Here are four fascinating facts for you:
- The Danish alphabet has three letters in it that the English alphabet doesn’t. Do you know what they are?
- You Google Danish Sewing Box at your peril.
- My new favourite local business is Blomst. Points out of ten if you know what that name means!
- Night time temperatures in Herning, home of Stoff & Stil , are currently -13. Brrrrr!
Why should I care about temperatures in Denmark? Because in a few days from now, I’ll be flying there to visit Stoff & Stil. I’m fascinated to learn more about a business that has dedicated 37 years to design and textile. I’ve never seen anywhere before that stocks Beaver Nylon, an Octopus pattern or Whale jersey.
Other than asking them about their clear love of animals, do you have any other questions you’d like me to ask whilst I’m there? Any tips for things to do or how to stay warm?
To help me get excited, I’m hosting a UK giveaway for The Little Book of Hygge from Danish author, Meik Wiking. This is an Amazon bestseller with over 220 reader reviews!
I’m sure all my UK friends will be aware of the Hygge phenomenon that’s swept the country. Though for anyone who sews or knits, I think we already knew how to stay cosy.
To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is leave a comment below letting me know what your favourite fabric is on the Stoff & Stil website. The giveaway ends on Wednesday 18 January at midnight GMT. It’s UK only, as books are heavy!
Finally, a thank you to all the people who entered my corduroy giveaway. Our winner is the 100th person to leave a comment, Kate. I’ll be in touch for an email address!
I’m currently loving Jersey fabrics. Possibly the stretch is attractive after the Christmas Binge! Stoff & Stil have a fabulous jersey fabric with sheep on it. Looking through my pattern stash as I write to find something to make with it
It’s very hard to choose a favourite but I love the brown fabric with green whales.
Love that site why have you shown it me. My purse will not thank you. I love so many of the fabrics but thus morning my favourite is the watermelon jersey I am slightly obsessed with making monetas so that swayed my choice. Enjoy your trip. Wrap up warm brrff
I went to their shop in Berlin and it blew me away. Very ordered and the fabric was amazing, especially the jersey. I do like a good jersey! Have a lovely time.
Oh that website! My favourite is the woven viscose green with red flowers. Enjoy Denmark.
I love their fabrics and if I have to pick a favourite, today it is stretch jersey, grey with cats. Enjoy your trip. Lots of layers is always the answer with a sheepskin cost to keep out the wind.
Jersey, off white courtelle with stripes jumped out at me. I love stripes though 😉
Hi! The Danish letters are Æ, Ø and Å. And “Blomst” means flower. 🙂 Enjoy your trip to Denmark – it is great there! Bring wool, and make sure you try out their “Danish”. It’s fantastic! Greetings from Oslo, Norway (btw; norwegian is very simular to danish).
If your in Copenhagen do pop into Skipper Stoffer, its smaller – much smaller than Stoff & Stil but full of wonderful fabrics including Danish made jersey.
My goodness it is so hard to pick a favourite. It would have to be the Percale sand/ blue/grey granite. Margaret
Stoff & Stil is a dangerous place (I love that they have quite a bit of organic fabrics). I always end up with more than planned. Never been to Herning, but while you’re in the area will you visit Aarhus and the Aros museum as well?
Btw, as a Norwegian I’d like to point out that hygge is a word (and a concept) essential to us too. When things are hyggelig they are really nice. And of course we also have æ, ø and å. 😆 Enjoy your trip, it will be milder by mid week – up here as well, unfortunately.
This was my first visit to their site – ohhhhh. Spent far too long drooling over such loveliness but I think I will pick the black satin with roadside flowers. Shame I am committed to no fabric purchase this month as I must use some of my stash. Lucky girl going on a visit – wish I could come too!! Enjoy and wear layers as they love warm offices so you will need to remove outer layers when inside. Can’t wait for your blog post on ghd visit – lots of pictures please 😀
I love the stretch jersey in navy with bees! What an amazing website. I think I may have just lost my morning to that beautiful rabbit hole!
I’m not sure but English has lost several letters over the years – Eth, thorn, yod and schwa. Eth is the hard th as in The, and looks like a Y (hence ye olde tea shoppe bollocks) thorn is the soft th as in thin, and is an O with a strike through it. Yod is the z with a tail and has been replaced with gh as in knight, and schwa is the ae combo. So I suspect some of these are in Danish, it being from he same Germanic root as English.
This is why I went to university to major in English language and linguistics. SO USEFUL lol xo
Ooo oo my other half has been going on at me to make some new T shirts and the comic book jersey kapow would be perfect! I can’t believe I have found another great fabric website! The stash is never going to get busted…
Love the stretch jersey digital print butterflies fabric. This site is amazing and has given me a wealth of ideas for future projects.
Halfpanama light grey knit print is lovely
I love the stretch jersey dusty green w/ hedgehogs! So many to choose from though!
Stretch jersey blue with flowers is tempting…
Stretch jersey with in navy with bees is so cute 🐝
I just pre-ordered this!! <3 good luck UK folks!
Ooo don’t they have lovely prints! My fav so far is the Halfpanama offwhite with tiny leaves as I really love nature inspired prints and especially plant ones.
The Stof&Stil in Herning is one of my “childhood fabric stores”, where my mother and grandmother took me fabric shopping!
If you can, you should take the short journey to Videbæk, 20-30 km vest of Herning, to find my favorite fabric store “Videbæk Stof- Sycenter”
The Stof&Stil in Herning is one of my “childhood fabric stores”, where my mother and grandmother took me fabric shopping! However, it is by far the most boring fabric shop in the area! (sad but true)
If you can, you should take the short journey to Videbæk, 20-30 km vest of Herning, to find my favorite fabric store “Videbæk Stof- Sycenter”
If you go through Ikast you should find “Jydsk stoflager”.
And lastly “Kølkær stof & hobby”
Uggghhh!!! It’s so unfair!!!! All the best fabric and stuff looks to be in the UK and New Zealand and you can’t get it here! I live in Ohio and there is quite the dearth of nice fabric stores or apparel fabrics in general. You can get a fair selection of “quilting” fabrics but anything else-forgettaboutit!
I love the quilted Jersey marine with foil. I love Denmark and it has been way too long since I have been there. My German friend (who lives here in Brisbane) buys lots of Stof & Stil jerseys and it is beautiful like butter. Oh speaking of butter… make sure you eat lots of Danish butter…mmmmm yum.
I love the ‘Cotton light blue w cats’
I only looked at the jerseys, I’ll admit, but there were so many to love! I’m really drawn to the quilted one at the moment, though 🙂
I love this one https://www.stoffstil.co.uk/fabrics/woven-cotton/printed-woven-cotton/cotton-rose-w-animal-of-the-forest so pretty I would make my daughter a dress with it
Halfpanama light grey knit is lovely
I want it all can’t decide on a favorite today. Blomst a collection of flowers and leaves. Isn’t it interesting how languages intermingle and change over time
I like the Polyester bunting kit!
I’ve been eyeing up the polyester bunting
Difficult!! stretch green jersey with stars x
I love the fun colours and pattern on the GOBELIN W MULTICOLOUR GRAPHIC PATTERN fabric! It would look amazing as curtains, cushions and also covering a Victorian screen that I bought in about 1980 🙂
Lucky you, what a great trip opportunity. I have a shopping cart full on the Stoff and Stil site, current object of desire is a forest green floral viscose print.
Love all things Stof & Stil and Hygge! I would choose the Wool Felt in Petrol for a StyleArc Alegra jacket.
You can’t beat trolls and on a jersey – what more could you want?
https://www.stoffstil.co.uk/fabrics/jersey/printed-jersey/stretch-jersey-with-hearts-and-trolls
Have a good trip, or “God tur:-)”
I love the snake print fabric, so unusual!
Love the snake print fabric, so unusual!
Yikes another fabric shop to add my bulging and growing list! 🙂 Just what I need (or my husband whose creative cave is slowly disappearing in an avalanche of accumulating future projects!) but I’m always on the lookout for great quality fabric – reasonable shipping charges to Canada (which has yet to be determined!) but thank you for this great post. Denmark has been on my list to see for decades as has Iceland. They just seem to do it all right don’t they? 🙂
I’ve an idea.Why not make a small handbag to go with some of your new styles?Stoff & Stil has a small selection of purse hardware.Just a thought.
Love the Stretch jersey blue with flowers!
I suppose it’s all relative but here -13 is pretty balmy. 😉 To stay warm, wear wool in layers. (Wool is warm and cotton kills is what the serious outdoorsy people say.) Enjoy your trip!
(oh, and I was just commenting on how to keep warm, not entering the draw.) Thank you for having one tho’.
Wow, I have thought you were such a nice person but, no,you introduce me to a lovely shop that carries fabric and yarn. I see my budget taking a hit. I have spent fun time looking through their treasures. there go my plans for clod stashing(no fabric buying until I use up half my stash). I love the Unbleached cotton with the coral Flamingos, and can see it as a summer blouse. So, thank-you,I think 😉 Hope you have lots of fun at the shop.
Wow! Difficult to choose but I really like the digital print jersey butterflies!
Barbara💃
I’m torn between the STRETCH JERSEY LIGHT GREEN W BAD JUNK, the yellow STRETCH JERSEY YELLOW WITH DOGS or the fabulous STRETCH JERSEY DARK GREEN WITH DOGS because it has dogs in hats
Thank you for the giveaway. 🙂 So many lovely things, but I’m in love with that bottle green velvet! Have a great trip!
Not sure which is my favorite fabric but I sure do love all of the women’s coat patterns. Enjoy your visit and bring an extra suit case along to stuff full. I think I could go crazy in that place!
I love the stretch jersey grey melange paisley print.
Another perspective on Hygge: danish_hygge_is_cozy_and_also_tied_to_right_nationalist_xenophobic_populism.html
Ooh – I’d thought about commenting along these veins as soon as I saw this post – I’m glad that you did. I love this blog and its general tone, but agree that it is good to be aware of these larger-scale issues.
Another article along the same vein:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/10/07/what_is_hygge_the_danish_concept_of_coziness_that_basically_means_candlelit.html
Whoops- meant to include the full link to the article quoted before by Linds, not the fluffier one in my post:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2017/01/10/danish_hygge_is_cozy_and_also_tied_to_right_nationalist_xenophobic_populism.html
Ooh, too many to choose from! I did love the Woven cotton dusty green with hearts though, too cute! Have a lovely trip
BRUSHED COTTON W ASTRONAUT IN SPACE my daughter is space mad ! shed love me to make her something from this!
So hard to choose but I love the French terry with botanic prints – gorgeous!! Thanks for another great giveaway.
My favourite fabric is the Woven Cotton Dusty Rose with Swan print.
I’d love a blouse out of woven viscose green with orange flowers. The french terry with the wild animal print is cute too! Wonder if I could pass that off at work…
They are all pretty gorgeous but I really like the ‘woven crepe viscose blue with graphic print’ for a simple Merchant and Mills Camber Set shift dress x
I love the stretch jersey in navy with bees!
I’ve got the taste for corduroy. Love any of the blues especially the one with arrows.
I love the rainwear fabrics – a nice cobalt blue.
Have a good trip.
I really like the look of the Halfpanama Light Grey Knit Print. x
Crushed velvet, its a real wow fabric very luxurious x
It would have to be the flamingos https://www.stoffstil.co.uk/fabrics/woven-cotton/printed-woven-cotton/cotton-unbleached-w-coral-flamingos
Have a great trip 😃
I’m liking the look of https://www.stoffstil.co.uk/fabrics/woven-cotton-mix/woven-offwhite-w-grey-long-leaves. A grey Woven cotton with leaves.
This organic cotton fabric features sloths, I can’t resist a sloth print! https://www.stoffstil.co.uk/fabrics/kids-fabrics/cotton-dark-brown-w-powder-sloth
I adore the Woven offwhite w dusty blue forest, reminds me off wallpaper I had as a child 🙂 Fab giveaway!
I love the woven oilcloth with the coral flowers.
I like the whale jersey. Fancying myself a few metres of that 😃 for my stash!
I love the cotton unbleached with turquoise leopards
COTTON UNBLEACHED W CORAL FLAMINGOS
i love the black and white polka dot viscose. hope you have a lovely time in denmark!
I love the dusty blue woodland fabric 🙂
There is a gorgeous cozy light grey knit print that I love. Thanks for the terrific giveaway!
I love the Woven Cotton Dusty Rose with Swan print.
Microfiber with printed patchwork would be great for a project I’m wanting to do!
Ahhhh why did I google it?!?! Haha!! Thank you for the giveaway, I love the WOVEN COTTON DUSTY ROSE WITH SWAN fabric, unfortunately it’s out of stock or I’d be buying some right now! It would be perfect for a skirt!
How ‘hyggeligt’ that you’re going to DK and the Stoff & Stil headquarter in Herning. Hope you’ll enjoy your stay.
Warm hugs from the cold Northern Denmark,
Trine
Favourite fabric? The stretch navy jersey with bees!
I really like the Jacquard Rose/Grey/Sand Graphic
I love the knit jacquard black animal print. I’m not usually a fan of animal prints but this is gorgeous colours and would make a great fitted dress. I have a scarf that has a similar print and I love that, so was instantly drawn to this fabric too!
Question for Stoff & Stil is what are their favourite winter patterns that will get us through til spring?!
I love the STRETCH JERSEY GREY W WOLFS and my daughter would too
I like the Woven offwhite w dusty blue forest fabric
Oh I love this one! love the bright colours! WOVEN VISCOSE GREEN WITH RED FLOWERS
I like the stretch jersey in navy with bees, so cute!
I love the woven cotton satin light grey with flowers
Lots of amazing fabric I love Woven viscose nature with flowers, so pretty!
Love the lemon print jersey!
Thanks for the giveaway! I like their selection of rainwear fabrics, and if I were forced to pick just one I would go with the navy and yellow stripes.
I like the Off white w grey with leaves
I’ve not seen this retailer before so thanks for the info as they have some fab fabrics. One of my faves has to be baby cord in dusty blue with little arrows. Cute!
I love the Woven viscose nature w big flowers, it reminds me of a Summer meadow! https://www.stoffstil.co.uk/fabrics/woven-viscose-nature-w-big-flowers
STRETCH JERSEY WITH TROLLS
My favourite is the viscose nature w snake skin xxx
Weaved offwhite w rose/olive butterflies
So many pretty fabrics. I really love floral fabrics. I love the “WOVEN COTTON SATIN LIGHT GREY W FLOWERS” so pretty.
My favourite fabric is the unbleached cotton with flamingos. There is just something about pink birds that stand on one leg that I find just charming. They are pink birds! Huge ones. And they stand on one leg…it’s like something out of an eccentric person’s imagination. My daughter and I just find them funny, a noce cushion cover or something made out of that would be lovely in our living room, actually!
Jersey Grey Melange With Cats, because cats obviously. I love fun but still usable fabrics like that.
The jersey nature with flowers fabric is my favourite fabric. There is a great selection on the website.
wow so many choices! I will visit that site again. I like the patchwork elephants but my 5 year old would probably love the spider design. The animals of the forest is really nice and would be great for my 1 year old. Oh and Ive just seen the fox and racoon. Love it
i love the astronauts in space – very neat
the stretch jersey digital print butterflies fabric
love the Woven cotton dusty rose with swan design
stretch jersey
Tartan Cotton in Navy and Green
Jersey, off white courtelle with stripes
I love the Stretch Jersey light pink with Bobble Dots
I want to mix things up a little and sew some make-up/toiletry bags with the cool cactus oilcloth!
https://www.stoffstil.co.uk/fabrics/woven-cotton/printed-woven-cotton/cotton-unbleached-w-coral-flamingos
dusty rose with swans, so lovely 🙂
I love the stretch jersey, grey with cats.
So many to choose from, but being a bit of a mad cat lady I would go with STRETCH JERSEY GREY MELANGE WITH CATS
I like the polyester bunting kit
i love the stretch jersey with grey cats please
Ooohhhhh im in love with the WOVEN COTTON DUSTY MINT W FLOWERS fabric! #SpringTime
ohh it has to be the stretch jersey angry birds … ideal for my son x
the stretch jersey angry birds .. ideal for my son x
dusty rose with swans xxx
I love the Woven Cotton Nature With Small Flowers, it is so very pretty.
Woven viscose and green flowers is my favourite
So colourful and vibrant
My little piece of Hygge
My favourite fabric is the coral flamingos unbleached cotton! Thanks for the giveaway
Kirstie x
i adore the halfpanama light grey knit
Ahhhhh too difficult! The jersey in yellow with sausage dogs! xx
very hard to choose as they have such a wide range, however, I like the look of this one https://www.stoffstil.co.uk/fabrics/jacquard/knitted-jacquard/knit-jacquard-black/nature-inca which I would use to make myself a tunic dress.
I love the cotton unbleached/black askew stripy & the upholstery velour dark marble look for a funky MONOCHROME look. Thanks for the chance xxxx
I love the CORAL FLEECE GREY W ROSE/GREY PATTERN
Have a fab trip , my favorite is GOBELIN MULTICOLOUR MULTI PATTERN , luscious!
The WOVEN GREY/WHITE ABSTACT DRAWN LANDSCAPE. I love that it looks like a pencil drawing. Never seen a fabric like it.
Love the WOVEN COTTON LIGHT BLUE With BLUE FLOWERS
What gorgeous fabrics, you could certainly get your ‘Hygge’ on with a lot of them! iThe one that’s caught my eye is the grey stretch jersey with cats. Hope you have a great trip💕.
FAKE DARK GREY LEATHER W HOLES