Grow your Blog 2015

Thank You Vicki at 2 Bags Full for holding the 2015 edition of Grow Your Blog. I had so much fun last year participating I thought I would participate again this year. 

Hi, My name is Jean and Ich bin ein Berliner! 

I have always wanted to say that and now I can! Welcome to my new location in the world. We moved here in early January. Last year for this event I was living in France. France is taking a break right now from us so that we can participate in some other opportunities.

First stop opportunity: Berlin! 

There are some trade-offs to moving to Germany. I worked in France but here, I am a "lady of leisure". That takes some getting used to. One would think it would mean more time to sew, but that has not yet been true. It takes a bit of effort to move, unpack and get your bearings in a new city and never mind a new country and language.  So many changes...
This was the view from my old apartment. 

Such a great people watching spot. Some times loud, but always a fun place to live. Our place was so much fun location wise that we had friends hold an art exhibit in it last year.

You can read about it here if you would like. How cool is that?

Here is the view from my new apartment. Not as big, no sunny windows, but it has location. location, location. I could throw a stone at the old wall! I am so glad it is not operational anymore I would be living in East Berlin.

You will note, not quite the same view but so far all is good. I am told we should have snow.

Living in France and now Germany has made me a serious collector of sorts. I am addicted to moldy smelling old lace, vintage fabric, threads and buttons of all sorts. Latest case in point:

That is my latest haul from a second hand store in Brittany France bought in late December that I will soon blog about.

Now collecting is all well and good, but I get bored just petting my collection. I want to use it, and use it I do. I am working on a bag right now from an vintage church alter piece I picked up last year. You can see the whole, well most of it here in this blog post.

This is the second bag I will make with this. the first one was this bag

What a great way to use up worn out jeans. The bag I am working on now, is linen based and I have a long way to go. The hand work sewing the vintage lace edging in place can be done on Berlin's mass transit (U,S,M or bus). I am doing a lot of exploring as of late. Here's hoping the final product to will be simple and fun.

Now for a give-away. No strings attached and mailed anywhere in the world. I am using some of the smaller Cluny lace in the lace I bought in Brittany. 

I cut 2 and have made one. This one is mine the second one is in pieces on my work area. It is similar but not identical. It is a small notebook and there is a place to put your pencil or pen (Pencil/pen not included, you need to find your own.) I love it. I always keep a notebook in my bag and I can never find a writing utensil to actually make notes. Now I can.

Drawing date is 15 February. Make sure you come back or that I have a way to contact you so that your notebook can be mailed to you. If the winner does not come forward by the end of February, the notebook will be donated to a local charity here in Berlin that sells handmade twice a year for a hospital. Last year's winner did not come forward and the piece was sold for 15EUR by a charity. SO remember, either way, there is a winner.

If you are a follower, thanks for following. If you are not I hope you want to tag along for a journey of reusing vintage lace and whatever else comes along as I sew here in Germany, France or where ever I will have the opportunity to be next. Wait, did someone say China?