Here are our posts: Highlighted Posts & Coffee~Tea ~ Matcha Culture,
Fine Arts, Home Improvements, & Textile Crafts,
Times of the Year (seasons & festive days), Miscellaneous, & Book Reviews.
Marga van der Vet & Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Let us first acknowledge that Simply Living is hard to define. Although there is plenty of research that simply living add to feelings of happiness. Hence why we spend our holidays in caravans, tents or simple holiday cottages. Still it is very hard to define what exactly simply living or simplifying your home (homekeeping too) is.
We predicted in -Pantone Colour for 2027 as predicted by HLH- three fresh colours: Naples Yellow, Matcha Green, and Ocean Blue to become dominant in 2027. These colours are known in the textile, fine arts world, and in matcha café's by many names. It is almost as if every trade has its own colour names.
Our friend, let us name her Y, had her Vinted buyers account blocked for no apparent reason as Y had only used it for buying second hand clothing so now and then. Y, being very practical, move on and find her clothes elsewhere. But not being used to the fast developments in online shopping, she made a mistake which we all (might) have done. She ordered at a website that -later turned out- to be known for 'dropshipping'. What is dropshipping?
Do you remember sewing lessons at school? If you were born in the 1960s or earlier, chances are you do. For many girls, sewing and crafts were simply part of the school week. Boys usually went to the woodworking classroom, while the young girls learned to sew, knit and crochet.
Three adults -we sit around the table- and we try to define some luxuries of life. You think you know your husband—but still his answer surprises you after forty years. Your grown child’s musings reveal societal echoes: “The absence of war or dictatorship is a luxury.”
I used to think luxury had a logo. Like many people, I admired the famous fashion houses. Chanel. Dior. Hermès. The names alone seemed to carry a kind of magic. Their jackets looked perfect, their craftsmanship seemed almost mythical, and I assumed that true quality simply had to come with a breathtaking price tag. Then I learned to make those jackets myself.
Then there’s Japan itself—a country that has always fascinated me. From its cutting-edge infrastructure to its grace under pressure—whether handling natural disasters or pandemics—Japan seems light-years ahead of many Western European nations. I adore its arts and crafts, too. I’ve dived into Sashiko embroidery, studied its ceramics, and marveled at its temples. So, when my daughter brought Japanese tea into my life, I was more than willing to take a sip.
The dragonflies have discovered a bowl filled with green liquid. We can’t blame them for being puzzled.
Well, picture a cozy table. Actually... scratch "cozy." Picture a table completely covered in clutter! Broken items, damaged clothes, and even second-hand quilts waiting for a big update. This table center-stages our living room. My husband and I have our own station at the table:
Matcha is a serious business. It is surrounded with discussions about its quality, its complex preparation, its fascinating accessories like that bamboo whisk, and of course, the most wonderful wabi-sabi (侘び寂び) ceramics.
If you love matcha, you've probably noticed that not all matcha looks the same. Some powders are bright and vibrant, while others are darker or even a little olive-coloured.
Did you know that because the mandarin drake (male duck) wears such bright, extravagant plumage, he isn’t allowed near the nesting female? She handles the entire nesting and child-rearing process alone—from incubating the eggs to ensuring her ducklings’ first leap into the world.
Have you ever seen the YouTube videos or David Attenborough’s footage of a female mandarin duck calling her ducklings from a tree cavity? One by one, these tiny, fluffy balls of joy hurl themselves into the unknown—bouncing a few times on the ground before scrambling up to follow their mother.
Let us talk about buying or commissioning a mandarin duck painting. I always accept mandarin duck commissions because working on a painting showing mandarin ducks is a delight. I like customers to be as specific as they like to be. How would you prefer your mandarin ducks?Should the ducks be side-to-side, drake or duck taking front stage? Are they swimming or resting, do you need a background of a lotus pond, a bamboo pond, a forest? Mountains in the back, overflying birds? Should the mandarin ducks be regular, that is colourful, or should they be white? Should the lotus flower be pink, or white? Shall I draw a decorative border be gold, blue or green? Or perhaps this is all too much and you just like to order mandarin ducks and you allow me to surprise you?
Their dazzling, colourful plumage fades into a muted, understated tone—a natural disguise for survival. In fact, they look like their females to blend in with their winter environment. In the bleak, grey winter landscape, their bright suits would make them easy targets. This phenomenon, called the eclipse, leaves the drake looking so much like the female that you’d need a close look to tell them apart.
I studied bird anatomy and read ‘The Dictionary of Angels' by Gustav Davidson, to broaden my understanding of why and how angel wings have inspired artists throughout the history of art.
Ever since corona and ordering from home, delivery services shouldn’t be bothered with taking the elevator to deliver at our door. I kindly offer to put boxes in our elevator and I will call the elevator up to our floor. By now, this ritual has become a routine.
A wall hanging can be many things.
There comes a moment in life when you start looking at your home differently.
Tiles floors come in all sorts of aesthetics and feel deliciously cool during a hot summer.
There is something I never expected to think about when I started Handmade Luxury Home: how will our interiors change if Northern Europe keeps getting warmer? We usually think about climate change and our homes in terms of insulation, windows, roofs, air conditioning and other technical solutions. That is an important subject, and we will talk about the building side of things in another blog. But what about the inside of our homes? How will we decorate, furnish and use our homes when a typical Northern European summer is no longer quite so typical?
Maybe quilts are back in style. Or maybe they never really disappeared. For hundreds of years, quilts have been much more than blankets. They have kept families warm, comforted babies, decorated homes, and been passed down from one generation to the next.
You might think the difference lies in where you stayed during your holiday. Perhaps you returned from a cozy boat to a more spacious home, or from a tiny, minimalist cottage to what -post-holiday- feels like a cluttered warehouse. Whatever the reason, the moment you step into your home after a break is pivotal.
When I first heard the term Swedish Death Cleaning, I honestly thought it sounded rather gloomy. Death cleaning? It didn't exactly make me smile.
People often ask me if I have a favorite fabric.
Photographer Erik Bolding once asked me if I could reupholster a bench for him. He figured I’d be up for the task since I’m pretty handy with a sewing machine—but let me tell you, upholstering a bench is a whole different ballgame!
For a long time, I had a rather old-fashioned idea about smocking.
Choosing fabric is one of the most important parts of any sewing project.
I'll admit something first: I have never been a huge fan of printed fabrics.
Sometimes inspiration comes from the most unexpected place. For me, it came from two beautiful Norwegian novels. While reading them, I found myself thinking about weaving, handmade textiles, and the people who kept these old traditions alive for hundreds of years.
Have you ever unrolled a new "fabric" and wondered if the fabric store accidentally sent you paper instead? If that has happened to you, chances are you've met Tyvek!
Some people dream of silk. Others swoon over velvet.
Old is Gold.
Autumn is coming. Usually, that sentence makes me happy. I love autumn colours, cooler evenings, the first lightning of a candle after summer, and the moment when staying indoors suddenly feels like a very good idea. However, this year, autumn started rather bumpy.
Today I have something to celebrate. Well… almost! In a few weeks, I will start working with a very special sewing machine: the Bernette 08 Straight Stitch. I am very excited about this, because I will be using this wonderful machine for my work and I will also be writing about my experiences for the BERNINA blog.
Some time ago I wrote a blog called How I Survived a Heatwave. Not long after that came Preparing for Another Heatwave.. How innocent I was. I honestly thought that would be the end of it.
For days, I lived in complete denial. "No way," I told myself. "One heatwave is already terrible and exceptional enough. There is absolutely no chance a second one is coming." Well... my friends and family knew better. They kept sending me weather forecasts that were scarier (at least to me) than the worst horror movies on Netflix.
"Never give up." It's one of those quotes you hear a lot in yoga circles. At least, I do. Somewhere along the way it settled into my brain as a personal mantra. But every now and then... I do give up. Call it weakness if you like, but sometimes it's simply common sense to stop doing something that mainly produces frustration, disappointment and a vocabulary your neighbours probably shouldn't hear. Like... vegetable gardening.Yes, really.
If anyone asks me what I've been doing over the past few days, my honest answer would be: Trying not to evaporate. It has been unbelievably hot here. The kind of heat that makes you question every life choice that involves moving more than three steps. Now, for most people, it's simply uncomfortable.
How can we endure a heatwave with grace, without spending a fortune? How can we find hope and composure in our daily rituals—without calling an air-conditioning company only to be told there is a waiting list of several weeks?
I have a few sewing machines.
I never thought I would say this, but these days I hardly miss my iron.
Even though the sun is still shining and winter feels far away, now is the perfect time to start thinking about those cozy moments ahead. Imagine this: snowy days by the fireplace, a good book in your lap, a warm cup of coffee or matcha nearby, and the magical glow of Christmas all around.
If you've never been to a European fabric fair, let me paint you a picture.
I recently made this linen apron for the BERNINA Blog, complete with a step-by-step photo tutorial showing exactly how to sew it. It's perfect for enthusiastic sewists and devoted BERNINA fans who enjoy making their own projects.
Thrift stores are treasure troves for many things, but quilts? Think twice. That cozy-looking quilt on the shelf might carry more than just charm—it could come with lingering odors (think musty basements or unknown spills), worn-out synthetic fabrics that don’t breathe, and a lack of personal connection. A quilt should tell your story, not someone else’s forgotten one.
We are Paula and Marga, two artisans who believe that handmade creations deserve a place where craftsmanship comes first.
There is one important thing to mention: The Soap Book is written in Dutch. So, naturally, it is most suitable for readers who understand the Dutch language. That said, there are apps you can use to scan text and translate it simultaneously.
When I decided to reupholster my vintage bench (you can read about that project in another blog), I quickly realised I didn't want to jump in completely unprepared. Although YouTube is full of helpful videos, I'm still someone who enjoys sitting down with a good book before starting a new craft. Books allow me to study techniques at my own pace, revisit pages, make notes, and understand why something is done instead of simply copying what I see on a screen.