Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Swedish is Sweetest!

My Grandpa Carlson was Swedish, but by looking at me, you would never guess. My mom would say that he was a "Dark Swede" with his dark hair, but still, I resemble my dad's side of the family more than my mom's. Grandpa was the king of creativity in my book. Not did I follow his footsteps and go to Art School, but I love the smell of fresh sawdust because of him. I am happy to finally introduce some products to Space Moderne that incorporate wood, and so far, my little wooden egg cups have been well received.

If you are at all familiar with Swedish culture, you may have noticed the tiny red Dala Horse appliqued onto the hat of the egg cup in the forefront. Traditionally, they are carved from wood and painted different colors which represent the town or region of which they originate, but today the Dala Horse is recognized as an unofficial symbol of Sweden throughout Swedish-America.

The first time I had actually learned about the Dala Horse was just two weeks ago when my Uncle pointed out the little red horse hanging on my mom's wall and explained to my husband what it was. I have seen the Dala Horse for years, but never knew its symbolism!

Then, last week, when searching for a third design for an egg cup hat, I realized that using the little Dala Horse was a perfect choice. I was also really happy to be able to use my embroidered stitching, which I carry throughout many of my different felt products. A lot of my "Mod Dot" designs use a vertical line, known as a "Satin Stitch" and you see it in my Wine Pockets, Ipod Cases, Botella Vases, and Luggage Tags. I am using it in the "Danish Flower" and the "Hearts" hat here as well.

I have a fourth Egg Cup in the making and I will see if I can incorporate a simple, yet cute pineapple into the hat! I will be sure to post a photo of the fourth little egg cup when it's done. 

1 comment:

  1. These are totally cute! I can't wait to see how the pineapple turns out.

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