Making Time

hand-bag

Originally uploaded by feather.

a handbag goes on your hand. it does not weigh down your shoulder. this is a smart tool for carrying only the essentials. and not for bunging in just about everything (as i do with my burdening shoulder bag).

i really REALLY like the goldilocks fabric, and took pains to position it right. i wish i had not top stitched the handle, now, looking back. thing is, i’m not sure if i should top-stitch the red pleats according to my original plan.

so it’s kinda not really finished. i will maybe try just pressing the pleats the other way, and blind-stitching to the black. i dunno!

Knit cafe

Originally uploaded by feather.

I’ve been meaning to post this, since I love the fact that there were so many guys at this event.

Clover, a japanese company who makes some of the cleverest sewing notions and crafting supplies hosts these ‘knit cafe’s’ around the country (japan). For 2000 円 (about 20USD) you can get a little kit in a plastic latte-cup.

Of course they are crocheting in these photos, not knitting. I assume they teach crocheting because it builds up quickly, and offers instant gratification.

When I was searching around for info on these knit cafes, I saw this mentioned on Pinku’s website: “the interview will appear on my new Japanese craft site…which will hopefully be up soon!!” As I read, Pinku hosts a Tokyo Stitch and Bitch or SNB or whatever they’re calling them these days

Myorei-san posing with her new hat

Originally uploaded by feather.

I’m back from my holiday, with my visiting bestest friend from highschool. She really enjoys challenging me in many ways- one of these was to go stay in a Zen Center. I was quite adamant that I was not going to like this at all… and how wrong I was.

We stayed at the Hosen-ji Zen Center in Kyoto, Japan. It was a great introduction to Zen buddhism and mediation. As well as that, the people there are so remarkable. There was such a pleasant, peaceful atmosphere there. It was down-to-earth, unprentious, unassuming, and somehow, playful. Up at 5 in the morning, cleaning, working in the gardens, eating brekkies and dinner in silence, and long moments of mediation, reading sutras and chanting and lights out at 10 sharp. I would go back and stay alot longer than 3 nights.

Myorei-san, a nun, saw me crocheting and asked was I making a hat. I said it was going to be a bag, but maybe it could be a hat. When I asked her if she would like a hat, she got postively giddy. I offered to make it for her, and she gushed, and was patting her cheeks saying how happy she was. I am taking this mannerism into my own usage. She was so happy happy like a kid when I presented the hat to her. She loves purple, as you can tell from her stylish outfit.

~AND all of our exchanges were completely in Japanese, so I felt especially proud.

Needlebook Swap

Originally uploaded by feather.

Note to self: Post images of swaps as soon as you receive them!! (Of course my partner blogged about the swap as soon as she got it!)

I was so pleased when Claire from one of my ‘favorite’ blogs (Needlebook) wrote and asked me for a swap. I had pretty much trawled her entire site’s archives, and I had seen things like her cool gnome needlebook (Not to mention a certain lovely doll named Hattie.)

She asked me what I wanted on the needlebook… and I couldn’t think at first, then realized I really wanted a house. I’m getting hit by homesickness like I’ve never had before. But the sad thing is, and most confusing is that I don’t know exactly where home *is*.

Part of me wonders if I will know what it does feel like when I finally get there… I know I should be making ‘home’ where ever I am… but I don’t know…

Needless to say, the image of a cute little house is quite evocative for me, and I thank Claire very very much for this!

And they are both very handy. I’m taking pins in and out of the cushion all the time (when I get the chance to sew). Also, it’s better than the one I made since it is stuffed more full. I under-stuffed my cushion and the pins keep going in too far. You can buy these lovely pin cushions in her shop. clairelmilne.etsy.com

Needlebook has already made something from one of the fabrics I sent her. Isn’t it lovely?

I had my first swapping experiences last month. I realize now that I’m a total jerk for not having put up pictures! All of my packages have now been received on both ends. But I must remember that posting photos is an important last step. And I’m very late in it!

One of the most important things I learned is *timing*. One week, I was able to send off three swap packages, but then I had to hold one back because I needed to get feedback on some fabric i posted photos of using Flickr. The timing was crucial because then it literally took me weeks to get back to the post office. I carried it around with me in my bag. Of course, now I have found there is a tiny post office closer to my job, so it should all be smoother now!

This was the lovely pile of fabrics I received from OhBara. Last week I finally washed them, and started using them!

Flickr is a great tool for swapping. I didn’t understand how it was done, until Michelle from Green Kitchen advised me that i should buy fabrics, and post pictures of them online and say they were available for swapping. seems obvious now, but i didn’t know if anyone would even find my pictures. sure enough they did!

These are the pretty fabrics I received from CTeresa.

i was just writing to a current swap partner that swapping is a mix of guilt, fear, anticipation and joy. it’s certainly not as simple or easy as it looks! i think from now on, i won’t jump into too many swaps at once, and i will be very careful about choosing which ones i do join. i’d like to make sure that my partners and i include hand-made things in each swap, rather than just plain materials swaps from now on.

but having said that, lookie at this cool bunch of trim i got from trevo azul. i love what she did with pompoms when she made this mobile.

Yarn for Feather - with flash!

Originally uploaded by whizzme.

i can’t pick favorites since i enjoyed receiving all the packages, but this pile of crewel wool was the most inspiring. a big THANKS to Samantha from Whizzme. i even started a whole other blog: “How can you be so crewel?” for the yarn. The reality is tho, that my first attempts at crewel with out a book or pattern (or even the right kind of fabric) look pretty lame… It’s not so easy. But i like to paw this wool every once in a while. I did use some on a bunny nose.

Next: a group swap

I’d like to join a group swap next, I was sad when I missed the BackTack… but I now see fate’s wisdom is making me set my alarm clock wrong. I would not have had the time this month. And timing is CRUCIAL. I’m resisting the temptation to join the Open Yours Too, but in june I am excited to do the purplepinkandorange.com Stuffed Toy swap which is managed at swapbot.

What i sent

I kinda went overboard, not knowing it was reallly just a material swap, and added in probably WAY TOO MANY things. I can tell I went overboard because at least two swappers mentioned to me that feel bad that there was an uneven swap. Alas. I knew something was wrong when the goodies were going over the price of some of the fabric pieces.

These were some of the packages i sent:

ok, so this was actually last week in japan. but i’m trying to catch up with a back-log of posts! i have been busily catching up with japanese homework, working, preparing materials for class in two week’s time, since until then- i’m going to kyoto, osaka and nara.

of course the main purpose of the trip is to see important historical sites, and oogle at gigantic buddhas… but secretly, i can’t wait to get some fabric-shopping in. i’m sure the selection and price will be better than out in the ‘countryside’ of oita!

lookie at this little chirimen boy i saw for children’s day.

i loved the idea of simple sparrow’s “use what you have” month for april. great crafting blog meme!

however, in my case i didn’t “have” everything i needed in order to use what i have. i mean, i had to go buy more stuffing to fill stuffies… ok, i understand the idea that i should be ripping up rags or something… but i don’t even have that. when i arrived i didn’t have much is a stash or materials to play with. but i’m building one.

instead, i’m making May my “finish what i started month”. sometime in january, i told my boyfriend not to let me start one before i finished the other. this put him in an awkward position, because nothing was going to stop me from starting about 50, and leaving some poor biddies unjointed, unclothed, unstuffed.

mostly what stops me from finishing is a bloated ideal of perfection. when, halfway through, something is looking wrong and it’s not possible to undo it, i take a break, a two steps forward one step back kind of movement.

it would be one thing to simply document all the projects i haven’t finished. first of all, my little workspace is in serious need of organizing. this is what it looked like in March.  some of these projects are completed! the purple fabric is now bedroom curtains. the plants are potted. that’s good!
but there is a bunch more fabric now, from my first swaps. i’ve just washed it yesterday, and before i dig into it, i really should finish up some other things.

i’m inspired by zoe’s column on whip-up where she writes about re-purposed clothing. she recently linked to this blog: fiftyRX3 which is jill dannyelle’s project to document wearing clothes everyday which are 50% sustainable (reduce, reuse, recycle). and she has such a great style. i used to NOT dress boring, but i think since i left the states, i tend to try and pass/blend in as much as possible, being a foreigner that i am.

Also interesting are these flick groups for getting ideas for being creative with recycling:

Sustainable Style
Tips for recycling and reusing

… and this one called wardrobe remix sharing photos of what you’re wearing.

i think i need more excitement in the wardrobe department. i love all the re-purposing and refashioning being shown online.

i always wanted to be one of those people who made their own clothes, made their own dishes, built their own house. i’m coming to the realization that this is not going to pan out, but i would like to reinvent some of my tired holey tops into summer tops. it’s also embarrassing to shop here in japan since i can’t seem to fit into much. really want a sewing machine now.

the duct tape dummy would be a fun thing to have around to drape and pin onto. it must be eye-opening to see yourself in a dressform double, but for dress making it would be very handy.

i just saw a cool one at super eggplant in a stylish pink duct tape, although i like the idea of the paper-tape dress form version which does not require stuffing, i like the sound of ‘easiest and cheapest of all options’.