New fabrics coming to the shop soon!

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Hello everyone on this grey September day.

It is noticeably cooler and the light is fading fast these days. Soon the leaves will turn yellow, then brown and finally fall. I must say, although I appreciate the coziness of the Fall season, ever since I started painting again I'm aware of how short the days are now. I don't know about you, but I can only paint in natural light.

We've made quite a bit of headway in our garden, but it's going to be a while yet, before it looks presentable. Leo, of course, likes it messy. It was fun to watch him play and jump on the small mounds of earth :) 

Anyway, on to shop news!

I've been patiently waiting for new fabrics to arrive and I'm hoping for a September/October delivery. Keeping my fingers crossed. Here's a sneak peek of what's coming:

From German manufacturer Acufactum

From US Designer Brenda Riddle

Summer Picnic from Melissa Mortensen

I'm also awaiting the arrival of a few select novelty fabrics. I don't usually carry novelties, but the theme of the fabric collection is all about "sewing and handmade", so I thought they would fit in perfectly.

In my paper section I have recently received these fun items from German company Krima & Isa

And finally the most exciting news! As long-time readers may know, I have been carrying the gorgeous nostalgic and retro style fabric collections by popular US Designer Tanya Whelan for as long as I can remember. After a hiatus for a few years Tanya is back! She's now an independent designer and will be re-releasing the all-time favorite "Barefoot Roses", re-named "Barefoot Roses Classics". Sewing enthusiasts in the US are lucky, as the fabrics will already be rolled out in November. For the rest of us we will need to be patient and wait until March 2022. So, if you've missed out the first time, here's your chance to grab some of that yummy rose print fabric with additional color aqua to choose from!

That's it from me. Thanks for reading along! Have a wonderful day and weekend ahead. By the way, I have opened a new instagram account (English) for the sole purpose of showcasing my journey in art. In case you're interested and want to take a peek. You'll find me @duni_studio_art

Crafting a little felt bunny & shop news

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Hi everybody,

what a turbulent start to the new year. On top of pandemic fatigue (yes, it's a thing).

We've been in a partial lockdown since January and by the end of February it will be one year that I've been sheltering at home with the occasional trips to the supermarket. Plus earlier this month we were hit by a massive snow storm - which, if you have been following my blog for some time - you will know is quite unusual. My area is known for rain, but not snow or subzero temperatures. We were completely snowed in for an entire week, and I'm just glad I had the foresight to stock up on food.

I remain hopeful that with more and more people getting vaccinated there will be a shift by the end of this year. Until then we will still need to remain cautious and follow the hygiene guidelines including wearing a mask.  

Needless to say the international trade fair that I used to go to every year won't be taking place this year. Instead there will be a digital version. I am curious how that will work out, and I truly hope it will be better than the zoom meeting I had the other day with about twenty other people - one guy obviously had his laptop on his coffee table, because we were looking at his knees the entire time haha. Don't do this.

Anyway, on to the purpose of this blog post. If you have been following me on instagram you will have noticed that I've barely posted anything crafty. Truth is that I've been feeling unmotivated and seem to have lost my creative mojo. I was really unhappy about it and tried to combat it by going through diy magazines, looking for inspiration online and I even bought a few sewing/crafting books to get me going. Thankfully one of these books reignited my creative spark! 

Making Marmalade (this is what the bunny is called) by illustrator Simone Gooding is a sewing book that uses wool felt and quilting fabrics. It looks simple enough, but don't be fooled - there is a lot of handstitching involved and some of the steps aren't explained - it is assumed that you have basic sewing knowledge. So if you have made dolls/animals before and especially doll clothes, this book is for you. For beginner sewists it is not.

The projects are divided into seasons. The main project revolves around Marmalade and corresponding seasonal outfits, plus an adorable baby bunny (see above). I appreciate that there are large photos of the finished projects as well as close up pics throughout the book. And Simone's illustrations, of course, are lovely. I just went ahead and made a few projects regardless of the current season, with a few changes here and there to suit my taste. Marmalade measures about 12 inches. You need a lot of patience sewing doll clothes this small.

Instead of glass eyes I simply stitched the eyes with black embroidery yarn. I used cream colored and white felt for the body and exchanged some felted items with my favorite fabrics. I especially love how the sweet pillow and quilted blanket turned out. You don't require a lot of fabric for these projects - all of the fabric I used here are from my remnant bin! One of the best things about this book - the patterns at the back of the book are all actual size!

Now that my creative flow is back I will be continue making outfits for bunny (I think there are two outfits left) and I also have spring/summer craft ideas lined up. Can't wait to share :)

Note: this is not a sponsored post or book review. 

In shop news...

As mentioned in my previous post I have been waiting for fabric deliveries longer than usual due to the pandemic. Thankfully this spring collection by acufactum is now on its way to me. Just looking at these fabrics makes me happy. The details are adorable. Honestly I can't wait for Spring!

Easter post card in soft pastel green from April Rose 

Well that's it from me. I hope this post brings a spot of cheer to your day! Stay safe and healthy and let's do our best to look out for each other.

New fabric line, Handmade, Life lately & more fabric!

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Hello lovelies!

true to my new motto of "blogging without obligation" this happens to be only my second blog post this year. I admit it feels kind of weird after blogging three times per week for years. If you follow my business account on Instagram you'll find that I have been working on several projects which I'm excited to share here on the blog.
US fabric designer Tanya Whelan, who switched to a different manufacturer last year released a new collection - Janey. These fabrics have such a happy vibe and feature her signature nostalgic rose bouquets in fresh aqua, vibrant pink and red plus fun rose cameos on gingham. It took a while for these to arrive over here in Germany, but when they did I couldn't resist making a little something.

I honestly wish I could sew more, but since I'm still experiencing pain almost every day in varying intensity I can only do as much as my body will allow. As you can imagine I have seen one doctor after the other, sat for hours in stuffy waiting rooms and argued with (at least) one of them. It's frustrating, but I've vowed not to let this, whatever *this* is, become the focus of my attention. Nope.
We've had a weird summer, alternating between relatively cool, rainy days and exceptionally hot days. And two weeks in July were absolutely scorching. Every day I had to fill those water bowls that I had placed in shadow-y areas in the garden for the thirsty birds. Speaking of garden. Earlier this year we decided to turn ours into a low-maintenance one. Right now it's a pretty muddy mess - Leo loves it :) Ever seen a cat roll around in mud?
Also our upper balcony is getting a make-over! I know I mentioned this around three years ago, but you wouldn't believe how difficult it is to find and coordinate contractors. So far we've had a new balcony door and the electrical stuff installed, but the big part, the actual renovation is only going to start early next year. Still, I'm so glad we've made progress and finalized our design.

Over the summer my illustrator friend Siobhan and I collaborated on a cute new post card range!Check out these vintage style numbers cards. Coincidentally, I turned fabulous fifty this summer and I spent my birthday weekend in my favorite city Amsterdam. Too bad it was raining, but I enjoyed the scenery, the flower market and the food none the less...and how cute is that hotel kitty?

In additional fabric news, I don't know how I could have missed out on these whimsical fabrics by German company acufactum for so long. Particularly as the company headquarters is only about an hours drive from my home! These are selling really well in my shop. The delicate motifs featuring dainty girls, pretty flowers, birds, magical fairies and little mice are original illustrations by Daniela Drescher. There's also a matching range of satin ribbons. It's all so cute! I made a little zip pouch and tried my hand at stitching letters by hand.

Coming soon, hopefully beginning of October is another new fabric range, which has gained a huge following in Europe in the last ten years or so - the popular Tilda fabrics designed by Norwegian Tone Finnanger. She has published a number of craft books and is known for her sewing patterns for soft toys, home decoration and colorful quilts. Super excited to be receiving "Old Rose" this Fall.

There's some other items coming this Fall as well, but I'll keep that under wraps for now :) Take care everyone and thank you for reading along! Till next time...

Hello again!

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Amberley by Brenda Riddle

We're four months into 2019, so I guess it's a bit late to wish my dear readers a happy new year, assuming you are still reading my blog! I have an excuse for neglecting my blog all these months. Early January I had a major set back healthwise and ended up in hospital, not once but twice. I'm still not feeling all that great, so blogging is really the last thing on my mind right now. I apologize. 

Also, ever since the implementation of all these new rules and regulations effectively censoring online activity, it's become a lot less fun to blog. I remember back in 2008 (!) blogging was a mix of creative writing, journaling, sharing and exchanging information, the occasional promotion and link building. It was casual, easy, and fun! These days I have to weigh each word carefully and linking is a tricky business. Frankly, it's not worth the risk being fined. There are people out there being paid to scan (German) blogs for even the tiniest of "mistakes". And the fines are hefty. It sucks.

I have been a little more active on Instagram. But even on there I have to be careful what to post and how I formulate the description.

This year I didn't get around to sewing much, even though my fingers are itching to complete a couple of projects. I do still have a few of my foldable shopping bags available at Etsy. Heads up - international shipping has gone up this year, so it pays to buy more as it's a fixed price up to 1 kg.

In between hospital stays and work commitments I have collaborated with my illustrator friend Siobhan on a wonderful design project for my main shop. Check out this gorgeous collection of postcards with vintage/shabby chic illustrations. There are 10 happy designs to choose from. Printed in UK on high quality, matte finish card. New in are also lovely "Thank You" and "Birthday" greeting cards with envelopes included. Below are some of my favorites.

Last weekend I managed to visit the trade fair in Cologne after all. This fair is important in my line of work, and although it was quite exhausting I was glad I got to meet up with some colleagues and preview the latest fabric collections. Here's a sneak peek of Tanya Whelan's latest "Janey" due to arrive in May. So pretty!

Easter is only two weeks away, can you believe? I'm hoping for some milder weather. It's been quite chilly and rainy these past few weeks. I generally feel better physically and emotionally in warmer weather. A bit of sunshine can do wonders. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, take care and enjoy every moment. Love,

Hello (again) Etsy! Life lately and Christmas Special

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Hello lovelies!

I'm coming up for air after three intense weeks of technical issues with my online shop. You know how my online shop is my "baby"? Well, I received an email from my hosting service that they would be carrying out a PHP update. I didn't think this would affect my website adversely, but on the day they implemented it my website was gone, like entirely. One call to an independent software developer later it turns out I required a completely new database that supported this new PHP version. I didn't have an option other than to employ said developer to restore and install a new database. Finally my website is up, but I find it doesn't run properly. And as of two days ago I'm unable to log in to my own site!! The tech guy is trying to fix the issue as I write. Update: I can log in again!

Hallo, ihr Lieben!

ich dachte ich melde mich mal wieder auf dem Blog! Vor einem Monat erhielt ich eine Nachricht von meinem Webanbieter, dass eine PHP Umstellung ansteht. Dies hatte leider zur Folge, dass mein Online Shop mehrere Tage komplett verschwunden war und nur mit Hilfe eines PHP Entwicklers konnte diese wieder hergestellt werden - aber leider nicht so wie sie vorher war! Es mussten u.a. viele Fehler behoben und meine fast vierhundert Artikel überarbeitet werden - ich habe dafür ein paar Nachtschichten eingelegt. Soweit so gut, nur leider kann ich mich seit zwei Tagen nicht mehr einloggen und somit auch nichts verkaufen/bearbeiten!! Seufz. Nach so viel Arbeit ist es irgendwie  deprimierend. Nun heißt es für mich abwarten und Geduld üben. Denn das Problem kann nur ein Programmierer lösen. Update: es klappt wieder mit dem Einloggen!

Meanwhile I have reopened my Etsy shop! I'm offering my best selling fabrics on here as well as a limited edition of handmade items. There are quite a few changes on Etsy since I was last active on there in 2016. I had to get legal advice because of all the new laws that have been passed over here this year. I am glad I had the foresight to transfer my reviews to Etsy before Dawanda shut down. My stats have gone up since I've begun listing again, so at least I know my shop is being seen :)

Unterdessen habe ich mich entschieden bei Etsy wieder aktiv zu werden. Es hat sich dort viel verändert und ich habe ein paar Tage gebraucht, um mich da wieder zurechtzufinden. Etsy ist eines der bekanntesten Marktplätze in der Branche und zieht weltweit massiv viele Kunden an. Außerdem bietet Etsy viele hilfreiche Shop-Funktionen für den Verkäufer. Nachdem ich dort Artikel eingestellt habe sind meine Besucherzahlen in die Höhe geschossen. Was bin ich froh, dass ich damals die Weitsicht hatte meine (Dawanda)-Bewertungen rechtzeitig noch bei Etsy zu sichern :) 

To distract from all the technical issues and also to calm my mind I have been busy making stuff :) I hand stamped the above lavender pillows with cute folksy motifs.

Um mich von den technischen Problemen abzulenken habe ich mich meinem liebsten Hobby gewidmet. Die obigen Lavendel Kissen zum Aufhängen sind mit süßen Motiven bestempelt.

And now for the Christmas Special. I received some lovely, limited edition Christmas-themed items and cards for my shop. Check out them out below:

Stationery / Papeterie Krima & Isa

Und nun zeige ich euch die Neuheiten für Weihnachten im Shop. Es gibt süße Postkarten, Geschenktüten, wunderschöne Kartensets mit süßen Motiven im Vintage Stil sowie feines Porzellan!

Cute card sets (8 pcs/ two designs) ❤ Süße Kartensets (8 St. /zwei Designs)
more designs available in the shop / es gibt noch weitere Kartendesigns im Shop :

April Rose England

*Home for Christmas* Limited Edition

Sophie Allport UK

Thank you for reading along. I hope you enjoyed the pictures. And please don't hesitate to contact me via email info@dunistudio.de if you are interested in any of the products above. Happy weekend!

Vielen Dank fürs Lesen und Schauen! Ich wünsche euch ein schönes und gemütliches Herbstwochenende!