Wise Craft

ok, on to inspiring images

Let's share the first bit of what's inspiring me right now (glad you guys felt like playing along).  I kind of lost it when this book, Misanga Promise Ring (ISBN# 978-4-529-04355-7), came in the mail.  It is worthy of my complete and full attention (kids?  what kids?), and I'm not surprised that the Japanese can elevate the humble friendship bracelet to a work of art (see more pictures here).  Jen surprised me with it after reading all my ramblings about friendship bracelets and I have to say that I've pretty much put everything else aside (including cooking and bathing) to try and decipher the instructions.  I think they are easier when I don't read them over so many times.  But, since its the closest I'll get to summer camp this summer, I'm enjoying every minute of making these.  I really love any excuse to buy more DMC embroidery floss, its like cheap craft fun.  Just pick out every single color you like and try spending over a few bucks.  Thank you Jen.

Other inspiring things on my mind today:

Welcome Lydia!

Volver (subtitled, but worth the effort)

a picture is worth a thousand words (I love these images, from Jenny)

Happy Tuesday everyone!

lunchboxes

I don't post all of my Japanese craft books these days.  It can feel redundant, many of us usually see the same ones.  They still inspire me a great deal, especially a new one.

Monday, after the kids were safely off at school, Peter off at work, I ran away to Kinokuniya (I was supposed to be cleaning).  Fingers crossed, I was looking for a juicy new book to inspire me to finish cleaning and get to sewing.  I came away with this book, ISBN#4-529-04264-2.  It was really inexpensive by Japanese craft book standards, just $9.70, but its just enough eye candy to get the ideas swarming.

I love the separate snack bag attached over the handle.  Doesn't everybody need a little cute bag to make lunch more exciting?  I was originally thinking these would be fun to experiment with as handbags, but a lunch box might be fun too, I'm intrigued by the insul-bright that Sally posted about.  Some of the bags use something like that, others appear to use a clear iron-on vinyl, something like what I found here (scroll down a bit).

Six basic bag styles with very very cute variations.  And, as usual, very nice photography.

I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of the big wise craft clean of 2007.  If there is more cleaning required after this week is over, I'm going on strike.

Happy Wednesday!

color, woolens, WIP, and crossing off my lists

Wool Patchwork/warm quilt for the home, ISBN#4-579-10894-9

I know what you're thinking, why is she thinking about wool when summer is almost here?  Well, I am thinking the same thing, but the simplicity of the projects in this book have me savoring the pages over and over again (that whole horizontal research thing).  I have a stash of woolens that have just been waiting for me to decide what to do with them.  Using them would free up almost half of my fabric storage space.

completely random thoughts that illustrate my brain capacity at the moment (short, to the point)-

- I was more than delighted to see what  Karen did with the bag of fabric scraps I sent her.  Further proof for any doubting Thomases left that even the smallest smidgen of fabric has potential.
- I am excited to explore color next week with Stephanie and Mav.  I have found myself very keen to everything around me since I started thinking about this challenge.  I needed that to happen.
- I also love Fiona's idea of "work in progress" Friday pictures.  Like everyone else, I love seeing things in the making and messy work spaces of the creatively genius like you guys.
-Still working on a shop update.  Somewhere further down on my to-do list I want to try out some new patchwork bag designs that are in my head.  I have officially hired a mother's helper to come to the house one day a week all summer, which will hopefully give me some sewing time and my kids a new face to play with.  This is new territory for us, in the past a babysitter of any sort meant mom left the house.  I'm hoping with this new arrangement, maybe I can just barricade the door to the studio, or better yet just close it and leave a bowl of candy just outside, so they'll grab and run, thinking I wouldn't let them have any if I knew.
- Plush You II is approaching (well, for me anyway).  I'm so excited that Mary and I will be co-conducting a workshop during the exhibition, so if you're local, please come downtown and say hello.  We'll provide more details as they are firmed up.

Simple Corsage Making

ISBN #4-579-10885-X.

Although none of these look very *simple*, they sure are pretty, aren't they?

Hope all you mom's have a lovely Mother's day.

Cadeaux

Nothing like a little French from Japan-

ISBN #4072457825

This book is about French designers of children's fabrics, accessories, etc. and their children's environments.  Not much pattern info, there are some very abstract softies, but its full of great inspiration.  Just what I needed to inspire me to redo Emma's room.  The photos are very charming, I've been studying this book like I'm going to be tested on it.

From 1 yr old Simeon's room done by his mother Delphine Ledoux (these make me want to run out and restock my stash of solid fabric)-

I can't tell how this butterfly is made, but it looks like they used those colored feathers my kids have used at school and sequins, or maybe the "holes" punched from colored paper?  This is in a 9 yr old's room named Angela.  How do they pink look so....livable???

I love the simplicity of this room, the patched curtain with the plain white unadorned rod.  By designer Elisabeth Relin who does a French childrenswear line called wowo (my google search did not turn up an actual website).

The quilt in the below picture is so beautiful, reminds me a lot of this.

Its been a little slower creatively here this week.  We are in the middle of a tough parenting stage with our youngest.  Apparently 4 1/2 is the teenage years of the preschool development for some kids, and I believe we have a rebellious one on our hands.  So I'm going to excuse myself and get two kids ready for an early bedtime so Peter and I can have a relaxing dinner alone.  The negotiations are closing for the evening.

sashiko zakka

It has been very drippy, rainy, and gray here forever it seems.  Good excuse to stay in and get over our colds, bad for taking a decent pic of anything.  So I scanned in a new book Peter gave me for Christmas.  I don't know what "sashiko" means exactly, but can give a good guess that its an embroidery technique.  Its simple and lovely. 

ISBN #4277341071

Its done with a heavier thread/yarn, in sort of a running stitch, it reminds me of a hand quilting stitch.  Simple designs but lots of great uses of color.

Click on the one above for a better view of the details.

2006 will be the year I make a tea cozy for myself!

I love these, although I don't know what they are, but gosh, aren't they fun?

Again, click on this for a better view, I love the little patch on the jeans.

The pillows are great.  Look at the details...tiny buttons on the top left one and appliqued drops on top right.  That one is my favorite.

More tomorrow.  Thanks for all the well-wishes and healthy thoughts, I think they helped, we're all coming around...slowly.

The Big A

My second attempt at this bag.  I think this one is a big improvement over the first one.  I really worked on making the interfacing weights much more compatible with the shape.  If the interfacing isn't sturdy enough, the bag "sags" at the top middle.  If the interfacing is too stiff, the quilting looks a little too flat.  I have described this bag in my sketch book as the "Big A".  So, that's its name for now.  Till a better one comes along.  Merry Christmas Mom, you new Spring bag will look amazing at your next bridge club game.

More details here...

Idees

Happy first day of Advent everybody.  We have the added excitement here of SNOW!  My daughter is at school right now, but I bet she is exploding with excitement.  If I wasn't in the holiday mood before, I am now.

OK, Molly Chicken, I may have found a Japanese craft book you don't have yet, ISBN# 4529041808.  Wonderful potential Christmas gift ideas.  Like this wool appliqued/embroidered scarf-

Tissue holders (although I'd love to get one of these) and wallets for the cold-infected person in your life who has pocket money-

Appliqued felt totebags-

And these mittens....the model can't even look at their extreme cuteness, it hurts too much.

These little bags would be so great to hold gifts, or whatever, really.  I do so love pretty storage of most any kind, especially for all those tiny little Legos.  There are instructions on how to get the smocking-type effect by connecting the polka-dots.

Thanks for the great response to my proposal of an ornament trade.   I would love to make this an annual event!  My plan is to do all my mailing on Monday (or Saturday if I'm really on top of things).  (And, yes Jen, I'm saving one for you.)  Can't wait to see them on my tree.

Halls have been partially decked.  We have put up our kid-Christmas artificial tree, which holds, you guessed it, all kid ornaments, non-breakables, and the "mom, can I take this off the tree and play with it for a little while" type.  We will get "Mama's tree" this weekend.  The one that is looked at and touched with one finger, (being the mean mom I am).  Emma and Ian both get a small Christmas tree in their room too, it serves as their nightlight throughout the holidays.  I hope to post pictures on Flickr of my favorite holiday vignettes around the wise.. craft house.  I'm really enjoying seeing every else's.

Brand New Bag

I wanted a new bag, so I copied this one out of one of my Japanese craft books.  Here's the original-

I really like the way it turned out, although I think I may make another one and put some heavier interlining in it to give it more body.  That's always a challenge for me when trying to work my way through a pattern out of a Japanese book, the interlining- what weight, fusible, non-fusible, all those annoying little details. 

What I like most about this bag was the way the accent fabric peeks through at the sides of the pockets and on the underside of the strap.  The dark brown and bright green combo is making me happy at the moment.  I even used a magnetic snap, cause a girl's gotta keep her goods from fallin' out.

This weekend I will be...
- Making 25 beanbags for a friend who is also a drama/dance teacher.  She needs them for her class.
- Attending a 10 year anniversary party for some very good friends at one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle.
- hopefully sewing, sewing, sewing away on holiday gifts

Happy weekend!

Japanese Craft Books

I have created a Flickr set of all my Japanese craft books, with their ISBN#'s.  Next I'll make a comprehensive list here as well.  You can view other crafter's libraries and some of what they have created from them here. 

I'm off to our local Japanese bookstore tomorrow and maybe I'll have a new one to post about.