Tuesday, October 12

book week... day four

yesterday i was distracted by Miss Ethel and Miss Margery,
i do not often speak of Miss Margery
and there are reasons for this.
Miss Margery belongs to Our #1
and on many an occasion i have sat in my studio
hearing the floorboards above shake with her usage.
i feared for Miss Margery and the sewing traumas she endured
at the hands of Our #1


actually, her name isn't Miss Margery,
Our #1 gave her a name quite unsuited to her lovely stitching ways.
so upon discovery of Miss Margery holed up in the back of the closet
after Our #1 left the shed for the bright lights of old blighty,
i took her out,
dusted her down
and called her Miss Margery.
she travelled alongside of Miss Ethel, to the big city

upon returning to the shed,
i have placed Miss Margery in my studio
and yesterday she showed me her coat of many stitches,
let us just say, i was smitten.
together a threesome of the utmost kind,
(not seen since the days of dorothy, mr hook and dr hook)
resulted in handcrafty goodness
soon to be hanging in my little shop window.


but for today, we will continue our grand book week
hip hip hooray!!
Lotta Jansdotter needs no introduction i am quite sure,
she is a crafter, designer and artist extraordinaire.


Lotta appeals to me,
in the way japanese craft books appeal.
in all their pretty, handcrafted, inspiring goodness
combined with the clean lines i look for,
when living with handcrafted.


most of all she appeals to me for a particular reason,
many moons ago,
i read a little bit of blurb
and the blurb told of Lotta being a self taught crafter.

i gasped 'thee gasp'
and knew right then and there,
i wished to hug Lotta on the spot,
thank her for saying it with pride.
it is interesting to look back now, quite a few years on
and see it was a defining moment for me and my crafty soul.
to know Lotta had succeeded with her own crafty soul,
wonderful aesthetics and beautiful self taughtness,
gave me the confidence to start up my little shop on Etsy,
to ramble upon this here shiny place
and
to continue along the righteous and goodly path of handcrafting.




Lotta's lovely book Handmade Living opens the door to her world,
showing how she creates her signature scandinavian style
within her beautiful home and studio.
allowing the reader to truly get a glimpse into her handmade world,
highlighting her inspirations,
her family traditions
and her decorating style,
page after page of a handmade life is revealed,
it truly is a lovely book indeed


she is trying to muster up some of that same confidence and drive to the big city on her own, gulp! ~ Tif

18 comments:

donas79 said...

i love lotta! when i first started learning to sew, i bought her simple sewing book. she's definitely one of my inspirations too.

sabrina said...

I, too, am a self-taught "crafty soul" and proud to say it! :) I recently taught myself how to crochet a granny square, sew a handbag, and I have so many other things to learn!

I had never really heard of Lotta. Maybe heard her name mentioned, but I didn't know of her beautiful books. I want to get her 24 simple projects book too!

Anonymous said...

I just got the Lotta book as well. The Jansson's Temptation recipe at the end is excellent if you like potatoes. I have been to Sweden and it is exactly as my friends from Sweden make it...what inspiration and yumminess!

Highland Monkey's said...

What lovely books....must not buy anymore the bookcase is groaning already!

My Handmadehappiness said...

Loving book week still.... it's great to see new books i will be buying one book already!! looking forward to the next installment xx

Francesca said...

that is so lovely tif, i love those defining moments. i love lotta too. what's that little green book? i had it as a child, it just took me back. i think i've got it in a box in the loft. x

Anonymous said...

Is that a Joan Walsh Anglund book i see in the last picture?! I knew I loved you from the first moment I was introduced to you and now I know why.

Dearest Ms. Anglund accompanies me in everything, keeps me looking upward and makes me smile.

You are a precious, precious lady.

angelina said...

thanks for sharing the book. looks great. oh, and the ' i like you and me'....ive got that same skirt. tee hee. x

Vicki K. said...

That makes me love Lotta even more too! It's the simplicity that attracts me to her work. Can't wait to read that book - one way or another!

katie bee said...

lotta jansdotter is responsible for a number of things in my home--all of them projects that turned out quite well. lovely choice. her styling and yours share a wonderful lighthearted nature that I quite adore. I still need to purchase Handmade Living, just as soon as my wallet agrees with me!

Anne said...

Oh thank you Tif, this newbie hand crafter needed a confidence boost this morning and you and Lotta gave it to me! I'm going straight back to my studio with a smile on my face.
Good luck in the big city :-)

makiko hastings said...

I love her books & Japanese 'Zakka' world too, they are all sweet just like your space. xm

la.daridari said...

I received this book as a gift, and I love it too!
I'm a Lotta's fan...
Daria

Hausfrau said...

Oh, I am so looking forward to buying this book soon! I first discovered Lotta and her work seven years ago in Japan.

Ester Kiely said...

Apples for Jam, A Friend is Someone Who Likes You, Orla Kiely and Lotta Jansdotter too....have we been bookshopping in the same place? If you like those you must like Jane Brockett, The Gentle Art of Domesticity? Lovin it all!!

dottie angel said...

i knew lotta would already be most loved... for indeed she is quite splendid :)

as for the little green book, you are quite correct, it is 'a friend is someone who likes you', the copy is mine from when i was little...
and yes it is one of the most loveliest books and it's sentiment spot on :)

actually the only book in my little tower i bought was the lotta one, with some birthday money! the others have all been gifts or belong to another within the shed :)
indeed, i have seen jane brockett's book upon the shelf whilst 'a browsing' in borders, it looks most lovely

dottie angel said...

goodness! i have told a lie, just looked at my little tower of books in the photo and realized i did buy the details at home one, i featured it on day one or two of book week... i bought that too with some birthday money, indeed my whole birthday was books, a perfect birthday without a doubt :)

Tunes & Spoons said...

wow, all of those pictures look so fresh and clean and beautiful! Quite pleasing to my eyes!