The Importance of Thrift Store Shopping

We're going to take a quick break from the usual stuff to discuss something that's been on my mind recently. It seems to me that all of these fads, crafting included, go in cycles. This is perfectly alright and natural, because there's nothing new under the sun. Sure, there may be a different interpretation of the original idea, but I'm sure Homo erectus pretty much got the entirety of the world down pat as far as story telling, clothing...not sciences, of course, since the world used to be flat.

I'm rambling.

The point is, there are so many resources available to our generation. We're becomming adults in a world that's losing its dependence on fossil fuels, we can travel into space as tourists, and everyday there seems to be some giant improvement to the world.

This is all wonderful, but does that mean that we should disregard anything that's a little aged? The thrift stores in my area are always filled with books on crafting, huge bolts of fabric, odds and ends for every hobby, and they're great resources. It's discouraging and very sad to hear people my age dismiss thrift stores because they sell 'old' or 'dated' merchandise.

So, stop by your local Salvation Army and see what you find.

List of things I've found in a thrift/second hand store:

- Pierre Cardin yellow leather jacket
- Black Valentino cocktail dress
- 3 costumes
- A bonsai pot
- My patio furniture
- More books than I can count, including ones by contemporary authors

Carry Boo

Getting back to handmade cuteness, I recently stumbled upon CarryBOO!, a store that specializes in animal-shaped toys, accessories, pouches...and so on.

Run by Mary Bajika, CarryBOO! is one of those stores that you find and wish that you had found when you were looking to buy a new cover for your cellphone.

My personal favorite is the banana hammock (and by that I mean a banana-shaped pouch that you carry bananas in).

Look for another update tomorrow. I have some time between classes and I mean to make up for today's scrawny post.

Towel Folding 101

Ever had that day when you wake up, realize that life is sadly much less interesting than you originally thought it was, hide in the bathroom and fold towels all day? No? Maybe you should, except perhaps the part about life being boring.

In Towel Folding 101, by Deanna Campbell, the magical adventures of towel origami are opened up to the novice who may just be wondering what to do with the moss-colored towels Grandma sent them for Christmas that don't quite match anything but may just be the right color to bang out an alligator complete with pink, fuzzy tongue.

I think this post just serves to prove two points:
- Giving yourself an alias that encourages small, flightless reptiles to jump off buildings holding umbrellas is a bad, bad thing
- And, there is always an excuse to invite people you dislike to your house if you can scare them off with a 5-foot long hippopotamus in their bathtub. Never you mind it's made of cotton-rayon blend.

Regarding Virginia Tech

I'm sorry, but the blog will not be updated this week due to the chaos in my part of the world. Keep them in your prayers.

The New Crewel by Katherine Shaughnessy - Review

I found this book in Barnes and Noble the other day, and skimmed through it. The directions and designs are comprehensive, if you can get past the bad puns (Like, "It's a crewel world out there, but you can do it!")

The designs are pretty basic, and nothing that would win the creative art award of super-cool, but they go over all of the basic stitches taught in the book at least once, and are useful. I reccommend this book for anyone who wants to learn the modern embroidery technique known as crewel.

The book currently costs $10.17 on Amazon.com.

Mock U from Takara

Doesn't that just say it all?

Sorry about the posting! Wouldn't you know I got stuck in a hotel that had no wireless internet? There was, thankfully, wireless at the miniature golf center across the street, but I didn't figure that out until today. Tomorrow I'll be back home, though. Vacations. So stressful!

Generation T

Ah yes..Megan Nicolay's book that brought the media's eye to DIYers all over the world. Who couldn't love the all-inclusive, all-encompassing, and oh-so-easy to understand manual of T-shirt reconstruction that is Generation T? Megan Nicolay may not have started the reconstruction craze, but she certainly brought it to the next leve with her book, which contains 108 ways to spice up your favorite T-shit.

I really love this book, the only problem is my lack of T-shirts to play with. There are simply too many projects to take on with your normal wardrobe...the only way to make it work is to go on a shopping spree of indefinite proportions.

That being the only set back to buying this book, I really don't have much to complain about.

Some of the projects are, unfortunately, derivative, but the majority of them are interesting, and certainly not things I would think of myself - at least not without a pencil in hand and some serious fashion brainstorming. What I love about this book is that you don't have to be a super DIY goddess to have some fun with it. There are enough slashing/cutting projects to keep even the least talented of us occupied.

Generation T will run you 15 dollars, unless you take advantage of a super-nifty online discount or something. I, myself, used my B&N members discount. That thing is worth any and all spam email I may get because of it.

Hello Mango!

Aaaah, yarn. I love thee, yes I do. There's something romantic about a good skein of yarn, don't you agree? It's soft and supple, and ready to be shaped into whatever you desire! I love yarn.

Hello Mango, a yarn supplier in the UK, takes yarn to the next level with their awesome collection of hand-spun, hand-dyed, one-of-a-kind skeins. Most are priced below $20, but the prices are listed in Euros, so make sure to use your handy dandy currency converter (there's one connected to Yahoo! if you can't find one or are Google-challenged) if you plan on buying one internationally.

In other news, I've finally decided on a posting schedule. You'll get updates for sure every week on Tuesday, and most of the time Wednesday. Those seem to be my two least hectic days, so I'll be able to blog then.

Clotide's Sewing Savvy - May 2007

Well, this is one of those magazine issues that make me wonder why I bother getting subscriptions in the first place. There are some useful tutorials, and the basics they cover in the projects are nice, but they're not exactly inspirational. So here's what I saw:

- Pillow Trimmings; a really nice explanation of how you get the cord embellishments on the edges of pillows, and how to do it cleanly.
- Scarves with Pockets; convenient, pretty, but I wonder how practical they could be. Still, you could cut the pattern in half and use them for door hangers or something. I imagine they'd fit in lockers.
- Gone A-Maying; a woven cloth basket with flower embellishments, not particularly interesting, but still useful, if you want to learn to sew flowers. Although, in all honesty, it looks like more trouble than its worth.
- Sewing Machine Maintenance; a really, really useful article about how to keep your machine in tip top shape. This is great for newbies and those who don't understand all the technical jargon. Did you know that older machines may lose their programming memory if a magnet is near them? I didn't, but then, I have a newer model (the Sew Precise by Janome).

All in all, I'm not impressed with this issue. It's not all that interesting, but it has some solid, basic articles and FAQs to help you out. A lot of sewing machine care and basics are covered in this issue - it may just make up for all the flowers.

Ikea? Spoka, Spoka!

Forgive me, O God of Blogs, for I have sinned. As in, I haven't updated in all of a month. I wish I had an excuse. You know, my sewing machine rebeled against me and ate my foot, or something along those lines. Unfortunately, my sewing machine is very patient with this poor, untalented DIYer, so I can't hold anything against it.

But nevertheless!

Spoka is a cute nightlight made of rubber. I found him the other day in Ikea, while shopping for planters (I ended up buying a sofa cover, some cork squares, an orchid and two Spokas). Spoka is adorable, easy to plug in, and he lights up my entire room at night. Quite a surprise, considering the room I have him lighting up is the kitchen! He seems pretty child-proof (he was in the child section of Ikea, for heaven's sake) although I wouldn't reccommend throwing him off of any banisters. You turn him on and off by pressing down on the top of his head.

In addition to blue, Spoka also comes in red and green. Their heights vary as well, with red-Spoka being the tallest, and green-Spoka being the shortest.

New updates will come this week, including book reviews, magazine reviews, and something else! I'll think of it, I promise.

Pencil Shavings dot Net

I saw this picture, and my mouth dropped open.

I was cruising around cyberspace looking for some inspiration, and there it was!

Isn't it gorgeous?

I found this painting at Pencil Shavings the online art store of Kate Dolamore. She sells prints, stationary, paper goods, and 1'' buttons. All of her art is gorgeous, but there are a few exemplary pieces:

Vanora (Pictured above)

Amaryllis

Untitled with Owls

I really love this art. I may add this to my birthday wishlist!

Tea Leaf Sales

Oh dear, I've been lax with my blog posts. Recent events (like the snowstorm that pounded the East) are eating up my time. I've gotten some time to post now, though. Exciting. <3

I found this site linked off of Cotton Candy Vomit. It's cute and fun and has all sorts of goodies made with polymer clay, and I love handmade clay goodies. Tea Leaf Sales is a fun shop. What else can I say? I really like the accessories the best, especially the cellphone charms.

I have to admit, cellphone charms are my guilty pleasure.



Recently, I picked up a book about weaving, and another about teddy bear making. I hope to post about those in the future! Look out for them!

I may even begin to sell custom bears. (If I can get them looking half-decent, that is. :3)

Crochet World - April 2007

I just received the April edition of Crochet World. There are a few patterns of interest. The pattern of the month is "Critter PJ Bags," which are cute, worked with double crochet and rounds. I like the pig, the lion, the bear and the turtle (of course). The duck is just scary.

Other patterns are:

- "Parfait Cinch Belt," a short project worked in single crochet. Buttons are used, as is bulky yarn - probably why the pattern takes so little time.

- "Chocolate Cream," is a set of a top and tulip skirt, worked in single crochet and rounds. The pattern itself is complicated, thouogh the stiches are not, and the finished product is lovely. I would personally wear it - though maybe in different colors.

- "Bunny Seedlings," are another cute overdose. Right in time for Easter, you can "grow" baby bunnies out of a crocheted pot. The pattern is worked in single crochet and rounds, but you'll need to have stuffing, etc, to complete the bunnies.

- "Collared Poncho," I still love ponchos, though I can't wear them. This poncho comes with a hood attached, and it's very cute. The pattern is worked in single, double and slip stitches. You'll need to keep track of this pattern well, because it adds texture to the final product.

- "Dogwood Delight," one of those spring afghans. The pattern is very, very complicated, but I'm partial to dogwoods. It's worked in single, double, half-double crochet and rounds. The final product is an afghan with dogwood blossoms in the center of the squares.

- "Flowery Watchband," a watchband, as the title states, that is relatively easy to make. The pattern is worked in single crochet.

- "Flower Boxes Afghan," another afghan, slightly less complicated than the dogwood afghan. Granny squares are used, as are single, doduble crochet and slip stitch.

The Cute Book

I was in Barnes and Nobles yesterday, browsing through the gardening and craft sections, when I came across this adorable book. The Cute Book by Aranzi Aronzo and Anne Ishii features tutorials on how to make miniature plushie animals. My favorites were the frog, the bunny and the terrier.

The Cute Book is hardcover, and 48 pages long. It reminds me of the Dr. Seuss books I used to read when I was younger. The only downside to this book is that the original publication was in Japanese, and so the language reads a bit funny. The illustrations more than make up for it, though. They're very comprehensive and I was able to understand most of the instructions from the pictures alone.

Amazon lists The Cute Book for 10.36 USD, while Barnes and Noble had it in stock for 12.95 USD.

Jade Adornments

Alright.

How gorgeous is this?

I was just browsing through links today and I ran into this. Natasha Jade of Jade Adornments is most talented. Her work ranges from textile to beading, and all her creations are gorgeous. Some of my other favorites are the dragon fly, the schnozberry and the funky brooches.

Style Hive

Yes, I've hopped on the bandwagon and joined Style Hive. It's fun! It's sparkly! It called to my soul! My Style Hive is still pretty empty, but you should begin to see more items added shortly.

In the meantime, please enjoy this lovely tea product I've recently discovered.



Pom Tea!

Delicious pomegranate goodness in a reusable glass. I've already decided that it will be my china pattern.

Quick Crochet Huge Hooks - Sally Harding

Alright, I admit it. When I crochet, it's all about instant gratification. That's why I bought Sally Harding's Quick Crochet Huge Hooks. Harding also wrote Fast Knits Fat Needles for those knitters out there. The books are both brightly colored, and well-organized. I'm slightly mifffed by the fact that though Harding suggests that beginning crocheters use larger hooks so they can get a feel for the motions, her instructions are vague, confusing, and the pictures are difficult to follow. I swear, there was one illustration in a scarf pattern that had three arrows of different colors pointing every which way.

Comprehensive? I think not.

I would not reccommend picking this book up for a crash course in crochetting.

That said, of the 19 projects offered, I would only do 12. This may be because the pictures of the finished product are very 'artsy' and show the finished piece at bizarro angles, and I don't know what the finished products are supposed to look like. On the plus side, Harding offers alternative color and pattern selections within a certain piece. Several of the alternatives are easier or more attractive than the original. They're worth looking in to.

Harding is also enamored of using materials other than yarn. Bravo! Included in the book are tutorials covering topics like making your own pompoms, tassles and fringes, sewing on beads and buttons, making rag strips and making your own yarn. Harding also includes basic tutorials such as changing colors and keeping track of your rounds.

All in all, Harding's book is a good resource for novice to veteran crocheters who know what they're doing. For those of us who are just starting out, learn the basics from another book.

Speaking of Felt...

I know, I know - many of you already know about My Paper Crane. For those of you that don't, My Paper Crane is an online store that sells keychains, plush and art. I like it because of the subject of the work: all of Heidi's work is based off of baked goods, or other things found in kitchens - like burned toast! In all honesty, I think this place is adorable. Who wouldn't want to hug a plushie milk carton!?

In other news, I went antiquing yesterday in midwestern Maryland. It was quite an experience! The store was absolutely gigantic, and the cafe sold amazing Mexican food. I'd drive all the way out there to eat their tacos.

I ended up buying a llama plushie. She's not really a plushie, but a stick-llama fleshed out with real alpaca fur. I named her Lulu.

It makes me wonder if I should change my name to Ms. Flying Llama.

Felting

I recently read in Clotide's Sewing Savvy about a needle craft I hadn't heard of before. Felting, as it turns out, is a rather obscure hobby. I didn't find any results for it on Ebay. Thankfully, Amazon has quite a few books listed for interested crafters.

Felting is just what it sounds like: making felt. Take yarn, stab it into a piece of cloth a couple times with a needle in a nice pattern, and viola!

Felting can also be used to add interesting textures to knits (and crochets) as well as embellishments to clothing.

Here's the most useful result I found on Amazon:

Felting Kit!

There are several books on felting as well. I'd check them out if I was interested.

Sculpture in a Box

I found this fun toy in the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC. It's also for sale in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

"Sculpture in a box" is a collection of Calder-esque shapes that snap together and interlock. I nearly bought one, but then I remembered my budget. As in, I'm broke. Depressing.

Also in the Hirshhorn was this really fun novelty by the people at Optigone. It's a portable, personal, no-electricity required hologram device. I had to buy one. It's currently in my foyer, and my new favorite thing to do is watch as guests try to figure out why they can't grab that chocolate...

In other news, Luster has some new collections in time for Valentines Day, and Zlanarama has a bunch of new trinkets in.