Finland Is Calling! Highlights from Our June Community Meeting 🇫🇮

Posted after our June Community Meeting 2025

Have you ever dreamed of travelling to Finland—or wondered what life is like up here in the north? At our June community meeting, we turned the spotlight on TAUKO’s home country, and I had the joy of sharing some of our the team’s favourite places to visit, sew, shop and explore.

For me, Finland is like no other place. It’s a slightly quirky country, somewhere between East and West. Over the years—especially after living abroad and seeing Finland from a bit of a distance—I’ve come to appreciate the quiet, unconventional things that make this place feel like home. It's okay to not be great at small talk, to keep things low-key, do “men’s” work and to find happiness in simplicity. I see these same values reflected in Finnish crafts.

Together with the TAUKO team, I’ve gathered a list of places we love—some we've visited many times, and others are still on our wishlists. We hope this guide gives you a little glimpse into what makes Finland special to us.


HELSINKI REGION

Fabric, Yarn & Craft Shops

  • Materials Helsinki – A classy and stylish selection of high-quality fabrics.

  • Eurokangas Helsinki – Nationwide chain, good selection of basics.

  • Kimmi – A colourful and varied selection of fabrics, with a particular focus on small finishing textile designers and manufacturers.

  • Nappitalo – Legendary shop for buttons, notions, everything you didn’t know you needed.

  • Villisilkki – Luxe fabrics and high-quality haberdashery.

  • Snurre – Modern yarn shop with an excellent Nordic selection.

  • Sunday Knitting Club – Small Helsinki-based indie knitting label, new in town!

Vintage Stores

  • Relove Helsinki – Designer second-hand with cafĂ© flair. This is a chain, and they even have a shop at the Helsinki airport!

  • Hoochie Mama Jane – Treasure trove for vintage lovers in Kallio, a hip district with a lot to explore.

  • Play it Again Sam– A store with a long-standing reputation, exuding a vintage ambience reminiscent of a museum or an antique emporium.

  • UFF & Fida / https://www.fida.fi – Nation-wide second-hand chains, often rich in vintage fabrics.

  • Kierrätyskeskus, wild mix of different things, you can find real treasures when you have the time to look for them. Several curated shops in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

Museums & Inspiration

  • Design Museum – A must-visit for textile, fashion and craft lovers.

  • Amos Rex – Contemporary and immersive exhibitions. A very special architecture.

  • Ateneum – Finnish classics meet European masters. Current exhibiotion Crossing Boarders is great!

  • Kiasma – Contemporary art with bold and often textile-heavy exhibitions. The architecture is also worth a visit.

  • Taidehalli – Small, very nicely curated exhibitions. Always good.

  • Didrichsen Art Museum – Hidden gem by the sea with a mix of art and architecture. The surrounding is also great to explore!

  • EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art, a short trip from Helsinki. Many design related exibitions, also about fashion.

  • Riviera film theatre – a small new film theatre where you can have a glass of good wine while watching a film. They have special program with theme brunches worth checking out!

Independent Fashion & Textile Brands (Stocked at or near Helsinki)

  • Uhana – know from statement prints and bold colors. Now focused on T-shirts and caps with great slogans.

  • Papii – fabrics and pattern too!

  • Wimma Company – another colourful brand. They also sell fabrics!

  • Saana & Olli – Very nice design brand, you can just fall in love with their IG. Based in Turku.

  • Named Clothing (patterns) – You might know their “Kielo” dress and books..!

  • Johanna Gullichsen – Iconic woven textiles.

  • Sofia Ilmonen – Zero-waste couture.

  • Nomen Nescio – Minimalism at its finest.

  • Liike – Iconic multibrand shop for Finnish small independet fashion brands.

  • MINNA MINNA (Minna Parikka) – Whimsical shoes.

Public sauna’s


TAMPERE & CENTRAL FINLAND

Shops & Studios

  • Titityy – Finland’s iconic yarn store in Jyväskylä.

  • Ommellinen –A joyful brand offering ready-to-wear items, sewing patterns and fabrics, with a studio in Kinkomaa near Jyväskylä.

  • Taitojamit – Studio, shop and event organiser in Lempäälä.

  • Ompelukone Keinonen – Friendly small shop with sewing machines and accessories in Jyväskylä.

Vintage & Second-Hand

  • Relove Tampere – Same stylish concept as in Helsinki.

  • [UFF & Fida](nationwide links above)

RANDOM PICS FROM WEST, EAST AND NORTH

Fiskars Village – Visit Fiskars
Once home to Finland’s most famous scissors, now a thriving arts and crafts hub with studios, boutiques, and art events.

Mathildedal Village – Visit Mathildedal
Slow living by the sea. Boutique hotels, bakeries and craft shops await.

Tammisaari & Chappe
Just an hour from Helsinki, a charming little village by the sea with a new inspiring museum, Chappe. The TAUKO issue No.16 photos were taken here.

Parainen & Nauvo (Archipelago) – Visit Parainen
There are millions of lakes in Finland, and also islands. Public transport includes ferries to the islands. Although you may need to book in advance, you can start island hopping in this special archipelago just one hour from Turku.

Saimaa – Visit Saimaa
This is one of the most famous lake districts in Finland. Rest assured, there are far more lakes than people in this area!

Inari & Siida Museum – Siida Museum
Home of the Saami Museum and Nature Centre, with powerful exhibitions on Sámi culture and traditional crafts (Duodji).

Sámiland
Very special and beautiful landscape and cultural area extending across vast areas in Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula in Russia.



Art work by Hildá Länsman

Finland-Specific Crafts to Explore

Ryijy Rugs – These traditional Finnish tapestry-style rugs are making a comeback. Try kits or workshops at design museums and craft centres.

Saami Duodji – Explore Indigenous handcrafts, including woven bands, leather bags and dyed threads. Best learned through visits to Siida Museum or workshops in Lapland.

Lapuan Kankurit – This weaving mill in Western Finland offers factory visits and has become a beloved brand among linen lovers around the world.

Whether you're planning a trip or just dreaming of one, I hope this guide brought a little new inspiration to your day. Missed the community meeting? Sign up for our newsletter for the next one and follow us on Instagram for future dates.

FESTIVALS

XO

Mila

Mila .