angry chicken

quilt monday-stuck in redville

yes, when I get into something (redwork) I really get into it. so, this is also from that same magazine as this post. I am fixating on these tiny flying woodland elf/faeries on the border of the quilt. Can you see them? Click on the photo for a closer look. So sweet (and yes, I realize they are wearing hats exactly like what I just sewed for Oscar in my last post) well, at least I am consistent (or boringly predictable.)

These are all so amazing, but I am really diggin on the realistic mushrooms looming above to the right. Wonderful. And I also like this dark bloody color of red for the embroidery. Also, what a beautiful photograph! It's so impossible to photograph quilts. This way is perfect. A close up with movement, you know?

And very exciting to report, Laura posted a translation of the Japanese text on last week's yo-yo quilt in the comment section. Thank you, Laura!

quilt monday-japanese redwork

We are back from the coast and it was wonderful. Photos tomorrow, but first I have to talk about quilts. I found a great fabric shop in Cannon Beach called Center Diamond that had a ton of books I had never seen in person before, very exciting. But even more exciting was the two huge baskets of Quilts Japan and Tsuchin Patchwork they had (they will ship these, too.) These are so hit and miss for me, so when I can actually see what is in them first, it's so helpful. This one, (ISSN 1346-955X, I can't seem to find the ISBN, will this help? I don't even know) from May 2005 is all about redwork and is sooooo good. I love redwork but have never done it, partly because I'm not super-into the Sunbonnet Sue designs you normally see, but this magazine puts a whole new spin on redwork I find most pleasing. . .the photo above has sweet bunny pillows. I like the red/white reverse design on each.

here's a big tote and a wall organizer. The tote is so funny. If you look real close you can see on the small photo on the back of the tote is a furry doggy butthole. wow. never really thought I'd type these words together, but I just did.

a bit too sweet for me, but I love and admire the needle work on this. really beautiful. I also like the shape of the bag, with the tiny pleats. And I love the tree.

yes, a dishcloth apron (hint) and kitchen nice-ness

This page made me a bit goofy. There is a lot here, like the sweet pin cushion, such a simple and cute shape.The sewing basket, okay, I need to try this with plastic or wood handles like these. Very intrigued by this idea. That bunny in the basket is a pin cushion with a pocket for scissors. Excellent. This portable sewing table (?) is really nice and I have to find tape measure ribbon, like this red one. And look at the jaunty bunnies dancing on this basket. too dang cute. I want to try a quilt or project just with one color, like red. It's so striking to have red, white and maybe that natural linen color.

happy baby book

I found a very cool japanese craft book at my local haunt a few weeks back. this one is called "for sweet baby" (isbn4-07-246385-X) and has some of the cutest sewing projects of the squealing variety.

wow-and I love that suitcase too!

must make felt beads right away-and I already have a huge embroidery hoop waiting to become this lovely thing.

there are four shoe patterns in this book, one for each season.

this would be a snazzy case for anything, not just for a leaky bottle that surely would get it all wet and stinky anyway. I really like the plaid on the ends and tiny doggy button. very nice. so, this is also a little incentive for some of my friends who are wondering about when to have that second baby (you know who you are. . .) you can make all these goodies (and forget how dang tired you will be all over again!)

got me thinking. . .

I was looking at this japanese magazine and stopped at this page that I hadn't noticed before. I am really loving raw edges right now, especially in combination with hand stitching. so simple and textural.

also, these kid play blocks are so dang cute and happy

I think I still have a bit of foam from an unfinished project. weird thing to have lying around, extra foam, at least pete thinks so. he would be thrilled if I used it instead of "saving" it. and on a somber note, my heart and thoughts go out to all of you in london. .

I almost started crying

I went to the Asian market by my mom's house over the weekend and found some new craft books. This one is called Kid's Drawings (isbn 4-7762-0113-5) and I sort of freaked out. I really freaked out. I spent way too much money (although, less than half of what I would have spent on eBay) but I officially can only go there once a season now. A new rule for myself. sigh. so, all the books I got (4) caused me to feel almost sick. The photography, ideas, everything. I can barely write about it. Every idea in this book is beautiful. Lots of raw edges and deconstructed designs that compliment the kid's artwork so well. More of idea book than an actual how to-but I like that better anyway. No rules to follow, make it up as you go.

There has been a lot floating around about inspiration from kid's drawings (hillary, amanda, and where else? somewhere, I can't remember right now.) I love it when we are all looking at things at the same time. A craft wave is so inspirational. Here is a stuffed lion made into a clock.

slippers with stitched kid's art

kid's art etched onto glasses

bean bags? paper weights? I'm not sure, but who cares, they are so wonderful. I will post the other books later, after I have absorbed them all. They are mostly from a publisher called Cafe Time Books, which uses designs from a much of designers-who all have bios and websites in the back (all in Japanese)

quilt monday-inspiration

here's a few images form a new Japanese craft book (isbn 4-391-62040-5) I picked up over the weekend. I can't figure out the name of it quite yet. This quilt above reminds me of early denyse schmidt. lovely tablecloth-hmmm.

elegant, minimal and lovely.

quilt monday-inspiration

More wonderful inspiration from Japan, this time from Patchwork Quilt Tsushin (#122 October, 2004) again on loan from the amazing library of Kelly (thank you!!) Look at all the teeny tiny pieces in this quilt! It makes my head hurt. I love the asymmetry of the border and the photo in the upper felt uses plaids in a really interesting way (look closer-click on the photo)

Oh happy, happy pin cushions. Gosh, I can't get enough of these. Almost as cute as Hillary's (but not quite.)

These muted/somber colors are not really me, but I really dig this graphic big/small wheel thing here and the whacky plaids cut in any ol' way with fun mixed patchwork blocks around the border.

I love this. Look what you can make from a turtleneck sweater, a big buttoned jacket and a shirt? A pair of slippers and a tote to put them in! I love this for 2 reasons, the  rainbow stripes on the sweater and the slipper design on the tote, in case you forget what you put in there. Your slippers. I love accessories that have their own accessories.

Again, not my colors,  but again, really amazing use of plaid fabrics.

Now this is a sewing kit. There are so many details in this little kit. It makes me want to make another one. I especially like the green scissors holder with the 2 flowers.

This I love for the way ugly colors of the bag and matching accessories in the top left photo. Wow. It's unusual to see these colors together post 1975, yet here they are, and lookin' great. And after seeing these other bags, all handbags I make from now on (I have made none, well, maybe one, about 4 years ago) will have hanging tags/smaller bags that match the big bag. Like a marsupial thing.

I'm not 100% sure what this page is about, but nice patchwork bag ideas. I like the "sketches" with actual fabric. Okay, enough photos. Please check out the quilts floating around over at Amanda's (she has 2 up right now!) and Lisa's (scroll down, all handmade!), very nice!

quilt monday-inspiration

all these great photos come from an issue of Quilts Japan, (2002, #5-not sure how you would get back issues-but here's where to buy current ones), a magazine that Kelly let me borrow from her amazing collection of Japanese craft books and magazines. I believe this magazine comes out 6 times a year. It's pretty thick and has patterns, although I think it would be easier for me to make my own patterns for most of these projects-just so I don't have to keep referring to something not in English-also-if I make it up as I go, it can never be wrong!

love this skirt and top-but I think making the semi-circles on the skirt would cause lots of swearing.

   

tons of color- I really like the apron with the stripes turned to an angle

 
click for bigger view of these-look at the goodies on the little bulletin board

I really love these colors together a "so ugly it's awesome" color combo.. I think it's time for me to make some tea cozies-I seem to be showing them all the time.

       

hanging quilts

I really like the little apple tree. Velcro fun-time for the babies.

another happy book

I just got this book "Handmade Felt Book" (ISBN4-277-43024-4 (thanks to a post from Kelly mentioning Therese wanting to sell it) and I am quite pleased with what was inside-

I am WAY into felting, both needle and wet, well, as much I can be without ever having tried it. how sad. I have a wad of roving looking at me, I poke it sometimes as I walk by, but that's it. Would these creations take forever to felt? Time, especially-standing-in one-place-type of time, is limited right now. Maybe I should revisit this in the fall. Anyhoo, it's a good book and the visual instructions are quite good (again, coming from someone who does not know how to felt)

 

happy book #2

 

Here's the other book I picked up.(ISBN4-89396-783-5) Lots of patterns in this needlework book. All projects inspired from the alphabet and it is so sweet! This on above is "c" for cat (made from a sock)

A is for apple. . .sewing accessories. Needle case with apple button closure, sewing basket and a needle felted apple pin cushion! (Karen-do you see this?!)

"B" is for buttons-these are amazing. The directions just show a bit of needlework attaching felt on a white circle, then sewing a gather stitch around the edge to pull it tight around a button form (like making a yo-yo minus the button) I'm temped to try it with a button covering kit-to get the back on tight.

"F" flower vases (test tubes)

"M" felt leaf and stick mobile

"V" is for violets-this is a brooch and a hair band in back-in felt. Obviously, there is more in this happy book (all the other letters!)