Friday 19 December 2008

Shopping day

On Thursday I went for a short shopping tour to Helsinki on my own. I found almost all I needed, and a glimpse of sweet things I remember from years back. This is one of the shopping streets, Aleksanterinkatu, with the traditional lights and A letters. Even the Salvation Army's pot belongs right there, in front of the Stockmann department store.





This is a new tradition, a Christmas market Tuomaan markkinat in the Esplanade park.

The statue of J L Runeberg, a famous Finnish poet.





Onse again, himmeli and other straw decorations.




The Finnish elves are called tonttu and they look like this:



Every year since my early childhood I have seen the Christmas window of the Stockmann department store. There was one in Tampere too, where I grew up. The decoration was different every year, but always with lots and lots of details and moving figures. This time there were children ice skating with a snowman, and small forest animals preparing for Christmas.





The snowman was making circles.




There is always a platform for the little ones so they can get closer and see all the details.




The mice were having a cosy time in their house under the snow.




From the other window you could see the hare family. They had their little Christmas tree in front of the house.






I wasn't the only grown-up remembering the windows from years back. Many mothers told their little ones what kind of windows they remembered from their childhood.

And now back to crafty business. I have been stitching along with Mikes, and now I have finished the Christmas stockings. The snowman figure is my own drawing, and the elf is a combination of Pip's two patterns - I wanted the owl and little bird to go with the boy elf.




I added a Christmas babric to the top edge to make the stocking longer. When I was filling it, I realized that less would have been better!




Here I started cutting along the stitching line so the snowman is a little further from the heel than I meant him to be. Both stockings will go to Turku with my daughter Kaija, who is at the moment visiting us for the weekend.





This was all for today. I hope you are not too stressed with your preparations. Take it easy!

10 comments:

  1. I'm like you..I love to go shopping all by myself and see all the sights, just taking my time. What a terrific display in the town. All the glowing market stalls.. the elves!.. the dancing snowman and woodland creatures. It is all so wonderful. And your stitcheries are adorable. Beautiful job on the stockings.. I would have never noticed anything not being perfect. Your whimsical characters make me smile!
    Tomorrow is the longest night of the year. Then we start going the other way. Yay! Bet you will be glad about that!

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  2. Hej Ulla och En Riktigt God Jul och Gott Nytt År. Idag blev jag verkligen glad, jag fick ett SÅ JÄTTEFINTA JULKORT från dig och en hälsning. Tack snälla Ulla för din omtanke, den värmde. Jag slutade med julkort för 10 år sedan för då blev det för många. Jag ringer runt, och så tänkte jag när jag fick ditt, kanske nästa år.........så skall jag sända julkort det är mycket trevligt att känna att någon bryr sig och tänker på just mig.
    Sköt om dig och lev gott.
    Kram Ewa-Christine

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  3. Beautiful work on the stockings. I like the idea of you using your own drawings to create a very special present for your daughter.

    My that window display is beautiful! As an adult I would've had my nose pressed against the window to join in the mice. :-) It is lovely that children have been thought of with a special platform. Ahh skating too. :-)

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  4. What gorgeous stockings. I'd better get a move on and finish mine. Thanks for sharing those wonderful street scenes.

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  5. I loved all your beautiful pictures. We wanted to bring our daughter to Finland for noël this year, but it didn't work out - we want to take her to meet Santa!
    I love your stockings! I just made 2 more as gifts - I think they will become a holiday tradition.

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  6. Wow!!! Yor stocking looks fantastic, it's so nice to see Christmas on the other side of the world. Thanks for visiting my blog and your lovely comment. Happy christmas :-)

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  7. I love your stockings, especially how you personalised them. Thanks for visiting my blog. I must get cracking and finish my stocking - time is running out!

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  8. The little shops are amazing!
    Your stockings look great, I like the fabric trim at the top. I have only finished one of mine, I'll have to post about it soon. I ran out of embroidery thread for the second one so I might have to finish it off after Christmas, oh well at least one is up.

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  9. Thanks for taking us shopping with you. I just love seeing traditions and decorations from other countries. Your stockings are so cute. Happiest Holiday season to you!

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  10. Merry Christmas to a special friend. I am so proud to have met you and look forward to many years of blogging. Thank yo for your special card it ment the owrld to me when my nhubby handed it to me, thanks so much. Have a beautiful day and for all youshare with us, thanks. Hugs, Marie

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