Happy Holidays! :)

I wish you a wonderful and peaceful Christmas and very Happy, joyous and creative New Year!!
xo,
Katarina

Some artsy inspiration

Recently I've started with my PhD studies and I must say that I can't be more excited about that. It's great to have new tasks, classes and assignments that make you study, explore and create more and better. And I am so inspired and feel very happy about that ;)
One of the new classes that I am attending is called " Influences of the Modern arts to the contemporary textiles" and I am always so smitten when I realize how the roots of some very Modern designs are much older that I thought....

So here are some of the art pieces from Robert Kushner, very famous Paul Klee and
Sonia Delaunay

Sonia Delaunay triangles from 1925...





{the photos are taken from the  books and internet}
What inspires you lately?

"Miss June" { Homemaker calendar magazine feature}

Another wonderful feature and very useful too-now I have a gorgeous new Calendar x 2014 featuring 12 Spoonflower designers!!!

I can't be more thrilled, grateful and honoured to who ever picked me and  my design (among a sea of designs and designers) to be in this wonderful calendar, among some very well known textile designers.
As you may see I am Miss June.
Who knows what this June will bring?
Looking forward to discover it !





Feel so thankful for this great gift!! ;)

SEW UK magazine feature

I was delighted to see my Babushka doll featured in the Sew magazine UK.
All the fabrics used for the doll and other clothes my kids are wearing are from the gorgeous Nordika fabric collection by Jeni Baker for Art Gallery fabrics.

The doll is among Bianka's favourite cuddling toys and it is so easy to make.

You can read all the sewing info on the following magazine's page and you can download the template HERE

I suggest making the embroidered face using the transfer pen and paper, that would give an extra touch ;)

Have a wonderful weekend,
Katarina

Calendar for 2014

Can you believe that there is less than a month time till Christmas and just a 33 days left till the New Year? Well, I have a new Calendar available for 2014 at Spoonflower, made to fit one fat quarter of the linen-canvas fabric-that is great surface for tea towels, bags, home decor etc....I think it would make a great Xmas present either just hemmed like that or to be made as a cushion or bag or.....any other idea?




There is still time left to order and sew something with it;)
Can't wait for mine to arrive;)

xo, Katarina

The Pumpkin season

It's a pumpkin - squash season and we are totally enjoying it....here are a few ideas!



My favourite at the moment is the squash pottage and the good thing is that kids love it too. You can always play with the fresh cream to make a neat detail and to make it more appealing to them too:)

 

And how about these easy and yummy and healthy chips?


Buon appetito,
Katarina

Half square triangles quilt

 

A few weeks ago, I posted some pics of WIP of this quilt. I am very happy with the result, even that as the first time, it was the long learning process. This time I had some troubles with the batting layer as it was very thick, so it was giving me a bit of problems while quilting (cross-hatching).
All the fabrics I used are the various collections from Art Gallery fabrics and they were perfect.
I had so much fun with taking photos of the quilt and so grateful for the season's perfect ambience.





Those autumn vines were great as quilt holders - I couldn't think of the best way to have it almost flat against that beautiful old brick and plaster wall.

























Anyway, I will be glad to do the tutorial for this, so look up for it soon.
Here is the entire set on flickr with all the pics, from start to the end.


xo, Katarina

Fall beauty

Yesterday I went to make some pics of my new finished quilt. And I made hundreds of pics, but before I post them, I decided to dedicate this post to nature and fall only.
Because it deserves a post itself. There is so much beauty in the silence....incredible colors everywhere...hope you will be inspired too!

What a wonderful day! :)

What a fantastic, happy day it was today! Not only it's my son's birthday, but I have found out that I have passed the doctoral preliminary examination!! The prelims were on Tuesday and I was so nervous to hear the results. The competition level was very high and I had some problems explaining to the jury members why I want to do the PhD in painting and not in graphic design (after studying printing and graphic design) or textile design (as my thesis concept was much closer to the textile design field). But, well I suppose that I convinced them and I am so happy that I will be back to the Faculty from the next week. And I will totally take some classes from the field of textile design as well (yay for the possibility to combine different art fields) and looking forward to it!
It will be a great mix and match of painting, graphic and textile design!

And of course, we had so much fun with the kids and celebrating all the good news!!!
And I am so happy and proud and so blessed to call this adorable boy - son!
He is the most wonderful son mom can ever ask for.
Have  a wonderful weekend and kiss your kids,
Katarina :)

Workshop with Marcella Brancaforte

Last week we had the pleasure of being involved in the great workshop held at the Museum of Applied Art in Belgrade and conducted by fantastic Italian illustrator Marcella Brancaforte
It was offered by the Italian Cultural Institute in Belgrade







The kids had pleasure of listening the old Sicilian fairy tale "La Bella dalla stella d'Oro", looking at Marcella's gorgeous illustrations from the book and drawing something that was related with the story.





The workshop was organized as part of the 48th Children's October Salon, where my sister's sons got the first award;)