It all started with -20°C, a happy dog, an old jacket and a sewing machine.
The morning was cold. My coffee was cold. And I was a tad tried and frozen. But Labbe, my dog, was happy. As always. I was happy too, but I didn't really feel like taking that long morning walk in -20°C.
I was literally tired of freezing my butt off! But you do things for those you love, so we went for that walk around Åre, a small mountain village in northern Sweden where we live. I passed the guys who work with the ski lift. I said hi to the street workers who shovel tons of snow in the main square. I was freezing!
We slid down the hill towards the bakery with its seductive smell of freshly baked bread. Inside, with a warm cup of coffee, I realized that there was something missing in my wardrobe. Why did I wear a big down parka and a pair of jeans with long underwear? I needed something that could keep my bum and my legs warm.
After breakfast I ran home with an idea in my head. I found my old down parka in the basement, grabbed a pair of scissors, sat at my old sewing machine and went to work.
A few hours later I was done. The first down skirt had seen the light of day! Not the most sophisticated design- or the best fit- but it did the job. It was functional, it kept me warm.
The next morning, I dragged my dog out very early and laughed my way through the village, my butt warm the entire way!