Keep the rhythm – Avocado dyed fabric and embroidered pincushion

June 2, 2017 by nadel&gabel

Somehow I didn’t really see it coming. It was a busy time, but I had the feeling that I’m coping well this time. I must have missed some early sign of my body. So the sign got louder, arrythmic. My heart had lost its rhythm somewhere on the way, I had lost my rhythm. I was eager to regain it, to find my beat again. What helped me (like most of the time): The calming power of nature, withdrawal from […]

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: avocado, avocadodyeing, colour, dye, dyeing, easy, embroidery, geometric, making, makingmagazine, natural, pincushion, pink, plantbased, sanaeishida, sew, tutorial

Catching thoughts – DIY notebooks

August 29, 2016 by nadel&gabel

Die Gedanken sind frei. Wer kann sie erraten?  Sie fliegen vorbei wie nächtliche Schatten. Kein Mensch kann sie wissen, kein Jäger erschiessen. Es bleibet dabei, die Gedanken sind frei. When my colleague and me were planning our upcoming student research project we soon came to the conclusion that every student should have a place to write down his/her thoughts, ideas, questions. A “Gedankenfänger” (thought catcher) to keep these things in whatever way, words, sketches, scrapbooked newspaper articles,… It should be small, we decided, […]

Categories: At the sewing machine, craft & DIY, paper • Tags: binding, bookbinding, brown, collecting, Craft, creativity, DIY, easy, kraft, moleskine, natural, notebook, paper, sew, stamp

Minimalism – Laundry bags from SnapPap aka Kraft-Tex

May 16, 2016 by nadel&gabel

  This place has got a bit quiet during the last weeks, for different reasons. One of them was the major spring cleaning up, decluttering and rearranging that happened in this place. And although it comes with costs in time, dorsal pain and patience – to stand the temporary mess – it’s totally worth the effort. There is this connection between outside and inside. Sorting things out, clearing your space has an immediate impact on your mind and soul. Every […]

Categories: At the sewing machine, bags & totes, craft & DIY, decoration, paper, storage • Tags: bag, basket, bucket, capsule wardrobe, decoration, KonMari, kraft-tex, laundry, minimalism, paper, plant pot, sack, sew, simplicity, SnapPap, stash, storage, sturdy, tidying-up, toys, tutorial, vegan leather, washable

Keep on turning – DIY rope bowl

January 18, 2016 by nadel&gabel

This project is in my blogging queque for a while now. It was one of my christmas gift projects, actually one of my favourite ones. Over years now I’ve bookmarked various tutorials for handmade baskets or bowls – but most of them are based on handsewing … aargh … I hate handsewing, I’m a impatient person. So, basically I remained bookmarking and thinking about how I would … someday … And then I saw Frau Gold`s admirable rope bowls, followed the link for […]

Categories: accessories, At the sewing machine, decoration, supplies • Tags: basket, black&white, bowl, coil, cord, cotton, decoration, design, easy, machine, minimal, present, rope, scandinavian, sew, storage, tutorial

Temporary solution – Fabric storage buckets

June 3, 2015 by nadel&gabel

This sewing project evolved from necessity. As I have started to do some more sewing again, I also had to face the chaos that had gained the upper hand in my jam-packed drawer as well as in my sideboard filled with fabric. And I had just bought a stack of beautiful Japanese fabrics from here, that I can’t wait to sew with … but that also need space! Aargh, it’s a constant managment of space shortage! It was time to […]

Categories: accessories, At the sewing machine, bags & totes, craft & DIY, decoration, fabric • Tags: basket, bucket, crafter, decoration, design, desktop, easy, graphic, pattern, plant pot, print, sack, scraps, sew, sewing, stamp, stash, storage, style, toys, tutorial

Not one but two – Double zip pouch

May 22, 2015 by nadel&gabel

Ha! Finally I found the time and mood to get my sewing machine on again. Sewing really didn’t get its fair share the last months. I guess this was what my sewing machine wanted to express as well when she stuttered making her first stiches after such a long time… Luckily she gained momentum – and I hadn’t unlearned sewing as well. But before I am going to approach Anna’s Caravan Tote – pattern already bought ages ago, the cut […]

Categories: At the sewing machine, wallets & pouches • Tags: blue, clutch, denim, double, echo, fabric, florine, lotta jansdotter, pouch, scandinavian, scraps, sew, simple, tutorial, wristlet, zip, zipper

Retro look – Embellished tea towels

January 11, 2015 by nadel&gabel

I hold this truth for self-evident: you can’t have enough tea towels in your kitchen. … No visit to IKEA without finding me carrying a set of tea towels in my blue bag back home. They’re a cheap and easy way to bring a bit of change to your kitchen, a light and easy alterable way to try new styles, to respond to moods or seasons. I am especially fond of those simple blue-white or red-white traditional patterned towels. You […]

Categories: accessories, At the sewing machine, decoration • Tags: accent, bind, border, customize, dish, easy, edge, embellish, kitchen, pimp, repurpose, retro, ribbon, sew, tea, towel, tutorial, vintage