Needlework in Hamilton

just before we leave Canada I am going out as much as I can to see some more of this beautiful country. nature as well as man-made things like this beautiful shop Needlework in Hamilton. for those of you who are not so familiar with Hamilton, you must know this town is mainly known for the steel work companies and the harbour. it is not known for fancy shopping, dining and living.

therefore quite unexpectedly, my friend invited me out for a trip to James Street in Hamilton because she thought 'I might like it there'. off we went, and my goodness did I like it there. no, I loved it. when it comes to shopping streets I love the rough-meets-nice combinations. upcoming streets with a nice shop here and there, alternated by shops that have been there forever and sell things from forever ago, and some places to have delicious latte's. James Street is just that.

one of those relatively new and nice shops is Needlework, which happens to be the dream fabric shop for me. not too large of a collection, but just the perfect picks. high quality fabrics, a great atmosphere and a darling and professional shop owner to help you. the display of their products and the suggested color combinations make me feel like I am in a candy store. healthy for my body, however fighting with my wallet. I couldn't resist and brought home a few fabrics to make a little quilt one day, to remember this perfect place and lovely outing with a great friend who knows my taste so well.

Effiloché in Montréal

after the pictures of Montréal city yesterday, today it's all about the beautiful and welcoming shop Effiloché. those of you who have visited here before might recall pictures of yarn shops in different places I have visited. usually I go by what google gives me for 'yarn shops' and so in Montréal it was Effiloché. and boy did that shop not disappoint me. the warm welcome from the ladies who work there, the cozy set up of material and work spaces, it all makes you want to grab a fabric or yarn project and never leave. a great range of the popular Liberty fabrics, large fabric collections all organized by colour and brand, yarn of good quality organized by weight and colour... pure heaven! as I told the ladies in the shop, it is both a bad and a good thing I don't live close to this fabulous place. 

of course I couldn't leave without taking some material with me, to make a piece that will always remember me of the great weekend we had in Montréal. project ideas were racing through my mind with literally every fabric or yarn I saw. I ended up picking a liberty fabric with matching yarn, planned to become a scarf of some sort. we will see how that is going to turn out one day.

Yellow Mood

temperatures are rising in Toronto this week, and I try to get my share of sunlight through these pictures of my newest crochet project. it all started with the poster by Sycamore Street Press that I found at The Paper Place. there are gray skies printed behind the text 'you make me happy when skies are gray' but I realize it's hard to see them in the pictures. I plan to hang this poster in our bedroom and slightly decorate the room according to the white-yellow-gray color scheme. starting with a cushion cover, crocheted in bright yellow shades made by combining double threads of Catania yarn. the light gray polka-dot fabric will be the backing of the cushion. a few more ends to weave in and I am ready to hand sew the crochet front to the fabric cover. I don't know how it happened, but all of a sudden I am quite into yellow. must be the sunny Spring time!

Baby Shower and a Pattern

a day later than planned, due to flight cancellations, I am back from Chicago

and I owe you some pictures of the baby shower... are you ready?

since my friend is expecting a boy, blue was the dominant color

to give it a European touch, it was themed a tea party baby shower

every detail was color coordinated, really, my color loving eyes were shining of happiness at the sight of it

it was perfect

the wonderful ladies who organized and attended, the amazing and delicious food, the beautiful flowers...

a little Dutch corner at the table, with 'beschuit met muisjes',  stroopwafels

and the chocolate cake I made with a decoration for the occasion, you can find the recipe here

a well deserved and perfect celebration in the honor of our dear and pretty pregnant friend!

usually I don't post pictures of people, but in this occasion I thought it was appropriate to show

a glimpse of the beautiful future mom and her lovely American friends who put this amazing event together for her

~

of course we spoiled the future mom with gifts

and I was very happy to see how much she appreciates the baby blanket I made for her

the twins who attended the baby shower loved it too, as you can see 

~ smile ~

when you look closely at the blanket

you see the middle cable is a little shorter than the other two

I did that on purpose, to simulate the image of mom and dad taking care of their new baby

this yarn knitted up so soft and relatively fast on 7mm needles, I might work with it again in the future

if you are interested in knitting this blanket yourself, please visit my shop or click directly to the pattern

~

also, the future mom ordered a sheet set in the Dutch theme red-white-blue

I made the first one and took it with me to Chicago

super cute, if I may say so myself

we put the sheet in the bassinet for the picture, but it will be used in baby's bed once he arrives

it doesn't get more Dutch than this, does it, haha

~

I hope you enjoyed the baby shower update and wish you a happy weekend

it's the long weekend in Canada, happy Thanksgiving if you are celebrating!

The Beach - Toronto

yesterday I was lucky to get a tour around the area The Beach in Toronto from Tracey

it is an area East of the city and I had a wonderful visit

with all the delicious treats and wonderful time together, I felt like celebrating my birthday!

I hope you are ready for a sweet and colorful report...

Tracey first showed me a fantastic cupcake house Life is Sweet

absolutely delicious homemade cupcakes

and beautiful warm accessories from the HoneyBea DesignHive

we went to her beautiful and light house, where I felt right at home

the light colors remembered me of our apartment in Amsterdam

if you know Tracey's blog Helana and Ali, you will know about the beautiful felt creations she makes

they were everywhere and so pretty in real life

after that, as if this all was not enough yet, we went to Bobette & Belle

it is one of those places where everything is pretty and delicious

we enjoyed the macaroons to the max

and decided we both have to get married again, to have an excuse to order one of these pretty cakes

~ to the same guys, that is ~

how is that for a quote

~ enjoy and let them eat cake ~ 

such a wonderful place to sit and drink tea with a sweet treat

the weather was beautiful

we walked along Queen Street East and took a look at vintage shops in the neighbourhood Leslieville

beautiful city parks along Queen Street

and a wonderful fabric shop macFAB where fabric was 50% off

so here I am at home

with a box full of super delicious cupcakes

beautiful fabrics on my table and my mind full of wonderful memories to a fantastic day

and I am happy and thankful to be able to share this beauty with you!

how is your week going so far?