Shoppinghaul from London

As promised in my last post, here's the shopping haul from London!

Let's start in Notting Hill... I spent eunough at What Katie Did to get a complementary shopping bag... So cute! But best is still the goodies inside of it =)

A Glamour corselette and chocolate fully fashioned 45 den stockings! I happen to know my boyfriend also walked away with something from WKD... Can it please be Christmas soon?!


A fast hop to Gold Hawk road, and the staggering number of cheap fabric shops, all within 5 min walk of each other. Few of them accepted cards, but that was ok, as a tourist I came with plenty of cash, and oh boy did I put them to good use! All but the last are jerseys, and I doubt there's a single natural fibre in any of them, but they're lovely to touch, have a beautiful drape and a decent recovery. They were 4-5 £/metre, a bargain in my book =)

From right to left: a green dress (for me or for Malin, if she wants it), two red tops, a brown dress for me and a t-shirt for the mr, wool-like heavier patterened blue for a dress, black jersey with black lace for a fancier but comfy dress (blues dancing, work parties etc) and last a polyester silk-like fabric for a slip (test-run before cutting into real silk, and good to have a machine washable version).


Let's hop on to MacCulloch and Wallis on the corner of Oxford street and Dering street! They have an amazing collection of haberdashy, equipment and fabrics of all sorts. The store is divided so the fabric is on the groundfloor, most of the haberdashy and equipment is on the 1st floor, while the trims and so on are on the 2nd floor. While the girls on the fabric floor was angels, the people upstairs were... not so serviceminded. Now, I'm Swedish. I'm polite, patient and don't want to make a lot of fuss. But I still find it unpleasant when a clerk rolls his eyes when I ask for a band being cut. Yes, I wanted 20 metres of it, but still - rolling his eyes? Not so nice. I was very, very happy I had spent a few hours at their website and therefore knew what to ask for, as the store was pretty hard to navigate and not so well-labeled (most things were not labeled at all, actually).
I don't recommend against the shop, not at all! But I do recommend coming with a good idea of what you're looking for and be prepared to be ignored or sighed at when you ask something (they did answer my questions, though). Most important, I found some stuff that just can't be bought anywhere I've seen in Sweden... and def not to those prices! So I'm happy =)

At the top: Gripper waistband. Below it: 20 m of piping cord. At the bottom of the picture: designer tape, wax for handsewing, basting thread, kicktape (brown + black) and two twin needles.


Now, the fabric departement and the lovely ladies who worked there... Totally different experience! No fabric is left laying around in the store, instead huge sample pieces hang on clothing racks. Easy to browse through, cut a piece, feel the drape etc. I had of course a million and one questions about the different interfacings, the lady answered them all, came with suggestions, and ran off to the basement for my fabrics.
In the last minute - like 5 min before they were closing - I asked for a shirting with some specific qualities. She showed me the row of shirtings and I felt a a moment of pure panic. Five minutes and all of those to browse?!!! Then she took one out and said "This one is the one I think best fit's the description you gave...", and it was perfect. Relief! I didn't even glance at the other fabrics =)

Not much to look at like this, but am I weird to find this the most exciting photo of them all? Perhaps =) To the left, interfacings of different sorts (sew-in, fusible, horse hair, hair canvas, chest canvas etc). To the right, pocketing and the aforementioned shirting (a lovely cotton mix with beautiful fall and body. There's a small weave stripe, maybe 2 mm apart).

Leaving the world of sewing and lingerie, I found some books that just had to come home with me =) I had planned to not buy any books, the suitcase get's so heavy but... The gorgeous coffetable book about the Hollywood costume exhibition in Victoria and Albert museum I just had to have. I loved "How to be a woman" by Caitlin Moran, so I of course had to buy her new book. While searching for it at Waterstones, I stumbled over the little "How to be a welldressed wife" by Anne Fogarty and then... =)

This and that. The scarf and the coaster I picked up as we walked along Portobello road towards WKD. I loved the deep chocolate colour on the scarf, and I have a similar coaster that it'll be easier to use when I can also provide a retro-humour coaster for my guest =)

The tie is... a bit hard to see, but I didn't want to remove the protective plastic. It's dark brown with a diagonal weave, and it matches two of the three shirts the mr bought. It's going to look stunning!

That was the week's haul! Or rather, the haul from monday to wednesday, as we just danced during the weekend =) Hope you enjoyed the peek!

Love, Erika

Stockholm, a haircut and The Armory

This is part four of My Summer. Want to read it chronological? Then check out part 1, part 2 and part 3 =)

Whenever I'm in southern Sweden it's a must to stop by Stockholm to visit friends and family. They sort of expect it, and I always look forward to it. Unfortunatley that makes most of my Stockholm-visits short and hurried, with everything planned by the hour. So this year I decided to take my time, and after Herräng I spent 1,5 week in my old hometown. It was great to not just see everyone, but to have the luxury to see them one-on-one. There was lots of tea, cakes, ice-cream and good food...

Lunch with my aunt at Café Sture

Dessert at my grandmother's. She bakes the prettiest cakes! And so tasty...

I love her appartement, it's not huge but it's filled with countless old treasures. Everywhere you look there's something to admire!

After-lunch ice-cream with the siblings (aka Joakim and Kajsa). We went out for lunch, just the three of us. It's quite rare that we meet just us "children", which is a shame since we always have so much fun together. This time it was gran's idea, and she actually treated us to the lunch. Wasn't that sweet and thoughtful?

Fika with grandmother, 'cause of course we got some quality time just the two of us! We went to a nice café by Hötorget. The lemon pie was to die for...

These last two photos was taken the day I and my grandmother hit the second hand-market at Hötorget and I found this pretty set:

I got the hotplate (not sure that's the correct word, but it looks like a tray and it keeps the food warm during dinner) and one of the serving dishes (the one on the left), gran effortlessly haggled the pair down to half the price =) And the hotplate works!

After the market we met up with Kajsa and saw the exhibition "Royal vintage" at Livrustkammaren (the armory, a museum in Stockholm castle). They showed pieces from the royal wardrobes, 1900- today, only Swedish designers. The bulk of it was from 40s-60s, so right up my alley! I highly recommend this exhibition for anyone going to Stockholm. I'm not sure one is allowed to take pictures there, but this dress was just too beautiful to resist:

And of course I did not use a flash. I so want to make something based on this dress! But it will have to rest for a while, I do not need any more projects...

As you might have noticed, something happened with my hair during this week... I've had a haircut! My wonderful hairdresser Sarah from Retroella moved to Stockholm 6 months ago, and I had a chance to visit her in her new salon. It was so beautiful! And she cut my hair short. I finally took the leap, figuring I'm not doing anything truly important this fall and it will grow out till Christmas anyway. Cutting it short has been on my mind ever since this post, and now I've done it! Feels great! When something is on your mind for over a year, it's time to just do it =)
Here it's been set in pincurls. I like it, but a surprise was that short hair is so much warmer than long! Who could have guessed? Long hair is so easy to get out of the way, a fast braid or a messy bun and heat is not an issue. However, jackets are easier this way. And hoods! It's fun to experiment with a new hairstyle =)

That rounds up my travels for this summer!

Love
/Erika

Family and furniture - both welcomed guests

This is part two of My Summer, check out part 1 here.

In June, after Midsummer, Mom, Kajsa, Elsa and the remaining puppy came for a short visit. It's so nice to have visitors! My mother, being a saint, the best mom in the whole wide world and generally a wonderful person, drove all the way from Stockholm to Umeå on her own with a small trailer with furniture and stuff for me (Kajsa doesn't have a driver's license). These are things that somehow have found their way to me after my move to Umeå and I've been trying to get them here since last fall but there's always been some hiccup. Now everything is here and my appartement is complete! (Or, almost complete...) What mom and Kajsa brought:

Drawers for the foayer. Unclear origin, has served both me and Kajsa well for the past 10 years.

Corner cabinet, used to live in my paternal grandparents summer home, where I spent most of my summers as a child. When my aunt sold it after their passing away I got the cabinet but I have never had room for it until now. My mother, who as we now know is a saint, has found a way to house it for 10 years (during which she has moved three times). Anyway, the cabinet is practical for all the small things one has no clue where to place, and it's a bit of a family hairloom.

Armchair, from a great grandmother. Via my grandmother (who had it re-dressed in the 50s) and then my aunt. A true family heirloom, and perfect for handsewing in front of the TV =)

And many more things, like a microwave oven I really needed and wanted (thank you, mom! And it's red, so pretty!), a living room lamp, a 50s flower table etc, but longs lists are no fun.

While mom and Kajsa were here we used the great weather to the best, by for example a picnic by the river.

The puppy and Elsa has fun playing in the grass...

...while Kajsa tried to sit down without being overrun by small dogs.

I couldn't resist posing next to the water. There's something so fascintaing about water that moves, like the sea or a river.


It was wonderful having family here, I only wish I hadn't been working and preparing for a long trip away. Still, we had some very nice afternoons and evenings and I long for the next time they have a chance at visiting Umeå.

All for now, but check in tomorrow ; )
Love, Erika

Thrifted green dress

I went thriftshopping at a charityshop with a friend, and came home with this late 50s/early 60s dress!

I love the pleat detail in the front, such a simple thing that makes the garment so much more interesting.

Sorry sbout the quality of the photo, my windows are all east and it was late afternoon when this was taken. But I wanted to give you a good view of the frontpleats.

Feeling Mad Men-inspired here =)

In all fairness, I didn't find the dress, Kattis did. Here's a confession: I'm actually quite poor at hunting in charity stores. There's always so much uninteresting stuff that unless the good stuff is fully visible, I miss it. There, I've said it. I'm a bad second hand-shopper. But I did find a blouse for Kattis! So practical for two friends not to have the same size when hitting second-hand stores! =)

Hope you've had a great weekend!
Love, Erika

Aprons all around

Past fall I decided to start filling a huge gap in my wardrobe: aprons! I love aprons, they're cute, practical and comes in so many shapes and colours. I thought about try to sew one or two myself, but just couldn't find fabrics with that special "old apron"-quality, so instead I started roaming Tradera/Ebay for vintage ones. Here's what I've found so far!


This white apron with red polkadots is a clear favorite. The width in the skirt is wonderful, and the trim is a nice detail, I think. (Please excuse the background, we snapped these in the morning just before I was off to work, and I fear the dishes hadn't been seen to properly).


Crosses in the back and lies comfortably over the shoulders.

A practical, if somewhat long apron that I actually mostly bought for the amazing baking cloth that came with it. I've been wanting one for ages! Mom has said it's impossible to bake out my grandmother's gingerbread recipe without a baking cloth, and now I'll be able to try it myself. Her gingerbreads are the best I've ever tasted!


I've shown this one before, but I thought it should be in this round-up as well. A basic white, full lenght apron. The shoulder straps buttons down to the waist band, and the skirt is closed with a button as well.

This might be the one I use the most. I love the colours, and the pattern makes me think of my grandmother. For someone as clumsy as me, it's so nice with an apron that doesn't need washing every day =) Also, it goes with my blue skirts. And, as I've hinted before, I have a few of those ; )
Love, Erika

Purse for stockings, genius or weird?

I've had a bit of a shopping spree on Tradera/Ebay lately, here's some of this month's purchases: a purse for stockings, a sewing book from 1940s, hair-ties (actually from the shop Hemlängtan). I've played around a bit with the hair-ties, but it doesn't go too well for me. Any advice? Someone who's tried these things?


The inside of the purse, it has room for seven pairs of stockings. I'm a bit torn, is this a really smart little thing, or is it just strange? Genius or weird? I'm leaning towards genius, at least for travelling...


A tablecloth for the coffetable, also Tradera/Ebay. I needed something more fitting for summer.


The contents of the sewing book. It's not so thick, about 100 pages, bur it's very nice to flip through and it has some useful instructions on measuring, fabrics, buttonholes etc. This book comes up regularly on Tradera, and usually go for 10-50 SEK. I gave 10 SEK (about 1,5 $), plus shipping.


Some pictures from the inside of it.


Have a great week!

Love, Erika

Sunday thrifting

Igår så for jag på Nolia-loppis med Katarina. Nolia är alltid lite av en chansning, det finns aldrig så mycket fina kläder där, men däremot så verkar jag alltid komma därifrån med något nytt till köket (som en köksassistent, tekoppar etc). Denna gång var inget undantag, ovan en gjutjärnsstekpanna i fint skick för 75 kr, en lök/mandel-hackare för 10 kr samt glasunderlägg för 20 kr.

Yesterday me and Katarina went thrifting at a sort of gathered yard-sale, meaning lot's of yard-sales in one building, just one afternoon. It's always a bit of a gamble, these things, but I usually find something between all the toys and clothes for children, and usually it has something to do with the kitchen. Yesterday was no exception, above an iron-pan for 7,5euro, an onion/almond-chopper for 1euro and a set of coasters for 2 euros.


Hittade även ett par roliga solglasögon med blåa sammetsbågar, samt ett litet, oanvänt set med sprayparfym-flaska och en fickspegel.

Det var en trevlig dag, var länge sen jag var på loppis! Det riktiga fyndet var nog stekpannan. Det är alltid något till köket... behöver mer köksskåp! =) Vad gjorde ni i helgen?
Kram! / Erika

I also found a fun pair of sunglasses in blue velvet, and a little, unused set of perfume spraybottle and pocket-mirror.

It was a nice day, it was forever since I went thrifting! The real find I believe was the pan. It's always something for the kitchen... I need more kitchen-storage! =) What did you do this weekend?Love, Erika

Back in town

Warning for long post! =)

Me and Marita at New Years Eve.

Finally back from my long Christmas-break! I've been to my old hometown Stockholm, celebrating Christmas and New Year's with friends and family. I love living up north, but I have to say that I really don't like seeing my nearest and dearest so seldom (a few times a year). That's why it was so great to have almost two weeks in Stockholm. Plus the annual swing dance camp "Snowball" runs from 26th dec to 1st jan, and although I didn't feel I had time to attend classes (it wouldn't have given me any time for the family) I did dance socially every night, most of them until 5 in the morning! I had a truly splendid time =) All the dancing and the wonderful people made me a bit wistful and almost got me thinking about maybe moving back south, but then I came home and the wonderful calm that runs through life up here went right into me and no, I will not move back. I am however eagerly awating the opening of the new railway (in August), which will hopefully make it a whole lot easier to visit the southern lands.

Me and my mom at my cousin's wedding.

The lately very slow updating of this blog is partly due to that I lost my camera during New Year's Eve. I'm currentley making a last and probebly futile attempt to retrive it, but if I don't find it I will have to admit that there are some very dishonest people out there. I mean, my camera is an ancient and not so well functioning compact camera! Why on earth would anyone want to steal it? It's not even worth the expense of buying a new charger, which they would have to do as it uses custom batteries. *sigh*

So, I lost my camera, but I did get a lot of very nice Christmas gifts, most of them relating to vintage or sewing =) Here are a few of them:


Some cookery. The pot and the big one in the back I already had, I just let them sit in the picture so you could see the whole ensamble.


Linen napkins, handwoven by my great-grandmother (the same remarkeble woman who I inherited my lace-pillow from). A bedsheet that comes with a story; my grandmother got a set of these when she was married 50 years ago. This one was never used, so now she has put my initial on it, and given it to me. She says she's been sleeping on hers for 50 years, and it's still in good shape =)

Mad Men season one AND two! (My brother and sister must really love me, that feels nice =) ) And the classic "How to marry a millionaire" from dad.

There were more, both heirlooms and great new and old finds, but they will have to wait a while.

Have a great weekend!
Love, Erika

P.S. Thanks Kajsa and Marita, for lending me the use of your cameras!

Nice packages in the mailbox this week

Last week I shopped a bit at Tradera (Swedish Ebay) and thrifted some very nice things. The blouse above is a 50s thing for my sister (her very first vintage item! I'm so proud =) )
Below is a "fake blouse" with a cute huge collor (what are these things really called in English? Anyone knows?)

My dear friends Malin and Johannes were married in August, but as it was a surprise wedding I of course didn't have a gift, so I came up with the idea of sewing them some dance clothes from the Swing era. Johannes will get a vest (I've got a pattern from -51 for that, a bit late, but it'll work) and a pair of pants. So imagine my delight when this zoot suit pattern turned up for auction! I'll probably alter the width of the pants to be more 30s, but it's going to be so much easier with a pattern to start from.
And last but not least, a pair of vintage stockings with seam, made in wool and nylon. So practical, and actually possible to wear a bit longer than the superthin stockings. I've been wishing for a pair, but thinking it an impossibility that any would appear at the market.
It's such a great feeling getting packages with the mail, it somehow feels like a gift, even though I've already paid for it =) Anyone else gets that feeling?
Have a great weekend!
Love, Erika