Travel | bluesewncat

Hi again

Posted on July 20, 2014 by bluesewncat

Hi! I’m back from Sweden, back from three weeks of sunshine and spectacular sunsets, along with the 5000 or so photos that I took… What can I say, it was my first time in Sweden with a digital SLR. I was a little obsessed with sunsets, and brigdes and flowers, prepare yourselves for the photo posts. This year I visited four major Scandinavian cities as well as much of southern Sweden and driving through all of Denmark! I’ll be back with more sewing posts, dramatic sunsets and plenty of C17th buildings. See you soon!

A photographer’s paradise

Posted on April 14, 2014 by bluesewncat

href=”https://bluesewncat.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/2014-pentax-k-5-11-sweden-652.jpg”> 2014 Pentax K-5 11 Sweden 652
Sweden round two! The first photo is the only decent picture taken of our dog sled ride. If you are in any snow filled place with the option to go on a dog sled, do! It was quite possibly one of the best experiences of my life. We had a night-time ride with the hopes of seeing the northern lights, disappointingly we could only see the orange haze of the mine but the quiet trudge of the dogs feet made up for it. We were also lucky in our sled ranger. The love he had for his dogs was incredible and when he talked about them, how much he liked being with them, they sped up as if to make him happy. The forest trees engulfed us as we sped through a wood and over a frozen lake. It was one of my favourite moments of the trip. Our next day, and last day in Kiruna, we visited a church (second photo), an old giant wooden one. Since it was a Sunday we had to wait a while outside to let the service finish but once the doors were opened we turned into Japanese tourists taking our cameras out for everything!. The third photo is the last one in Kiruna, while waiting for the airport bus to come in.

We then had a day in Stockholm, ending with my favourite mode of travel, train! We headed from Stockholm to Goteborg and witnessed a stunning sunset. I think I spent the first half hour just staring out of my window (photo five), accompanied by a traditional bag of small godis and a kex bar too! Our first day back home was a grey one, yet we still spent the better part of the day taking photos, it was really misty so they actually came out looking quite cool. The next morning was a real surprise, snow everywhere! The last time I saw snow near Goteborg I was a little girl so naturally I yet again spent the day taking photos, we also met these really nice horses who kindly allowed us to photograph them.
We then spent a day in the city itself seeing all our favourite places, the art shop to get my friends some Russian watercolours, the café in Helena for the best Kanel Bullar in town, we even got to go on a tram that had been old when my dad was living in the city twenty years ago. On the way back we were also greeted with another fantastic sunset and did a little drive to best the best place to photograph it.
Then, on the last day, letting the child in me have some fun, we went to an aquarium. And, well… I think the photographer in me had more fun, ISO set to 3200 and colour bumped up, I easily took over 200 photos. It was a good way to end the trip as the next day was spent languishing around airports, and watching the Swedish ice hockey team in the final.

Walking in a winter wonder land

Posted on March 28, 2014 by bluesewncat

Sorry for the silence, and late photos. I still have more left to show, but figured that this was a good number (if not a few too many!) from my trip to Sweden. Visiting the ice hotel was a surreal experience.
As soon as your foot steps off the airplane you’re transported to this winter wonderland, looking around the perimeter of the airport (first photo) there is nothing but snow and a horizon of forest. In the space of two minutes I was a kid again, throwing snow balls at my dad as soon as the cameras were away! Seeing the ice hotel in real life in another surreal experience as well, not quite sure what to expect, we arrived by night to find the lit up ice walls and “impressionist-ish” sculptures (second photo). Later we had meals in ice bowls, such as for dessert, the most amazing strawberry ice-cream I’ve ever had and I’m not a huge fan of strawberry ice-cream! After a night which revitalised 70’s dance moves and Scandinavian 80’s pop music, we had a day to discover Kiruna.
Our first stop was the Sami centre, where the original indigenous tribes lived and where the reindeers currently roam. If you do ever visit reindeers and you are given the chance to feed them moss, do! It’s so much fun, they come right over to you with same curiosity as a horse, despite their antlers they seem quite gentle and curious animals, this made leaving them quite tricky though! Later on in the day we visited the ice-hotel, the lit-up palace is just as spectacular by day as by night. Our tour meant that we were allowed to wander around the art rooms within the hotel. The last photo is of one of the rooms, where there were ginormous heads, the same height as me, in opposite corners of the space.

West Coast Sweden Looks

Posted on August 1, 2013 by bluesewncat

Day 1:

We just settled into our house, main activity of the day was buying some swim gear, cause someone may of forgotten to pack theirs…. We also had some lovely sun (it had been raining the previous week) so I made sure to laze in it as much of it as possible!

Wearing my navy top.

Day 2

Day at the beach. All beach gear under arm we headed to the sea. The weather was beautiful again, even over 23 degrees! Swam around for ages then caught 27 crabs! I released them back to the sea have no fear, but I did get a photo of all of them before they went back to their dark homes. This was taken in a nearby café that is also near an art gallery where we spent the rest of the afternoon.

Wearing my black cardigan.

Day 3

We went on a yarn shopping day, basically. Our first stop was Stenungsund for one yarn shop. They had tons of stuff, including some rather nice sock yarn, cool ribbon for a strap and local grey wool, which all came home with me! For the good price of €24! Then to Uddevalla. It’s a really beautiful town. There is an oldtown square made of cobble stones and a canal near there as well. In the sunshine it’s even more beautiful and a brilliant place to stroll. Another plus there one of the most affordable quality yarn shops ive ever seen. €5 for 200g (600m) of 4ply 100% cotton wool… I thought it was a deal!

Then I start to fade out, it was holidays after all! The next day we went to the city for some shopping, lots of wonderous sales, unfortunately no fabric, over €20 for 1 meter, I think not! But some delish mushroom risotto and ginormous kannelbulle!

Day 5

A very chilled day with some drawing in the morning and some Daim icecreams later on. the highlight was some very nice fish (NOT herring) at Salt & Sill (translated to Salt and herring). They have a lot of herring there, guess its in the name, “but what is in a name…” but they also have some delicious fish and they give you a little amuse bush before your meal, tres fancy. not for every night but fun to have a little dress up!

Wearing my Grey top

Day 6

Boat day! The good thing about where we go is that boating is a near national hobby on the west coast of Sweden. Filled with lots of pretty villages along the coast, all serving shell fish and strawberries and ice cream (the summer diet) the other good thing is that my dads friend who also lives there owns a boat.. so off we went!. The weather seemed to notice it was a boat day too and we had sunny skies all day. With quick stops where old navy ships were anchored for lunch to sandy alcoves for quick dips in the sea. Even a small jellyfish sting didn’t ruin my mood (I did get to find out im not allergic) Then we stopped at another older town called Marstrand. It has some really pretty scenery and a fort for the man crèche! We walked around to see the smugglers passage from the areas old days and had a heroic mission to try to find a smugglers caves, to no avail Im afraid.. Then we had some yummy dinner of sushi and seafood pizza, not at the same time though. Finally a beautiful dusk to take a million photos is (I just got them back and blue looks photoshoped) It was a simply spectacular day!

Me at the smugglers passage wearing my grey tank and some cut off jeans.

Day 7

Travel day, it was time to say goodbye to the chilled times of the west coast and head to the self dubbed “capital of Scandinavia” Stockholm. We took a car up the way with few breaks besides stopping at a small village just an hour outside of Stockholm. unfortunately it was a sunday and past 3 o’clock so most places were closed but we managed to get some late lunch at a café/ ceramics place. think delicious cakes, cute teas served on gorgeously minimalistic plates. Not that it was sparse just uncluttered, the type of place you could sit and read with some tea on a sunday afternoon or a weekday off. There was also a mini ceramics exhibition next door so we got ‘pretend’ we saw some sites too! Then some walking around the village to investigate all the winding streets and pretty harbors by the edge of the town. In the end we had to leave for our final destination Stockholm though. At Stockholm we had some dinner and then relaxed in our room with some Game of Thrones (so many cheep box sets in Sweden!)

Next part up next week, with my attempts to be more fashionable for one of my favourite street style cities!

Home sweet home

Posted on July 26, 2013 by bluesewncat

I’m home, I really enjoyed my time away. Filled with craft afternoons, city strolls and long twilight hours of endless photos (where the above photo is from). I bought way too much fabric (Stockholm has amazing fabric shops!) and far too much yarn (Goteborg has really cheep wool!). I also got some other miscellaneous items which I shall share soon, as well as a Swedish fabric, crafting and knitting guide, complete with need to know key words! I’ll post again n Monday but for now I’m just gonna unpack, tidy (cause I always get that urge after living out of a suitcase) and enjoy my spoils!

London notions

Posted on April 24, 2013 by bluesewncat

Some of the notions that I got on my trip, I listed my fabrics but now I thought i’d show a list of some places that I found good for notions, ribbons and other sewing related things.

The Buttons (in tubes) I got in market stall in Camden markets. I’m afraid I’m kind of vague as to where it is but it is the horse market (if that makes sense to any Londoners?) The guy there was really helpful and some cool sewing stuff like old crochet wool, sewing techniques book from early 1900’s and some old lace, that’s right old lace!

I’m still confused as to that it’s in my possession, and that it wasn’t sky-high prices! That plus the buttons for £20! He threw in the black lace. Now all feel the jealousy! I always stare at your pretty fabrics so now you stare at mine!

Back to normality….

This ribbon is one of my purchases at Gouldhawk road. There were quite a few cool ribbons in the shop but most of them were quite sparkly or too bright. I thought this one was quite cool and interesting plus not too pricey either.

The ribbon (giant rick-rack) and buttons (ceramic) are from CallyCo. This shop is in Cambridge (address on the website)

The other decorative ribbon is from an outdoor market on GouldHawlk road, in between the station and the fabric shops.

Last but not least, the navy grosgrain and the studs are from Lyndon’s Stitch and Beads in South Kensington markets.

Hope you guys find this helpful! Back soon!

London Fabrics

Posted on April 17, 2013 by bluesewncat

A post! Sorry for the absence… I was away and then had study so this has ended up being put off for too long! These fabrics

are the ones that I got in London. This first one is a raw silk fabric.

Its blue with a really interesting corded texture. This is the shop that I got it from. Univer sal Textiles on Goldhawk road. There’s an address attached to the link. My piece was, sadly the last of the roll. The rest of the shop contained some interesting stuff but I’m really trying to cut back on what I buy.

This is another piece. A wool that’s heavy enough to be a jacket. I’ve seen many kind of ethnic looking jackets plus I have a really simple pattern that I’ve made befo re. I’m even thinking some cool liberty cotton lining?? I got this piece at UK textiles. This place had some of my favourite stuff! I was restricted by both suitcase size and weight so I couldn’t get any more. This place was also nice becasuse it was one of the only places where you weren’t followed around the shop. They were also willing to make some deals too, *hint hint!

This piece is striped cotton. It’s one of the prettiest stripes i’ve personaly seen. The cotton is so soft that I first I thought it was a silk. It was also really cheap. It was £4 a meter but I got three meters for £10!

Orya Textiles. This place was one of the most interesting shops on the street. the guy was really nice too. The shop was filled with the most beautiful leathers *I sheepishly have too much leather so I didn’t allow myself to buy any….. All of his stuff was very different. Since many of the shops are on the same street alot of the stock can sometimes look similair. I overheard this guy talk to other customers about how his stock is one off, as in when it’s gone…it’s gone. This was my favourite place on the street.

My last piece of fabric (actually the one I bought first!) This a rayon fabric. I never really buy synthetic fabrics but I really liked the print of this and it was pretty cheap too. I got the fabric at John Lewis. I’ve had previous success there. The one we went to was in Cambridge. The fabric section was actually pretty good and the knitting section as I expected really good as well 🙂 I also chose this fabric because of the drape. I may or may not have gotten a certain book which is for my birthday but I can’t say any more….. it’s to do with draping…..

Sorry for the crypticness, I’ll tell you on my birthday! (24th May) There’ll be another post for notions as well but this is it for now.

March Photography

Posted on March 17, 2013 by bluesewncat

Continuing on from last month here are some more photos from my trip to China. The first photo is of some really cool carp fish that we saw in West Lake, the second photo is also from West lake. The third is the ‘upstairs’ of some underground markets that we visited, and the last is of some new years lanterns up in a water town near Shanghai.

And of course Happy St.Patrick’s day! or as I like to call it Happy Paddy’s Day!

February photography

Posted on February 14, 2013 by bluesewncat

Some photos, I got back from development recently. They were taken in china.

The first one is a pond feature near our hotel, the second was an entertaining sign for no honking, the third was someones burned possessions after they had died and the last was just a pepsi can being opened, although I like the blurred effect.

China Love

Posted on February 7, 2013 by bluesewncat

I’m back! China was amazing. I had so much fun and I saw so much! More photos to come soon I promise. My film is being developed as we speak.

I’m gonna show you some of the stuff that I got while I was away. The above photo is a little purse that I got for 60 yuan, or €6.80 roughly. I also got a little thimble for my nana and really cool giant earrings for me. The fabric is silk. It’s fairly heavy, as in you could probably make a jacket out of it if you wanted, maybe an evening coat……

These two are both wools, for €12 for two meters each (and one of them’s italian wool) I think I did pretty well. I’m not sure what I’ll make with them yet but I’ll get back to you on that.

I also got some calligraphy brushes, a small one and a big one. While we were in china we took a small calligraphy class, so now I can keep up my skills.

And I got myself some real pearls! Tested and everything. Just wanted to check back and show some of the cool stuff I got. would do a proper fabric post but I didn’t buy much. We did go to this huge market place where I got most of my stuff and part of that was a tailor area which was also sold there. You don’t really have to hunt for fabric there.

Post soon!