PINK/RED:

I've knitted a new hat to keep my head warm and dry for the next few months. And I had forgotten how fun (and easy) it is to make pom-pom's!

STILL SKETCHING:

Testing colour combinations, for the big piece I want to make.

I'M SKETCHING:

A couple of hints from a project I've just started on,
showing details from some of my sketches.
To see the whole sketch, click here!

BLANKET MAGAZINE:

A while back I sent a photo to Blanket Magazine and forgot all about it. And today I got an email from the editor, saying that they used my work! It is actually a self-portrait (to the left). This issues theme is Black&White, you can buy the web-magazine for 2 USD here! It's a great source of inspiration, showing work from artists/designers all over the world.

PREVIEW:

At the moment I'm working on a photographic project based on vintage underwear. I want to emphasize the beautiful details we hide underneath our everyday clothes. So to those of you who have bras, underskirts, corsets etc. with lace and other decorative features -
I will be very grateful for both donations and loans ♥

NEW WEBSITE:

I finally sat down and redesigned my entire website, still a few things to be done before it's finished. But it's up and running! Check it out here.

DRESS - by petch:

I made this dress a couple of months ago, and I'm so pleased with it that I wear it all the time. The fabric is from a charity shop, soft cotton knit and I just love the floral print! I started out with a vintage sewing pattern for a girl's dress, that I got from my auntie Helga. But ended up changing the pattern as I went along, and basically drafted the whole dress my self. I think it's my most comfortable dress, so I might make a few more -and maybe I'll even make some that I can sell.

Money for nothing:

I have always liked coins with nice illustrations on. So I took a few old ones and made some earrings! I have used the old Norwegian 1- and 10-"øring", and the Danish 2-"øring". The coins are from the 60s and 70s, are are not in use anymore. I really love the pairs with the squirrel and the wasp. And now I hope I can find a pair of old 1 NOK's, they had a horse on one side and were really nice...

SHORTS:

After looking for a suitable shorts pattern for ages, I decided to make my own! So I drafted a pattern from my favorite shorts, added some freehand changes and adjusted a bit as I went a long. Turned out just the way I wanted! The fabric is 100% wool, bought for 20 NOK / 2 GBP at Fretex (a charity shop). Perfect for cold and rainy days in Bergen, summer or winter...

BY PETCH:

My bag collection is now for sale! If you want one, visit Sanseliv at Bryggen i Bergen. You can also contact me by e-mail or leave a comment if you want to buy one, and I'll get back to you.

"BAG - by petch"

I have a part-time job in a small designer shop on "Bryggen" in Bergen. During the summer I also work full-time while the owner is on vacation. One of the great things about working there is that I get to sell my own designs in the shop! Right now I'm working on a collection of bags, made out of old fabrics. All the bags are made reversible, one side with pattern and one plain. I enjoy unusual combinations of colors, and all the bags are "one of a kind". Above is a random selection to show you the variety - what do you think?

Now I just need to order some metal tags with my brand name "by petch", before I can display them in the shop. So in a couple of weeks (hopefully) you can buy my bags from Sanseliv.

Kommer snart for salg hos Sanseliv,
Jacobsfjorden på Bryggen!

ALL WORK, NO PLAY:

For the past month I´ve been working full time as an interior designer, so that I can afford to pay rent and have some fun during the summer as well. And that means no time to be crafty! I´ve put together some of the photos I´ve taken lately, for you to look at while waiting for more creative posts. 





Enjoy the summer, people!

OLD CURTAIN - NEW DRESS:

"Våren 1967"

Screen printed pictures on sateen, hand-colored inspired by the coloring of b/w photos from the 50´s. I wanted to manipulate the atmosphere in the photo with my use of colors, and in that way lead the viewer towards an untold story. A picture paints a thousand words, so there are always more than one story in a photo. We all get different associations, and they will affect the way we see things. Which story you want to see, is up to you.


Exhibition: Friday 22nd of May.
Strømgaten 1, Bergen - 12.00-18.00.
One day only!

Insomnia:

Sometimes when i just cant sleep, i spend hours exploring photoshop. And once in a while I end up with results I actually kind of like. Like these:




I find them a little poetic in a way.

WARHOL-INSPIRED MONO PRINT:

During a two-week long print course I decided to challenge my self to do at BIG mono print. Mono prints are painted with water colour dyes, directly on to the silk screen and then printed with a clear print paste. It can only be printed once, therefore the name "mono" print. The print is based on a photo of my mother from 1969, but I have simplified it a lot so I don´t think it looks like the photo anymore. I did a number of small tests first, trying out different styles and colours. Finally I ended up with 3 large prints; a red, a blue and the yellow one you see here:



The blue and the green print are a couple of the smaller test I did, before starting the big pieces.
The final prints are approximately 140 x 100 cm, printed on cotton.

ALMOST SPRING:

I bought the fabric a while ago from a secondhand shop. It used to be a pillow case, and I bought it because I liked the retro print. And finally I turned it into a simple a-line skirt, perfect for sunny spring days! I drafted a quick pattern from a skirt I had already, and did some final fitting as I went along.




Fabric/pillow case: 10 NOK
Zipper: 3 NOK
Sewing time: 1 hour

COLOUR IN SPACE:

This week we have been working with colours, and the last two days we got to explore colour and space. We could choose to create a pleasant or an unpleasant mood. I wanted to make the toilet more "pleasant" and friendly, and used coloured paper and light to get a warm and welcoming feeling. I also had balloons hanging from the ceiling, nice words written on the toilet paper and happy music!









The song I chose to play was "Happy up here", a new single from the Norwegian band Röyksopp. I think the music worked very well with the atmosphere in the room, and I also love the contrast between all the the red/pink and the few blue details (that are not showing in the photos because of the red light...).

MY FIRST MOLESKINE:

Today i bought my very first Moleskine sketchbook. Finally I have a sketchbook that´s small enough to carry around with me, great if I get ideas when I´m out and about. Anyone up for coffee and brainstorming?

In the background you can see the bag that I printed on Friday. The print is an illustration showing simple steps of a 1960´s boob-job.

PHOTOGRAPHIC SCREEN PRINTING:

I love old photos, and this is one of my favorites. It´s a childhood photo of my mother, her two brothers and their cousin. And of course the cow. Just look at the cow, it´s huge! Based on this photo I made my mother´s xmas present; handprinted cushions. This is my first attempt at printing rasterized photos.

CUSHIONS AND CALENDARS:

In December I attended a x-mas market with some friends from school. The sale was rather slow, but we got to show off our work and had a nice time anyway! If anyone´s interested I still have some handprinted cushions left, and also pocket-calendars.
*Cushions: 250 NOK (25 GBP)
*Calendars: 25 NOK (2,5 GBP)