Rufusandco

Time to consolidate.....

2010-09-09T13:26:00.000+08:00

Hi friends

Maybe you have noticed a lack of activity here recently -

well I realise I am spreading myself too thin

and one blog

is more than enough for me at the moment.

So Rufus and I would love

you follow us at The Fable of The Table

from now on

and hope we will see your happy faces there.

Today I have some great blogs for you to check out

so do pop over.

A moment in time

2010-08-21T11:09:00.000+08:00

image by Jodie Bell

I love the chance connections that can be made through blogs and the unexpected.

Maybe that is why you are here reading this now.

So I couldn't pass up an invitation on Jodie's blog this morning

to join her for a moment in time.

Take a look and maybe do the same next Friday.

I'll be hoping to see you there.

Outdoor dinner parties

2010-08-19T12:21:00.003+08:00

outdoor dinner party, originally uploaded by the style files.

Before the summer leaves wouldn't it be lovely to have a dinner party

with close friends

in an orange grove

like this?

Read all about it on the fabulous the style files.

If you want dining on a larger scale

then check out how to fill a field with friends!

Have fun whatever you decide to do with friends this weekend.

Magical mosaics

2010-08-15T13:21:00.003+08:00

Charles Darwin for Time Magazine, originally uploaded by tsevis.

Just came across the work of an amazing artist,

Charis Tsevis,

who creates mosaic portraits.

Enjoy more of his mosaics here

Just have to share one more from his work for IKEA

IKEA Sweden: Mosaic Boy, originally uploaded by tsevis.

- Mosaic Boy isn't he fab.

I know there are a few IKEA fans read my blog so this one is for you!

Why am I shopping early for Christmas?

2010-08-14T13:24:00.001+08:00

When I say shopping early for Christmas,

what I really mean is shopping early

for Christmas INSPIRATION

through my new obsession

I wrote about it here and was hoping for an invite -

which came within a couple of hours of me putting the thought out there.

Thank you Universe - well Jodi actually.

'So what is all your fuss about?' you are asking.

Well it is just the most amazing way to collect and save inspiration you find on the web.

No need for messy bookmarks and folders

where you never remember why on earth you bookmarked that page.

It all looks so neat and beautiful.

I just love my Christmas inspiration page...

I know I am not being modest,

but the best of it is that you can look at everyone else's pin boards

and get yet more inspiration.

Drawback... there had to be one

it is now midday and I am still not showered!

But it is Saturday

and

Rufus has been walked and fed,

so why not enjoy the weekend being inspired.

It's like a great cup of coffee...

At the moment it is just in beta stage

(don't ask me what that is)

so if you want an invitation to join

just send Pinterest an email and they will hopefully oblige.

Thanks for dropping by and hope we can get pinning together soon.

I Am A Girl - The Girls With Glasses Theme Song

2010-08-13T14:30:00.002+08:00

I just happened across the blog of Imedagoze today

and stopped to watch this video.
Just love all their poses and the fun they are having taking photos.

Made me think of Alice and Gemma (here's her new blog)

and all the cute girls I know who sometimes wear glasses.

Hope it brings a bit of sunshine to your day ... Beijing is very cloudy today!

Ethics of strangers

2010-08-09T20:09:00.002+08:00

Our very lives depend on the ethics of strangers, and most of us are always strangers to other people. --Bill Moyers

This was the thought for the day when I opened my mailbox 5 minutes ago.

What a coincidence that it should arrive for me today when I had just committed a blogging faux pas.

I had forgotten to ask a fellow blogger's approval before I used her photo in my last blogpost.

I quickly sent an email to ask her permission and I was so happy that within a couple of hours Solveig had written back saying she was happy to be included. What relief - I would have been so sad to remove her gorgeous label bag.

Now I am wondering how many strangers are reading this post of mine ...

and how much I would like to connect with everyone who drops by here.

Thanks so much for being here at this moment

and hope our paths will cross -

if you drop me a comment,

then we will connect more easily :)

But just being here is great too.

Thanks for joining me on this journey.

Labels for The Fable of the Table

2010-08-09T15:26:00.061+08:00

I have been looking into labels recently....

This label bag was my starting point, posted by Solgrim. What a fab idea.

But I was on a search for inspiration for just one - my own label.

Skating sheep, love them but not for tablecloths!

Japanese match boxes certainly have a style I love.

But maybe it was just words I wanted, like these.

If you want to try printing your own labels read this helpful tutorial

In the process of designing a range of table cloths and runners,

I need to have a unique and memorable tag for them.

A bit of research has thrown up some great ideas but

I did not want my label to conflict with the design.

Finally I decided to just use colour and shape

and make my own with red cotton tape and a black pompom.

What do you think of my first one?

(I will add a card label to give product details in due course.)

Hemp runner with japanese fabric trim- see here for more on creating the look.

More labels in my Flickr gallery!

Collection 5 - Ornamental Bamboo rice containers

2010-08-05T19:56:00.004+08:00

Bamboo in blue, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

Bamboo vessels are a speciality of the Chiang Mai region, I love this modern twist in blue.

bamboo containers, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

Three more of these large bamboo ornamental rice containers that were originally used to store sticky( glutinous rice) in Thailand.

Mega bamboo in corner, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

This big Bertha is over 3 feet tall and I love the way it fills a corner. It was too big to bring back on the plane - so it is here in Chiang Mai to stay!

Ceramics - collection x 4

2010-08-04T09:02:00.001+08:00

Ceramics add instant character to a home and when we first started decorating our apartment here in Chiang Mai, they were some of our first purchases.

Chiang Mai has some beautiful and innovative ceramics on offer.

The 3 large pots on our balcony are locally made - I just love their salt glazes and shapes. The smallest reminds me of a poppy seed head.

Back again tomorrow -

hope this little interlude is making you gather together some collections too.

PS. Don't forget to check back on the blog that got me started on this, A Collection a Day, it really is fascinating.

PPS. If you are interested in Thai textiles then check out my post here

Collections 3- quilted hangings

2010-08-03T09:33:00.000+08:00

Today you are getting two collections in one!

First ~ two quilts I have made to bring some colour to the walls of the apartment here in Chiang Mai.

The top one is just strips of plain colours that I love and randomly sewed together- not the flattest quilt on the block but I could pretend the waviness signified something!

The second quilt was made after I returned from our fab holiday to Santa Fe, Taos and Seattle last summer. Many of the fabrics were bought in quilt shops in those 3 cities.

Second ~ a collection of old Thai teak temple timbers that we have been gathering here in Chiang Mai. We were looking for one piece to hang the Santa Fe quilt from

but discovered this treasure trove of timber and came home with 10 or more!

Most not hanging anywhere yet!

Footnote- we returned this time and sadly the salvage yard is gone - a new warehouse is being built there.

Collections 2 - Thai Hill tribe bears

2010-08-02T23:05:00.003+08:00

Hmong bears, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

These 3 little bears are a bit silly but I love them. They are dressed in traditional costume and I bought them from the Sunday market in Chiang Mai several years ago. I look for more every time I am here but no more bears have made it down from the hills. So it remains a collection of three.

A collection a day - from Chiang Mai

2010-08-02T10:55:00.022+08:00

Hill tribe jackets in hallway x1, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

Love the idea of a collection a day that I came across when I was happily wandering round blogs this week.
Here are a few hill tribe jackets that are the start of a collection, from our apartment in Chiang Mai where we are staying this week.

Hill tribe jackets in hallway x 2, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

Hill tribe jackets in hallway x 3, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

Hill tribe jacket above our bed, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

Hill tribe jacket, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

Hill tribe hat, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

Apologies for picture quality - iPhone not so good in lowlight!

Wrapping a dog - japanese style

2010-07-23T10:53:00.000+08:00

Ever wanted to gift wrap your dog?

Rufus wants to show you how....

Just check out my other blog

here

Look what I found in vintage Texas

2010-07-22T21:59:00.001+08:00

Navasota, a sleepy city in central Texas - brimming with vintage stores.

A little postcard I created from our day.

Navasota Emporium - we spent a wee while in here!

Loved the size and colour of this Coke jug and 4 glasses.

Silver rimmed cups sit in dimples on the plates - couldn't resist this set of 8.

Two blue jugs to add to the collection

The yellow colour of this crate singled it as the one ...

Displays of old tins added to the atmosphere -

but wouldn't chose them for my home

One of the beautiful old houses built in the mid 1800's

by the wealthy cotton growers of the region

Not for sale but loved them all the same

Who just has rusting classic cars lying around in their front garden?

This beauty needs a little love and attention to bring it back to life.

We didn't reach our destination, getting sidetracked by all the quirkiness of Grimes county, Texas.

Loved the people we met and the things we bought. (Can you believe our cases were too full to bring it home , so it sits boxed in Astrid's garage till our next visit).

It's difficult to go shopping for antiques when you have a plane to catch home.

The 7 link challenge

2010-07-19T04:30:00.001+08:00

Thanks Susannah for a fun idea to get me started early on a Monday morning at 2.20am. (Well actually I am jet lagged from our mammoth flight home from Houston via London and Copenhagen back to Beijing!! 27 hours on the move)

The 7 Link Challenge originated with Darren Rowse at Problogger and it sounded like a fun idea to try out.
I loved discovering new blogs like Sarah's at Global Copywriting, so what started as a quick read of Susannah's latest blog lead me to a treasure chest of blog ideas.

The challenge is to write a post which is a list of 7 links to posts that you and others have written - in response to the suggested 7 categories.

Here we go:
1. Your first post ~ Back in Jan 2010 I had an urge to start a blog but no idea whether I could keep it going and more importantly have anything to say that others would want to read: A Snowy Start

2. A post your enjoyed writing the most. I had fun exploring the world of sheds in The Tiny House Blog when I came across some inspiration for a family joke. My sister claims to want to have a shed retreat at the bottom of our garden so I created her a possible wish list, never imagining sheds would feature in my blog!

3. A post which had a great discussion. Not sure my humble blog has ever had a great discussion but it was my I see a Wolf Moon Rising that really got a good response back in January - maybe because I was really excited about discovering such a phenomena.

4. A post on someone else's blog that you wish you'd written. I hope I am allowed two here because Beth always inspires me with her photos and writing on Be Yourself, Everyone else is taken. The blog that inspired me to begin was Red, Red Completely Red - from my inspirational daughter. Thanks Astrid for helping me along the way.

5. Your most helpful post. I hope it was helpful - that was the intention when I described how to start a 365 Flickr group amongst your friends in 365 - the month of May. It is one of the best things I did this year as it has kept me connected with friends and family round the world, given me more laughs that any comedy programme, improved my photographic skills 1000% and taken my love of my iPhone to new levels of passion.

6. A post with a title that you are proud of. Snow time like the present - partly because I just love my dog 's face in these photos.

7. A post that you wish more people had read. Has to be my *Lucky Stars* post, simply because I do believe we can change our luck and it would be nice to help everyone bring more luck into their lives.

Hope you will write your 7 link challenge post now and link it in the comments below so we can enjoy yours too.

It would be fabulous if this post of mine had so many comments it would be next year's 'best discussion' link.

Matilda

2010-07-05T20:23:00.002+08:00

July 2nd - Tilly @ 3days old, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

Sorry I have been in holiday mode for the last couple of weeks.
Now here in Texas sharing the delight of our first grandchild- Matilda.
Born on June 29th weighing 9lb 1oz (4kg) - she is just beautiful .
Just like the saying goes Tuesday's child is full of grace - she is too.
Astrid and Justin are loving every second of being parents.

Tilly loves snuggling on her Winganna fleece in the Moses basket I used for all 3 of our children and now being used for the next generation.
Read more about it on Astrid's blog .

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!

2010-06-23T14:05:00.002+08:00

June 22- a day at the sea, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

Fish and chips
Seagulls
Buckets and spades
Beach huts
A stroll on the pier ....

A perfect day out at the quintessential English seaside town of Southwold.
A fantastic way to recharge batteries and soak up some sun.

PS. Back to the 365 life plan tomorrow!

Designing a 365 life plan

2010-06-21T17:50:00.000+08:00

"If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan.

And guess what they have planned for you? Not much."

Jim Rohn

This quote really struck home to me today when I read it in Michael Bungay Stanier's thought provoking newsletter.

Maybe it is because I am on holiday in the Uk and the change of air/light/ water is having an effect or perhaps it is time for change in me.

Anyone else out there who is also wanting to stop and think about plans?

A few weeks ago I wrote about my fabulous 365 group on Flickr. Now I want to make a 365 plan for my life. I wondered how I could reincarnate my motivation to take a photo a day into a 365 life plan.

Possibility:

~ just commit to writing a thought each day when I journal - not exciting enough

I realised

~ I am a visual person and one reason the photo a day project works for me is because I see a result every day. I need that.

~ So TODAY I am going to take note cards and make a card for each area I want to move steadily forwards on in the next 365 days.

Make a note card for each and then I can work on one of those areas daily. There is nothing more encouraging than looking back on work you've done to make you feel like you want to go further - so add the date.

All this sounds so wordy so here are some of my plans for the next year:

~ planning the family get together in our new house at Christmas

~ developing my future retail business

~ shedding the things we don't want to move back to the Uk with (a mammoth task!)

~ finding a solution to getting Rufus, our dog, looked after in Europe for 6 months - he can't go straight back to Uk

~ creating new product lines to sell from business

~ planning house extension for new house

~ plans for the garden

I want to see that everyday I get something done on one of these areas. I also know that I will add new ones .

That's the beauty of using note cards - just add another one. I don't need to know now what it is going to look like at the end of 365 days.

Oh I almost forgot - COLOUR - we have to have colour on our cards.

How?

Frame the card with thematic colours- everything on Rufus can be golden!!

Stick clippings onto the card.

Draw

Add photos

This is going to be what the view from our kitchen

I just need to get started now. So check back tomorrow and I hope I have something to show you.

Any ideas on how to build on this idea? Please share because I need all the help I can get to be organised.

* Thank your lucky stars *

2010-06-15T23:21:00.002+08:00

"I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances, be more active. Show up more often." ~ Brian Tracy

Who doesn't want to feel lucky today?

When I read this quote in my daily email from charity focus.org I got me thinking about luck.

I never seem to win at raffle draws but I do think I'm lucky. So ... does it depend on how you view luck, or is it just down to taking more chances?

Well, when I say I don't win at raffle draws that is not quite true - I circumvented my low track record of wins by cheating fate recently.
This year at the school spring fair I wrote 'Rufus' on all my raffle tickets (Rufus is my wheaten terrier). You had to be there to see the surprise on people's faces when his name was read out. In total, Rufus won 3 prizes for me - including a 2 night stay at Novotel in downtown Beijing, 288 KitKat chocolate bars and 1000 rmb ($160) of IKEA products.

I am 100% certain my name would not have been so lucky.

I am also sure that next year Rufus would not be lucky.

I wanted to read more about luck and found this article has some fascinating ideas.

In a nutshell :
Lucky people often follow their intuition
Lucky people like to introduce variety in how they do things.
Lucky people can see the good in their misfortunes - things could have been much worse.

What is amazing is that the researcher, Richard Wiseman, found that when 'unlucky' people were encouraged to act as a lucky person would, they too became luckier (as well as happier and more contented).

So if you want to join Rufus and his KitKat's you could take a few minutes

to read the article and generate some good fortune for yourself.

Let me know if you get lucky!

Making a special space

2010-06-10T21:44:00.002+08:00

Last week I was reflecting on sacred as part of the Unravelling course I am on.

Some of my fellow unravellers had special places within their home

and that made me think about where I could create the same.

I realised that I am never in one space consistently but wanted to create a talisman that I can draw strength from wherever I write

- which I try to do every morning.

Why not quilt a mat that will always be under my journal? I thought.

Maybe it can store up good thoughts to appear on the page? Well you get my drift.

Long story cut short - I was searching amongst bookmarked pages when I was reminded of

a 'ticker tape' quilt I had seen on Flickr.

Below is my effort - using favourite fabrics and colours.

Now I write on it (not literally) every morning.

Maybe I need one under my keyboard too!

Here's to special places.
Do check out my new adventure here

You can find instructions on how to make your own ticker-tape quilt at both these inspiring blogs sewmamasew or crazymomquilts.

A Fable about a Table

2010-06-09T12:45:00.000+08:00

A little sweetener to invite you over to check out my newest blog site ....

The Fable of the Table

Launched today

I hope this will be my window to the world

for ideas on interiors, dining and connecting together.

Just to get the party started I am going to send a little welcoming pressie

to the first 10 followers of the new blog.

So hope you will be one of them.

(Make sure you leave a comment in the box so I can get it to you)

365 -The Month of May

2010-06-01T11:30:00.006+08:00

I don't know how I stumbled on the 365 - photo a day idea but it is one of the best things I have done ever!!

This is a mosaic I have made from the May highlights.

The stories of my month in both Beijing and UK (1 week)

Rufus balancing a basket,

modelling the new PTA apron design

keeping neighbourhood watch.

Buying a house in Suffolk

Remembering dear Uncle Ralph who died

Welcoming my son Jesper and friends to Beijing

Mum in hospital with a broken leg

An unexpected sail home from Holland when ash grounded planes

A crane upending in a neighbours garden

making soup with Cathy

delicious desserts

beautiful blossoms

Fun with my 365 Bj group

They say a picture paints a thousand words and this mosaic certainly paints a few hundred!

I feel like an advocate for starting 365 groups on Flickr.

You just don't know how much fun life can be with 365!

How many of you can guarantee you can smile or laugh within a minute of opening your computer?

This is what 365 can do for you.

Let me tell you a story.....

about how I went about it and then see if you want to try it for yourself.

Back in February 2010 I came across a 365 group, probably on Flickr.

I googled '365' and found all sorts of groups doing just this. Some huge.

I wanted something intimate with people I knew - but what I didn't know was who would want to join me.

Well I knew my eldest daughter Astrid would and she was the first member but who else?

So I decided not to try guess - just send the same email to all friends and family in my address book.

There were challenges for people -

anyone in China would need a VPN site to circumvent the great firewall of China!!

Some people would need coaxing to get started in Flickr

and many needed encouraging to make time.

I wanted as few rules as possible, not wanting to scare anyone off

Take one photo a day

for one year

starting February 14th 2010 (The start of the Year of the Tiger)

Don't use photos taken previously

don't post more than one for any day

Retrospective posting is ok (not more than 6 uploaded per day)

If you miss some days no worries - either take 2 on the following day or miss

Add the date to your photo in the title or description

Have fun

This is not a competition

Comment on others photos

Optional : make a mosaic at the end of the month with all the photos together in one.

Maybe I just have the most incredibly funny and insightful, creative friends ever (yes they are really)

But we have so much fun with comments,

themes for the week and silliness

but also artiness,

technique sharing

and general looking out for each other

(when someone doesn't post for a few days everyone else is concerned are they ok)

The common denominator is me

I know everyone

but they may or may not know anyone else.

It doesn't matter

because we are like one tribe, family, bunch ...
whatever you want to call it ...

It is just the best.

We are spread over the world -

USA, UK, Denmark, China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam

The great thing is with all these time zones, someone is always posting

whatever time of night or day you look.

35 people signed up to join the group and maybe 18 post regularly

with about 10 diehards who have one for everyday.

It all works.

Even if you only post 5 a month ,

I guarantee it is 60 photos more than you would have had at the end of the year.

It is a bit like meditation...

the first few times seem hard...

What if it's 9pm and I have forgotten to take one?

Just the snap the film you were watching on TV - or in my case Rufus again!

The practice of not missing a day makes it all ok.

Afterall I am not trying to sell these photos.

But I love what they mean to me.

That is what I remind everyone

at the end of the day

you are doing this for yourself...

not to win praise or prizes

If you would like to see more of what we have been doing go here: 365 -year of the tiger

If you need help setting a group up just let me know.

I have a passion for this and would love to help

P.S. Just double click on a thumbnail if you want to read the comments

Organisation -Is it a state of mind?

2010-05-28T15:18:00.004+08:00

This guy was zipping past me the other day in Beijing.

It never ceases to amaze me

that loads in China

are ALWAYS neat.

It doesn't matter if it is a migrant worker

with recycled cardboard piled high on his bike

Or a huge truck with steel cables

There is always order to the stack.

And this is in a country
where no one thinks anything about spitting,
tossing away litter and dumping black garbage sacks everywhere.

~~~~~

Me?

Well I never drop litter (knowingly) or spit

But my creative work room is often

a complete mess

And I can leave clothes on the floor
and unwashed cups on the table

and papers everywhere.

~~~~~

Seems like organisation is a state of mind

and different states

see it differently.

I love China's organised stacking

and wish it came naturally to me!

Foxgloves by my door

2010-05-24T23:26:00.000+08:00

In celebration of the beautiful foxgloves that have been

blooming so magnificently by my front door.

The White Foxglove

Reynard, the fox, was asked to a party.
"Come", they said, in your Sunday best,
For we like good form, tho' the fun be hearty;
So all who dance must be formally dressed:
Black tail-coat and a shirt-front gleaming.
Brushed and burnished each dancing shoe,
Pantaloons with a silk braid seaming,
Clean white gloves of the snowiest hue.
This most especially -
Very especially -
Snow-white gloves of a spotless hue.

Reynard, the fox, as he dressed (says the fable)
Dreamed of the dance and his lady love,
Then he searched and he hunted in dresser and table,
But all he discovered was - one old glove!
A horrible glove, with a broad black stitching
Sorriest match for his stiff white shirt.
Could lover go wooing a maid so bewitching,
Wearing but one glove, grubby with dirt?
Oh, most disgustedly -
Very disgustedly -
Creased and crumpled and yellow with dirt.

Said Reynard, the fox, to the King of the Fairies,
"King, I come to you craving a dower.
Gloves! All as white as the lamb that was Mary's.
Pray you, fashion a pair from a magic flower.
From a summer cloud, from the web of a spider.
Skin of a toadstool, a snowberry rind,
Down from the breast of a fledgling eider."
And the King said "Sure", for the King was kind.
Ever so graciously -
Gaily and graciously -
"Oke", said the Monarch, for he was kind.

Then Reynard, the fox, beheld a wonder:
A wave of his wand by the Fairy King -
And there, with the green leaves spreading under,
Sprang forth a sceptre, a magic thing
With garlands of gloves in a gleaming cluster,
White as the fleeces of new-shorn flocks
That fairy shepherds in Arcady muster.
And a pair they presented to Reynard, the fox.
They fitted him perfectly.
Said the King, "perfectly"
"Your Majesty.' Thank you!" said Reynard, the fox.

Reynard, the fox, made haste to the revel;
Beau of the ball, as they had to confess.
And the ladies sighed, "What a handsome devil?"
As for his lady - of course it was, "Yes".
Then they danced and they fasted with merry laughter.
While Reynard weaved dreams in the clouds above.
And they called that blossom, from then ever after -
Men, foxes and fairies - the white Fox-glove.
Tall and so slenderly
Graceful and tenderly,
Swaying its sceptre - the White Fox-Glove.
C Micheal James Dennis (1876-1938)

Sunday morning

2010-05-02T10:53:00.003+08:00

May 2nd - Sunday morning, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

Starting Sunday the right way, with coffee in my favourite mug - double insulated so the coffee stays hot but the outside is cool. Danish design of course!
I have the house to myself so indulging in my time to read some inspiring blogs and get on with my own writing.
Best stop blogging and get back to it!!
Hope Sunday starts well for you too.

Multicoloured Bird Houses

2010-05-01T20:26:00.005+08:00

Spring is finally in the air here in Beijing and I just find myself drawn to the few birds I see flying in our neighbourhood- thinking about what spring would be like back home in the UK.
For a while I have been collecting images together in a gallery on Flickr because there are some amazing constructions out there for birds, if only the birds know where to look!
Hope you enjoy looking at a few of them:

When I have my own back garden again I want to make a multicoloured bird community and attract some colourful feathered friends.

Bird Houses / 20071230.10D.46705 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Or maybe we should go for an all red colour scheme

Red Bird Houses, originally uploaded by Todd Klassy.

How about this one to hedge your bets about the size of bird who might be interested in setting up home! This is taken by my friend Marji in Seattle, though not in her own garden.

March 22 - Is Anybody Home?, originally uploaded by Rain City Girl.

Anthropologie even have a white bird house made from Balinese basket and weather coated in resin if you want to offer your friends a classy abode.

Finally I want to show you the amazing bird house built by my relative, Kaare, who lives in Denmark. Is this not the most awe inspiring bird house ever? Reaching over 20 feet into the air.

photo by Ingrid

One day I hope to have a high rise like this in my garden - a bird totem pole almost.

Hope you enjoy these lines from the Turkish writer, Mehmet Zaman Saclioglu’s poem:

Bird Houses

The outer walls of houses should be bird houses
That take wing when children laugh.
Even if it’s winter outside,
The summer sun should rise inside the walls
And happiness will also warm the birds.

On the road again ...

2010-04-30T07:57:00.002+08:00

Once you realize that the road is the goal

and that you are always on the road,

not to reach a goal,

but to enjoy its beauty and its wisdom,

life ceases to be a task and becomes natural and simple,

in itself an ecstasy.

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, 1897-1981

Today is the last day of April and I have been busy creating a mosaic of my photo a day for April.

Back in February I encouraged my friends to join with me to create a 365 Flickr group and take a photo each day.

With a little bit of trial and error we have managed to surpass our wildest dreams and had such fun on the way.

You can check out our 365 group here

We are spread out in the USA, UK, Thailand, Denmark, China, Vietnam and this is such a great way of staying connected.

I am just in love with my iPhone and the possibilities its brings, but any camera and a Flickr account are all you need to get started.

Because we love to keep it interesting, we have lots of mini themes going on such as : Floating, Fresh and Books we've read are a few of the recent ones.

Here's to enjoying the journey and having a few photos to remind me of where I've been - because the way my memory is going I'll need this to remember what I did last week!

Technical info:

To make a square mosaic go here

To make the heart or circle go here

Be warned a 365 group is addictive!!

Blooming Beijing

2010-04-19T22:42:00.000+08:00

'Loveliest of Trees'

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

A.E Houseman

We have waited so long for these small buds to open

Now they have blossomed

These pink beauties are starting to break out

This year has the most amazing magnolias on show

Hope the wind stays away so we can enjoy them a while yet.

Car Boot Sale - Beijing style

2010-04-11T05:43:00.003+08:00

Yesterday we held a car boot sale at school and it is the funniest crowd of shoppers we get- both from the local chinese village next to the school and the expat parents from the school community.

It is a win - win situation since much of the money goes to charities and people get a chance to declutter, whether they are moving or just overloaded!

Ian busy selling...

One happy customer

The easy rider bike was an attraction

600rmb ok?...

Hats were popular

So were crowns

Looking good in Ted Baker, vintage 1999

Loading up the left overs for the charity store

Happy Easter- chocolate eggs and more

2010-04-04T16:20:00.005+08:00

Hoping the sun is shining on you this Easter Sunday.

Today is a day to enjoy a chocolate or two - so with that in mind I thought I would share a couple of quotes to keep your mouth watering.....

There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE Linda Grayson, "The Pickwick Papers"

Forget love-- I'd rather fall in chocolate!!!

Man cannot live on chocolate alone; but woman sure can.

I could give up chocolate but I'm not a quitter.

Thanks to virtual chocolate for the chocolate covered quotes above

And thanks to Ian for bringing back Cadbury's chocolate cream eggs for Alice and me to enjoy today. What a thoughtful husband he is.

A Mosaic for March

2010-04-01T18:15:00.003+08:00

Back in February I invited all my friends and family

to help me form a 365 group on Flickr.

29 brave souls did and now we have a diverse group of people

who share the photos they have taken.

Some religiously take one everyday and some just when they remember.

It doesn't matter which -

we all have many more photos of our lives than last year

and we are having so much fun.

At the end of the month we have a tradition now of making a mosaic with all that month's photos.

Mine is shown above.

Go to mosaic maker to have a try for yourself.

If you want to see more of our month go to

365 - Year of the Tiger

I cannot imagine life without this group now - totally unadulterated entertainment.

Don't take my word for it - try it with your friends!

Inspiring thoughts for Tuesday

2010-03-30T19:54:00.000+08:00

I love inspiring thoughts that lift me up,

especially on days where I feel weighed down.

Today I thought I would share some that I have personalised with my own photos.

This is a seagull from Suffolk in England,

I hope one day I too will be able to call it home

But I realise

that my happiness is here and now

so dreaming is part of the plan.

Mount Ranier symbolises the peak I am moving towards.

Alice reminds me that lunch is always on the menu!

Remembering a day last summer in Denmark,

when part of our family

was together from all parts of the globe.

We all need a sense of belonging

and to help others to feel they belong too.

Thanks for belonging long enough to read through my blog.

Have a great day.

Treasures from the Dirt Market

2010-03-28T20:17:00.003+08:00

Anyone who loves flea markets and things chinese should definitely add a visit to Beijing's Dirt Market as one of the 100 places they shop at before they die.

I must have been there 100 times since I moved to Beijing

and I hope I will be back a few more times before I leave.

Sometimes visitors to our house wonder at how

I could find a place for more treasure...

well nothing like having a problem to help me find a solution!

Yesterday I was back there again.

I love to go with friends who see new things

and cause me to stop in new places and thereby find new treasures, unseen before.

Taking a camera is a good solution for me - as it helps me to snap a shot instead of a 'bargain'!

From the collection above I only purchased 2 categories- clocks and ceramic pots!

I had no problem resisting the wide eyed dragon! But the little red hen alarm clock was very tempting.

I wish I had come home with the Mao plates - but it's good to have something to go back for.

These 'Ming' miniatures were irresistible. Less than 2 inches high and beautifully glazed, I succumbed to buying more than I am willing to admit to in print.

Maybe they will be there next time but I have learnt that life is ephemeral here in China and never take things for granted!

Pan Jia Yuan, also known as 'The Dirt Market', is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 7am till 4pm. Located on the south east corner of the 3rd Ring Road, it is well known and easy to get to. It is popular with locals and tourists alike and if it's made in China there is likely to be some version of it here. Be prepared for some haggling especially if you are not local. But as long as you don't believe it's an antique and never pay more than you think it's worth - then you are a winner.

The Road

2010-03-23T23:07:00.001+08:00

Monday morning

felt like

I was in another landscape

like a grim, post-apocalypse world

where only my dog and I

were left to wander

the desolate, ochre coloured surroundings.

Sand storms change everything

from the light

to my mood.

One thing

would have brightened me up ...

Viggo Mortensen coming towards me

but that was the movie

and this is real life.

Rufus

you'll have to be my hero for the day.

Post script: Tuesday saw the winds blow away the silty air and we got blue sky for a while.

March 20 - Yellow, yellow, completely yellow

2010-03-20T11:05:00.004+08:00

Woke up this morning to find we had a sand storm blowing and everything

outside was bathed in an eerie yellow light here in Beijing.

P.S. No photoshopping /funny filters or iphone apps involved

in the production of this photo.

P.P.S. Blog title a reference to a favourite blog of mine!

Thoughts on Ideas and Creativity

2010-03-20T05:59:00.002+08:00

Ideas...
~something I am accused of having too many of.
~something that wakes me up at 3 am and brings me to my computer screen
~something I am thinking about having read a marvellous list of quotes on quirksltd at 3am
~some of which I would like to share with you today.............

Linus Pauling: "The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas, then throw the bad ones away."
Ok here are some of my good ideas from 2010, a year I want to be overflowing with good ideas
~ January I started doing an 8 week online course called Unravelling. This has led me to meet, read and do much that excites me.
~ starting a 365 -flickr group which has led me to take a photo every day since I started on Feb 14th and reconnect with friends. Although I was the only common link at the start, we really are becoming a group who know each other. Think about starting one yourself, it is a lot of fun.
~ deciding to make 2 quilts a month - at least one for charity.

This is made for an ISB project to give to a sheltered home for young adults with mental challenges

~ committing to writing a book on .... you'll see later!

~ starting work with a life coach to help me get to the next stage!

Anonymous: "Exhilaration is that feeling you get just after a great idea hits you and just before you realise what is wrong with it."

This happens every time I have an idea to write on this blog and now I am writing it I am feeling the second part! Hope you will indulge me by reading to the end.

Scott Adams: "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."

My blog clearly shows I don't now yet.... but thanks for reading it regardless

Mary Lou Cook: "Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun."

That sums up for me what it's all about and I am trying to find it in the photos I take and the people I am with.

Having fun in Beijing art district last week with friends over from Denmark

Maya Angelou: "You can't use up creativity. The more you use it, the more you have."

So on with the next photo, quilt, chapter and whatever new things come my way.

Albert Einstein: "Creativity is courageous. Pass it on."

So thanks to all those wonderful friends and blogs who keep passing it on to me.

I'd be nowhere without you - Astrid, Linda, Kendra, Anne, Pia, Mai, Ayumi, Beth and many more.

The most treasured gift - I never received

2010-03-16T00:01:00.000+08:00

This morning in my email box was a lovely message from my daughter Astrid and a beautiful photo of a quilt. This is what she wrote to me on my birthday - "It was my first little quilt... supposed to be a Thai temple dog at sunrise for your Chiang Mai apartment! Anyway, sorry it never made it to you, but I wanted you to know that my first quilt was made for you!"

I feel this is the most treasured gift I received today - but didn't.

Sadly the chinese post is very unreliable and things often don't arrive... but this is the hardest thing to lose.

But the thought that went into this makes me so warm inside.

I was exceptionally lucky today to spend it with friends, husband and younger daughter - beautiful gifts and warm words.

Just what I needed to start the next year of my life.

Thanks to everyone who made the start of my next year a special one.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. --Leo Buscaglia

Quilting in Beijing

2010-03-14T22:26:00.000+08:00

What a week we had together.

Five friends from Copenhagen - reunited in Beijing.

By day we saw the sights

and

by night we sewed.

We each finished our quilt tops.

Chinese coins was the design we all worked on.

Each of our quilts uses a little fabric from the other four.

The white Buddha in my garden

served as a beautiful model for the quilts.

Hope they bring some colour to your day.

Time Out in Beijing with friends

2010-03-11T05:56:00.000+08:00

Four fabulous friends from Copenhagen come to visit me in Beijing for a week and this is a glimpse of some of the fun we had....

The Temple of Heaven

The Great Wall at Mutianyu in the snow

798 - The contemporary art district

Getting in line with the sculptures

Buying art at PanjiaYuan - also known as the dirt market

and finding time to quilt every evening together .... tomorrow's post!

Stillness and excitement

2010-03-06T07:56:00.002+08:00

No time to write much

but I just wanted to share

this photo I took

with my newly purchased 'Shibuya' film

my Hipstamatic App

for my iPhone

It makes my room look like an old dutch master.

When in fact

reality is

the last crazy stage of

tidying

before Linda, Gerd, Jo and Marie

arrive from Copenhagen today,

to spend the next week

exploring Beijing

with me.

Can't wait.......

Hope your weekend

is filled with both

stillness and laughter.

An Ode to Fabulous Fabric

2010-03-04T23:31:00.005+08:00

Just wanted to share with you

a bit of the fun i had today

at my favourite place in Beijing -

Mu Xi Yuan ( the wholesale fabric market).

Those of you who have been here before

will know that i LOVE this place.

Covers a huge area,

is dirty,

disorganised,

piled high with bolts

and endless possibilities

Oh the decisions to be made....

That is Phuong top left and me bottom right and my favourite fabric guy in Beijing helping us.

i would have bought the whole bolt of this amazing fabric (below)

if only

i could think of how to justify it

so i bought 3 yards and

then went back and bought 5 more

and may just decide to go back and

buy the rest.

Does a fabric ever have this effect on you?

Some of the softest satinised cottons

ready to be turned into

tiny outfits for my granddaughter

who is expected to appear

in June

in Texas ...

and could very well be appearing on this blog

in just a matter of months

wearing one of these very fabrics.

There will never be a time

when I won't need

to buy fabric -

that's one thing I know for sure.

The first day of March

2010-03-01T17:55:00.000+08:00

We woke up to 2 inches of soft snow

No good for riding the bike......

so Rufus and I enjoyed, what I hope is, the last snow fall of the winter.

Chinese New Year Parade - Yanqing County, Beijing

2010-02-28T22:03:00.004+08:00

Yanqing is a town one and a half hours drive north of Beijing, beyond the Great Wall at Badaling.

It holds the most amazingly colourful and spectacular parade every year

on the last day of the Chinese new year holiday.

This is the 3rd year I have made the long drive to be amazed by stilt walkers, lion dancers, dragon dancers and many ladies with fans.

There are several groups of stilt walkers who dance on the streets for 4 hours non stop and never seem to trip. Each village has it's own personality and costume design.

Various folk tales are reenacted such as this one with donkeys, another one with a matchmaker!

Every team has its own band of musicians belting out the beat with drums, pipes and clashing cymbals.

The faces are just wonderful and much of the 90,000 strong population turns out to watch it.

The ironic thing is that as I walk by with my blond hair I get many stares from people who are seeing a real live laowei ( foreigner) for the first time. But it is all smiles and waves!

We didn't meet another foreign face.

Happy Lantern Festival to everyone.

The Tiny House Blog

2010-02-24T22:57:00.005+08:00

I just Stumbled Upon (literally) this blog site which has the cutest little houses you ever did see.

I have an interest in tiny houses because my sister Jenni has requested

that we make sure that when we come back to the Uk and buy a house

we have enough space to allow her a 'shed' in the bottom of the garden!

This has given Ian, my husband, endless hours of fun

searching for amusing houses to show Jenni.

Little did he know that there is a blog dedicated to help him find the ultimate!

Which do you think she'd like from these on offer?

1. A little Eco-house

High Tide at Dunwich

2010-02-22T22:32:00.002+08:00

On our last full day in England we took a walk along a favourite part of the Suffolk coast at Dunwich.

The tide cannot be turned on the lost town of Dunwich.

Most of which is now under the sea,

having been washed away by coastal erosion.

1500 years ago it was the largest port in the east of England -

but the sea has left it a small village today.

Legend says that the church bells can still be heard from beneath the waves at certain tides!

A few fishing boats still work the waters.....

I love to collect stones .......

enjoy fish and chips at the Ship Inn

spend time with my sister Jenni

and watch the waves roll in.

Worth a visit when you are in the east of England.

I'll be back in the summer - if I have the chance.

Crow Country

2010-02-16T01:55:00.004+08:00

Oh to be in England......

Feb 14th - watching part of the 30,000 rooks gathering at dusk before roosting en masse in woodlands near River Yare in Norfolk. A clamour of rooks!

Crow Goes Hunting by Ted Hughes

Crow

Decided to try words.

He imagined some words for the job, a lovely pack-

Clear-eyed, resounding, well-trained,

With strong teeth.

You could not find a better bred lot.

He pointed out the hare and away went the words

Resounding.

Crow was Crow without fail, but what is a hare?

It converted itself to a concrete bunker.

The words circled protesting, resounding.

Crow turned the words into bombs-they blasted the bunker.

The bits of bunker flew up-a flock of starlings.

Crow turned the words into shotguns, they shot down the starlings.

The falling starlings turned to a cloudburst.

Crow turned the words into a reservoir, collecting the water.

The water turned into an earthquake, swallowing the reservoir.

The earthquake turned into a hare and leaped for the hill

Having eaten Crow's words.

Crow gazed after the bounding hare

Speechless with admiration.

Pincushions and packing

2010-02-11T14:06:00.002+08:00

I should be packing suitcases ready to leave for the Uk tomorrow for a trip home - but I seem to be feeling the need to sew.
Since I discovered two lovely blogs I have been itching to try their tutorials.
Pink Penguin shows a little fabric basket and Mairuru had me intrigued with her string quilt.
So yesterday afternoon I got out some scraps and this is what I made in a couple of hours....

I have changed things a little - you know me never do it the way I'm told!
I just loved sewing these mini string quilts - now I have pincushion mania. Having made one for me and made one for my big sis, so now I need to find homes for the next 3.
If you would like one of my perky pincushions just email me in the comments below and the first 3 to respond will have a pincushion winging it's way to them. All I ask in return is that you email me a photo of the cushion and how you use it.
They are made with scraps from Japan, China and Denmark - so they'll sit happily anywhere in the world!
Oh well back to the packing.......

Organising and getting things finished

2010-02-07T21:12:00.001+08:00

Hmmm... seems like everything I start up on my post does not get finished - did you not notice an absence of wolf moon textile hanging? Where is the house quilt that was supposed to be finished in a week?
Well today I am trying to tie these ends up. What has made the difference? My new super duper work room reorganised and refurnished and full of inspiration again.
Before:
I don't know how I dare admit to this state of chaos!

Yesterday Ian assembled the new desks and storage (yes, it is handy having a husband who likes shopping in IKEA!) and I spent the day trying to organise all my fabrics and stuff. How do I come to have so many notebooks? They must be breeding in the many boxes they have been stored in.
Hope you enjoy taking a look and if you are ever short of fabric you know where to come! (I have lots more in the basement too.)
After:
I just love the new look.

So here is what I managed for my full moon piece - I feel it is a work in progress. Couldn't manage to make a wolf - imagine him just off the canvas!

Unfortunately I broke my sewing machine needle on a tough bit and now my machine makes an awful sound when I sew! Think the wolf had something to say about being missed off!
I cleaned, oiled and reassembled the bobbin bit 4 times - to no avail. So that is a bit of a challenge since there are no Bernina mechanics here in Beijing. I don't know if I dare take it to a repair man here. Maybe Mr IKEA can take a look as he is on a roll at the moment.

As for the house quilt - it is delayed as I have to finish a quilt for a school project - we are making quilts for some mentally challenged young people who are just about to move out of their orphanage (they have to leave at age 18 in China) and will be together in a sheltered home, in part paid for by our school, International School of Beijing. I am making a quilt for one of the girls - but now I face quilting it with my machine making a clunk at every stitch sewn! No - I am not going to hand quilt it!! Maybe the elves will mend it in the night... or better still - quilt it!
Hope you have an inspiring/ organising weekend too.

Ginza by night

2010-02-03T17:43:00.007+08:00

Yesterday, we had just two hours on Ginza

and were able to see a stationery selection par excellence.

Our first stop was Ito-Ya, who call themselves a "Stationery Wonderland".

Googled image

It is easy to find - just look for the big red paper clip hanging outside.

9 floors of cards, pens, paper and more.

Tokyu Hands was our second stop filled with more delights.

If you are ever in Tokyo - then put these two on your list.

Who can resist pig and dog shaped paper clips?

Dinner was a big surprise -

Gonpachi in Roppongi looks unassuming from the outside

but inside is just full of amazing aromas

shouts from the waiters and a feeling of deja vu!

Turns out old Quentin Tarantino dined here

and then had designers replicate the interior for 'Kill Bill 1'

- you know where Uma jumps through the air & lots of blood spurting.

No blood for us,

just amazing fried shrimp dumplings,

tuna so fresh and tasty (unlike anything I've eaten before),

cod fried in black miso .... delicious flavours and great atmosphere.

With staff calling across the room, it reminded me of a Beijing noodle house.

This was Edo style - in Tokyo it's a little more sophisticated!!

Considering the quality, prices were not expensive.

Now back in Beijing with fabrics and stationery goodies - just the weather is a bit nippy!

Tokyo time

2010-02-02T06:59:00.002+08:00

Just in Tokyo for a few days.

Time to see my first blossom of the year and a little fabric shopping!

Monday I met up with Helena for a special day wandering the old temples and shrines

of Kamakura and enjoying the blossom on early flowering cherry trees.

Spring can't be too far away, can it?

Beautiful scene at Meigetsuin Temple.

Sake for the soul!

The most expensive strawberries ever!

This box was 10,000yen ($110 or £70).

Yes you did read that right!

Kato and Simba - the two cutest cats in Tokyo

You can see them again with Helena's gorgeous purses here

I see a Wolf Moon Rising

2010-01-30T08:10:00.006+08:00

If you hear strange sounds tonight when you're out - be aware that it is Full Wolf Moon night. Isn't that the most exciting name for a moon? According to Farmers Almanac, in the cold and deep snows of midwinter the wolf packs would circle Indian villages and howl hungrily seeking food.

Googled image

Don't miss it because tonight's full moon will be the brightest and largest of 2010 - so if the skies are clear maybe it's time for a howl! See here for more moon facts.

This being the first new moon of the decade could be the starting point for making plans and envisioning dreams. Read about creating your own Full Wolf Moon dreamboard at Jamie Ridler's studio and see more of her inspirational ideas.
Maybe I'll try combining Sarah's inspiration from yesterday with moons and wolves!!!
Yet more about dream boards here

Wolf moon over Yosemite, Beijing, China!

Need a good book to read? I just could not put "Wolf Totem" by Jiang Rong down.

"As Chen Zhen looked through the telescope from his hiding place in the snow cave, he saw the steely gaze of a Mongolian grassland wolf..."

It is the most incredible story and you will find so many wolves! It is based on the author's own experiences in the 1960's in Inner Mongolia.

Inspiration from Unravellers...part1

2010-01-29T17:26:00.002+08:00

Don't you just love it when you open a blog for the first time and the page makes you go 'Wow'!
Well that happened yesterday morning when I took my first look at my online pal Sarah's Etsy site.
I just love the way she combines paper, fabric and stitches to create something so beautiful yet simple. Her blog also reflects the same ethos.

Take a look at Sarah's portfolio to see more.

My workroom is filled with paper, yarn and textiles from my travels. I love them ... yet they sit unused on my shelves. Inspired by Sarah's art I decided to seize the moment and quickly gathered together this selection....

'The Sea, The Sea" - (never finished the book) but that's what I feel is coming together here.
2 hours later..... the fabrics remain uncut and the brow is furrowed - it seemed so easy to assemble to constituents but what now!
I promise to come back on Sunday with a start.

If you feel Sarah's superb pieces inspire you then stop what you're doing (after you finished reading this blog!) and collect together a few pieces from your creative lair. Then photograph it and please send it to me. I'd love to see it and the best collection is going to receive a little chinese Tiger in the post from me, to welcome in the New Year of the Tiger on February 14th - and have it's own spotlight on this blog. Of course - like me you may just decide the smartest idea is to go to Sarah's site and buy one.

Sarah by the way is one of the amazing co-unravellers on the photo journalling course I am on now. Click here for info on how you can Unravel!

Snow time like the present

2010-01-27T19:44:00.006+08:00

To remind ourselves of how much fun the snow is

because it's disappearing fast,

here is a Rufus mosaic

showing how good life can be

if you are born with

the equivalent of Ugg boots for skin covering.

I just discovered Mosaic Monday at Little Red House today

and decided that

even though I was 2 days late

I would join the fun.

If you want to have a try,

Mary has instructions to tell you how to do it.

If I can manage it ....

then you know you can too.

Rufus says "Go on - have a roll in the snow, you know you'll love it!"

Josef Frank and Astrid's chair

2010-01-26T20:38:00.006+08:00

"The home does not need to be planned out in detail, just put together by pieces its inhabitants love."

Josef Frank

That lovely quote is a lead in to my show-and-tell today...... the fabric I bought last week to cover our version of the Astrid chair, which is pictured below. I searched and found nothing in the furnishing section, until my favourite cotton stall had one roll of this gorgeous fabric winking at me. I just felt it was a Josef Frank wannabe.

I loved his fabrics 22 years ago when we lived for a few months north of Stockholm. But at the time I could not justify the expense of buying a few metres. Now at 1290 swedish krone ($180 or £120) a metre I wish I had bought some as an investment!!

My fabric is not trying to be a copy but is more in the spirit of.
I think it will look stunning on the Astrid chairs, don't you?

Here is the chair again to remind you!

Josef Frank was an Austrian/Swedish architect, who though born in Austria, moved to Sweden in 1933. For more than 30 years he was the main designer for the renowned Swedish furnishings firm of Svensk Tenn.

He advocated a more humane form of Modernism than was popular in the 1930’s, believing that designs needed to respect people’s needs and allow for historical influences. I think eclectic is the perfect word to use to describe his designs which are colourful, imaginative, modern yet look back to a more poetic time. They really are timeless.

"There's nothing wrong with mixing old and new, with combining different furniture styles, colours, patterns. Anything that is in your taste will fuse to form an entire relaxing environment." Josef Frank

Cost is not everything but it does give me a warm feeling inside to know that I paid less than £2 or $3 a metre for my fabric at Beijing's fabric market. In fact maybe I should go back to buy the rest of the roll in case any of you would like some too!

I love how Svensk Tenn describe his fabrics as "concealing a wealth of details to help restore a feeling of harmony and well being."

I think that will be the rationale behind my next quilt!!!

"Every human needs a certain degree of sentimentality to feel free."

Josef Frank

What a great thought to leave you with for today.