DIY: My first kantha blanket!

I was always fascinated by colourful eastern patters and textiles. One of these that I find lovely is the Indian kantha blanket. So using a couple of old sarongs, an old fleece blanket I decided to make my very own kantha. Although I am not a sewing person - just not accurate and patient enough for big sewing projects, I find that making kantha was fun (especially because the stitches don't have to be perfect and you can decide yourself the distance between the stitches). The stitches on my blanket have 0,5 cm in between in the middle of the blanket and 1 cm on the rest of it. Except for not requiring a huge accuracy and sewing techniques, the advantage is that you can use old fabrics, pieces for kantha, so you don't have to spend a lot of money to buy fabrics. Using an old fleece blanket in between the fabrics means that you can wash it safely wash it.

And of course the best advantage of it all - I found hand sewing soothing and fun while binge watching "Orange is the new black".

Now that I know how to make it, I ordered a number of beautiful used saris from India (you can find them on eBay for a very good price) which can perfectly make a huge blanket (saris are rather long - 4 meters on the length and 1-1,5 meters wide).

1 cm stitches in different colours 

Final result

DIY: Upgrade your sofa with new pillows

From time to time I feel like changing the whole furniture in my apartment as I get new inspirations. But instead of making huge changes, you can make small upgrades with large effects. 

knitted pillowcase from leftover yarn 

wooden beads as buttons

Tunisian crochet also from leftover  

DIY: Knitted pillowcases instead of headboard

For a couch/bed potato like myself it is essential to have good pillows and blankets around. Our bed doesn't have a headboard, which makes reading or doing things that one does't supposed to do in bed (like checking emails or surfing online) rather challenging, especially for some people's necks... In order to solve this situation, some huge pillows were bought (80x80 cm) and I started the following project - a knitted pillowcase.

very early stages 

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sewing a zipper to the pillowcase... 

the final product!

Spring flower arrangement

 

New roommate

Owning over 50 lovely plants (all the herbs are not included in here) I didn't think a minute before grabbing this delicate guy. Welcome to my new roommate!

My own little herb garden

Friday greetings to you! Today I have made my very own herb garden in my kitchen, using recycled cans and plant hangers (see the tutorial). How do you like it?
 

Plant hangers again again ...

I just couldn't keep my hands off making plant hangers. Same recipe as before, but this time with wooden beads in them. Damn satisfied! Happy Sunday!

How to add personal touch to your home

My treasure bookcase. The wooden thingy on the wall is an old
cheese filter from Scandinavia 

It is no secret that it is rather easy to fall into the IKEA trap when one's first budget priority is not furniture. But even with IKEA stuff, I think it is possible to make a cozy and personal home.

I place some old family pictures here and there

Welcome greens 

If you read my previous posts, you have already guessed that you deal with a plants maniac here. So I will not give further explanation as to how the plants give warmth and coziness to one's home. And there are so many options to it! 

Lovely Tajik suzani 

Art in your home

It is obvious that well-selected art objects at home add originality to the decor and serve as eye and soul candy. Of course it is great if I would have an original Picasso hanging on my walls, but I also think that the most important is the personal value of the art for me and obviously that the objects fit in my home. I was blessed to have a talented daughter, but I am sure that many have a kid or two or nephew or cool neighbor kid, who can provide you with art.    

A collage wall in the entree 

 

Display your statement jewels 

Behind the necklaces is a beautiful suzani from Tajikistan.
I am afraid that it is not my last suzani

As a person with a love for beautiful objects, I often tend to purchase things knowing that I will not wear them, like this Tibetan necklace. But they are always in sight and giving me joy as a decor in our bedroom. 

Lovely jewelry box from Tajikistan paired
with my daughter's sculpture

Share your travel memories  

I love putting my souvenirs all over my place to keep the memories alive. From colorful suzanis on the walls to the ugliest magnets on the fridge - it is a fun and make your home more than personal. 

Felt rugs on the wall and floor from Kyrgyzstan
along with IKEA lamps and lots of plants 

Beautiful felt rug from Kyrgyzstan on the left and
Buddhist symbols from Mongolia on the right

Get some vintage furniture 

I like the idea of combining the new and old, it provides special atmosphere to the decor. But I think it should be done thoughtfully, as too much of old furniture may make your home look a bit old-fashioned. Similarly too much of new stuff can stripe it of personality.

An old armchair from my parents-in-law. The yellow pillowcase is made by my mother-in-law.
The green one is actually not a pillowcase. It is a woolen sock from Tajikistan, and I think it looks great as a pillow.