8.7.2008

Getting linguistic with plants


Yesterday evening I picked a bouquet of Water forgetmenots (Myosotis scorpioides) from a near-by ditch bank. This morning I woke up in a house filled with their scent. I had totally forgotten, what an intense, yet pleasing scent they have. It's no wonder that this flower is so beloved, even the Finnish name of it "luhtalemmikki"contains the meaning of being liked or beloved. The Finnish name of the plant doesn't contain the same meaning as Germanic languages, like "Vergissmeinnicht" in German or "Vergeet-mij-nietje" in Dutch or "Förgätmigej" in Swedish. The Finnish name doesn't contain that fear of forgetting, it concentrates on the positive of just being loved and favoured. Not a trace of Finnish melancholia to be spotted in this case. As you can guess, I find the names of plants very interesting, but won't bore you more with them.


My husband brought me a nice stack of japanese craft books from his business trip to Asia in spring. I have been browsing through them and studying carefully every picture in them. There are so many nice tunics and little home decor ideas that I really didn't know where to start.



Finally I picked a tunic because it reminded me of my first shirt, which I sew at school in the 80's. The shoulder straps were the same. The pattern is from the Pochee Spring 2008. However, I took about 40cm out of the side seams, because there was way too much ruffle for me and about 20 cm out of the hem, because I needed a shirt, not a dress. The experience of sewing with pictorial instructions was a pleasing one. Despite the maternity look of this tunic, I think I'll wear it- even more after I finish the hem seam. As always that's the seam I hate the most, it's inevitable, but so boring.



(Sorry, about the dirt in the mirror)

4 kommenttia:

Mary-Laure kirjoitti...

This is NOT boring AT ALL, I'd love to know more about those Finnish flower names! Please tell us more!

And those flowers are exquisite.

Rebecca / Sanctuary kirjoitti...

I'm so glad your back! What beautiful material your tunic is made from!

Unknown kirjoitti...

Your tunic is so pretty! I love the v-neck and all the gathers on the sides. Was it difficult? It looks it! I am just mad about the fabric which looks like it might be linen?

I am also trying really hard not to be too envious of the huge pile of Japanese crafting magazines you have! Wow! I wouldn't mind my husband being gone a few days if he brought back that!
Have a good weekend!
~Emily

Merruli kirjoitti...

Mary-Laure: Let's see, I might come to it again. There are a few pretty interesting flower names that come to my mind right away.

Sanctuary: And I'm glad to have you visiting me again! I fell for the art nouveau flowers of the fabric, even when the blueish colors is not that usual for me.

Ravenhill: Thank you. I didn't find it difficult, but it needed quite a lot of ironing with those 0.5cm seams on neckline etc. Oh, I wish the fabric was linen, but no, just plain cotton. I have to admit, that when my hub came back from his trip to Asia, I was the one hurrying him to open his luggage. You too, have a good weekend!