Sunday, February 10, 2013

little treasures : made by hand

"I finally surrendered - to him, my heart, my fate - and off I went to live in Paris with a man I barely knew." 
- Pia Jane Bijkerk, My Heart Wanders

On Valentine's Day 2012, Pia and Romain welcomed baby Laly into the world. In the first few months of her life she was bestowed with gifts, handmade treasures from around the world: felt slippers, knitted cardigans, vintage smocks, a hand-stitched bear with movable limbs. Pia was full of gratitude for her friends and family and the heartfelt presents that had been sent her way. She wanted to say thank you but a card or an email just wouldn't suffice.

"Then, one night while feeding Laly in the wee hours of darkness, this book you will hopefully soon be holding in your hands appeared in my mind..." 

The book is Little Treasures : Made by Hand or Petites Tresors : faits a la main (the book text will be in both English and French) and Pia is self-publishing it. An internationally acclaimed stylist, Pia has written, styled and photographed 200 pages in her unique and much-adored aesthetic (think delicate items from nature, a muted colour palette, intricate details). She features over 50 handmade gifts and has included some simple how-to guides for items that she created whilst pregnant with Laly, like the fabulous giant paper wallflower kit

Pia has reached out to the creative community in the hope of raising the money needed for publication. She's on pozible and her project ends on Laly's first birthday - just four days from now. She's oh so close to her target and has listed some gorgeous packages....so, if you would like to own Little Treasures and ultimately support and celebrate handmade, make a pledge

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Since Pia announced her project I have been thinking a lot about the treasures in my life. I still have my very first pair of Mary Janes, the fine gold necklace and St Christopher's medal (patron saint of travel) that my Nan placed around my neck when I left England as a two-year-old, the silver charm bracelet that my mum created whilst travelling through 26 different countries in her early twenties. 

I would absolutely love to hear your story. Tell me.....what are your little treasures?

images courtesy of pia jane bijkerk


16 COMMENTS

  1. Those are beautiful treasures you have...My most treasured possession is a bible my mother gave to me the day I was born. She wrote a note inside that makes me cry everytime I read it. It's helped me through many rough and wonderful times in my life.

    Pia's book looks beautiful. I love how the inspiration for it came to her.

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  2. this is a lovely post. my little treasures are vast - a tiny bunny trinket, a bracelet that came to me out of love, a stuffed piglet. they continue on.
    kw Ladies in Navy

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  3. Pia's work is just stunning! One of my treasures is an old jewellery box that dad gave mum when they first got married. She doesn't use it any more (it's quite frankly in a bit of a state - she got a fancy new one), but I remember playing dress-ups as a little girl and opening up that red jacquard lid to see what treasures I could use. I now keep my jewellery inside it and every time I get out a pair of earrings to wear in the morning, I remember those moments. I love it!

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  4. so love this. love that you are sharing Pia's story & her little treasures. Right now, my greatest living treasures are asleep in bed. However, my mom died in November from ALS (I don't know what it is called in AU or NZ) and it is a wicked disease that strips away all your faculties except your mind, eventually crushing your lungs so you can't breathe. At the end, my mom couldn't hear or talk or walk. It was wicked. So my littlest treasures I have that are so dear to me are 1.her Squash Blossom Necklace that she bought in Taos, NM when I was little. It is handmade of silver and turquoise. I keep it on my art table/work desk. I can't bear to wear it but I want to keep it close to me. She loved it so. I think if you saw a true picture of it, you would love it too. 2. I also have a painting that she so loved by Tomie de Paola. I keep it above our bed. He is one of my most favourite children's illustrator/author and I keep it there to give me hope. Hope that I can be something someday that would make my mom proud. xxoo

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    1. I'm so sorry to hear about your mum Rebecca, what a tough journey. I would love to see a picture of her necklace and as for the painting - it sounds perfect. She's already proud of you, of that I am sure x

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  5. I have a tiny pair of battered metal safety scissors from when I was four and starting kindy. They were made for lefty kids and my (now tatty) name tag is still stitched around one of the handles. My mum searched high and low in our small town for a pair of lefty scissors and ended up having to order these (no small feat back then with no internet). She used to treat those scissors like they were gold and made sure I always put them back.

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    1. Oh precious! I still have the little pair of nail scissors my mum cut my fingernails with when I was a baby. Love them x

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  6. Awww...see that little music box up there? I made that!

    I made it because my greatest treasures from when my own babes were born are the music boxes they were gifted by their grandmother. Each now holds the petals of the roses that Rich gave me the day they were born. Little treasures.

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    1. You're so clever Koo. And I love that you kept the rose petals, I hop they last forever x

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  7. I'm way to sentimental so have too many little treasures! I have my beret from my school uniform back in England (a little moth-eaten but treasured all the same), my Mum's beaded necklace she made as a child, a diamond watch passed down from my Grandmothr, a patchwork quilt my Mum made when I was little from the scraps of the clothes she used to make for me, a rag-doll that was handmade for me when I was little - the list goes on.........!

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    1. I don't think you can ever be too sentimental, especially when a rag doll is involved x

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  8. My treasures...also a charm bracelet given to me by my nana when I was tiny, my photo books, a few pieces of baby clothes passed down from my mom, the artworks from the aboriginal community we lived in. Those are the things we can hold. So many, many treasures that can't be seen though! I am going to pass on my book wish to the other half this morning. Hopefully I too can make a pledge. Xx

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  9. I'm not a sentimental person by any means and I wish I was because I have no treasures from childhood : /

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  10. At the moment, my treasures are the cardinal nest we recovered last summer after the fledglings left, the blue jay feather we found in the yard and a variety of sticks collected. They were all chosen and collected so carefully by me and my little boys while we discovered nature together. That makes me feel warm and fuzzy every time I look at them. I think it helps that they so fragile and delicate too, reminding me of this time we have together.
    cheesy, I know.

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  11. I had a little stuffed giraffe from when I was a wee babe but i am now 37 and it has disintegrated:0(

    I do still have a baseball from when I first moved overseas and taught four year olds how to play:0)

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  12. ~ My most treasured things are
    ~~~~~~~~ all of the papers and tickets etc from my month backpacking around Europe (along with coins from many countries that have since changed to the euro,my kids love to look at them) I met my husband in Greece leg of the trip,unbeknownst to me,we would wind up married 6 years later (we were friends only as we were both in relationships when we met but we stayed in touch ) we now have four beautiful children and a great story to tell along with little show and tells from my travels :0) <3

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