How to renew your bikini?

Do you need to renew your beach outfits? These two crochet swimsuit appliques are perfect for renew your favorite swimsuit. Just sew them on your bikini top and you will attract a lot of attention and compliments! This year crochet beach fashion is on the wave.
A beautiful hand crochet cotton triangular motifs you can sew on something else: bag, shirt... Don't limit your imagination!

 White crochet appliques

black crochet appliques

Here are scheme for crochet:

 This scheme I found on this site.

 This scheme I found on this site.

Using these triangles you can attache 6 mothifs and make a doily or use a few triangles to decorate the bag of t-shirt. This year crochet detailes are fashionable and stylish!

Fabric flowers for my hat

A few days ago I recieves felted floppy hat I ordered in Internet. But it was decorated with two fur balls I don't like. So I decided it's arrived a time to prove to make a fabric flowers tutorial!
The first - I gone in fabric shop and bought a few fabrics from cream color to dark brown. It should be polyester fabric: chiffon, organza, tulle or something similar.

Cut some circles of different diameter. They do not need to be exact or symmetrical at all.  For excample I cut 3 big circles from dark brown fabric, then a few smaller circles from brown fabric, then again smaller circles from milk chocolate fabric and a few circles of different diameter from cream fabric. I cut circles of  different diameter from cream fabric because I put them not only above but amidship of the flower.
Next step is to take a candle. Carefully burn edges of all circles. Remember to make this operation in well ventilated area.
Put all circles together on order you prefer. Choose some beads of suitable color. Take a thread and sew the center of flower 2-3 times. Take beads and sew beads in the center of the flower to decorate it.
These are perfect for a hair clip or a pretty pin for your jacket or purse.

These are my two flowers finished and sewn on the hat:
These are first I made in my life))

Gift for my husband

Last week my husband had a birthday and I prepared a special gift for him. I know that he likes something for his office so I asked my friend Alla (she has a shop on Etsy FleetingStillness) to make a bussines card holder with naturals stones. As office of my husband is in classic dark wood style and there are many vintage items to decorate the rooms (of course you can see t-shirt of Yuventus on the wall but it's a long story) so card holder in earth colors is perfect for the office. 
Finally business cards of Nando are in order)

You can read interview with Alla on my blog here. She is very interesting person and talented artist.

Jewelry in boho style

Lately I've been fascinated by boho style. It is a mixture of hippie style, folk, Military clothing, gypsy and ethnic motifs, there are elements of a hobo style and vintage. I understood that this is the style, which I have always wanted, which expresses my inner soul.
Boho is all about looking individual and natural. Earthy tones are best, with splashes of colors like orange, green, and magenta. Ethnical ornamens and feathers, wind-shaken long skirts and flowy tunics. Accessories is probably the most important part of all: plenty of bracelets, ankle bracelets, mix-and-match necklaces, and dangling earrings. Nature-Inspired accent in jewelery means natural materials or shapes inspired by nature. 
That's why one part of my spring collection I dedicated to jewelry in boho style. These are two first pieces: leather feather earrings and necklace with chains and leather feathers:

Tutorial for crochet roses

Cream crochet flower brooch

One of the first things I crocheted was roses. I saw cute brooches and I decided that I should have at least one)
I found some tutorials in Internet here and here
My first rose I don't want to show you) It was so strange and not much to look at) The second was better and after that all my roses was beautiful. So If you have problem doing it try again and you will have perfect rose! 
Depending on the thickness of yarn rose can be smaller or bigger. When you buy yarn in the shop ask also which number of hook you should use for it.
This rose you can use to create cute brooch. Wear it as you want - I put it on my hat

Purple crochet flower brooch

or on the scarf

Lavender crochet flower brooch

or for decorate simple sweater:

Light pink crochet flower brooch

You can make bobby pins or elastic hair ties for your daughter:

Purple crochet flower elastic hair ties

So let's begin!

 1. Make about 40 chains. If you will make more - rose will be bigger, less- smaller

 2. Make Double Crochet (DC), then 2 chains,  DC in the same chain space that you just worked, 1 chain. Slip stitch into the next 2 basic chains and make DC, then 2 chains,  DC  in the same chain space that you just worked , 1 chain.... Repeat row untill the end.

 3. Next row you can skip if you want your flower smaller.  
Turn piece. 2 DC in the space of chain of previous row, 2 chains, 2 DC in the same chain space that you just worked. Repeat in the next space of chain of previous row.

 

4. 6 DC in the chain space, Single crochet in the small space between two spaces. 6 DC in chain space. Repeat row untill the end.

5. Finish off, leaving a long tail, and threading the tail through a needle (the tail will be used to sew it all together). Now, holding the short beginning tail in your hand, begin to turn the piece to form your flower.
6. Last step, sew the petals together using your long tail and needle. Stitch them in a few places around the flower. Then put the needle through the entire flower a few times in a few different areas to capture the inner petals as well. In this step you can decorate the center of flower with beads.


Good luck!

Pasta con le vongole - pasta with clams recipe

Today after many time I sharing with you a new recipe. It's spaghetti with clams - in italian spaghetti con le vongole. It's very simple and easy recipe. It need only about 15 minutes!

You will need 300 gram of fresh clams (vongole) per person, not cleaned or frozen! You can make clams spaghetti with frozen clams but the taste will be pretty much different.
Couple cloves of garlic.
Spaghetti pasta 100 gram per person.
Olive oil.
Couple tablespoons of white wine.
Salt.

Pasta and the rest will be cooked separately and combined in the end, so let's start with putting water on to boil for the spaghetti.

Peel garlic and roast it till golden in olive oil. It's better to remove the garlic cloves in the end of roasting. Add clams.

Saute, add couple tablespoons of white wine and saute a few more minutes.
You may want to take out the clams to a separate bowl at this time.
When water comes to boil, cook the spaghetti. Cook until almost ready (one minute shorter than cooking time on the package and drain them well!)

Add spaghetti to the sauce and simmer a couple more minutes.
And that's it! Clams spaghetti is ready. Serve clams over spaghetti on every plate or the clams may be served in separate bowl where everyone can take as much as they want.

Giveaway - olive green leather key fob

You can win this practical and pretty olive green leather key fob! 
The olive green color is stunning and matches almost every outfit.
This giveaway is open to eveyone no matter where you may live
and this giveaway will end on April 17th, 2012!
The rules you can read here:
http://friedasophie.blogspot.it

Mint for spring

The big color trend for 2012 spring/summer is mint green. It's a fresh pastel color that livens up any ensemble.

I so like it, that after check some mint pintrest boards I created this wonderful pair: Mint fabric necklace and Mint fabric earrings earrigns from fabric beads:

Tutorial for necklace from fabric beads

After make a tutorial of fabric beads I decided to make two new tutorial for necklaces: necklace from fabric beads and necklace from fabric and crochet beads.
The first one is ready and you can buy it in my Etsy shop:

They are wonderful, every necklace will be unique! You can also decorate every bead with seed beads.This necklace will not let anyone pass you, it immediately attract attention. 
Don't limit your imagination, combine colors and fabrics!

Easter traditions in Italy

Like all holidays in Italy, Easter, Pasqua in Italian, has its share of rituals and traditions. 
Two years ago we had a trip in Sicily for 3 days around Easter. So today post will be illustrated with photos from this trip.

In sud Italy olive branches are often used instead of or along with palm fronds so Sunday one week before Easter you can buy olive branches on the street. This Sunday is called Palme Sunday.
Then go Thursday of the Easter week called Giovedi santo. In sud Italy we have tradition to visit this evening or morning of Friday uneven quantity of churches. It called Sepolcri. In the evening this day Brindisi is full of people visiting churches. Thursday the women and children bring in the Church so-called wheat of Christ. The wheat is made grow in a pot or tray of clay, and it kept in the dark  to grow it thinner and clear. In Sicily traditions are still strong and you can see on the photo many pots with wheat of Christ:

wheat of Christ in Taormina

Solemn religious processions are held in many towns on the Friday or Saturday before Easter and sometimes on Easter Sunday. Many churches have special statues of the Virgin and Jesus that play a big part in the processions. 
When we was in Sicily Easter Sunday we visited small and beautiful town Noto. 

Cathedral of Noto

But we found center of the city full of people and we asked about it. 

One men explained that at midday will be meeting of Virgin and Jesus. We was intrigued by this and found some place with good view we waited midday. 

It was not long to wait. And what we see was surpassed all our expectations. From both sides of the square with the free passage of people  the statue of Virgin and Jesus run towards each other. Of course, they did not run, but the people who carried them (I can say they are very heavy), but the feeling was just so, because the statue dominate over the human mass. When the statue met - fireworks, firecrackers, incredible sound exploded around on the square. In the air flying crackers and it was impossible to understand what is happening. 

On the photo are the papers of crackers - "Happy Easter" is written in different languages. It's so cute)

Only after returning we read on the internet that this procession in Noto is very famous.


There is a saying in Italian that says, “Natale con i suoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi” – which means you’re supposed to spend Christmas with your immediate family and Easter is for you to spend with whoever you like. Practically speaking, however, Easter Sunday is still a time when people often get together with family and you know, families in Italy are very big) I don’t know how many persons will be this Sunday, maybe 25.


The Monday following Easter, la Pasquetta (a diminutive of "Pasqua") is also a holiday throughout Italy.  Some cities hold dances, free concerts, or unusual games often involving eggs. It’s time to spending with friends. A very popular Easter Monday tradition is to pack a big picnic and drive out into the countryside.

Beach crochet mini skirt

You know about my passion for crochet last year. But I did only small creations - flowers and beads. Bigger thing I made was scarf. But this spring I pluck courage and made some big creations. 
One of these is this wonderful lace crochet mini skirt:

  

I will wear it as a beach skirt in the summer, but now I wear this skirt with leggins.  It's a really cute skirt! You can order it in my Etsy shop.

The pattern to make it is very simple and if you are still not professional with crochet, you will be able to make it. I found this pattern in Internet here: http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/3671849/post123690069/.
Tie around your hips + 1-2 cm/0.4-0.8" - this will be the width of the skirt. Then steer the scheme:

The length can be different - very short like mine or a little longer. So, If I was able to make - be sure that you is able too!
You can make also a linning and wear this crochet skirt as a normal skirt.

Fabric and crochet necklaces

Gone those days when fashion was dictated by some strict rules, obedience to which meant a good taste. Today absolutely everything is fashionable!  But no more restrictions, all the periods of the history of fashion are mixed now. You can wear an elegant dress with romantic Victorian elements of the late XIX century, or the futuristic suit, pants from the '70s or the feminine floral dress of 50th or mix all this together...

The same goes for accessories and jewelry. Any material, size, style – you can find here glass and wood, precious stones and various metals,  textiles and leather, knitting and beadwork. The combination of different materials and techniques in jewelry makes them unique, for example these necklaces made from  crochet and fabric beads:

The combination of these different textures and matherials makes these necklaces unique and special. Everyone who will see them, always want to touch them. And it is not surprising, because they look so original!

Tutorial for these wonderful necklaces is here.