new windows

The long awaited reconstruction began... We are going to have new windows (there are already new ones in the kitchen, bathroom, toilet and pantry). Unfortunatelly, most of the windows are going to be changed from simple rectangle shape into a curved shape with a column in the middle (as the windows were built originally in 19th century)... We didn´t want this (me and my husband), but we are only renters in this house, so there´s nothing we could do. This means tearing down the walls around the windows and much, much mess around. Bricks everywhere, dust (lots of dust). If they only changed the window within its current shape, it would be much easier for everyone, but... that´s not going to happen. I´m kind of upset at this, but let´s hope we are all going to survive this long and exhausting reconstruction. The new windows are certainly going to be fab, that´s for sure, but the price is high (boht figuratively and literally speaking).
This is happening at our house right now (so far not the part of the house where our rooms are):

Fingers crossed this is going to end up well.

painting...

and also sewing a bit :).

2012 version of myself

Thanks to my husband for the photos.

exhibition at home (almost)

Twice a year my husband (who studied history of art before he studied theology) prepares exhibiton at our church. Some people are not very happy with this, as they think that protestants should have plain church interiors, no art and such. But some people like art and paintings, so he continues with these exhibitions... I was very glad that some people from our congregation wanted to see my paintings there. My husband wasn´t very keen on making a speech for me before the exhibition, but he did anyway :). The opening was great, some of our friends came and my husband´s speech was nice. I couldn´t finish the hotel painting, but I decided to hang it unfinished. I´m ill now, but when I gain some strengh again, I´ll take it home and continue painting it. And the best thing! People actually wanted to buy my paintings. Six paintings are going to go to a new home when the exhibition ends, hopefully (I hope noone changes their mind! :). That means I´ll be left with almost no paintings for future exhibitions... I have to buy new canvases and paint many new paintings :).

1-2-3

Blue selfportrait, another one I documented. I painted it over a Jan Hus drawing :D.

Today was Marie´s first day of kindergarten/preschool and it was super stressful for me... But, she was doing great and everything went very well. She loved the place and everyone was very kind to her. I hope it´s going to be ok.
I´m busy painting - I have an exhibiton on sunday! I would be sooo happy to have the hotel painting finished, but I´m not sure I´ll have enough time to finish it. Anyway, I´m looking forward to it very much.

the process...

Taking photos of an unfinished painting... it´s great to see the progress! I was always afraid to do this, I thought I would be sad in case I couldn´t finish the painting. This is hotel Hrušov again.
Yesterday I nearly drowned myself in the lake... along with our daughter Marie. I was really stupid to go swimming with her, suddenly the lake was too deep and I couldn´t do anything - she was holding my neck and I couldn´t keep myself above the surface. Luckily my husband jumped in the water and saved us! Huh, terrifying experience. 

In the wood

My new painting is finished! I´m always so happy to finish a painting - it takes me more and more time it seems. This one was inspired by our Ikea couch slipcover (made by me) and by our friend´s cabin in the wood. The pink bubble is a motive that was already in my painting before this one; I want to connect few more paintings with it (like I did before with red hair and red colour...).

black knight

Hahaha, I´ve seen this black knight hoodie on the net somewhere (I couldn´t find who makes it or where it comes from) and I love it! Isn´t it sexy? I imagine it would be expensive (and out of stock, and too small for my tall husband...), but what about diy black knight? :D
Also, my 4 month old baby can turn herself from her back to her stomach (I´m definitely using bad english terms to describe this) already!!! Her older sister, who was just lying and sleeping all the time as a baby, did this two months later. I´m so proud of this active little one :).

 

I love this summer

Traveling for short trips, being at home, playing in the garden, bathing, swimming, wearing skirts and linen pants, eating tomatoes, sewing, painting, I love the summer this year :). It just feels so relaxed and easy. I love being with the children and watching films in the evening. It´s great to have a small baby, you don´t have to travel to any "holidays", you just stay at home and "do nothing". That´s what I like to do :D.

With my lovely friend Anna at the zoo in Prague.

bring something pink

Pink, that´s what little girls love! If I want Marie to wear something, it better is of pink colour :).
I made her new leggings (at last I was succesful at making legging - I made a pattern with her old pair) and I made a cord skirt with knit waistband. One of the legs in leggings is off-grain, but I don´t really care, as this is the first trial pair. I love the fabric, they look really cute on.

apples, apples

Apples are everywhere! We are flooded by apples and therefore I´m baking apple desserts all the time. Good apple is baked apple :).

linen pants

Few days ago I finally hemmed my new turquoise linen pants. I wore them twice since and I like them, despite the fact that the design is not really my style. I kind of had to get used to these trousers. The colour is refreshing and I love linen for summer pants. I think I want to make some more linen pants... some easier style maybe, as these ones are more on the "formal" side. I thought I could wear them to playground etc., but that wouldn´t feel comfortable.
I´m quite proud of the sewing I did on these trousers.
Photos from our great trip to castle and park in Průhonice. Such beautiful gardens.

baby pants

I love my new overlock! I made these baby harem pants for our friend´s little girl, size 74, approximately. I hope they fit her this autumn! There are still some things with the overlock that I need to work out - mainly what to do with the threads´ ends. On normal straight stitch machine you can backstitch easily, but with overlock you just let the ends long and finish them afterwards. But beside that, I´m pretty excited and so far I´ve used the overlock almost every day :).
I love the little floral "tag" I´ve made on the side. I would also like to add some tag with my name "janul" somewhere... maybe next time, if I figure how to do that :). It would also great to be able to put a lable with a size there.

mirror mirror

Found this old picture of myself in Ikea. Mirrors are so magical.

doll for a friend

It´s finished! It took me ridiculously long time to make it, but to defend myself I have to say I had a baby in the meantime! :)