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July 28, 2005
log bookmark
Bookmarks, the instant gratification craft, that's useful too.
I've had stumps on the brain since seeing Bird in the Hand's wonderful Gocco stump, which is in this shadowbox. Also, a stump drawing and a tree in the same vein, amidst all her other lovely work.
I've been mulling over the embroidery in my head a little more each time she posts something. I've been imagining an unearthed stump, with roots going everywhere, like a reverse tree. That's where I started, but the roots didn't work out, so I chopped it down. Logs make better bookmarks anyway. To finish it, I ironed on some of the fabric in the background and cut it out.
Still mulling about the stump, though.
Posted under Cross Stitch/Embroidery at 10:21 PM | Comments (6)
July 26, 2005
California printmakers
I've been thinking about prints lately, which has brought me back around to my favorite artists.
Tom Killion's woodcut prints are amazing. His California coast series is my favorite.
You might recognize Patricia Curtan's prints from the Chez Panisse cookbooks. We have some of these up in our kitchen. (Scanned in then printed out so no book-chopping was involved.)
Kathleen Lipinski is a serigrapher I came across on the craft fair circuit when I lived in California. Unfortunately I could only afford her notecards. This print involved 18 colors!
Posted under Inspiration at 09:22 PM | Comments (0)
July 24, 2005
sasiko drawstring bag
This is a combination of 2 different projects from one of my Japanese craft books (see library for details). The embroidery is supposed to be a napkin or placemat or something, and there are simpler patterns on the drawstring bags. I've been (unsuccessfully, it's all ripped out now) working on a knitting project, and the bad kitten won't leave my yarn alone. So, the plan is to tuck it in the bag and let it feed out. He'll probably just play with the ribbon ties instead, though. I was pleased to find this ribbon in my collection. It matches the sasiko really nicely.
Outside is linen, my favorite material of the moment, lining is the rayon print serving as a backdrop. It's a dress I've had in my closet for years even though it's got a big pink stain on it from washing it wrong. There are dark and light pink flowers (the light pink ones show up better in person).
The pink blossom idea has been in the back of my head since seeing this awesome bag on craftster.
Posted under Cross Stitch/Embroidery at 01:34 PM | Comments (7)
July 21, 2005
zakka tray
I made this little patchwork tray out of my Zakka book (see library). I was originally making it for my keys, but I forgot about seam allowances and it's a little bit too small. So maybe jewelry or pins or something.
Posted under Sewing/Fabric Crafts at 11:00 PM | Comments (7)
Handmade Modern
The library got a copy of Todd Oldham's Handmade Modern (his site has zooms of lots of the projects). I know him from his column in ReadyMade, which is kind of hit or miss, but usually fun to look at. The book is pretty good, although I probably won't make anything from it. Lots of wood veneer, lots of furniture projects. Some textiles. It's almost as much a design book as anything. Each project is suggestive of some mid-century modern artist or designer, and there are pages about some of the heavy hitters. Although I don't need any furniture at the moment, the book made me believe I could build myself some (well, given a pretty extensive toolbox, anyway). And not ugly pine dorm furniture either, but stuff I might actually buy.
Speaking of ReadyMade, they finally put the PDFs of the early issues back up for sale. I really wish more magazines would sell back issues this way.
Posted under Crafty Book/TV Review at 12:15 AM | Comments (0)
July 20, 2005
simple pendant
I'm playing around with the glass beads I got in Italy. This big pendant in particular is crying out to be a necklace, but I don't think I've got it quite right yet. I do like this arrangement with the little bead across the top, though. It's just strung on string right now, but I bet thin silver thread would look better.
Posted under Jewelry at 11:24 PM | Comments (3)
July 17, 2005
giveaway rundown
OK, the last batch of letters is addressed and ready to be mailed. Whew. I'm thrilled by the response. Total, I'm sending 48 trinkets. I was short a few charms, so hopefully a few of you won't mind getting patches instead. In fact, I still have some patches if anybody missed out. Given that I had almost 4000 hits (!!!) to my site in the last week, I really didn't know what to expect. To anyone else considering it, do it! It's really fun to get all the email from your readers. (And a few super nice people are sending real mail!)
48 is a lot of emails to keep track of, so if you don't get yours in a week or so, let me know.
[Edit: I'm out of trinkets.]
Posted under Random at 11:07 PM | Comments (11)
July 16, 2005
last chance for trinkets
Remember to email me by midnight EST tonight if you want to get in on the patch/charm freebie! 2 batches have already been mailed out. The rest will go out Monday. I'm behind on the email replies, so don't worry if you haven't heard from me yet.
Posted under Random at 11:57 AM | Comments (5)
July 15, 2005
Crafting Japanese
I started a new site devoted to Japanese craft books. It's called Crafting Japanese (for now anyway, I'm taking suggestions for better names). The idea is, every Japanese craft book or website or magazine gets a post. When someone out there writes a review, makes a project, or posts pictures from the book, they, or their readers, email me about it and I update that post. Everything's indexed to the ISBN and the books are classified according to craft for easy searching and browsing. I'll also ask them for permission to post thumbnails of their projects. People who give permission will be added to the Contributors list.
It'll be a resource about Japanese craft books, with store locations and online shops too.
If anybody's got suggestions on the format, I've got a few entries up like what I'm thinking. Since I haven't bothered getting permission to post anybody else's picture, it's mainly my projects just for the sake of demonstration.
Posted under Crafty Links at 12:12 AM | Comments (13)
July 13, 2005
bird zip
I made the matching zipper pouch to go with my bird bag. I wish I had a nicer fabric for the wing, but otherwise I'm pretty happy with it.
Posted under Sewing/Fabric Crafts at 12:55 AM | Comments (17)
July 11, 2005
weed garden #2
My second machine embroidered tiny garden (here's number one). The idea was California poppies, which I love. (Little off topic, but favorite poppies ever are Jill Bliss's. I've got a notebook and a screened shirt, but, alas, no poster.)
Anyway my golden California embroidery makes me pretty happy. Hmmm, now what to do for the third? I'm thinking thistles.
Posted under Cross Stitch/Embroidery at 10:48 PM | Comments (11)
July 10, 2005
reader appreciation trinket giveaway
I've been trying to think up something nice to do for my readers to thank everybody for making craftlog so fun to do. I *love* getting comments and emails, especially from all the crafters whose work I respect and admire so much. I love seeing my hits go up every month too (well, almost every month). So, if you email me (craftlog @ huangfamily . com) with your address, you will get a small token of my appreciation, a scissors patch or charm. I made these with my Gocco. The patches are made from canvas recycled from an old shoulder bag and satin stitched around the edge. The charms are made from shrink plastic.
I'll accept addresses for a week (it's now midnight July 10 Eastern Standard Time) so my occasional readers have a chance too. Let me know if you'd like a patch or a charm. I only have however many patches I could fit on a disassembled bag, so first come first served for them. I can make unlimited charms, though. I'll mail anywhere.
Thanks to I love April Fool and used-to-be-starserge-now-Heyday-Fashion for the patch idea.
Posted under Gocco at 12:00 AM | Comments (7)
July 09, 2005
Selvedge
Some kind internet-denizen posted about the free issue of Selvedge you could sign up for a while back. (Sorry, it seems to be expired now in favor of free access to the website.) Anyway, I sent off for one and it came last week. What a beautiful magazine. Even the ads are pretty. It covers a wide range of subjects from fashion to art to designers. There's a whole article about Lotta Jansson, of whom I'm a long time admirer, and another little one on knitted dolls. New floral fabrics are shown off in the form of origami cranes. They highlight the work of new graduates in textile design and galleries showing textile art. All sorts of stuff. I don't think I'm going to subscribe ($$$), but I might buy the occasional issue if something in particular catches my eye.
Posted under Crafty Book/TV Review at 12:02 AM | Comments (3)
July 08, 2005
2 are better than 1
I made a partner for the crochet-edged kitchen curtain I made a while back. The panel look just wasn't doing it, although I made believe it looked OK so I wouldn't have to crochet another 4 feet of edging. The ruffle looks much better.
Posted under Crochet at 12:48 AM
| Comments (0)
July 07, 2005
Links update
I really need to stop clicking on every link I see. There are some *fantastic* ones in the latest batch, though, so I felt the need to update the linklist. Check them out, new links are in bold. I also added a meme section that I will fill out as I remember more of them.
Posted under Crafty Links at 12:27 AM | Comments (6)
July 04, 2005
Marthadex update
Martha Stewart Living issues 4-15 are now in the Marthadex. Thanks to Amy's mother-in-law for letting me borrow them.
Posted under Martha at 12:13 AM | Comments (1)
July 03, 2005
bird bag
I am ridiculously proud of myself for making this bag. It's been on the list for a few months now, awaiting the perfect lining fabric to go with the linen I'd gotten for the outside. I finally found a nice lining fabric at Joann's yesterday, and today I miraculously have a new bag. The pattern is from one of my Japanese craft books (info on my library page and this post at Angry Chicken.)
Remind me again why I insist on learning new crafts from books I can't read? I realized right after I cut out everything that the seam allowances aren't included on the pattern (I think), causing some minor reworking. A few other things I ended up just winging, because I couldn't for the life of me figure out what the pictures meant. I think it would've been easier if I'd ever made a lined purse before. Oh well. I figured it out. With interfacing, no less. I also got to use my nifty ruled tape to keep the topstitching even. Of course I'm going to make the matching bird-shaped coin purses (see the Angry Chicken post for pictures) eventually. I've pushed my luck enough today, though. I'm certainly not brave enough for zippers.
And by the way, is the Jeff Buckley version of Hallelujah not the most perfect song ever?
Posted under Sewing/Fabric Crafts at 06:49 PM | Comments (24)
July 01, 2005
Tiny Embroidery Tiny Garden
This is my first real experiment with machine embroidery. The ground and most of the grass is machine, with some more grass and the flowers added by hand on felt and linen. The design is based on a wonderful Japanese embroidery book I have called Tiny Embroidery Tiny Garden (info on my library page).
I'm very encouraged by it. The last time I attempted any machine embroidery it was a disaster. Of course, setting out to make a weed garden helps with a multitude of problems. :) If you look at the back of this one, you can tell that I still don't have the tension quite right, but it's getting closer. I felt a little smoother moving the fabric under the needle, too. I'm thinking of making a little triptych of tiny weed gardens to frame and hang up.
Posted under Cross Stitch/Embroidery at 11:05 PM | Comments (15)