angry chicken

someday I will make one.

Here's another book I recently picked up, again a Japanese craft book. ISBN978-4-277-49061-0. I have yet to try a project from a Japanese craft book, but I am game. There are diagrams in this book and it seems reasonable enough. It's more of a thick pamphlet, not a book—it was only $3.95. I love the big-trivet-for-your-hiney thing. If I had one I'd feel like I were sitting on the coolest hot pad ever.

I have to try it 'cause I can run to a local crochet expert if I get into trouble. The last time she helped me crochet I was very pregnant and mentally impaired. I promise to do better this time.

Okay, can't find this book online either, sorry. If anyone can, please post it in the comments. It's published by Ondori. Again, I get my books here in town, you can read all that info in my FAQ.

In keeping with my recent theme of pouring over books at night but not actually starting anything related to their contents, I have been spending way too much time over here at this wallet draining needlework bookshop, The Mad Samplar Books. Ouch. If you like used or rare books of the needlework variety, sorry in advance.

picnic at hanging rock-ish

I just got this book and am smitten. It's all about altering t-shirts, sweaters, and whatnot by adding lace, doilies, and bits of trim. The photos feature all girls, but of course I want to dress like this, too.

So elegantly cool. That crown there is just a circle of lace. Brilliant. And the doily on the strap is perfect.  Bloomers make an appearance too, so I felt compelled to take this book home with me.

The photos are so lovely. These girl look so real. Albeit a bit moody, but hey, that's real too, you know? It sort of reminds me of a more casual Flora and Henri. The ISBN is 978-4-12-390158-1. There are no patterns in this book because it's altering existing clothes, so there's just illos with generic ideas. It's all in Japanese, of course. I can't find it online right now, but I know you sleuths can. Here's an image of the cover. (I get all my Japanese books here locally, you can see more info in my FAQ.)

And thank for all the eMailorder #8 love!! Don't forget to show to paper cuts in the Mailorder group on flickr, I can't wait to see!

new sewing book for me.

I picked up this book over at Mariko's last week, Girly Style Wardrobe, ISBN978-4-579-11132-9 and am completely in love with every single pattern. It's the perfect mix of sweet, not too cute/not too serious, folksy, happy, and just plain ol' cool. The sizes are 100-140 cm (it's for young girls), so I will get a ton of use out of these patterns. Here's the cover-last I saw they only had 3 left, but I think are getting more soon (right?) edit* they are all sold out now-

perfect peasant blouse/smock type thing-

the hoodie and skirt! and the freaky boots! too flippin' cute.

This Julie Christie look kills me. I must make a faux fur hat this fall. I have to. Sadie saw this photo and flipped her lid. The funny thing is, she already wears her coonskin davey crockett hat all the time, so this look makes perfect sense to her. .

I have no idea if this book is available on yesasia, or other japanese craftbook haunts. It looks like you can buy it here on ebay for now also, if you are new to the whole Japanese Craft Book thing, you can find places to purchase at the wonderful Japanese Craft Book reference blog, Crafting Japanese, and I do think Superbuzzy will be getting more, so you can send them an e-mail. . . . now I need to get busy.

new japanese book-pottery

I went over to Kinokuniya at Uwajimaya last weekend, I hadn't been there in a long time, and found this amazing book. It's a visual catalog of some famous mid-century modern Swedish, Finnish, Danish, and Norwegian pottery. It's just a look book, with the company names and patterns, but it is amazing and the photos are stellar, of course. Grammie worked at Finlandia House here in Portland (the owners were close friends of the fanily) when she was little and remembers seeing all these patterns in the shop-it was so cool to look at it with her. Finlandia House is not there anymore, it was Portland's first Finnish home interiors/import store. It opened in the 1950s and mom worked there when she was 12! I guess if you are going to have child labor, at least do it in style!

Arabia-Kartano

Arabia-Kilta (I think Grammie said this was her favorite at Finlandia House.)

Arabia-Krokus (I guess I really like Arabia.)

I don't have any of these patterns. I have a really small ceramics collection just a few pieces, mostly American, but I am slowly rebuilding my parents wedding pattern (Denby) which was lost, and fantasize about owning some of these pieces. I am sure pie would taste even better off of a plate like this. But maybe not pie, now that I think about it, I'd have to make a special Finnish dessert, to go with the Arabia. I must research this. This book in one in a series of two; one showcases cups and saucers, and this one features other pieces in the same patterns. Amazing.

quilt monday-cute book style

This amazing patchwork book in the Gakken series (ISBN4-05-604283-7 use this in the advance search-the link is acting funny, sorry) was given to me by the generous and sweet Sally when she came over on Friday for Hannah's BBQ. It's got wonderful patchwork and small quilt projects and made me nutty all weekend. This placemat and juice glass cozy is making me super crazy right now. Labor intensive and impractical. . .sign me up!

super sweet hearts with photo transfers. . .

And this amazing felt bag. Ugh. I have to make something like this. It's too flippin' cute! Thank you for making me a crazy person, Sally!

sewing clothes crazy

wow-wow-wow! Thank you all so much for your mailorder enthusiasm! It feels great and I have to get busy stuffing envelopes and ignore the new crafts books I got. . .

I scored pretty good at the the bookstore I picked up quite a few sewing books. Clothes style. Here is one that is making me a bit crazy right now. so lovely. The cover with the ISBN and all that info is right here.

This would be wonderful in a crazy print too. This books comes with patterns and I'm not going to accept that they probably won't fit me. We will have to just see how much altering I need to do.

I love this contrasting ribbon.

smocks and bags

I am digging the idea of wearing a smock dress around the house. Over my clothes. Kind of like the one I have made for the girls, only less like a 3 year old would wear. I love this one on the right and the one of the left is an altered men's shirt, I think. With ribbon? I can't quite tell. And I don't think it's a smock, but more like a button up dress. .
These are from the spring issue of Cotton Friend (the isbn is on flickr, just click on this photo)

And I love these two bags on the right side here, especially this fuzzy sporty number in the bottom right corner. Maybe it's a bit woolly for spring/summer, but something about it says tennis to me, which seems springy.

Easter is a week away and I have nothing to show for it. Well, nothing handmade except my wee bunny. I still need to make him a friend. There is frozen sugar cookie dough in the freezer waiting to be cut out into bunnies and eggs and flowers, so that will be on the agenda this week. And I checked this book out of the library that was suggested in the cook book post comments and I am loving it so much. Some really good recipes in there.

Besides that not too much to report. I'm scheming ridiculous ideas-I have big plans around here for a podcast play I want to put on, that would involve a horse because I have always wanted to use coconut shells for sound effects, and possibly something involving puppets, but in a podcast, which is so funny to me because you would have no way of knowing they were puppets. And, speaking of puppets did you hear This American Life this week? The bit with Mr. Rogers was so great.

better. . .

we are feeling better around here-thank you all so much for you sweet well wishes. It really made us feel better! I won't go into details, but this bug was bad. in that way. you know, so I can't tell you how happy I am we are up and running again.

I got a surprise package from Sally on Saturday and holy mary and joseph-this book, among so many wonderful things, were inside. Wow!! Thank you so much Sally! She tucked in the sweetest hello/get-well card and stationary and gift tags she designed herself-so nice. I almost started crying! These patchwork coasters saved me yesterday-I started some immediately, which took my mind of the nausea, and boy, um, inset corners are hard. Yeah, I had that "I'm not a real quilter" moment. You can see the result here-not bad, but took a long time and I need to practice.

 

Sally blogged about this book here (more and different photos) I have converted these books for so long-why don't we have fabric here with more words? I think that's part of what makes these projects so cool. . .

Okay-this make me crazy-loco. The minimal style photo the with crazy patchworky runner (or mat, what should I call it?) so good. so very very very good. Gosh-this package was almost worth getting so sick for! (I am insane) thanks again sally!!

sock distractions.

Over the weekend I went to the Japanese bookstore and found this. It's new to me, but I see others have found it and love it too, who wouldn't? See more photos over on crafting Japanese. ISBN 4579110617.

These are all made of socks or gloves. The cute/sad factor here is killing me.

The directions seem really clear and easy to do. I think they are pretty small, because socks and gloves just aren't all the big, you know?

This photo! on the distressed blue chair. too good.

so hard to choose, but this is my favorite. I need to get out the socks! Most of these actually require 2 socks, not just the lowly one sock we have so many of floating around. . .

folksy fabric

after a summer of japanese book binging, I realized I needed help. so, I subscribed to cotton friend, and then promised myself I would only go to the japanese book store when it came in (4 times a year) and I was even extra special good this time, because I had grammie pick it up for me so I didn't even get to look. She, however, didn't fair so well, and left with at least 2 new books for herself.

The cotton friend featured these wonderful folksy prints that are making me crazy/nutty.

here are some of the prints as dolly clothes. note the great kerchief and apron. I love the fabric hair.

this fabric wrapped basket is really wonderful (click for a big view). I have to try this very soon. baskets with lids are getting a ton of play around here since little red riding hood came out on halloween. Now Sadie is also using them to play Sal, and fill them with "blueberries" (which are wool felted beads. am I dying here, or what??) Sal is new for her, the last week or so she had been mostly Jane.

don't think I would have chosen that sweater with the above outfit, but that's just me.

I would just hang this on the wall as well, just beautiful.