A couple of years ago I came across the fabric stock of Katja of Sweden. Some of it were prints made by her collegues, mainly test prints in different colours.
I have been looking at this nice fabric by Sven Fristedt (Mab & Mya) for some time and decided last week to make a bag, for my computer with nice small pockets for keys and stuff.
I’m quite happy with the result 
For some time now I have looked for a good way to promote my creations on the Internet and for the moment it seems that Etsy is the place. Though I have a slight problem with the djungle it has become. There are so many creatives with so many creations! And with most things on the web there is a feeling that you’re missing out on something…
Still, it is a gold mind for unique hand made pieces!
I did sign up for an account some months ago, but this weekend I have finally gotten over the first hurdles; I’m beginning to understand how it works.
Please, check out my first entered items. There will be more soon.
The last day of our trip we did get the chance to visit Flow Gallery in Notting Hill. The Gallery is situated on 1-5 Needham Road, which unfortunately is not marked on any tourist maps. The little street connects Artesian Road and Westbourne Grove.
The gallery shows a mixture of handmade visual and functional art with a lot of high quality and detailed pieces in ceramics, metal, textiles, etc.
| The owner was unfortunately on a business trip, but we met a very nice and knowledgable assistant who showed us the place. And of course she was curious to see some of the samples we had brought with us. |  |
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Before we had to return to Victoria station to fetch our luggage we had some minutes over to visit the shop for sewing gear and fabrics called MacCulloch & Willis, which is situated on Dering street, by Oxford street. I got a couple of meters of blocking net, so now I’m settled for a while. |
And how about some disasters?
Same crappy service from Easyjet’s part and 30 minutes of problems with our luggage…
But on the whole – we had a marvellous time and are so inspired to continue our work.
Why do Brits call a croissant and a muffin continental breakfast?! Who’s continent are we talking about? After a single glass of juice I ran off to the exhibition.
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Viktoria came with our frame that we had constructed at home and were to be put up to show our garments. Disaster no 5: we couldn’t assemble it. All frames were marked properly, but it still didn’t work. We had brought some old juniper sticks with us, that were supposed to bring some nature into the room. |
Disappointed we had to settle for a table like everyone else. It made us extremely angry, but we learned that the marking must be even more precise ( but, it will be up at next exhibition in the end of January!). It was just to act like a sportsman: “So we missed a ball, forget it, serve us the next one…”
 My hats |
 Viktoria's shawl |
 Visitor admires work |
Still we got so much praise from people for our garments. We heard comments like: “You are to good for this place”, “You should sell at Liberty”, “Amazing!”
And we found several new contacts to nurture, with loads of help to brand ourselves even further.
It was a good day and the Morley Winter Fair personel were very helpful and nice and tried their best to make everything as smooth as possible.
The evening was spent with champagne and home cooked food, together with Viktoria’s son and his girlfriend. Fantastic!
So how about next distaster? Well… When I was to take the Tube westward, I (for some confusing reason) got on the wrong train and ended up in the suburbs. Obviously it was the last train for the night and I had to find the night bus to get back to London! HAHA! Want to send a whole bunch of thanks to the anonymous young man that helped me to the bus stop
Safe and sound back at the hotel I had trouble sleeping with all the noice from the street and the cold room. How about some double glassed windows, Britain?!
It felt nice to have a whole day before the exhibition, so went to Spitalfield. The famous Spitalfield market is only open on Sundays, but we found another one on Brick Lane with handcrafters and vintage clothes. Very inspiring, but the prices are too low. All that work and then almost nothing in return. Handcrafter need to form some sort of “front” to raise the prices on “real” things.
 A side street to Brick Lane |
Brick Lane is still an amazing mixture of inspiring boutiques and worn down houses. Of course we went to Junky Styling, where I got some Christmas presents (I won’t show them now, you have to wait until after Christmas…). The guys in there are just as nice and chatty as ever. They told me that they are six persons resewing suits (jackets and trousers in quality wool) into other garments. We saw some lovely black evening dresses, that used to be jackets. You just have to visit them! |
| Then we went south and of course we had to visit the Borough Market with all it’s food. Here I could do some interesting research about what people have on their heads. Look at “What’s on people’s heads”. |  |
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We decided to check out the venue for the Sunday exhibition. We stumbled into a ceramics exhibition at the Morley College Gallery with some really nice pottery and did a quick check of the Morley College building. |
In the evening we went to Ping Pong, a Chinese food chain. And now I’m really sure! I AM allergic to Chinese food. I didn’t get any sleep at all. NB! I did not eat any bad food, the restaurant was very fresh and nice, the food tasted lovely and no one else in the company got ill. But I have a stomach that can’t take Glutamate (something completely unnecessary additive that some cooks put in food). That was disaster number 4 I guess…
We took the night plane from Copenhagen on Friday night. And, OF COURSE, the first disaster had to come before we even left Sweden.
 At Copenhagen Airport: Viktoria is checking out the London map. |
When we parked at the trian station in Malmö I noticed that my heavy suitcase only had one wheel! While Viktoria bought tickets for the train I raced over to Biltema and bought a new suitcase in 3 minutes. Repacked everything in 2 minutes and headed back to the train station. Got back before the train left…
Finally, after loads of trouble with checking in our luggage (I will never ever fly with Easyjet again!!) we thought we would have some time at the nice shopping mall at Kastrup, but we only had some tapas and the ran off for the gate. |
When we got to London it was quite late so we parted; Viktoria went to her son’s apartment and I went to my hotel. The incident with the trunk kind of gave the tone of the whole trip and it took me more than an hour to go from Victoria to Edgware Road due to trains that got stuck somewhere…
… and now it’s all about running around packing and doing some stitches here and there. Of course I’m not finished. I never am; mainly because I’m never satisfied…
But, at three I’ll be at Viktoria’s, meeting up with a news paper that wants to write about us. At four driving down to Copenhagen and catching the evening plane.
I’ve been making cute paper bags from vintage wall papers. And I’m so pleased with them. Also spent hours making cards and tags and… cutting cards and tags.
If you’re in UK, visit Morley Winter Fair on Sunday.
All is set for London! Ava Nord – project created by Dancing Nun Hats and Sjöhaga Sweden – will exhibit at the Morley Winter Fair in London the 6th of December.
Finally I have found myself a really thrilling hotel. Finding a hotel in short notice in London in December is a thrill in itself, but this seems like one of a kind. The hotel’s name is The Pavillion Hotel, or rather The Pavilion Fashion Rock’n Roll Hotel!
When I booked I didn’t actually know anything about the hotel, but when I found it on Internet I was quite surprised 
Look at these rooms.
I’m home. Waiting for the pizza to arrive. The Christmas fair at Ninni’s studio was super nice, with the perfect Christmas feeling. I sold three hats and I’m so pleased.
The problem is that I have found myself in an anti-climax. I have worked so hard and prepared so much for London next weekend and I’m not ready yet, and since yesterday I have prepared for the Christmas show today. So now all energy has poured out of me.
But pizza is on its way! And if I go up in the studio I will put on my cd-book and will hear the last chapter Time to get ready for London!
My dear friend, Ninni, is arranging a Christmas House tomorrow, Saturday 28th of Dec 13-16. She has moved her Chiropractor studio – Pagelsborgs kiropraktik – and is inviting customers, friends anD potential customers to an open house, with a fire, ginger cookies and glögg in Silpinge.
She also invited local food producers and designers to present and sell their products. I have just been up to Silpinge to arrange my collection of wearable art and already know it’s going to be a fantastic day with Christmas spirit in the air.
Some of the companies that are going to be at Ninni’s place tomorrow: Dancing Nun/Ava Nord, Veras hus, Mairo, In My House.
Eggs from the village of Silpinge
Wood for the fire in charming locally created bags
Finally, the christmas tree looks like it standing straight...
My hats are lined up and ready for the crowd...
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