Supply Binging

This past month I’ve been binging on supplies (and in particular fabric and yarn). I keep going into stores and finding stuff that I could use (“could” being the operative word).

DIY: Fabric Napkin Ring

Truthfully, I’m not sure if I can recall a time I really used napkin rings; they add a sense of formality that I don’t find particularly necessary. However, they can add some color and personality to the table, and this is a simple way to make your own napkin rings.

I had a paper towel roll and thought that it could easily be converted into a napkin ring.

Japanese Silk Labels

Stock images are commonplace at work; they’re quick and easy to get, mock up and replace if necessary. However, when working on personal projects, I generally prefer to create my own imagery since it reflects my design sensibilities to a better degree.

Cell Phone Straps

When I was in Japan, there were many things there that were big there that never quite made it to the U.S. Cell phone straps were one of those things.

DIY: Yarn-covered Pencil Holder

I had left over yarn that I wanted to use, so I decided to cover a can with it to create a simple pencil holder.

Tassel Necklace

I was looking the beading section at a craft store and my eyes fell across a tassel—but to my disappointment it wasn’t a cute one. Tassels are interesting to me because they can go one to too ways: sophisticated or trashy (depending on how they’re used and what they’re made of). There weren’t any other tassel options to buy, so I thought I would just make my own.

With the supplies I already had at home, I chose a bead to be the top of my tassel and attached a pearl beneath it and then added a few lengths of chain below that. I thought about the tassel being on just a single chain, but it was too dull. So I decided to crisscross the chains to create more visual interest. 

25 Miles to Go

So it’s been a month since I’ve first posted and I’ve been diligent in my Monday through Friday postings. I thought I would try posting daily, but I’m like a marathon runner that’s sprinted the first mile and then realizes that there’s another 25 miles to go. I can’t sustain the pace I’ve initially set (since it’s rather time consuming to write, take photos and adjust selected photos for the web).

I’ve put things on the back burner that can’t come to the front since I’ve been busy preparing posts. Thus, starting next week I will post once a week—I’m thinking Thursdays. I’ll post on at least one topic and maybe more depending on time constraints; this will give me a bit more flexibility which I think in the long run will be better for me. 

Can of Worms

I’m having a childhood flashback: using a can to create a pencil holder. Since it’s so simple to do, I’m pretty sure that this is something I would have done for an art project for school.

DIY: Bobbin Seal

I often keep things that I don’t need, thinking that I’ll use it sometime in the future. I should probably throw much of it away, but a part of me resists. I can’t help but think that I could use it for something.

So I can feel vindicated that I have used something I’ve kept around: a bobbin. Looking at its shape, I thought I could use it as a stamp.

Natto Pad

Natto Pad (tag for hanging)

I am not a natto (fermented soybeans) fan. I knew before trying it that there was a slim chance that I would actually like it, but I tried anyway because every so often food can surprise you; sometimes your preconceived notions are incorrect. This was not one of those times.

Quick Valentines

I found this cute scrapbooking paper at a craft store and decided to turn it into quick valentines. I just cut out the images along the dotted lines and then pasted the image onto colored paper. It was super easy.

Darn it

I have never darned a sock. I think of socks as fairly disposable pieces of clothing; if it has a hole in it, then you throw it away. I suppose if it was an expensive or novelty sock then there would be an incentive to save it [pause] maybe.

DIY: Lantern Tag

I was thinking about other ways to use circle shapes, and came up with a festive lantern tag.

Sew Impulsive (part 2)

Cut to months later. I finally went to the fabric store and picked out a very simple skirt pattern. It’s pretty much the bare minimum pattern you can get: an A-line skirt where the front and back use the same pattern shape with a zipper on the side.

Sew Impulsive (part 1)

I don’t have air conditioning. For some of you that would be inconceivable, but it’s not usually super hot where I am (except for a couple days out of the year). When it hits 100 degrees, then it’s time for me to go somewhere with air conditioning—and I am not alone. Any public place suddenly becomes packed with hot cranky people. It’s a real treat.