Souvenirs and sewing

Hello! A very quick post to show you the start I've made on my holiday embroidery, and some of the bits and bobs I brought back with from our trip to Finland and Sweden in August.

The first thing I sewed was this Dala horse. It measures approximately 5 x 5 cm so is quite small. I use chain stitch, a stitch I've been using a lot on this embroidery, and I'm pleased with the shape and colour. I needed the outline for this horse to be exactly right - they have such a distinctive shape - so I sketched a design on paper then traced it using my trusty fading pen.

Next came a small Falu-red summer house, similar to the ones we saw everywhere in Finland. You can see the progress of it below: the blocks of colour...

...then the details of window and door frames, and a log pile of course.

You can also see the purple pen outline of the trees and blueberries I planned to sew next. The running stitches between the pictures are just for me to keep the lines straight - I pull them out when I have stitched the pictures.

Here you can see the finished pine trees and blueberries, as well as a bowl of traditional salmon and potato soup.

The trees were one of the things I remember most about Finland: forests everywhere you looked. The blueberries I had not considered especially Finnish but when we flew there with Finnair we were offered a glass of blueberry juice on the flight. All the supermarkets sell it, and the berries. It was delicious. I had to mark that Lohikeitto soup in stitches because it was so good, and also because I just love stitching food. 

To this, I have just added a Finnish flag and sauna. I plan to do ten Finnish memories and ten Swedish, all on one embroidery.

I bought all sorts of bits and bobs back from our holiday. Postcards, a lot of postcards. I like to use them as bookmarks, or I prop them up here and there around the house on shelves.

That little metal sauna sign, €5 from a shop by the beach in Hanko, sits on the bathroom shelf. The black and white tote bag bag was €2 from Stockmann, a big department store in Helsinki. I picked up the Moomin socks at the airport. They make me smile every time I put them on.

I bought the blue Dala horse at Stockholm airport. It sits nicely between the white and red ones I picked up in Copenhagen years ago.

I couldn't go to Finland and not buy some Marimekko, that most iconic brand. This cushion cover came home with me.

Along with this black and white plate, bottom right. 

I completely fell in love with this green and white Stig Lindberg leaf print, a Swedish classic. A tea towel seemed like a much safer bet than a china cup for the flight home.

It's already in constant use in the kitchen.

Finally, and this was probably my biggest splurge, I bought a Kay Bojesen monkey and he makes me smile every time I look at him. I'm going to crochet a little Christmas hat. 

I printed some photos which have just arrived. I have framed a couple and others will be bookmarks or to stick up around the house.

This may be my best souvenir of all: liquorice, raspberry and caramel chocolate. Utter deliciousness. Apparently there is a shop in London called Scandi Kitchen and they sell it. I may have to seek it out next time I'm in London.

I love bringing back bits and pieces from holidays, such a nice reminder of good memories. Thank you for indulging me with all the holiday posts - normal service will resume soon with lots of every day, autumnal goings on.