of stitches. Pheew.  

The two striped knits have been in my stash for a few years. I bought them from Marimekko's outlet shop in Sulkava on a summer holiday trip, and now I could finally make something out of them. Both fabrics are really soft and lovely, and I can say that frequent washing hasn’t changed them a bit. Marimekko still has the quality they are known for, it seems.

The shirt pattern (Ottobre 4/2007) is pretty basic except for the detail on the back side; the keyhole snap closure fits my boys' big heads. The ribbing is in contrasting colors, lime green and brown.

Corduroy Crawlers

I have a weird (and wonderful) affinity for corduroy. I love wearing corduroy trousers myself, and I had the brilliant idea of making a pair for the boys as well. The pattern is from Ottobre Design. The ingenious part of these pants are the fleece knee pads for better crawling. And they have cute little pockets on the back side, made of a vintage Marimekko bed linen my mom had stashed away. The fabric is really worn out on some spots, but some parts are still like brand new. Old Marimekko fabrics always have wonderful, bright colors even after hundreds and hundreds of washes. Love it.