Zakka Inspired: a craft blog

Project 6 : Whew !

2012-02-24T16:27:00.000-08:00

My latest project, is a most adorable felt applique tote. I hesitated at attempting this project, with a seemingly huge lot of pieces to cut and hand sew, the effort seemed daunting. But the cute design won me over.

My savior for this project was TRACING paper, using it for pattern pieces, placements, and embroidery lines.

...and you know what?? ... this project turned out to be a joy ... and it didn't take as long as I expected.

I'm going to have to add this book to my FAV book list ! It is full of delightful bags with simple shapes and pretty designs, from whimsical to modern.

I'm liking the number SIX...only four more projects to TEN. Oh yeah.

In My Etsy Shop Now :: Free Shipping

AAAnd...you know me, I can't leave without talking about FOOD. I found this incredible Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat bread on the blog cakestudent.

image from cakestudent.com

not impressed? well then..how's about this panda bread from the blog taste for adventure?

Both blogs include the how to's...I'm itching to try my hand at this...but not today, for I have to start working on PROJECT 7.

happy day (^*^)

kat

Project 5 : A Prototype for a Fussy-Less Bag

2012-02-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

My HOLY MOLY I HAVE TOO MANY CRAFT BOOKS CHALLENGE : PROJECT 5

I daresay that this bag was a bit of a challenge. I always liked its silhouette .. casual and unassuming ...no fussiness. I took up this bag many moons ago but never finished it. The reason, you ask? ... the !!#&#!! instructions mystified me. As much as I stared at the instructional pictures, I could not decipher how one got from point A to point C. What made this time different? A couple of things ... I glared at the pictures of the finished bag to catch any clues plus since my first try with this bag, I've gained a bit of sewing experience.

It was the handles and its casing that threw me off. Now that I've gone through the process, it all seems so obvious! sigh.

ISBN978-4-07-264489-8

I'm so happy that this unfinished bag is no longer in my 'I don't want to throw this out yet because I may finish it one day' pile. HMMMM..there just might have another 'precious' lurking in that pile to be finished in this challenge....

Now for food talk...The other week, my son wanted me to try a recipe for BRIOCHE hamburger buns. I'm not sure a BRIOCHE is but hey, I was game. The recipe is from a blog SHE SIMMERS: THAI FOOD HOME COOKING.

How gorgeous are these hamburger buns??!! The recipe is fairly simple, with a Kitchen Aid stand mixer doing all the work. The recipe includes 4 eggs and 3/4 cup of butter, making a very sticky dough.

My favorite part when baking bread (yes, the smells from the oven) is the pillowy softness of the dough after the first rise, when it's ready for shaping. I cannot explain in words, but that soft, smooth, cool texture startles and delights me each time.

My son loved the buns but HATED my hamburger patty ! He's a grouchy man like his dad. :0(

Until next time...

Happy Day (*^-^*)

kat

Project 4 : I'm ECSTATIC

2012-02-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

This book has been haunting me ever since I bought in Seattle about a year ago. I cannot tell you how many times I have looked through this book, drooling ... wanting so badly to make one of its gorgeous embroidered emblems.

ISBN978-4-579-11355-2

I've had a few failed attempts...but today I'm ECSTATIC. For I have accomplished the mission...see? The project in the book is way cooler but I'm happy.

I found that transferring the embroidery pattern is the number one obstacle I had in prior attempts. Thanks to the internet I found this most helpful tutorial on the Early Bird Stitcher blog.

For this embroidery project, I used the SULKY PEN ....

and tracing paper ..... using a light hand to trace the pattern (if you push down too hard on the pen, you may end up with too thick a line for the embroidery floss to cover entirely).

I ironed the pattern onto the fabric and the transfer pen worked out beautifully.

Not great pics, but here's a look at the yummy-ness inside of this book ~

4 Projects Done - 46 more to Go (what the hell was I thinking???!!)

happy day (^*^)

kat

My Fav Japanese Craft Books

2012-02-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

A facebook friend, Jennifer, who wants to add a few Japanese craft books to her collection, asked a very challenging question : What are my top favorite Japanese craft books? Yikes ! It was very difficult to narrow it down, and I already anticipate that the many books in my collection will shuffle through this list. Jennifer, if you're reading this..be warned...Japanese craft books are addictive (^*^)

First Row:

Smocking for Beginners : ISBN978-4-8347-2378-0 : In an earlier post I attempted my first smocking project (well, my first since 13-ish years old). It was fun and I hope to do more smocking projects in the future.
Patchwork book : ISBN978-4-8347-2783-8 : I don't do patchwork, yet. But I do love looking at the projects in this book. Maybe ... one day.
Bags with Felt applique: ISBN978-4-592-73260-0 : I really do love this book; filled with inspiring project. Although I never made anything from this book, it inspired a few of my projects using appliques.

Row 2 :

Japanese Embroidery: ISBN4-8347-2421-2 : Cute Cute Cute
Softies Book : ISBN978-4-471-40062-0 : This is one of my newest books. How cute are these softies? This book is a definite for my Holy Moly I have too Many Craft Books challenge
Cross Point : ISBN978-4-02-190415-8 : Hedgehogs, Cats, Elephants, Seals, Butterflies, Rocking Horse...and so much more. Designs that are cute and simple

Row 3:

Bag Bag Bag Book : ISBN4-391-62071-5 : At a price for just $6.00; this is surely my lucky book! I got this one at a BOOK OFF store in Hawaii. A lucky find indeed.
Petit a Petit Book : ISBN978-4-14-031170-7 : Filled with projects using dark, rich fabrics and threads; a nice deviant from the many muted linen fabric bags.
Half Day Project Book : ISBN978-4-8347-3177-4 : Simple projects are good. I made about 3 things from this book...and that's a good thing.

Other books worth a mention are :

Cotton Time and Cotton Paint are craft magazines, that are issued monthly (I think). Not all editions contain great projects so it's best to be able to view the contents before making a purchase.

If you love embroidery projects, then the book on the left, STITCH IDEES, is treasured-filled. The book is published several times a year. Take a look-see at a more current edition, loving the cover !

Not into embroidery? What about crochet? I love Japanese crochet ideas..so kawaii. The book, Marache, is also published regularly.

Some tips when buying a Japanese craft book ~

I like it when a book includes patterns pieces; so if you find a book you like with patterns..SCORE ~

Not all Japanese craft books offer clear-detailed explanations (via images for non-Japanese speaking folks); so it's always a good thing to take a look through the instructions before making a purchase

Happy Day (^*^)

kat

Webby Friends

2012-02-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines !

I was gifted this beautiful lollipop bouquet by a third grade fellow. He found the project on the computer, then created this lovely with his own hands. A fellow after my own heart.....I wonder if his mom wouldn't mind if I adopt him as my grand kid ^-^

I, myself, spend a lot of time perusing the internet, looking for that one gorgeous project, be it one that takes place in the kitchen, or at my sewing machine, or with paper and glue.

But as much the internet has to offer in the way of information sharing..it is the making of wonderful friends that is beyond comprehension at times.

Yadira, of Yadira's Crafty Adventure is a super duper friend. She chit chats with me; leaving comments. And supports me, with my teeny tiny blog.

Yadira makes these kawaii clutches

Yadira presented me with a LIEBSTER BLOG award. Oh yeah...my first award ever. THANK YOU, Yadira ^*^

Liebster is German and means 'dearest' or 'beloved' but it can also mean 'favorite'. The idea of the Liebster award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers in the hopes that it will bring many new friends/followers. So, in the spirit of good fun I am passing this award on to other bloggers. Stop by and visit them!

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal your picks for the award and let them know.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the blogshare-other bloggers.
5. Finally and the best rule of all..........have fun and spread the love!

Passing on the love to my webby friends ~

sewing B: Beth is often the model in her pics of her creations. I like that.
this so called life : Amber is a self-declared refashionista!

I thank you all for being here. Your visits mean a lot to me, providing my soul with quiet resolute to keep on blogging.

happy day (^*^)

kat

Project 3 - A New Technique Tried

2012-02-09T21:05:00.000-08:00

For my third project for my HOLY MOLY I HAVE TOO MANY CRAFT BOOKS challenge, I decided to venture into new territory...smocking.

The project comes from this book, Smocking for Beginners.

ISBN978-4-8347-2578-0

The book's title is very misleading...Beginners?!!?? With a crafter's eye glance through the book's content, I beg to differ. Just look at these projects :

Pretty gnarly stuff. So why did I buy this book? It was this one pouch, with a polka dot smocking that called to me.

After practicing for a bit, I jumped into this project, enjoying every minute of handwork. The smocking was easier than I anticipated but sewing the pouch was another story. There was one thing about the smocking though, my eyes went wonka wonka with all those dots!

** TA DAH**

Here's a close up of the smocking

Itching to give polka dot smocking a try? Here's a tut for you ~

POLKA DOT SMOCKING TUTORIAL

Black Marks = Sewing Guides for this tutorial only

Red Floss = For this tutorial only

1. Thread your needle with a 6-strand embroidery floss; knot one end

2. Starting from the back of the fabric, poke the needle UP through one polka dot as shown in the pic

3. Next, run your needle through the bottom of the second polka dot

4. Repeat step 3 for the third and fourth polka dots. Then poke your needle through the bottom of the first polka dot as shown in the pic

5. Slowly pull the threads together

6. Knot the thread on the back side. Cut thread.

7. Repeat steps for next cluster of 4 polka dots.

8. For this particular project, the polka dot clusters in the second row is in the between the clusters in the first row. Repeat as many rows as your smocking heart desires.

3 books down - 47 more to go ;o)

read the first post on my : HOLY MOLY I HAVE TOO MANY CRAFT BOOKS CHALLENGE

happy day ^*^

kat

Valentines Is In the Air

2012-02-06T17:13:00.000-08:00

I am sitting on the sofa, in my pajamas..and it's 1:45 PM. It's cold, it's dark, it's dreary. I wish for a fireplace to warm me up...but a fireplace in Hawaii? A toasty cup of cocoa will have to do ... with a delicious Valentine brownie ...

I must confess though, these are BOXED mix brownies. Wait, don't throw my brownies out the window! These delicious brownies are doctored up for one with more flavor with a cakey texture.
I've had my share of tough, dry, skinny, over-chewy brownies from mixes. So I am in love with these brownies!

Doctored Up Brownie Mix Recipe
9 inch x 13 inch pan
350 degrees

2 boxes brownie mix (either Ghirardelli or Duncan Hines or your own fav)
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup water
1 block (1/2 cup) butter, soften until almost softened
2 T unsweetened cocoa butter
2 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients until well combined. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes.
Add nuts if you like.

Since I'm on the subject of Valentine's, I made these cards for my pen pals in North Carolina...

I added a bit of fabric tape to the cellophane envelope. Fabric tapes are a wonderful way to use fabric scraps to add a bit of whimsy to gift wraps, scrapbook pages, handmade cards, gift tags ... and they are so easy to make.

Cut fabric strips into desired width

Place double sided sticky tape on the back side

Cut to desired lengths

DONE

I did a google search on 'fabric tape tutorials' and was amazed at what's out there. Here's a popular tutorial on how to make packaging tape from fabric from Simply Modern Mom

Image from Simply Modern Mom

As much as I love fabric tapes.. I'm really loving these gorgeous paper tapes from Cathe's JUST SOMETHING I MADE website...

Image from JUST SOMETHING I MADE website

Happy Day ^*^

kat

Book Two : Kawaii Doll Face Pouch

2012-02-02T18:30:00.000-08:00

I feel elated to completed another project of my challenge. HMMMM...I think I need to give this challenge a name...let's see...I think I'll call it the Holy Moly I Have Too Many Craft Books challenge.

Second Project & Book of my HOLY MOLY I HAVE TOO MANY CRAFT BOOK CHALLENGE
Projects & Books Remaining : 48 out of 50

The cover of this book caught my eye. It is pretty, yes? My thing for any book; cook books, literature, and of course, craft books, is to make a quick judgement of its contents based on the cover. Followed by a quick flip through and then the price, if interesting. Yes, I love book covers.

ISBN978-4-86322-061-4

Upon being lured by the cover; it was this doll face pouch that captivated my heart.

A drawback to this book is the lack of pictorial instructions or patterns. So I did my 'zakka inspired' thing to make this pouch.

Instead of the patchwork styled hair, I did an embroidery instead. I am in a struggle to match fabric colors and styles so after a few attempts I decided upon the embroidery. With minute changes to the eyes, nose, mouth, and adornments...this kawaii doll face pouch was born.

Here's a close up of her darling face ~

This zakka style Kawaii Doll Face Pouch is now on sale in my etsy shop with Free Shipping

A TIP ~
Do you ever find yourself needing more hands or fingers to tie a bow? Here's a tip involving a ... fork. This method is usually used for ribbon bows but after fumbling a bit to tie the fabric bow, I decided to give this method a try...so much easier !

Simply follow the pics :

Before I sign off, I must show you this gorgeous bread, the Hokkaido Milk Toast.

The recipe is from the website: CHRISTINE's RECIPE . If you like authentic Asian recipes then is definitely the place for you. For instance, this lovely bread is made with the tangzhong method. Sounds strange and difficult but is super easy.

Christine says that the method appeared in a Chinese cook book authored by Yvonne Chen. Tangzhong is the 'secret ingredient' to a soft and fluffy bread that keeps fresh for days; and which has roots in Japan. It is simply a flour and water 'paste' mixture cooked to a certain temperature, rested, then added to your bread ingredients.

My grumpy family loves the bread...it has a slight sweetness to it and is very soft and is very similar to the Hawaii-styled sweet breads brought to the islands by the Portuguese. I think I did a few booboos along the way, so the bread is not as fluffy as Christine's, but the recipe was very forgiving.

I hope you visit Christine's blog and give this method a try...you won't regret it.

Onwards to my next project !!! Until then...

Happy Day ^_^

kat

I thinks Me needs a Challenge

2012-01-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

Quite often after a project I find myself in a quandary as to what to make next. It's a bit silly to be in such a dilemma with nearly a hundred Japanese craft books in my collection! So I offered myself a challenge..of sorts : To make at least one project from 50 books by the end of the year.

Oh yes, many a fine blogger have subjected themselves to such challenges, be it taking photos every day, or baking through an entire book, writing thank you notes, or ??? Will I succeed??..I am as certain as finding my Prince Charming (to replace the grumpy guy sitting next to me on the sofa, who touches his IPAD more than me).

My first project from the first book is in the spirit of Valentines, a heart-shaped potholder.

I didn't follow the pattern exactly, adding a bit of gathers down the center.

ISBN 978-4-14-031170-7

This book, a favorite, is the source for two other projects made in past ... but as usual, I changed it up to fit my style.

In between projects, I must remember to take care my family! Today, I made fresh gyoza to freeze for a quick meal...perhaps a gyoza curry dinner..yummmm.

Want to make some?

Chinese Dumplings & Potstickers
1 pkg. gyoza wrapper

Filling Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork
1 cup won bok / Napa cabbage
3 stalks green onions
7 shiitake mushrooms, minced
1/4 cup ginger root, minced
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. sesame oil
2 T. cornstarch

Soak shiitake mushrooms in hot water if using dried mushrooms. Soak first for 3 minutes, then rinse to remove any grit. Then, soak in warm water for 30 minutes to soften. Mince.
Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl; mix thoroughly.
Assemble gyoza : Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of the gyoza wrapper Leave enough dough around the filling to allow you to close the warpper without the filling oozing out. Brush edges of wrapper lightly with water. Pinch top edges together and while holding it; pleat the edges using your finger to create a fold.
At this point, the dumplings can be frozen for future use : Place dumplings on a pan; without sides touching. Freeze about 20 to 30 minutes until no longer soft. Place in ziploc bag. Freeze up to 2 months. When preparing frozen dumplings allow extra cooking time.

3 Cooking Methods :

To Boil : Bring a large pot of water to boil and add dumpling to pot. Boil dumpling until they float. At this point the dumplings are fully cook. Remove from water.
To Steam : Using a bamboo steamer, place dumplings on a well greased surface and steam for about 6 minutes.
To Pan Fry : Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2 to 3 T of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover pan. Cook until the water has boiled away. Uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

Don't forget the dipping sauce ~
2 parts soy sauce
1 part vinegar (red wine )
a few drops sesame oil
sugar to taste
chili garlic sauce (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced ginger (optional)
minced green onions (optional)

Until next time ~ Happy Day

kat

Kung Hei Fat Choi

2012-01-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

!!! Happy Chinese New Year !!!

the Year of the Dragon

Festivities were abound in the last 3 weeks in celebration of the Chinese New Year. We missed all of them because the grumpy man predicted that every single parking space in every single parking lot would be filled to capacity. But the universe always has a way for sneaking goodness into one's life..doesn't it? And so, last week the kids in the school where I do a bit of volunteering were treated to a Chinese Lion Dance !

In this pic, one of the students is feeding the 'lion' a red envelope containing money for good luck.

We shared in the excitement of a couple of students who were a part of the lion dance (they are in the tiny pink lion in the middle)

And that's not all, the teacher whose class that I help with, shared GAU with the class..and ME! .. it was a treat to eat. [ GAU; a sweet, sticky rice pudding made from brown sugar and rice flour, is one of the foods eaten at Chinese New Years for good luck ]

Oh yes, the universe did good.

Tonight I plan to make dumplings filled with sweet pork. I've only made it once prior so wish me luck.

picture from first attempt

The recipe is from this book. The book's cover caught my eye as it sat on the shelf amongst all others. As much as I liked the cover, I found the stories by the author Eileen Yin-Fei Lo, captivating. I would have been fine if I never made a dish from this book; happy to simply read about her life

and her deep respect for her grandmother.

happy day ^-^

kat

The Pain in Learning

2012-01-19T22:59:00.000-08:00

Last week I was determined to learn how to do a patchwork from my mom. But my oh my..it was as if I asked her to share a secret recipe for Colonel Sanders' Kentucky Fried Chicken! Her explanation, is best described as confusion mixed with a dash of belittlement.

She went on and on about how no one taught her how to sew; directing a small jab at my ego.

In betwixt the jabs, she lovingly chortled at my attempts. It took awhile but I FINALLY got it. I was looking at the patchwork square as one large square but it was actually 4 smaller squares sewn together. Oh yes, this is the challenge of patchwork; being able to see the design in your head. It reminds me how artists describe their creative experience as 'seeing colors'.

So you see, the confusion was all me. Once I finally 'got it', everything my mom shared made sense. But I still have black and blues from her jabs at my ego!!

For now, I'll stick to my zakka sewing. Today, I share with you my latest linen tote bag..same deer applique that I love ... but this time I changed up the bag handle.

This bag will be in my etsy shop soon.

I also made a couple more bento bags for the shop ...

a Hello Kitty bow is a must for this bag !

I hopefully will have another tutorial to share soon.

Thank you for stopping by .....

happy day (*^-^*)

kat

Woot ! The Book Is Out !

2012-01-10T21:09:00.000-08:00

A few months back I was tickled silly to share that I was part of Rashida Coleman-Hale's latest book! The book is finally out !! Oh Yeah !

Zakka Style: 24 Projects Stitched with Ease to Give, Use & Enjoy (Design Collective)

ohh..and here's a sneak peek at what's inside

image from http://www.stashbooksblog.com/products/zakka-style/

At this point..I think I'm in the book..I won't believe it until I see it for myself. I'm still waiting for my copy. If I don't get one, then I guess I didn't make it in??!?? oh well, I'll buy the book anyways since I LOVE ZAKKA....

happy day (*^-^*)

kat

Honor Thy Inspiration

2012-01-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

My mom and I spent the day playing scrabble and eating sushi. A delightful way to spend a Sunday, don't you think? She is a mischievous one at 96 years; often blocking me from using triple word square and almost cackling as she executes her diabolical plan to obliterate me from a seemingly innocent board game.

As we play and eat, she still laments about her lost sewing machine (I posted about this before?). One day I asked her to help me with drawing a blouse pattern. She 'quickly' (as quickly as a 96 year old woman can move) plopped herself on the floor and started right into drawing the pattern while lively chatting about what she learned from her sewing teacher. In that moment she was very happy.

I like that I love sewing too, something we both can share..for some people, it's cooking or baking with their moms or dads, watching a football game, shopping, books, having your nails done all pretty like ...

When mom retired, my guess is that she sewed at least a hundred quilts! I'm not kidding. She sold her quilts at a local swap meet every weekend.

Mom is THE patchwork queen. Her magic fingers and sewing machine could turn a mish mash of fabric scraps into beautiful blankets. When I asked her how to cut the fabric..her response? "I don't know what you mean...you just cut" Thanks, Ma.

This quilt is more mom's usual fare...using Hawaiian designed fabrics. Of course, the local folks loved them; keeping her busy for many years! Oh I know, the blankets are not elegant. But my son who lives in Washington and whose blanket is shredding after years of cuddling, loves his grandma's quilt. As do the other grand kids. "My grandma made this" are golden words.

Although I like to sew, patchwork scares me..big time. Maybe one day though...

happy day (*^-^*)

kat

Back into Business

2012-01-06T23:58:00.000-08:00

I found myself sitting on the floor, deep in scraps of fabric, organizing them by color, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel..only to find oodles more hiding in my Moomin suitcase stashed in the closet...help.

Perhaps a few patchwork projects are in order?

Happy to report that my sewing machine is back on the job....here's a pouch that I worked on with a Cinnamon Roll fabric from Japan.

I'm thinking of adding a bit of bling to the pouch with a rhinestone setter for fabric. I can't wait to get this new toy !!...the Darice 2704-01 Rhinestone Setter Hot-Fix Applicator Wand (woot!)

Buying (more) fabric is the best part of getting back into sewing! Here are my latest finds from an etsy shop in Taiwan (the shipping was amazingly fast and very reasonable!) ...

happy day (*^-^*)

kat

A New Chapter

2012-01-03T11:36:00.000-08:00

One cannot enter the new year without a thought or two to modify one's bad habits. I use the word 'thought' instead of the word 'resolution' because it's all about the reality...a thought is fleeting; a resolution is firm. I don't ever stick to my resolution ( in spite of my resolve on day one) so in reality I have a list of 'thoughts about resolutions'. This is deep stuff I'm sharing here.

I do have a couple of things on my "thoughts about resolutions" list ...

Stop to Smell the Flowers

...and the Bread...I love the smell of baking bread..

I am delighted that this will be a 'go with the flow' year. The advantage with this is I am not setting myself to failure, angst, and self destruction...BUT to SIMPLY ENJOY...

Before I leave...I gotta show you a picture of my BAKED HAM ... oh yeah, when I pulled this guy out of the oven, I indulged myself with a quick bite...it was so delicious...ever so tender and moist.

The recipe is from an old work colleague's mother named Edith.

THE RECIPE

1 Ham about 12 pounds

10 whole cloves

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 can pineapple slices (small can)

1/2 to 3/4 cup maple syrup

Lightly score ham and top with cloves. Pack ham with brown sugar. Secure pineapple slices with toothpicks. Pour maple syrup over the entire ham. Bake at 275 degrees for 4 to 5 hours; covered with foil. Baste every 30 minutes. Save pan drippings, pour off excess fat. Slice ham and serve with drippings.

enjoy.

happy day (*^-^*)

kat

Snowman Or Snowbird?

2011-12-20T12:32:00.000-08:00

Remember my smelly pinata from my previous post? He finally dried out, is 'smell' free, and ready to be transformed by the fairy wand ... 'cough'....change that to fairy glue stick.

I kinda sorta followed this pinata tutorial shared by SKIP TO MY LOU

Oh the joys of doing a craft project...sticky fingers, bits of crepe paper stuck here and there, inhaling craft spray glue...yup, Martha Stewart I'm not. Ready for the big unveiling? Close your eyes until I say open....okay....one, two, three...OPEN

HaHaHa...he is so funny looking...This is why I'll say that this guy is a work in progress. I keep thinking he looks more like a bird! Hmmm..is his nose to pointed? Oh well. Poor thing is destined to end up totally annihilated by my nieces and nephews; who are quite a spirited bunch.

Okay, enough chit chat...my snowman is asking for a hat .. and a mouth ! He'll probably be asking for christmas cookie next. sigh.

Happy Day (*^-^*)

kat

Ahhhh..Huge Project...All Done

2011-12-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

By the window is a paper mache snowman pinata; still soggy from two days ago; patiently waiting for a bit of sunshine to help it dry out. Aaa..it is starting to stink a bit and seems to have contracted measles; with little spots here and there. It’s been raining off and on for the past few days; which doesn’t help Mr. Snowman at all. If worse comes to worse, I could spray him with a bit of Lysol and for the spots?…the crepe paper will do the job to cover his ’blemishes’. Or if worse comes to worse comes to worse; never fear…Walmart is near!

took him out for a bit of sun but the rain started up in minutes..poor thing

I had a great morning! I volunteer at a nearby elementary school; helping a 3rd grade class with reading assignments. I wanted to give kids (all 29 of them) a little something for Christmas but the challenge was keeping the cost down. After a bit of pondering, I decided to sew each a water bottle holder instead of making a goodie bag filled with snacks and little what nots. The kids LOVED them. One of the girls hugged her holder. SO CUTE.

I made 16 of these ...

... and 13 of these

But my great morning didn’t end there. The class joined in with other 3rd graders to help the Kindergarteners with making gingerbread houses. I was thrilled to watch the kids work together to create the most lovely gingerbread houses. The kids never hesitated to think about what to do; their little hands constantly moving, each decorating their little houses in different ways with marshmallows, teddy grahams, m&ms, jelly beans, candy corn. I felt blessed to be in their company.

A Mad Dash

2011-12-03T11:27:00.000-08:00

I started on this post last night, lying in bed with my computer on my stomach. I was so very tired. I love the holiday season, but I would love it better if I could simply enjoy. No gift giving, No parties, No Nothing. Just enjoy. I went to the shopping center one day, it was a beautiful day...fresh cool winds, blue skies...Hawaiian music... I would have liked to sit with a cup of tea and enjoy...watching the shoppers, the children...listening to the music...as if watching a play; with people bustling on stage and me, in the quiet, still audience..simply enjoying.

Oh yes, no rest for the weary this time of year...baking for Thanksgiving, volunteering the entire weekend at a craft fair at the Hawaii United Okinawan Center to feed about 150 volunteers a day, meeting friends for lunch, making 2 Bucilla Christmas Felt Stockings for grand nephews in Ohio, sending off a goodie box to son in Seattle, making felt gift card holders for my pen pal friends in North Carolina, mailing etsy purchases (all 3 of them!! LOL), shopping at the Ala Moana Shopping Center, Pearlridge Shopping Center, multiple trips to Target and Walmart (buying stuffs & returning stuffs), so many hours perusing AMAZON, trips to fabric store to find fabric for my next HUGE holiday project (more on that later), going to craft fairs (of course), planning our annual Family Christmas party...whew!...I think I'll go back to bed now.

I did do one thing for myself the other day; going to Starbucks for tea and a gingerbread biscotti. Yes, it was nice to breathe a moment, and simply enjoy.

For now I leave you with my felt gift card holders....

this guy was patterned after one I saw in the store

and this fellow was patterned from a drawing my artist son did for me, his thankful mom

.... until next time .... simply enjoy ....

happy day (*^-^*)

kat

OOPS !

2011-11-18T14:57:00.000-08:00

Here I was happily working on an IPAD sleeve with this most kawaii fabric when .... OOPS!!! ...

... the owls are flying upside down!!...po' things...life is hard that way....

Any hoo(t) I made another and this time the owls are happy happy ! ....

Both IPAD sleeves are in my etsy shop ... yes, I am selling the upside down owl sleeve..but at HALF PRICE plus 20% off....a steal deal this one is !

The right side up happy happy owl IPAD sleeve is 20% off...a nice Christmas present for an owl lover or just a lover :o)

I made this style of IPAD sleeve in the spirit of zakka sewing, spotting ever so dainty envelope pouches in my Japanese craft magazine. I want to make more of these with different fabrics...but not sure if people will like them...I'd sure like to hear your thoughts. What will you get in return? A BIIIIIGG HUG

Pouches Pouches Pouches

2011-11-02T01:51:00.000-07:00

I have a case of Pouch-a-litis. I heard the only cure is to remove one's sewing machine from the home. (hold on.. my husband is upsetting me at this moment..it drives me crazy when he talks nonsense to me when I'm typing...breathe..slowly..) Okay, back to my affliction.

Here are couple of new pouches made by me and my sewing machine...

A pretty pouch with gathers

And a Sweet Bird Embroidered in Black

I wonder if I'll still have Pouch-a-litis tomorrow....I HOPE SO ^^

happy day (^*^)

kat

P.S. Both Pouches are now in my etsy shop. Don't forget there's a 20% discount sale going on ^^

A New Pouch Design ^^

2011-10-31T02:20:00.000-07:00

I made two pouches adorned with tiny fabric appliques ... I named this one "Three Houses on a Hill" .. I know; how clever am I??? (sarcastic joke aimed at myself..heh)

and this one is called "A House on a Hill"...hahaha...

I think I'm on a roll...I have another pouch with a cross stitch design done, just need to take pictures and another pouch cut out ready for sewing. oh yeah, move over China !

Both pouches are now in the shop

SHOP ANNOUNCEMENT : I am having a 20% off month long sale in November. Please stop by and take a look ^^ thank you ^^

happy day ^*^

kat

A Very Simple Bento Bag Tutorial : The Math

2011-10-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

Hello All ~~

I came across a very, very simple drawstring bento bag pattern; thinking it would be a delightful project to share as a tutorial. However, when the bag was complete, it seemed a bit small, barely fitting my 4.5" square bento box. So I worked on a 'formula' (did I tell you I'm a numbers geek?) to customize a pattern to fit your bento lunch box.

The bento lunch bag is a basic drawstring bag but what I like about it is how the bottom is done; a different method from the commonly used boxed corner.

Ready?

To determine HEIGHT for your pattern
1) Measure height for your bento lunch box = h"
2) Add drawstring tunnel allowance = +2.0"
3) Add top and bottom seam allowance = +1.0"
4) Add bottom fold allowance:
     a) Measure the shorter width at the bottom of your box
     b) Divide that measurement by 2 : add to height = +x"
5) Add allowance for extra room at top of bag = +2.25"
TOTAL HEIGHT FOR YOUR PATTERN = CUT (H")

To determine WIDTH for your pattern
1) Measure width for your bento lunch box = w"
2) Add allowance for room needed when bag is 'closed' with the drawstring = +5.0"
3) Add allowance for side seams = +1.0"
TOTAL WIDTH FOR YOUR PATTERN = CUT (W")

You see...a numbers geek am I ! :-B   With this formula, making a bag to fit a square or rectangle container shape should be a help. If you are unsure about the fit, making a test piece is a good thing.

Now for the fun part. After calculating your measurements; here is how you put the bag together.

STEP 1 :Cut 2 pieces using your pattern measurements (there is no lining or interfacing for this style)

STEP 2 : Finish all edges with an overcast stitch or zigzag or stitch of your choice

STEP 3: Place fabric pieces right sides together and sew along bottom edges with pressure foot (align pressure foot along edge of fabric and sew OR sew with a 1/4" seam).

STEP 4: Mark the line for the bottom fold : Use the bottom fold allowance you used in calculating the HEIGHT. IMPORTANT : Measure from the sewing line on the bottom. Do this on both sides. Repeat for second fabric piece.

STEP 5 :Fold along bottom fold line; with right sides together, press. Repeat for second fabric piece. In this step you are forming the base of the bag; similar to doing a boxed corner but with a different method.

STEP 6: Bring the two folds together; creating a valley fold in between the 2 fabric pieces; lightly press fold in place. (see above pic)

STEP 7: Mark 2" from the top for the drawstring tunnel.

STEP 8: Pin sides. Sew along each side up to the drawstring mark.

STEP 9: To finish drawstring tunnel; fold over 1/4"; press. Then fold edge to drawstring line to form tunnel; press. Sew along edge.

STEP 10: Cut 2 cords; 23" in length each. Pull a cord through each drawstring tunnel. Tie ends.

A couple of notes :

In the 'formula', One Inch is added for the seam allowance although it may be less. Hey, this is a bag so an exact measurement is not needed. But with the extra allowance you can finish the edges by turning over the raw edges and sewing in place instead of using a cast over stitch or zigzag.

Feel free to adjust the height of the bag so that you can fit a couple of lunch containers in your bag.

Your bag may fit a couple different containers, close in size. If you don't want to do any calculations here are a couple of sizes for you to have fun with :

To fit a 3.5" (h) x 7.25" (w) bento lunch box :
Pattern Measurement : 10.5" (h) x 13.25"(w), Bottom Fold : 1.75"

To fit either a 2.75" (h) x 5.5" (w) lunch box or 4.5" (h) x 4.5" (w) lunch box
Pattern Measurement : 10.75" (h) x 11.50"(w), Bottom Fold: 2.75"

This pattern is so simple and quick that these bags will make great Christmas gifts! You can use the bag to hold a 'ziploc' container filled with cookies or candies, a scented candle, jars filled with cookie mixes, etc. The bag can be a lunch bag or a bag to carry electronic devices, jewelry, scrabble pieces, etc.

I added a couple of "hello kitty" bows to add a bit of cuteness

HAVE FUN ^*^

kat

Thank you dear followers for visiting with me and crafting along; I feel privileged to have your company ^*^

Cute Halloweeeeen Cookies

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's funny what one remembers among all the minutes of one's life. Like so many, food is a trigger to a single point on the clock. For me, shortbread cookies arouses memories of grade school, rushing to the cafeteria during recess to buy a snack; cookies and juice. Shortbread was my favorite; the aroma+the texture+a light buttery taste.

I searched and searched for 'that' shortbread. It could not be any shortbread cookie; it had to be 'that' one. It was a cookie shared (the best kind!) by a friend that made me happy happy. Her recipe replaced some of the flour with Rice Flour (mochiko). The Rice Flour gives the cookie a soft, crumbly texture. This cookie had the right aroma, the right texture, and the right taste...3 RIGHTS makes this cookie recipe ... THAT one.

How lovely are these? Not too sweet, not overly buttery, and with a tender texture. So good.

Since it's Halloween season, I had some fun with these cookies by adding a bit of goofiness using my mini cookie cutter set and blueberry jam to make a jam filled cookie sandwich. Yummy.

droopy eyed ghost

a smiley jack-o-lantern

MOCHIKO SHORTBREAD COOKIE RECIPE

2 cups butter

1 cup sugar

4 cups flour

1 cup mochiko

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter with sugar. Add other ingredients (do not over mix). Form into balls and flatten or roll out 1/4" thick onto a lightly floured surface and cut with a cookie cutter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for about 20 minutes.

Another option is to bake the cookie dough in a 15" jelly roll pan. Press dough in pan to about 1/4" thick. Poke dough with fork before placing in oven. Bake for about 20-30 minutes. Cut while warm.

NOTE : The cookie should have a faint color to it...not overly brown. Baking the cookie to just until set will keep the cookie on the tender side; baking it for 5 to 10 minutes longer will add firmness to the cookie.

enjoy.

happy day ^*^

kat

Happy Roofing

2011-10-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

Oh what a week! Our roof is under repair...heavy pounding, nailing, and scraping for hours and days. And for that little extra irritation, a blaring radio and oh, the loud singing. But what's to complain about?..a happy worker is a happy roof, I say.

I could not sew. I was paralyzed by the never-ending din. Happily I finished one pouch before the clatter and yesterday (Saturday).

Red Riding Hood Pouch : Greeting Farm Image

Alice in Wonderland Pouch : Greeting Farm Image

The cute fabric is a recent purchase, a Megumi Sakakibara design. So cute.

The roof work will be completed tomorrow ( fingers crossed). So no more excuses...on to the sewing room!

happy day (*^-^*)

kat

Boo!

2011-10-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

I have been in a terrible way with the holidays coming. Sad that I don't have any little ones to create the kind of chaos that makes for lovely memories further in time.

What is a holiday without kids? No happy noises. No laughing. No jumping and running with excitement. No cute faces looking at you, filled with awe. No nagging ^^ No messy messes ^^ No one to sew a cute costume for. Oh, I have LOTS of nieces and nephews ... too many I'm afraid. In the last 8 years or so, my nieces and nephews have been spewing out babies as if in a competition; with one of my nieces birthing her 5th baby just about a month past, now one ahead of her sister with 4 brats (as she lovingly refers to them) of her own.

Kids or no Kids; the holidays bring out the need to create! ^^ Here are a couple of things made a few years back that I wanted to share with you.

the MUMMY card

This card is a quickie to make. Start with a letter envelope; cut to size; across the width of the envelope to make a pocket. Wrap the envelope with gauze (check the Halloween section for gauze or the pharmacy section of the store) ; glue at the start and end to hold down the wrap. Glue on BIG GOOGLY eyes. I inserted a Halloween greeting into the envelope..but I think the little one may be much happier with a candy bar and the larger kids, a gift card perhaps? ^^ This is also a fun way to decorate a candy bar ^^

Here's another project...Mr. Cool Hoot; a candy pouch ^^

Click here for pattern (print on 8.5"x11" paper)

Materials

Different colored felt pieces for the BODY, FELT STRIPS, FACE, EYES/FEET
Embroidery Thread for the eyes (optional) I used one set of felt eyes and embroidered the eyes in place but you can you 2 sets of felt eye pieces to complete the eyes instead.

Start with a 6" W x 5 1/4" H felt piece for the body. DO NOT use the pattern to cut the felt into the body shape just yet.
Cut felt strips into 1/2" to 3/4" widths. Don't worry about the length; any excess will be trimmed as you sew the strips in place. Cut 3 strips to begin with and more as you need.
Mark 2" from the top; this is the stopping point for the felt strips
Draw a center line to help center your felt strips for the body
Lay the triangle on top on the felt piece as in the picture; lining up the tip with the center line; top stitch in place.
Lay one strip down, lining to the center line as shown in the picture. Trim any felt that extends beyond the base of the body. Top stitch in place.
Layer another strip down to the opposite side of the triangle piece. Top stitch in place. Trim.
Repeat this layering until the 2" mark.

Place the body pattern on the felt piece and cut.
Cut out felt pieces for the face, eyes, feet, and top of head. Embroider eyes (optional)
Sew face, eyes and feet in place
For the owl's back felt piece : CUT IN TWO STEPS...First cut a top piece following the cut line on the pattern; then cut the bottom piece, again following the cut line on the pattern. Lay the pieces to the wrong side of the front piece. The TWO back pieces should overlap to form the pouch opening to slip the candy into the owl. Sew front and back pieces together.
Sew top to owl's head.
Fill with candy, gift card, small toys, crayons....oh, just have fun and make a kid happy!

happy day ^^

kat

Hello October

2011-10-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

Oh Oh...here we are at the starting gates on our race towards Christmas...on the mark, get ready, GO GO GO. If I don't watch my thinking, I easily fall into a stressful anticipation of what lies ahead between now and December...and for us local folks, NEW YEARS is another day of cooking, cooking, and more cooking. At these times, I hate the holidays...I truly do. :o(

But as my brother would say, "take it easy". Yes, my friends, let's enjoy the moment of 'now'. Yesterday, I did just that, having lunch with a friend then treating myself to a quiet moment sipping a Matcha Tea Latte with Matcha ice cream; perusing my latest Japanese craft book. Yes; a quiet moment is good; I think.

Today I'm having lunch with my sister and cousin. And to be nice; because I am nice ... when I feel in the mood; this morning I made a treat for them .... Mochi with Peanut Butter filling.

Mochi is really popular here; with many of us having Japanese grass roots. I love this recipe; its easy and the mochi is so soft; just the right texture and the peanut butter filling makes this a yummy treat. ^^

If you like sweet and if you like peanut butter, then you will love these ^^

I used a recipe from this youtube video on how to make mochi ice cream. I really love The Tofu Guru, she has spunk and charisma; and it helps that the video is so well made.

I've made peanut butter mochi before and found it bothersome but the recipe for the mochi and method on the video was so easy. I'll definitely be making mochi ice cream soon. ^^

The Tofu Guru Mochi Ice Cream Recipe (I substituted peanut butter for the ice cream)

To prepare Ice Cream

1 quart of vanilla ice cream or your favorite flavor

Scoop a third or so of the softened ice cream in a bowl and add flavoring of your choice. The Tofu Guru used matcha powder for one batch, red beans for a second batch, and the remaining plain vanilla ice cream as the third batch.

Either return the bowls of ice cream to the freezer or if you have a mini cupcake pan then scoop the ice cream into the cupcake pan and place into the freezer

To prepare the Mochi

Heat 2 cups of water in the microwave. In a microwave bowl, combine 2 cups of sugar and the 2 cups of water. Mix until the sugar is melted.

Mix in 2 cups of sweet rice flour (mochiko). Cover the bowl with clear wrap and microwave for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and being careful again, remove the clear wrap. Mix the mochi well. Then cover again and return to the microwave for 5 more minutes (I left it in for 2.5 minutes)

Sweet Rice Flour : Mochiko

Prepare your mochi work surface : Place a couple of pieces of clear wrap on your counter. Generously dust the surface with Potato Starch (this is similar in look to the sweet rice flour and can be most likely found in the same section of the market) or cornstarch (the dusting helps the mochi from sticking).

Place the mochi on the clear wrap and generously dust with the potato starch or cornstarch. Using a rolling pin, roll the mochi to about 1/2" thick.

Using a round cookie cutter (3 to 3.25") or cup/bowl, cut circles of mochi (you will not be able to re-roll the mochi as with pie crust or cookie dough so cut efficiently as possible).

Place the frozen ice cream in the center of the circle and pinch the ends of the mochi together.

Eat right away or place in the freezer to enjoy later.

Peanut Butter Version

Place peanut butter in the center of the mochi and pinch the ends of the mochi together.

For this version, I like to add more potato starch to the completed mochi to prevent sticking. I saw a mochi shop; add the mochi to a large strainer and toss to coat with the potato starch. So this is how I do it now; assures a more even coating of dusting.

Instead of dusting the outside of the filled mochi with potato starch, you can also use a Kinako (soybean flour) coating. This is how I like to eat my mochi but for today I didn't have any Kinako on hand.

Mix the following and dust the filled mochi
1/2 cup kinako
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

NOTE : the air will dry out the mochi so it is best to keep it tightly sealed or wrapped in clear wrap

The Mochi with Peanut Butter Filling is packed all pretty-like. My sister is going to love me for this.

Before I sign off, here's a recent project for my etsy shop...A Mini Tote Bag with a hand crochet 'white' rabbit and clock. The inside lining is an Alice in Wonderland themed fabric. I used this mini tote tutorial with a small bit of modification; adding the band along the top.
.

happy day (*^-^*)
kat

A Zakka Style Zipper Pull Pouch Tutorial

2011-10-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

Hi All ~ Remember this pouch? I promised a tutorial for you to try if you like. I modified it a little bit from the method shown in my Japanese craft book. The lining in the book's how-to was hand sewn...which is okay if you plan to do a couple of pouches but tiring when its the fifth pouch and counting. So this pouch is done in using the 'traditional' zipper pouch method where the lining is machine sewn to the zipper.

Okay, ready? ... ^*^

Zakka Sewing Tutorial for A Zipper Pouch with a Tag Pull

MATERIALS

Main Fabric : 2 pieces 7" h x 9"w
Lining Fabric : 2 pieces 7" h x 9" w
Interfacing : 2 pieces 7" h x 9" w
Zipper : 9"

Note : You may cut your fabric on the fold if the pattern is non-directional instead of using two pieces. There's no need to adjust the measurements if you do so because, hey this is pouch, no exact measurements required

SEAM ALLOWANCE
Use presser foot to sew seams; aligning foot along fabric edge

ASSEMBLY

Embellish your pouch at this time if you like

Prepare zipper : Measure 1.5" from the metal on the end of the zipper (mark the back side of the zipper)

Place zipper face down to right side of main fabric and sew zipper with a zipper foot; repeat for second piece of main fabric : IMPORTANT : Do not sew beyond the 1.5" marker

Pin lining to zipper; right side of lining to zipper (the zipper is sandwiched between the main fabric and lining); Sew over zipper sewing line on main fabric

Flip fabric pieces so that the right sides are now facing out; with main fabric + lining on one side of the zipper and main fabric + zipper on the opposite side of the zipper. Flatten the pouch; lightly press if you like, then top stitch about 1/8" along the edge where the fabric meets the zipper. You will sew through the main+zipper+lining.

Note : I do my zipper in two steps, first sewing to the main fabric then secondly, sewing to the lining. If you like, you can sew the zipper to the main and lining in one step : Place zipper right side down to the right side of the main then place in the lining right side down on the zipper; sandwiching the zipper in between the two fabrics; sew. DON'T sew beyond 1.5" mark.

SEWING SIDES

IMPORTANT : Open your zipper part way
Pin sides together : right side of Main Fabric to right side of Main Fabric and likewise for lining. Carefully line up the edges by the zipper (top edge); turning bulky seams toward the lining.

For the side where the zipper tag is; fold top seams down and pin

Starting at the zipper edge; sew entirely around the main fabric

Now sew around the lining; LEAVE a 2" to 3" gap at the bottom for turning the pouch right side out (If you had cut the fabric on the fold; then leave a gap on one side of the lining)
Turn pouch right side out
Pull the zipper tag out if it's stuck
Hand sew gap under the zipper tag

Sew gap in bottom

Note : If you like; sew rounded corners (find your favorite cup or bowl to draw sewing lines onto your pouch; keep the seams in mind) or sew a 2.5" boxed corner

THE FINISH

Trim the zig zag end of the pouch

Cover the end with a piece of fabric, trim, or ribbon
Approximate Finished size : 8" wide x 6 3/4" h

CLICK HERE FOR PDF VERSION

happy day (^-^)

kat

It's A Sweet Word

2011-10-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

Oh my poor etsy shop is suffering from lack of attention. I often start a day wanting to sew but the day silently slips away until its time for dinner and WATCHING TV (The Big Bang Theory, NCIS LA, Fringe, Desperate Housewives, Project Runway, Amazing Race, Survivor ....). Today, lunch with Aunty and Uncle, a trip to Lowe's Hardware to find a piece of nice wood to use as backdrop for my pics, snacking on sour cream banana bread made by Aunty, taking a gazillion pics of things made, some blogging...and now it's 4:36 PM...and here we are...with Saturday silently slipping away.

My plan is to work on a tutorial tomorrow for that extended zipper pouch I blogged about here. Wish me luck!

Here is a pouch adorned with a crochet design; my recent project. I used a pattern from one of my Japanese crochet books. It was difficult at times to figure the pattern out, especially the "w"! My other challenge was the lace zipper; being unsure how to sew it on. I ended up hand sewing the lining. A lot of work but I like how sweet the pouch looks.

Have you ever worked with a lace zipper? Any tips on how to sew it to a pouch?

I like how the pine wood from Lowe's Hardware works with the natural look of the pouch ^^

the pouch is in the shop

happy day ^^

kat

A Cute Play House

2011-09-29T02:02:00.000-07:00

I saw this picture over at Mother Baby Earth and just had to share; a so very cute table cloth play house!

on coolspacesforkids on etsy

I'm thinking for a boy, transform the table cloth into a spaceship or cave and for a hubby; a dog house. :o) Got ideas?

Today I baked the Washington YWCA Chocolate Chip Cookies; a recipe found on LaFuji Mama; a lovable blogger sharing her love of good eats. I've been wanting to make this cookie for awhile. Our cookie jar was down to the last few oatmeal raisin cookies; staled and whose number was up. With chocolate chips always in the pantry, it was a mighty fine day to bake and fill our jar with fresh homemade cookies...

I have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe in my file but am always wanting to try other recipes; especially the ones that are the "Perfect cookie" or the "Best cookie" or the " Favorite cookie" or the "Tastiest Cookie ever".

I must say that the Washington YWCA chocolate chip cookies is a delightful cookie; soft and chewy, a bit on the sweet side with a higher mix of white sugar than brown sugar. Our cookie jar is happy again.

I wish this was a smell-o-photo

WASHINGTON YWCA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes about 3 dozen.
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1/2 c. vegetable shortening
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 2/3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 c. flaked coconut
2 c. (one 12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In bowl of mixer beat together butter, vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt until blended.
4. Add walnuts, flaked coconut, and chocolate chips.
5. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. Bake for 8 or 9 minutes, or until cookies are just starting to brown. The centers will be soft.
6. Let cool for several minutes then remove from cookie sheet and place on wire rack to finish cooling.

PDF Version

Notes:
La Fuji Mama suggests sticking to vegetable shortening and never substituting it with butter-flavored shortening, which alters the flavors.

Today was a hot day so I kept the dough in the refrigerator in between batches.

Happy Baking ^^

kat

Bento Oh Bento

2011-09-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

amazon link

I resisted buying this oh so cute bento book; giving in only after I convinced myself that the recipes looked simple and delicious. This time I'm thankful for my lack of will power. This book is simply eye candy; authored by Susan, a fellow Hawaii resident. She shares a lot of bento cuteness on her blog Hawai'i's Bento Box Cookbook, Bentos and More for Kids. Once you visit her blog; you will never look at food the same way !

Inspired by her book; I attempted to make a bento for one of our family's "It's a Beautiful Day" eat out night. This ritual was born out of a ploy on my part to get out of making dinner on Friday nights..and it worked! If the weather is nice (and oh, did you know we live in Hawaii??), we head out to the town center in our community; buy take out dinners; sit at one of the tables surrounding the center stage, enjoying the outdoors; entertained by hula dancers or a singing group, and a perhaps play in the Friday night bingo game. It's a relaxing way to end the week.

I don't have much bento making supplies so this is my first bento box ... filled with sesame chicken, fried dumpling, a tomato (and a very tasty one at that), kamaboko (fish cake), and a faceless bear (poor thing).

The sesame chicken was ono-licious : local speak for 'oh so delicious'. The recipe is from the book which I'll share in a moment.

Bento making is FUN. I put together another one for last Friday; this time with kaarage shrimp as the main course. Sorry no pics ... for the rice I made these cuties from the book

A picture from Hawai'i's Bento Box Cookbook

The face was a bit difficult; using kitchen shears to cut small round shapes for the eyes. Avid bento makers use nori punches for faces and such...but these punches are a bit pricey..BUT DAMN CUTE. Will my lack of will power help make the 'right choice' for me?

After a bit of research on the web, I did find that paper punches work well too ... may not be cheaper but a lot easier to find ... so I'm be off on a punch hunt !

I did buy more bento making stuffs at a local Japanese store this past weekend ... oh, oh, I feel a 'collection' starting..and after I decluttered my kitchen ... the cycle never ends.

cute picks

cylinder shaped musubi molds to make the Bento Boys

Sesame Chicken : A recipe from the Hawai'i's Bento Box Cookbook

Serves 5

4 T mochiko flour
4 T cornstarch
4 T sugar
2 eggs
2 T shoyu (soy sauce)
2 T oyster sauce
2 tsp black sesame seeds
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

Combine the mochiko flour, cornstarch, sugar, eggs, shoyu, oyster sauce, and black sesame seeds in a large bowl; stir until mixed well. Add chicken and marinate overnight. Before frying, mix the chicken in the marinade well. Drop the chicken one at a time into hot oil and deep fry until browned and cooked through.

PDF VERSION

"It's a Beautiful Day"

kat

A Kawaii Zakka Russian Doll Teapot Cozy

2011-09-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

It's weird that I collect teapots although I'm not a daily tea drinker. In a recent kitchen decluttering effort, I found about 8 teapots ranging from teeny tiny to large pots. Of the eight, 2 pots from England are keepers (I received these when my nephew was stationed there), along with a couple of Japanese teapots. I'm still deciding on a teapot my mom bought in Europe; a mini red metal pot. The pot went into the donation bag, then out again. It's so difficult to let go things that I have a fondness for.

In my own psychoanalysis, I think I equate the teapots with this image of of daintily sipping tea while nibbling on a lavender scone; tossed back into an era with Jane Austen and her lady friends; a moment of peaceful comfort.

I LOVE period movies and stories based in Old England...old Merchant Ivory films (The Remains of the Day, Howards End ... ); Jane Austen stories (Pride and Prejudice, Emma, ... ); watching some of these movies over and over. I love the old English accent and their way of conversation. How can you not fall in love with Mr. Darcy when he shares : "Miss Elizabeth. I have struggled in vain and I can bear it no longer. These past months have been a torment. I came to Rosings with the single object of seeing you... I had to see you. I have fought against my better judgment, my family's expectations, the inferiority of your birth by rank and circumstance. All these things I am willing to put aside and ask you to end my agony." swoon.

A "facebook friend" suggested I make a teapot cozy. Once upon a time I attempted such a project; wanting to make a Russian Doll design. I had a picture in my head but couldn't figure how to make it and gave up after a few tries. This time, for some reason, it was not difficult at all.

My Zakka Russian Doll Teapot Cozy : I really LOVE working with felt; although a bit time consuming to sew on the pieces; creating kawaii vignettes. To cut most of the pieces I use my Cuttlebug die cut machine, nestabilities dies, and sizzix dies. The cat is from a drawing my son did for me.

The cozy fits a standard teapot that holds up to 6 teacups of tea. Inside, the cozy is lined with a cotton fabric and a layer a cotton batting.

If you'd like to make one here's the pattern of the tea pot silhouette (no pattern for the design) with a list of instructions : A Kawaii Zakka Russian Doll Teapot Cozy Pattern (Print on standard copy paper; 81/2"x11"). Please let me know if this link should ever fail to work..thank you.

till next time...Pip Pip Cheerio !

Happy Day ^ ^

kat

Merry Christmas ! A Christmas Stocking Tutorial

2011-09-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a bit nervous about Christmas; noticing crafters loading up their etsy shops with Christmas things; and it's only SEPTEMBER! oh my. And here I am cleaning my kitchen for the past 3 days! HaHa. But I did manage to finish a tutorial before I started cleaning; now having the time to share it with you all before I start attacking the freezer! ...and you guessed it..A CHRISTMAS STOCKING!!! ^ ^


My Zakka Style Drawstring Christmas Stocking

I read an article, "Practice Makes Perfect" on Oh My Handmade Goodness. April Bowles, the author, shares her thoughts on the principles of 'deliberate practice'; on how to improve one's skills through truly dedicating time each day to learn, practice, gather feedback, then learn, practice and gather feedback again and again.

April's words inspired me to try harder at my craft; wanting to create lovely vignettes with felt and fabric; always obsessed with adorning a sewn piece with something 'cute'. So here I start with this Zakka Style Drawstring Christmas Stocking with a felt tree designed by my son. I have a lot more learning and practicing to do; liking the idea of having a goal of some sort. Hmm..on second thought, I think learning more on pattern making might be a better place to start......darn, my indecisiveness is why I get NOWHERE! ^ ^ However crooked my road might be; the journey is still a delight ^ ^

Back to CHRISTMAS ~ I love this drawstring style Christmas stocking! It comes together rather quickly; a fun way to package gifts and baked goodies ! I came up with the pattern on my own..but hey, it's a drawstring bag shaped as a stocking..duh.

MY ZAKKA STYLE DRAWSTRING CHRISTMAS STOCKING TUTORIAL
(here's a pdf file to accompany this pictorial tutorial..if the pdf doesn't work; please please let me know..thank you ^ ^ )

Materials

Exterior Fabric : 2 pieces 16" long x 12" wide
Lining Fabric : Same as Exterior
Interfacing : Same as Exterior
Cord : 14" to 20"

Preparation

Cut a pattern for your stocking
Note : For my stocking : Top is approximately 7 1/4" wide and 10" wide from toe to heel; the stocking is 11.5" long at the heel and 13" long at the toe.
Use pattern to cut 2 pieces from Exterior Fabric
Use pattern to cut 2 pieces from Lining Fabric
Use pattern to cut 2 pieces from interfacing; follow manufacturer's instructions for fusing to exterior fabric

Notes

For the exterior fabric, I chose an Osnaburg fabric; commonly known as the ' poor man's linen'; is a linen-type muslin; that I found in a little fabric shop on Bainbridge Island in Seattle. I LOVE this fabric; perfect for my ZAKKA projects. Osnaburg is lightweight and has a "nubby" texture that is very soft to the touch and is crease resistant. To keep the natural look and feel of the Osnaburg fabric, I chose Stacy Shape Flex Fusible; a woven interfacing.

Embellish your stocking if you wish. Or use the cutest or most glorious designed fabric you can find and let the fabric be the showcase in your stocking ^^

Sewing Exterior Stocking Pieces

Mark 2 inches from the top

Place stocking pieces right sides together; using pressure foot as a guide to sew seams; sew around edges starting at 2” mark and ending at 2” mark (do not sew beyond the 2” line)
Clip curves
Turn stocking right side out; set aside
The open seams will form the drawstring tunnel.
Finish open seams by turning down seams; press; sew

Sewing Lining

Place lining right sides together; using pressure foot as a guide to sew seams; sew completely around edge
Clip curve

Putting It Together

Place the stocking into the lining; right sides together
Sew along top edge; joining the stocking and lining together
Pull the stocking and lining right side out through the top opening

Push lining into the stocking; leave a little of the lining showing on the outside if you wish
Top stitch around the top edge of the stocking

Measure 1 1/4" from the top and mark. Sew along this line to form the drawstring tunnel
String your cord through the tunnel ( I used one (1) drawstring cord for this stocking but go ahead and use 2 cords if you want to make it more like a handbag )

I hope you enjoy this project

happy day ^ ^

kat

It's All About the Bento

2011-09-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Hooray ! :o) ... My Bento Bag Tutorial is now featured on Jo's blog : A BIT OF THIS A BIT OF THAT as part of her month long New Skills Festival.

Hop over and take a peek (*0*)

happy day

kat

A Craft Hope Project

2011-09-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Craft Hope? It is the love child of founder Jade Sims. Her mission is simple..sharing handmade items with those in need; banding together crafters throughout the world to help others.

I decided to join in the latest Christmas in Dixie Project to make stockings for families who lost everything in the tornadoes this past fall. Craft Hope is partnering with Christmas in Dixie for Tornado Survivors to collect 12,000 Christmas stockings...12,000!!! You can hop over to the Craft Hope site to find out more if you'd like to help out.

After returning from our trip, my first order of "crafty business" was to get busy with making my stockings. Here's one ~

and another ~

I loved making these stockings! There was a sec when a thought of just making stockings crept into my brain.....nah...I'd probably get tired after the the 10th stocking. :o(

Happy Day (*^_^*)

kat

A Miracle & A New Skills Festival

2011-09-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Hello. I just returned from a jaunt to Portland and Seattle; henceforth known as our PIG OUT ADVENTURE. Our Number One Son planned our trip, something he is very, very good at; working in sights that we've never seen or experienced. Our itinerary reflected where he is in this time of his life; FOOD FOOD FOOD; which is not necessarily a bad thing but I tell you I was deathly afraid of looking like a DUMBO by the end of the trip.

This pic will give you a sense of our family's culinary point of view...greasy fattiness piled upon more greasy fattiness....yummy yummy yummy I got love in my tummy !

Here is a low down of our PIG OUT adventure.... Pok Pok's to die for fish sauce wings, evil VOODOO donuts, dining in a school bus dining room chomping down double grilled cheese hamburger sandwiches from The Grilled Cheese Grill, banana nutella waffles from the Waffle Window, street food (pizza, tacos, falafel, ice cream sandwich) from the Fremont Sunday Market, Burger of the Gods hamburger and Malted Whopper Shake from the Lunchbox Laboratory, sweet cream buns from Uwajimaya's food court, the most delicious hot dogs at Po Dog Hot Dogs, clam chower from Pike Place Chowder, the "I'm still dreaming about" Honey Lavender ice cream from Molly Moon's, Mighty O's vegan donuts, delicious hamburgers and the world's best onion rings from Red Mill Burgers, cherry pie at the infamous Twin Peaks Double R diner : Twede's Cafe, casino food at Tulalip Casino, Hawaii local style flavors (tacos and fried rice) at the Marination Station, Yogurtland, delighting in regular ole' baseball food (hot dogs, nachos, peanuts) at a Seattle Mariners game (they won!!), pasta somewhere on Bainbridge Island, more pastry goods from Sluy's Bakery, gorgeous sushi at the Umi Sake House, crumpets lathered with honey at the Crumpet Shop, Ezell's best fried chicken ( an OPRAH fav ), pizza and calzones at Stellar's..and then some!

The miracle? I did not gain any weight!!! The secret? Share an order...half the calories, half the fat...and that's a good thing.

Oh but you're not here for food....come and join in the craft party going on at Jojoebi's A Bit of This and a Bit of That blog ! Jo is hosting several a NEW SKILLS FESTIVAL all month long.

Jo has recruited different close to 25 crafters; including ME, to share projects throughout September. The fun has already started! I am so excited to learn new skills from other crafters.

Here are links to the first projects posted

Dream Boards with Jamie
Etegami with Debbie
Bento Wrap with Zhing
Needle Felting Ninja with Liz

...until next time....

happy day (*^_^*)

kat

It's A Party !

2011-08-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

It is no surprise that I LOVE perusing web sites that are all about craft and food. Ohhh, but as of late another world has opened to me...PARTY websites. Hold on to your party hats and check out this heart thumping VINTAGE SEWING party featured on the PURE JOY EVENTS party blog.

all party images are property of PURE JOY EVENTS

INVITATIONS wrapped around a wooden spool !

A sewing basket cake and cookies decorated to fit a sewing theme !

A sewing craft ~ the girls created their own initialed wall hanging !

There is so much more cuteness shared by Christine, a mom with a love for crafting and parties! I don't have any little ones but hey, I like cute and who knows maybe one day I'll be blessed with a grand kid. If not, as my hubby tells me..I may just have to settle for Toaster, my son's cat. Cat Party anyone? meow.

Now for the craft note...on my previous post I showed a pic of a pouch that was in the beginning stages. Well, it's all done. This time I decided to attempt a 'zipper tag' that I spotted in this book ~

I love this book

see the zipper tags?

here's my pouch

a close up of the zipper tag

The sad thing is that I didn't write down the instructions as I went along. I interpreted the pictures in the book but had to tweak here and there to make it work. So this project is going on my to do list to create a tutorial to share. But before then ... I need to get me some longer zippers!

Happy Day (*^-^*)

kat

A BIG MAHALO : Thank You

2011-08-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

Wow..I have 101 followers..that is amazing. I thank you all so very much for visiting with me. I am ecstatic you are here; happy that I'm not talking to myself as I did with my first blog of many years ago; delighted to share my love for Japanese style crafting.

I remember my very first follower and first ETSY customer, Lindy, a friend in Singapore I've yet to meet in person. Lindy, who fell in love with my Kokeshi doll crochet case design, inspired me to create other Kokeshi lovelies such as this coin purse and ipod cozy. THANK YOU Lindy for being there always ~

Before I sign off, I am dying to share a couple of new fabulous Japanese crochet books that I know you'll LOVE too.

The first one is all about HEARTS

I'm loving these garlands!

And this second one is filled with crochet items for girls

take a look at the darling designs on the back cover of this book

Oh yes, I am going to have a lot of fun with these books!

For now, I'm busy making things for my etsy shop...

more deer wristlets to finish


and another to start....

happy day (*^-^*)

kat

A Little Bit of Baking : A Little Bit of Sewing

2011-08-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

First the baking ... I cannot tell a lie. I looove homemade cherry pies filled with canned fruit filling; until I watched Agent Cooper devour fresh cherry pies at Norma's RR Diner in Twin Peaks. That did it; I just had to have a fresh cherry pie. I waited patiently for the prices for cherries to drop down from $4.99 to $2.99 a pound. I scoured the internet for recipes. Finally baking day came when the awaited fresh cherry pie was born in my oven ... ahhh...make that 'born in my kitchen oven' !

Oh, doesn't that look YUMMY?

I want to say that the first bite was glorious; with plump fresh sweet cherries popping in my mouth; mingled with the slight saltiness of the tender, yet flaky pie crust; a taste of heaven. Yeah, maybe for Norma's pie but not for mine's. My son likened the pie to an olive pie. The filling didn't have much flavor and the cherries were too big and firm. Yuk. Oh but I'm not giving up on fresh cherry pies yet; with another recipe in hand; just waiting for the tasting experience of this first pie to wane before a second try. And if you have a winner recipe then I'm all ears! (*^_^*)

Now for the sewing...I've been working on a boxy box tutorial for you. I did a short blurb on my first boxy box attempt in this blog post. It looks like a mighty fine boxy box from the outside but I gave up on the lining. The tutorial I followed had over 16 steps...it was that intense; being a fully lined pouch with no raw seams showing. There are different versions of boxy box tutorials ranging from fully lined to partially lined to no lining.

It took me about 5 tries to get this pattern just right. Part of the problem, I think, is deciphering the Japanese how to pictures; without knowing how to read the language.

First attempt : the box was so tiny and not square shaped
Second attempt : I enlarged the pattern using a complicated math formula; using ratios and such (I confess; I'm a geek). The result : a very silly looking box
Third attempt : I revised the dimensions again, this time adding 1" to the width and length. So much simpler and so much better.
Fourth attempt : I tried to hand sew the lining as in the book but switched to a machine sewing method instead
In between attempts : Replaced the fusible fleece with mid weight interfacing for easier sewing but the shape wouldn't hold. Played around with the placement of the valley folds (more on this in the tutorial). Whew !

After all of that nonsense; I will say that this is a simple pouch! (*^_^*) The method for this pattern creates a boxy pouch WITHOUT sewing BOXED CORNERS! ...and that's a good thing.

So here goes ~

A Zakka Inspired Mini Boxy Box Tutorial
with No Boxed Corners to Sew; Completely Lined with No Open Seams

Approximate Finished Size : 2 3/4 (h) x 2 3/4" (w) x 2 1/2" (depth)

Preparing Materials

Cut outer fabric : One Piece : 10.5" (h) x 7" (w)
Cut interfacing of your choice : One Piece : 10.5" (h) x 7" (w) {I used Pellon 973F Fusible Fleece; 987F seems to be the preferred choice for fusible fleece based on internet searches}. Iron to the outer fabric following manufacturer's instructions.
Note : Instead of using fusible fleece which is quite bulky for this project, you may also try adding a mid weight interfacing to the lining as well as the outer fabric for more support; as seen in other tutorials.
Cut lining fabric : Two Pieces : 5 3/4" (h) x 7" (w)
Cut strap : Ribbon/Twill/Or Sew Your Own : 12" for a hand strap (in my final attempt, I used a little loop instead of a strap. Either a loop or strap will make it easier to pull the zipper open/close)
8" or longer zipper (you will be cutting off excess)

Construction

Step 1

Measure 1/2" from the tip of the metal piece on the zipper.
Place the zipper down on the outer fabric; lining up the 1/2" mark along the edge of the outer fabric.
Pin the zipper along the top edge; sew zipper in place.
Do the same for the other side of the fabric and zipper.
Place aside to prepare lining.

Step 2

Place lining pieces; right sides together and sew along one short edge; leave a 2.5 to 3" gap in the middle for turning the pouch right side out in a later step

Pin lining to zipper: Move outer fabric over to one side of the zipper. Attach lining to the underside of the zipper as shown in the picture above.

Sew lining to zipper; sewing over the sewing line for outer fabric. (this is how I attach zippers but use your own favorite method for sewing zippers on pouches)
Repeat for other side of zipper and fabric

Step 3

Move zipper to center; matching up the outer fabric and lining.

this is a simple view of this step

Step 4

Fold your strap in half and place on the end of the zipper (I found it easier attaching the strap to this end versus the end with the zipper pull). Baste strap in place.

Step 5

In this step, you are doing what I call a valley fold - push the sides in towards the center so that it looks like this :

It is very important that the folds meet in the center.
Repeat this for the other side of the outer fabric and for the lining.
This fold is what creates the boxy look shown here :

Step 6

Sew the outer fabric and lining together on one end using a 5/8" seam. (I drew a seam line on the fleece to use as a sewing guide)
Note: Sewing through all the layers is quite a challenge but doable on my machine with a little tugging.
Caution: This is the step where your sewing needle could hit the metal on the zipper ends and break; please be careful. You may want to sew very slowly nearing the zipper.

BEFORE SEWING the opposite end; please be sure the zipper is partially open for turning the pouch out.

Trim the ends

Step 7

Pull the pouch through the gap in the lining then through the zipper
Shape
Sew gap in lining close
Done

A final note ~~ I found through one of my many attempts that you can change the shape of the pouch by the valley folds. If you place the valley folds a bit away from the center, the pouch will be flatter. The flatter shape makes a nice pouch too.

If you give this pouch a try; please let me know if you found it to be 'simple' too.

happy 'cheery' day

kat

(*^_^*)

Hello There

2011-08-02T23:25:00.000-07:00

Hello. I've been missing for awhile; disheartened that no one has cried a word of concern; not even a single email to check if I'm all right; after all it's very dangerous living on a tiny island. I could have fallen in the ocean, or into a fierce volcano, or swallowed by the illegal boa constrictor found recently abandoned by its owner, or trampled by the feral donkeys on the loose on the Big Island. LOL.

Looking at recent photos in my camera; I was busy outside of my sewing 'corner'; distracted by the days of summer ! ...

I took my nephew fishing

and shared in his delight on his victory; however tiny !

Paddlers passing by

Then off to an o-bon festival; an annual Japanese Buddhist tradition that honors the spirit of ancestors passed. In Hawaii, the festivals serve as both a ceremony of spiritual remembrance and a celebration of cultural heritage and community; where everyone is welcomed to dance and EAT.

Sadly, instead of a kimono, I donned on an apron and slaved over a hot wok making ANDAGI; Okinawan donuts; an Island Favorite !

a dear friend

Andagi

We finished off the month of July with a trip to an EAT THE STREET event; a gathering of local food trucks; serving up ono kine grindz (Hawaii's way of saying "delicious eats"). This is a new truck featuring yummy fried chicken and FRIED spam musubi (rice ball). Did I tell you how much Hawaii folks LOVE canned meats??

Hope to be back soon with a tut ~ till then

Happy Day (*^_^*)

kat

Peace

2011-07-23T00:17:00.000-07:00

Hearts and Prayers to Norway.

A Bow Pouch and Then Some

2011-07-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

I have a nice collection of Japanese craft book, a passion I pursue. I fall in love with Japanese style crafting over and over with each perusal through one of my books. My hubby and son moan whenever I get excited about going to San Francisco or Seattle where there's a Kinokuniya Store just waiting for me. heh.

Good news too is having a Japanese book store, Hakubundo, in Hawaii. The store is in town, a bit away from where we live, any closer and my hubby may tie me to my sewing machine table !

My latest project was out of the latest addition to my collection ~

I fell in love with these bow pouches in the book ~

I decided to make a bow pouch using a Hello Kitty fabric because Hello Kitty is all about the bows!

My pouch doesn't look like the picture in the book...hmmm, I think something was lost in the translation! I will have to try this pouch again but hopefully I can think of a way to make it my own.

Speaking of making it my own, here's a small project inspired by another craft book.

There was an ad with a picture of these cute little bags ~

Using scrap fabrics I made this version of a mini handbag pincushion. The style and size were dictated by the size of the scrap fabrics.

back

happy day ~

kat

I Heart Felt

2011-07-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

Today, the outdoors are simply beautiful, although a bit under the weather, I spent time in the yard sitting under our pua kenikeni flower tree. So peaceful. Perfect for healing. (as long as the bird doesn't drop on a nasty on my head..all is good)

So why the heck am I blogging when in need of rest? ... Beeee-cause, I am anxious to share this posting. I have worked on yet another felt applique bag. Bethanee suggested on my facebook to share how I do these appliques.

They are rather simple so this is not a tutorial in the sense of showing step by step pics. But I do want to share the inspirations I find for felt appliques, starting with this Japanese craft book filled with THE most beautiful heart thumping felt designs.

I love how the designer seems to create a story on her bags using felt. It is true artistry.

Speaking of artistry, look at this elegant felt cozy made by Larissa of mmmcrafts.

Larissa also makes these delightful felt dolls that she sells in her etsy shop. Damn she's talented. (drool with envy)

Oh well, now I feel silly for showing you my latest felt applique bag. Yes, it's another deer. Am I in a rut or what? But we're all friends so be kind, please.

my humble bag

I'm no artist so my appliques are from craft books, etc. or in the case of this fellow, he is a sweetie on the FABRIC itself. Look-y here (*^_^*)

I hope one day to make designs to all my own but I won't sweat over it if I don't. It's hard to keep going at times when I see the amount of talent out there doing same but more. But what the heck! I'm happy to do what I do and that's all I can do (thanks Popeye).

happy day

kat

I Count Myself Lucky

2011-07-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

I'm immensely enjoying myself today...watching Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and blogging while the hubby is at lunch with friends. I love fictional fantasies; the Lord of the Rings, Terry Prachett's disc world series, the Golden Compass, The Chronicles of Narnia ... I love them for the same reasons I love period stories...sneaking off to places far away from the realities of the day; to places where language was an art form; beautifully poetic it seems.

Blogging plants me in this world, from this tiny island, off to far lands sharing the Pacific Ocean, to countries on the other side of the continent. In my journey here with you, my life enriched with new friends and yes, even new adventures, creates my very own story.

I count myself lucky.

At this moment, I want to stay here; surrounded by friends like Yana who lives in Siberia (!),
Kerry of Very Kerry Berry, and Bethanee of Craftiness by Bethanee; bonded by a common love for our sewing machines!

I am encouraged by their presence and yours to keep sewing. These, my latest wristlets, are now part of my zakka inspire collection.

happy day

kat

A No-Zipper Pouch Tutorial - Another Christmas Gift Project

2011-07-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hello. I've been lost this past week but found again, stopping the spin in my mind with my zakka pencil pouch.

I designed this pouch in my head; thinking through ideas, erasing, rethinking, going through each step including how to sew the pieces together. I think of new designs a lot; in the car (my husband often catches me staring; deep in thought), while watching tv, in bed before the zzz's kick in... I wish I could say this process always work out, but I have an ever-growing crap-scrap pile to prove otherwise. sigh.

This pouch starts with a basic NO ZIPPER pouch; a method found in Japanese craft books. I love how this simple pouch transforms to your sense of style with a few tweaks to the shape, different fabrics, types of interfacing, embellishments, and size.

For my pouch, I changed up the shape of the flap; to mimic a cloud, wanting to add a 'cloud face' but junked that idea. The hardest part is always picking the right fabric, settling upon linen (my fav) and a pretty fabric I purchased from etsy shop : simbiosis by julia. You might want to take a peek at her shop and blog...she has the CUTEST pouches and fabric cases!!

And the Pièce de résistance? ... this kawaii embroidered mouse!!

No-Zipper Pouch Tutorial- The Basics
...the best part is that the basic pouch comes together quickly; perhaps no more than an hour...

Materials

Main Fabric : Cut one piece : 8 1/4" wide x 11 1/4" long
Lining Fabric : Cut one piece : 8 1/4" wide x 11 1/4" long
Interfacing : Cut one piece : 8 1/4" wide x 11 1/4" long; apply to main fabric following manufacturer's instrutions (note: I used mid weight interfacing for the zakka pouch and fusible fleece for the tutorial. The fusible fleece gives the piece structure; use either type depending on the look and feel you desire)
Cord : 18" long (rick rack, ribbon, leather tie, etc. )
Large Button
Embellishments (optional) (you could also do this pouch in a patchwork style)

Note : Seams are 1/4" ( I almost always use the pressure foot to sew seams; aligning edge of foot along edge of fabric; a bit more than 1/4"; either way / size is fine)

Preparation

Step 1 - Pin main fabric and lining, right side together, along one short edge; sew.

Step 2 - Mark 3 1/4" from top on main fabric and lining; this is the flap portion

Step 3 - Add embellishments at this time if you like (lace, ribbons, patches, etc). Find center of main fabric; mark for cord placement. Place cord and baste to main fabric.

Step 4 - Now for the fun part. Tuck the bottom of the piece (where the main fabric and lining were sewn together in step 1) in between the main fabric and lining up to the 3 1/4" mark made for the flap. This step forms the pocket.

Step 5 - Pin all layers together. Sew along left side; top (back stitch over cord to double secure); and right side (LEAVE A GAP FOR TURNING). Do not sew the bottom.

Step 6 - Turn inside out; Press; Sew Gap closed with ladder stitch. I refer to this video for how to.

Step 7 - Sew on button. Press as needed. This is another point in the process to add embellishments if you like.

A NO ZIPPER pencil pouch in less than 10 steps. Change the pattern size to make cozies for your electronic devices (big and small), eye glass cases, make up bags, evening bags, casual bags, travel pouches, "envelope pouches", pencil cases, crochet hook cases, .... did I start you thinking???

happy day ~ kat

Loopy Curly Crochet Brooch

2011-06-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

As promised here is another simple but cute crochet brooch to make for Christmas!

This is the flower I added to a kokeshi doll made for a customer who lives all the way across the ocean in Malta! hmmm...the flower looks a bit flat in this picture..LOL.

The Loopy Curly flower is made in 3 separate pieces sewn together.

Loopy Curly Crochet Brooch

Materials : I used a sports weight yarn with a 3/0 (2.3 mm) crochet hook. For the Kokeshi Doll, I used double strands of crochet thread.

Flower Layer 1 : Chain 6, slip stitch in starting chain to form a circle. {Chain 10, single crochet in starting circle} 10 times. End. Set aside
Flower Layer 2 : Chain 6, slip stitch in starting chain to form a circle. {Chain 15, single crochet in starting circle} 17 times. End. Set aside.
Flower Layer 3: Chain 6, slip stitch in starting chain to form a circle. {Chain 20, single crochet in starting circle} 20 times. End, leaving a about a 10" tail. Set aside.
Layer the three pieces atop of each. Thread 10" tail from flower layer 3 to sew layers together.
Embellish the brooch as you wish : rick rack, ribbons, cotton lace, etc. Attach to back.
Cut a circle out of felt and sew to back of flower; sew on brooch pin.

Happy Day

The "C" Word

2011-06-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Summer! It's nice to see you. Long, lazy days. TV reruns. Crowded malls. Garage sales. Tank tops. Bored kids. Shave ice : local speak for Snow cones. Ahhh, but you'll be in past soon enough; giving way to the cool winds of fall and the inevitable mad dash to Christmas. There, I said it...the "C" word. Oh let's not be in denial; for as soon as summer is at close, Walmart will be stripping school supplies off its shelves to stock oodles and oodles of Halloween mish mash. Yup, it happens every year like clock work.

So I thought to myself, this is a perfect time to get ahead with a few Christmas gift ideas with one day craft projects. To start are these cute crochet brooches that you can make in no time at all; perhaps while watching reruns of Hawaii Five-O or while the kids are splashing about in the pool or stuck in the airport.

This lovely crochet roll brooch is soooo simple, a dozen or two will take no time at all!

Materials
First a word...this is a brooch; no exact fitting required so the choice of yarn and needle is all yours. I used a sports weight yarn with a 3/0 (2.3 mm) crochet hook. I think a little thicker yarn (one that requires a size 4/0 to 5/0 needle) is better to give the leaves a bit more structure.

Helpful to have on hand, is a yarn needle to hide loose ends and to sew pieces together. The eye is large enough to thread yarns and the tip is not as sharp as a sewing needle.

Zakka Inspired Crochet Roll Flower Brooch Pattern

Row 1 : Chain 41, single crochet in 5th chain from hook. { Chain 3, skip 1 chain, single crochet in next chain}, repeat. [the 'single crochet in the 5th chain' forms a loop that you will use to finish the 2nd row]

Row 2 : Chain 4 (this is later referred to as the Chain 4 loop), (double crochet, chain 1, double crochet, chain 1) in lst loop to form a cluster. {Double crochet, chain 1, double crochet, chain 1} in remaining loops, ending with a chain 3 (this is later referred to as the Chain 3 loop) then single crochet in the loop formed by the chain 5 step in row 1

Row 3 : Change color to form an edging, if you'd like. Chain 3, single crochet in the 'chain 3 loop'. Chain 3, single crochet in the 1st space between the 2 double crochet in the prior row. {Chain 3, single crochet in the next single crochet space}, repeat, ending with chain 3, single crochet in the 'chain 4 loop', chain 3, single crochet in the lst chain in row 1; end. Leave a 12" tail.

Now for the roll : Gently roll the crochet piece to form your flower.

Thread loose end through needle. Turn your flower over and secure by sewing across the bottom; being sure to catch the bottom loops from all the rolled layers.

Continue sewing around the bottom of the flower to secure.

Now for the Leaves

Chain 10, single crochet in 2nd chain from hook. { half double crochet in next chain, double crochet in next five chain, half double crochet, single crochet in last chain}. Chain 2, single crochet in 1st chain on opposite side of chain 10. {repeat}, ending with slip stitch to 1st chain in 1st row to from pointed end, leaving 5" tail. Make 2. Position leaves on the flower bottom and secure.

Final Steps : Adding the Bottom and Brooch Pin

Row 1 : Crochet a 'wa' with 6 single crochet(sc) or use this alternative method: chain 2, 6 single crochet in 2nd chain from hook, join to form a circle.
Row 2 : Chain 3, 2 double crochet in 1st chain (this forms a 3 double crochet cluster). {3 double crochet in next chain} repeat ending with slip stitch on top of chain 3. You will have 6 clusters.
Row 3 : Chain 1, single crochet in 1st chain, sc in next ch, 2 sc in next chain. {single crochet in next 2 chain, 2 single crochet in next chain}, repeat, ending with slip stitch to 1st stitch. Sew bottom to back of flower. Add brooch pin.

Have fun playing with this pattern ;)
- use different yarn types, colors
- instead of crocheting leaves, add lace and ribbons
- or? share your ideas! I'd love to hear from you ~~

I'll share another crochet flower brooch pattern on my next post...till then...

happy day

kat

So HAPPPPPPPY

2011-06-22T06:10:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe what I'm writing....one of my projects is featured in this oh so lovely book, ZAKKA STYLE! Pinch me, please, but not too hard for I bruise easily.

The book, the work of the amazing Rashida Coleman-Hale of i heart linen, features 24 zakka projects from different zakka artists/crafters. C&T publishing unveiled this book along with others in their Fall catalog at the recent Quilt Market show.

The book is destined to be out in the market in December 2011. Be on the look out!

A Trip to the Pier

2011-06-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we drove to the windward side of the island, taking the freeway, the Pali highway, then through tunnels burrowed into the mountains. When the kids were kiddies, a game played was to see who could hold their breath until the end of the tunnel. No blackouts, just 'nanni nanni boo boos' for the losers!

I love this side of the island, where mountain greens, sky blues, and sea glass converge into a visual fiesta of mother nature's best dress. In fact, President Obama likes it here too, taking up residence in an abode by the sea while on vacations back home in the islands.

We stopped at the Heeia Kea Pier General Store and Deli for lunch, a charming place with picnic tables out front; surrounded by the ocean, people fishing off the pier, kayakers, and boaters. A most wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I think my mom, Yoshiko, wanted to spend more time here to breathe in the salty air, to watch folks at play, and to remember my papa who loved to fish. I want to bring her back to the pier, perhaps to fish and eat homemade bentos..that would be a good thing.

teriyaki beef sandwich on flatbread with fresh island veggies ... so ONO : local speak for yummy

But all food and no play is hardly a perfect day for me. I messed around with another design...this time, a bear bag with a drawstring top. I originally started to make another rabbit bag but somehow it turned into a bear. These kiddie bags are fun to make, albeit it takes a bit of time to prepare the pieces.

One of my biggest challenge in creating new designs or playing around with designs inspired by my many Japanese craft books is the lack of fabric. Oh, I have a fabric stash but it seems I never have 'THE ONE'. I am tempted to buy, buy, buy...but cash flow is a problem so for the most part I just have to make due with what I have, although I do want some tasty linens that I spotted on the web. sigh. As god is my witness, I will one day have all the fabric without want. (Yeah, like that's ever going to happen.)

happy day

kat

Meet My Mom

2011-06-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

Meet my mom, Yoshiko. She looks so sweet and lovely in this photo...HAH. I would post a current pic but trust me, it would scare the little ones. She once sang to a baby and the po' thing cried and cried out of fright. Yup, she's that scary.

I visit my mom on the weekend to play scrabble with her. She can whop my butt with 300+ scores...her secrets? .... always blocking me from using the triple word score spaces even if it means making only 6 points herself, spelling words backwards, and using a word that she's 'pretty sure' is in the dictionary even after I tell her there is no such word.

Oh I guess if I really think hard I could think of something nice to say about her...ummmmm... Well, as I've told you all before in a post or two, my mom LOVES to sew. I love that she has sewing memories...of sewing Shirley Temple style dresses for my sister, buying yards and yards of khaki to sew school pants for my brothers, drafting patterns for dresses she admired in stores, sewing patch quilts to sell at the swap meet, sewing clothes for her 'special' grand daughter .... She's feels lonely without her sewing machine; it having been skirted away by a little borrower. Although not sewing for years, the love still brews within. Okay, I guess she's still sweet...but I'll hold off on the lovely...hahaha.

As for my own sewing memories, I thank you all for being a part of this time in my life when sewing has become a big part of me.

I worked on a couple pouches this week; again trying out one new design.

I call this one my White Rabbit fold over pouch; made with a brown linen fabric and a cotton linen fabric covered with the White Rabbit and friends

And this one is a new pouch design, with a rounded top and tucks at the bottom. It was my first time sewing a zipper in a semi circle form; doing a test run on another fabric before using this fabric from Japan.

I broke 2 sewing needles sewing on the zipper! that really sucked! It was a good thing I recently bought new needles or I would have shed a tear or two.

HAPPY DAY

An Engineer or Crafter?

2011-06-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

kokeshi doll crochet hook cozy

This is my Kokeshi Doll Crochet Hook cozy; one of my earlier zakka designs. I decided to rework the pattern, a pattern that had lost its integrity over time from too many tweaks each time used.

I felt like an engineer, fitting the different components together; the main piece, the facing for the face, the face itself, the pockets for the crochet hook, and the lining. My goals were to develop a process to minimize steps and to achieve a more consistent end product (see what I mean by being an engineer? heh). And by golly I think I finally got it, making 4 of these cozies over the last few days with little problem.

I'm tired but happy.

in etsy shop now

HAPPY DAY

A SWEET Sewing Tool

2011-06-02T00:17:00.000-07:00

Can you guess what this tool is? It's an elastic threader, found in a Japanese knick knack shop similar to Daiso. The store sticker labeled the threader as a seam ripper. Took me a while to figure what it was; standing and staring at the package, deciphering the photo, because it did not look at all like a seam ripper!

I am so glad I bought it; making it so much easier to thread the cords for my kawaii bento bags.

Here how it works ~

Secure the end of the cord by pulling through the metal loop and pushing that red plastic thing up against the cord.

Pull the wire through the drawstring casing. That's it. Beats using a safety pin!

How sweet is that?

New Pouch Design!

2011-05-31T23:26:00.000-07:00

in my shop

I am so happy with my new pouch design, it being more 'sophisticated' than my usual kawaii fare. The idea is adapted from a Japanese craft book, of course. The design is meant to mimic a dress or shirt style with pin tucks.

It took about 3 messy tries before becoming comfortable with sewing pin tucks, something new to me. With each attempt came different approaches in measurements and sewing, thinking through how to make the process more efficient, to create a cleaner look, and to make it less prone to error. Yup, it took a while.

I only hope I can replicate this pouch, with only a rectangle piece of graph paper as a pattern and having failed to document the steps as I went along, it will be a challenge. Yikes!

{happy day}

Cleanliness is next to godliness

2011-05-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

Do you suppose that the act of cleaning will get me into heaven? With many a hour keeping my sewing space clean I'm pretty sure I earned my wings, ten times over.

Look Ma ~ No dust!

With zippers in the zipper drawer, threads in the thread drawer, trims in the trim drawer; I am ready to set my sights on spreading the gospel of cleanliness, to the scary hallway closet perhaps? hmmm

Love Me Love My Cat

2011-05-22T01:18:00.000-07:00

My son loves his cat, Toaster. I wanted my son to return home from San Francisco; leaving Toaster behind. He chose to stay with his cat. He strongly feels that Toaster is his responsibility; a responsibility he accepted when Toaster was adopted. I like that about my son.

Cats are funny ~ My son plays the Rock Band drums; Toaster jumps on the bed; lies down, tightly shuts his eyes; and stays in that position until the playing stops. What's that about? Funny cat.

I made a couple more flex pouches. No surprise that the pouches are adorned with felt CATs.


sitting cat pouch

happy meow pouch

...hmmm...should I change my blog to "Cat Inspired"....?

Baking Bread Bowl

2011-05-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

I love baking bread; the way the dough comes together, so smooth and soft; like a baby's bottom. I love seeing the dough slowly rising, inching it's way up the bowl, finally knowing that I didn't kill the yeast.

I love when the warm smells start to seep out of the oven; signaling that the bread will soon be ready for slicing and lathered with butter with a sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar. YUMMY!

I love the feeling of .. 'hey I made that'. And I LOVE not having to pay $5.00 for a decent loaf of bread wrapped in plastic (the price we pay for living in paradise!)

I've been eyeing this bread baking bowl on etsy from the neal pottery shop.

Doesn't the bread look beautiful? The bowl will make a small loaf size; enough for 2 or 3 hungry folks. Maybe if I'm good Santa will put this under the tree for me...ahhh, me good? never!.. I am what I am and that's all that I am.

I'm always on the look out for a good bread recipe. This Amish White Bread recipe from the Allrecipes web site is a family favorite. The taste is on the sweet side; which is why I love it but you can cut down the sugar if you'd like. The recipe makes two loaves but I had no problem with halving the recipe for a single loaf.

AMISH WHITE BREAD

from allrecipes.com

Makes 2 9x5 loaves.

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45

degrees C)

2/3 cup white sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 cups bread flour

Directions:

1.	In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
2.	Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3.	Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
4.	Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Weird Man's Birthday

2011-05-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

Today is Al's birthday. He's weird. I'm sure he wasn't born weird or his mother would have said something to me before marrying him..hmmmm. His weirdness works for me. Today is his birthday but he buys ME an IPAD! How weird is that?

Al helps out; cleaning the floors (vacuuming and mopping) every Friday; a good hubby he is. One Friday though; we had this exchange :

Me : did you clean the floor?
Al : yeah
Me : it doesn't feel clean
Al : I decided to mop every other week
Me in my head : WHAT the HECK???!!!

Weird man.

Weird or not, he's mine. To honor his day, I'm making a birthday cake; his favorite; The Halekulani Hotel Coconut Cake. This cake is the Hotel's signature dessert; a light; airy sponge cake; layered with an amaretto pastry cream; covered with a beautiful whipped cream frosting...sooo delish! Here it is; in all it's creamy glory.

The recipe looks a bit daunting but I'm always surprised how quickly it comes together.

Sponge Cake

1 1/2 cups cake flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2/3 cup water
8 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pastry Cream (PREPARE this first)

2 cups 2% low-fat milk, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup Amaretto

Whipped Cream

3 cups heavy cream
3 T sugar
1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Directions

To prepare the cake, preheat the oven to 350°F Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. ( I used 2 9" cake pans)
To prepare the cake, sift together cake flour, 2/3 cup sugar, salt and baking powder in a small bowl. In separate bowl, combine oil, egg and water; add to flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
Whip egg whites and cream of tartar. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter until just combined.
Pour into pan and bake about 30 minutes or until center is set. Remove from pan set aside to cool. Store in the refrigerator several hours before cutting. (NOTE: for the 9" cake pans, check for doneness after 20 minutes)
To prepare the pastry cream, combine 1 3/4 cups milk, sugar, salt and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until tiny bubbles form.
Combine remaining milk with cornstarch; add eggs and beat several times. Add ½ cup hot milk mixture to egg mixture; mix well. Pour egg mixture back into milk mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Scrape custard into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator.
To prepare the whipped cream, combine heavy cream and sugar in a mixing bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.
Add 1 cup of whipped cream, amaretto and 1 1/4 cups coconut to pastry cream; stir well. Set remaining whipped cream and coconut aside.
When cake is completely cooled, cut into three layers using a serrated knife. Place one layer on a 9-inch cake board or a serving plate. Place half the pastry cream on top and spread to edge evenly. Place second layer of cake on top of pastry cream and spread remaining pastry cream on top. Place third layer of cake on top. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining whipped cream and sprinkle with 1/2 cup coconut.

Take a peek at my latest project. I can't seem to stop making new things; enjoying the process of creating; learning; liking it more than mass producing; although this is also a challenge that I vow to conquer one day.

I'm not sure what to call this...a needle book? a sewing book? a sewing needle book? Whatever it is, it's the perfect sewing partner for when I do hand stitch work; having a place to 'rest' my sewing needle instead of sticking it in my bra..ouch!

My Mis-Motherly Steps

2011-05-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

My boys would be the first to say that their mom (that's me) could never...never be crowned Mother of the Year. Although, I'd like to think otherwise...it's the truth. Here are a couple shining moments of my mis-motherly steps ..

It's late at night; about 9 as I recall. I run into the market leaving the little one in the car; entering the market I hear : ..."will the lady who left her son in the car please go back to the car..." ... I casually slinked out of the market; hoping no one suspected it was me...you think?

The kid falls asleep in the backseat; a good time to run into the appliance store; leaving him in the car with all the windows rolled up to protect him from any predators. We return to the car; find him crying; his face beet red from waning oxygen levels. I still see his face in my memories to this day...it was that scary.

Okay, we go to another appliance store when the kid was younger; this time in an old neighborhood. He has to take a pee so I take him to the restroom in the store. The room is dark; I flip on the light switch; and there covering the floor and the walls are literally zillions of roaches (I am not kidding!) ... in every size imaginable.. from teeny tiny to humongous. I remembered them frozen in the light. Instead of leaving; I tried to get my poor kid; who was holding onto me for his dear life; to sit on the toilet. Oh, we left the store to find another restroom but the scar lives on. My son, a cartoonist, drew a pic of that night; us and the roaches; exactly.

Yup, no Mother of the Year award for this lady....but I count myself double lucky for two great sons who care for me; in ways that other mothers might find....a little mean. They have a plan to save money on nursing care by burying me alive in the backyard....how sweet is that?

Talking about 'sweet' .... here's another flexi pouch I tinkered with this week ....

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY <3

It's Raining It's Pouring

2011-05-05T00:53:00.000-07:00

It was a dark and stormy night; thick rain, house shaking thunder, hail, an unbelievable lightening show...wow.

photo from a Hawaii resident

Mother Nature is quiet at the moment; probably at rest after scaring the dickens out of us with her fiery show; but not until she spurned these amazing twin waterspouts off shore. ( Science note: Waterspouts are tornadoes that touch water, they are not formed of water themselves but are funnel clouds that shoot down from storm clouds.) How crazy is this? Isn't Mother Nature both amazing and scary ?!!

Photo from a Hawaii resident

Bad weather outside = a good day to stay indoors and sew; and sew I did.


A flex pouch : MY FIRST EVER

ahhh...open wide


a mini drawstring bag

..and another !!

I hope it rains again tomorrow ....

Meet Mr. Darby

2011-04-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

This week I decided to give felting a try. Oh I've attempted it before but gave up after failing miserably to make a bear look like a bear. What was different this time; is that I was determined, really determined to make a bear look like a bear. So I gathered my felting books for a study and inspiration; viewed a youtube felting tutorial video or two or three; cracked my knuckles; ready - set - go! Oh yeah, this time my determination paid off; finally managing to felt a bear that looked like a bear; a funny looking one but still; unmistakably a bear. Let us rejoice!

..and it all started with a fluff of roving wool

To start the body; I first rolled one end over using my thumbs (needle is for pic only)

Next, I folded the left corner over towards the center; holding it down with my thumb

Then rolled the end of the wool down; being sure that the folded left corner is tucked under

Now I folded the right corner towards the center

Then rolled the end of wool over; repeating the process until...

You get something that looks like a cocoon

This is the video I followed: How to create a basic shape. After many jabs; including a couple pokes on my finger; my bear started to come together. (I actually took a pic to post of my finger with blood oozing but decided to spare you all from the gory spectacle..heh)

... and here he is....Meet Mr. Darby

...he's not perfect but he looks like a bear...yaaay! It was fun jabbing and jabbing and jabbing; seeing the cocoon shape slowly evolving into Mr. Darby. He is a wee bit on the soft side; just as I liked; with long skinny arms for hugging his cat; and a flat butt for sitting....

I discovered that I love felting; finding the process very calming. I supposed it's because it takes one's full concentration (no bird watching out the window); with a lot of hand action; jabbing, rolling, jabbing. I liken it to hand work; similar to embroidery; where you might sit by a window for light; with a cup of tea for an occasional sip; gently pulling your needle in and out of your cloth piece; slowly watching each stitch unfurl into something beautiful...or cute.

I know that more practice is needed. But I have to focus...on sewing first. focus : focus : focus

An Awesome Tree

2011-04-27T01:26:00.000-07:00

On my morning walk, I found this most amazing tree; dotted with oh so delicate; dainty purple flowers. But it isn't just the flowers that I love; it's the 30 or so tiny birds tucked in the tree; scattering from branch to branch and chattering so much nonsense. These lovely birds are a sight to watch; but there was a blur that caught my eyes; a flurry of green swooping into the tree. Parakeets! My lord! And so many of them! I wish you were there with me to be in the moment; forgetting the cars and their passengers rushing to work or the kids taking over the sidewalk waiting for their school bus or the crazy scary guy who sits under a tree talking to himself. It was a moment simply to be. I stood under the tree for awhile taking in the lovelies when it suddenly came to mind that there could be a poop fest any moment! Nasty stuff. So off I went, vowing to bring my camera on my next walk; and perhaps an umbrella.

I found a package of waste canvas; used for cross stitching, at a local thrift shop. I decided to give it a go on these cute mini pincushions. I loooove how they came out.

First is this here hedgehog with his squirrel buddy. The squirrel buddy was added when I realized that I placed the hedgehog too high. Oops.

This little project started with a piece of linen, cut into a half a circle. Pins held the rick rac in place but oow-wie; so many pin pricks! Pain is wonderful at times; prodding me to think that perhaps using a bit of glue would work much, much better. And it did.

After hand stitching the rick rac in place, I aligned the centers of the waste canvas piece with the linen and pinned it in place; knowing that basting is traditionally required but I say "what the heck". I'm a reckless crafter who lives on the edge. Who knew.

The fun and scary part is removing the waste canvas threads; first by wetting the waste canvas; then carefully pulling one thread ....

then more ...

and more and more..whew.

My sewing table sits facing a window; perfect for staring at the sky or catching a smootching couple (yes, we have LOTS of birds here).

Distractions aside, I managed to finish two more pincushions.

I now am in love with cross stitching with waste canvas. I thought I would run into problems with removing the canvas but it went without a hitch or I should say snag.

hmmmm....what shall I make next? .... I'm thinking ... BIRDS!

A Happy Spring Card

2011-04-21T01:05:00.000-07:00

This blog of mine started with 3 choices...baking? paper crafting? Japanese crafting? I love, love, love baking; yummy cakes, pies, breads, brownies, and whatever Martha bakes. The problem is that baking = exploding fat cells. And as a Lifetime Weightwatchers member there was no way I would grow a muffin top belly for a blog. heh.

So it was on to choice two; paper crafting. I'm addicted to paper crafting and I need help. I invested tons of money into rubber stamps, gel pens, water colored pencils, die cut machines, glues, scissors, card stocks, spools of ribbons, containers to hold all my junk; the buying was endless. This avenue was filled with possible paths; entering contests, designing with sights of a possible magazine entry, & joining an extensive community of paper crafters. I do love paper crafting...

But as you already know, I decided to get in touch with the Japanese in me. Not sure why because up to that time, I was merely a collector of Japanese craft books; taking joy in simply perusing the books. If I had to choose a reason, I think it's because I WANTED TO MAKE ALL THINGS KAWAII.

I'm happy. I love having this blog to share my adventures in learning all things zakka and on occasion to share my two other loves.

I leave you with this Spring card made for a special girl; Julia.

This card is made using a paper piecing method; using this tutorial from Split Coast Stampers. This method involves stamping the image on different card stock then cutting the pieces and fitting them back together to form your image...it was like playing with a paper doll! very fun...

...till next time...

Amigurumi Crochet Bird Pouch Pattern

2011-04-15T00:49:00.000-07:00

This week I started playing around making a couple of boxy pouches with this tutorial on : it's a pretty modern life. This pouch is fully lined; presenting a bit of a sewing challenge for me. Adjusting the size for a smaller size; I was in sweats sewing this little guy. Next time; a larger size may prove more sewing friendly. Or I may try this tutorial from Skip to my Lou; a modified version of a lined pouch; with a few seams in view. This version with only 4 boxed corners to sew may prove less stressful than the fully lined version's 8 boxed corners. With each attempt at something new, I learn. I like that.

This cute amigurumi crochet bird pouch was a savior; helping to re-align my zakka chakra. He's a tiny fellow...5" wide x 3" high. No Sewing Machine Required.

Mini Amigurumi Bird Pouch Crochet Pattern

Size Needle : 5/0
Yarn : 4 ply; 2 colors : one for body, one for beak
Eyes : Buttons, Eyes, Felt ... your choice
Zipper : 5 inches
Fabric : Small piece for lining & wings

Work in rounds; do not join rounds. Use a marker or a piece of yarn (my style) to mark the start of the row after each round.

First if you are new to Japanese style crocheting, please check out planet june's delightful crochet blog for her terrific amigurumi tutorials.

Bird Body :
Rows

You will start with a 'wa' or what crocheters refer to as the Magic Circle. Start with 7 stitches.
2 single crochet in each stitch : 14 stitches
(Single crochet in first stitch, 2 single crochet in second stitch), repeat to end of row : 21 stitches
Single crochet in first stitch, ( 2 single crochet in second stitch, single crochet in next two stitches), repeat to end of row ending with single crochet in last stitch : 28 stitches
Single crochet in each stitch : 28 stitches
(Single crochet in first 3 stitches, 2 single crochet in next stitch); repeat to end of row ending : 35 stitches
Single crochet in each stitch : 35 stitches
Single crochet in first 2 stitches, (2 single crochet in next stitch, single crochet in next 4 stitches), repeat to end of row, ending with single crochet in last 2 stitches : 42 stitches
Rows 9 - 15 : Single crochet in each stitch : 42 stitches. END

Bird Beak :
Rows

You will start with a 'wa' or what crocheters refer to as the Magic Circle. Start with 4 stitches.
(Single crochet in first stitch, 2 single crochet in second stitch); repeat one more time
(Single crochet in first 2 stitches, 2 single crochet in next stitch), repeat one more time. END : Fold in half

To Assemble :

Attach eyes
Attach beak
Attach wings : For the wings I decided to use a flower motif....other options: Applique a wing from fabric. Use a fabric yo-yo. Use a heart shape felt piece.
Hand stitch zipper to inside of pouch
Lay the crochet pouch on your lining fabric (you will need 2 pieces). Draw an outline on the fabric. This line will be your sewing line. Add about 1/2" or more to the top of the lining. Sew the lining. Insert the lining inside the crochet pouch. Fold over the top towards the inside to hide raw edges. Hand stitch lining to zipper.

I hope this birdie makes you happy....till my next post...pet a bird.

Truth or Dare

2011-04-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hi All ~
Here's a truth for you all about moi ~ I live on an island....buuutttt...I don't know how to swim! Believe you me, I've attempted a few times to learn but I'm terrified of not being able to touch the floor of the ocean or the pool bottom. I once had a goal to learn to swim by age 65! HAHA Yeah, well, I don't think that's going to happen.

I remember in 5th grade, the class would go to the high school pool for lessons. I stayed back because I had ... you know...juggers. And being only 10 years old, I was very, very embarrassed to wear a bathing suit in front of my classmates. Then there was this time when I took my son to private swim lessons so I decided to join in. The problem? The toddlers and their parents from the next class sat around the pool watching us; not as private as I thought! OH, I attempted a few more times after which I think I'll settle for wearing a life preserver instead of a bikini.

This week....I was... PRODUCTIVE. I made 5 pouches...that's a record for me...

...now I have the entire weekend to R&R; hoping for sunny weather! till next time

A Mini Handbag Organizer Tutorial : Just in time for Mothers' Day !

2011-04-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

Hi

I am attempting to be a bit more organized...oh yeah, this is a VERY BIG GOAL. I want to complete at least one project a day and one tutorial a week. This doesn't appear too overwhelming but I haven't succeeded yet and this is already April! My problem? I take too many breaks. I get hungry. I crave DIET SODA. I get distracted watching full episode streams on my computer while I sew. I can't make up my mind what to make. heh.

So I pushed myself a little from last week, finishing 4 embroidered pouches ...

...and this here tutorial for a mini handbag organizer....just in time for Mother's Day that's only a month away! This little handbag organizer is a perfect size for my 2 phones (don't ask) and my IPOD...plus all the other necessities of life (tylenol, tissue, pen, gum, sticky note pad, etc. etc.). A perfect project/gift for someone who likes to change bags with her outfits or someone who needs help keeping her bag nice and neat (that's me). The bag has "drawstring" like handles for you to lift your organizer out of your bag...just a little extra touch of cuteness!

The pockets ended up a bit too shallow so I adjusted the dimensions in the tutorial instructions.

Okay...here goes

Prepare Fabrics

Exterior fabric - Cut 2 pieces 6" (height) x 8.5" (width); iron on CRAFT FUSE interfacing
Lining fabric - Cut 2 pieces 6" (height) x 8.5" (width); iron on mid weight interfacing
Pockets for Exterior and Interior : Cut 4 pieces 10" (height) x 6" (width); iron on mid weight interfacing; fold in half to form pockets
Tabs for "Drawstring" Handles - Cut 4 pieces 3" (height) x 4" (width); iron on mid weight interfacing
"Drawstring" - Length 16 1/2". I used cotton twill but you can use whatever you want, as long as it fits the width of the tabs.
Sewing Seam : 1/4"

Prepare Pockets

After folding pocket piece in half, add a top stitch along 'fold' edge if you'd like
Using a Mark-B-gone fabric marker, draw a sewing line down the center of the pocket. If you like, add smaller pockets for pencils and pens.
Pin pockets to exterior and lining pieces. Sew on sewing lines.

Prepare Tabs

Fold tab pieces with right sides facing
Mark 3/4" on each side of tab; crease; then fold in half (bring raw edge towards the crease line) This will hide the raw edge of the tab
Sew side edges. Repeat for all 4 tabs. Set aside.

Putting it all together

Exterior Piece : Place right sides together and sew along side edges and bottom. Sew a 2" boxed corner; trim. Trim any bulk as needed. Set aside. (Turn exterior piece right side out)
Lining Piece : Place right sides together and sew along side edges and bottom; leaving a 2-3 inch gap on the bottom for turning. Sew a 2" boxed corner; trim. Trim any bulk as needed. Set aside. DO NOT turn right side out.

Tabs : Mark the middle of each tab. On one side of the bag; find the middle of the exterior piece; mark (Fold bag in half to find middle or measure). You will have 2 halves. Now find the middle of each half. Match the middle of a tab with the middle of one of the halves. Pin with raw edges of the bag and tab together. Do the same for the other half. At this point, you have placed tabs for one side of the bag. Simply match up the tabs for other side to the tabs already in position. Baste in place.

Attach Lining to Exterior : Place the exterior piece into the lining; right sides together. Sew along top edge.
Pull bag from gap in lining. Sew gap.

"Drawstring": Thread "drawstring" through tabs (I attached a safety pin to the twill to help with threading). The cotton twill frays so I put on fray check before sewing. Crease each end of twill with each end going in an opposite direction; to hide the raw edges in the final step.

I decided to sew the two ends together before hiding the raw edges being careful not to tangle the twill.

Fold together as shown in the pic below. After attempting to machine sew the ends together, I found it easier to simply hand stitch. This section is hidden in the tabs so simple is good.

The use of the cotton twill dictated how I put the handle together so feel free to change it up to suit your choice of material.

enjoy....till next posting...

My LOL Refashioned Apron & a Mini Bento Box Bag Tutorial

2011-03-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

I envy a person who could care less of what other folks think about how she dresses, crafts, keeps her home, occupies her time, wears her hair, how loud she guffaws (HAHAHA).... I'll always take pause when I spot a person with a strong individuality oozing out of her being; a person loving her spirit and being comfortable with one's self. Me? I easily, too easily, let others dictate my ways; filled with guilt and a victim attitude, ...working hard to cling on to who I am. Take for instance these little words uttered when I wore this apron refashioned from a thrifted little girl's dress....

A Niece : Aunty, WHAT are you WEARING?!!??
Me in My Head : huh? Oh oh..now I feel silly wearing it.

.... and that was the last time I wore this apron. Oh well, I suppose it was a little silly to wear this girly apron since I'm kind of on the older side...but still; with a snip here and a snip there and a stitch here and a stitch there..voila! a pretty apron...sigh. And I do love it. I swear I'll wear it again! ... maybe.

I've had similar remarks from people, who mean no harm...but such words do sting and move me back a couple of notches each time. But if you recall from my last post of my 100 things list, on my list is to "strive to protect my spirit from others". It's hard. I think I need a mantra or a 'shake it off' phrase to remind my sensitive soul to let the words float up towards the sky and into nothingness ... What about : "what the hell!" or "what the heck!" or "what the #*#(@!!" or "be all you can be"...hmmm; Dale Carnegie; I'm not.... Any suggestions?

Enough Psych 101...let's sew us a mini bento box bag !

You can never go wrong with Hello Kitty

Materials
Exterior Fabric : 25 1/2" long x 10.5" width
Lining : The lining is optional; if using; cut same size as exterior fabric. More on options below.

Steps

Without Lining - Crease all sides by 1/2". Fold in half to create a 1/4" seam and to hide raw edges. Sew all sides. The benefit of sewing the bag without the lining is that the bag is "softer" and easier to knot
With the Lining - I decided to use a lining knowing I wouldn't be able to sew a tiny fold-over 1/4" seam successfully. To use a lining, lay right sides of the exterior fabric and lining together and sew with a 1/4" seam; leaving a 2" gap for opening (on any side). This is just a bento bag so you don't need to change the dimensions if you choose this option. If you have a serger, you could serge the edges instead.

Pull the bag through the gap to turn it right side out. Sew the gap close.
Lightly mark your fabric piece as follows: Choose one short end of the piece and mark "top" and the opposite end as "bottom". On the "top", with the right side of the exterior fabric facing you, mark one corner as "left" and the other as right". Likewise for the "bottom" edge.
Measure 8 1/2" from top left edge of the bag and mark. With the right side facing you, take the bottom left end and fold up to the mark; pin. You should have what looks like a pocket; with the lining facing up. Sew along the left edge only. DO NOT sew the right edge.
Note: It doesn't matter which end is top or bottom

Next, sew a 5" boxed corner on the side you just sewed together. (no need to open seams before sewing) DO NOT CUT the excess fabric. The excess fabric will help reinforce the bottom of the bag. This completes one side of the bag.

Using the top RIGHT edge; measure 16" along the side and mark. Fold the TOP edge to the mark; pin. Sew along right side.

You will sew another corner but NOT a boxed corner. Refer to pic below. After sewing corner, do not remove excess fabric.

Turn bag right side out. That's it...you just finished a kawaii mini bento bag !

Let me know of any questions...enjoy.

A Brain Fart

2011-03-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed making this linen tote bag that I posted earlier. I decided to make another but with a different design but still using a deer motif. Here's a close up pic. Cute.

Oh, but I ruined the bag. I had a brain fart. I grabbed the wrong interfacing...craft fuse, which makes your sewing project very stiff. Stiffness is okay, perhaps when using with a cotton fabric to make a structured bag but unfortunately it does not work at all for this linen bag which I wanted to be soft and natural.

I noticed the stiffness when ironing the interfacing to the linen but my lame brain thought it would soften up as I work with the bag. Another brain fart moment.

See the stiffness and the ugly crinkles? Wrinkles would be good but Crinkles? yuck.

I still want to make another bag but I need to get over this one first.

On another note, my friend is retiring in a couple of weeks. She shared her bucket list with me...filled with dreams of trips to Japan, China, and Europe and a whole load of craft projects...10 lap quilts, scrapbooks galore, a recipe collection and more. whew.

I have a list too but I don't call it my bucket list. It's simply 'a list' of 100 things. Yeah crazy me. I don't treat it like a 'to do' list because hey, a to do list sounds like a lot of work. My list is centered around FOOD (lots of it), health, relationships, learning, and giving.

My 100 things to do list :

Silly things...eat a sinful ice cream treat on my birthday, drink Chai at Starbucks, make ice cream sandwiches, fix hem on jeans, drink wine (hah)

Crafty things ... sew a dress or blouse, take a scrapbooking class, volunteer in projects involving crafts, do a crafty blog, teach a craft class

Food things...Find tasty recipes and make: gyoza, pizza dough, bread, rolls, sushi rice, chocolate chip cookie, brownie, pancake

Travel things...Visits to China, Japan, Europe..just travel, period

For the soul things...start a herb garden, laugh more, lighten up, judge not, love what I do, protect my spirit from others

..there's more. I check my list every so often to check off things that I did. If I do I do, if I don't I don't.

Getting back to my friend...we each made 'favors' for her luncheon. This was my contribution .. home baked butter mochi cake ( a local favorite) in a container adorned with this cute bird.

..till next time...hugs, kat

Another Giveaway : Hosted by Jaebum Fangirl

2011-03-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Oh I count myself lucky. Here I am just sitting in my corner of the world when the most fabulous folks bump into my blog. Alexa of Jaebum Fangirl is cosponsoring a giveaway with ZAKKA INSPIRED (that's me...oh but you knew that already) on her blog.

She did a really nice intro on my etsy shop and has all the details of the giveaway on her site. Check it out here

What's up for the giveaway you ask? This here darling GIVE PEACE A CHANCE wristlet

A shop update : I will be adding another deer pouch to my shop .. this time with embroidered mushrooms.!...

Oh and please do check out auction for Japan Quake Appeal in my previous post which ends on Saturday and my items in etsy to also help with the Japan recovery. thank you so much.

An Auction for Japan Quake Appeal

2011-03-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hi There. . .Jojoebi of Jojoebi Designs, sponsor of an on line auction for Japan, bumped into my blog a few days ago. I am thankful that the universe led her here, humbled to be a part of her circle, to do more to help our friends in Japan.

Once on a trip to Japan, we visited the Nara Deer Park where I was quickly encircled by a group of very hungry deers, who were quick to sniff the wafer snacks in my possession. Being too slow to unwrap the wafers, these darlings bit, pushed, and tugged at me as they grew impatient. I was literally squealing from fright. Oh but it was love at first bite. My infatuation with the Japan deers makes them a common motif in my work.

So I decided on offering two of my kawaii embroidered deer pouches for my auction items. I love working with linen because it is like a blank canvas...waiting to be embroidered, cross stitched, appliqued, or whatever one's heart desires to make it all pretty-like.

Oh but I couldn't stop at one deer...

back fabric : lining is with this same fabric

And now for the auction details (this is my first so please be patient if I mess up...fingers crossed)

Auction is open to all
Auction ends at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 26th (Pacific time).
Leave a comment to this post with your bid amount. Please bid in whole dollars only. The highest bidder on March 26th wins, so keep checking those comments throughout the week to make sure you are not outbid.
Bids are to be made in US dollars.
Starting bid is $24.00
The winning bidder will be announced and contacted after the auction closes on March 26th.
IMPORTANT: The winner must donate the amount of their winning bid to Global Giving.
Please send me proof of payment via email : zakkainspired@yahoo.com . Upon receiving proof of your donation, I will happily mail your pouches.
I will cover shipping costs (but will not cover any custom fees if incurred)
The bag will be shipped flat.

This auction is being held in cooperation with Jo at A Bit of This and a Bit of That. Participants are not affiliated with Global Giving or any other aid organizations, this organization is the chosen method of getting funds safely to Japan. Thank you for bidding and please see all the other lovely items up for auction or raffle listed on Jo’s blog.

Japan Tsunami Relief Efforts

2011-03-16T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hi All ~~ I decided to join in with other crafters to help Japan Tsunami Recovery Efforts through my etsy shop.

I spent yesterday sewing these cute Hello Kitty zipper pouches that are now in the shop. 100% of the payment received for the items (excluding shipping and handling costs) will be donated to the recovery efforts through the Red Cross. I also added one of my Kokeshi Doll Crochet Hook case to the sale. The items for the recovery efforts are in a separate category listed as "For Japan Tsunami". Please stop by if you like. I'll be adding more things along the way. Thank You.

I will also be participating in an online auction in a couple of days with Jojoebi Designs. More on this effort later. I have to get back to my sewing machine!

I Am

2011-03-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

..in tears as I read about the devastation in Japan...hearts and hands across the ocean...

Drum Roll Please...The Giveaway Winners are..

2011-03-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Yana and Kerry!

~~and thanks to all for entering and for you lovely words ~~

When I have moments when I feel it's just me and my blog, I'll read through all your comments again and again for inspiration..thank you all..for I am touched.

P.S. Yana and Kerry ~ can you email me at zakkainspired@yahoo.com? Yana, the email won't go through with the address left in the comments. Don't know why. Kerry, when I used the email on your blog, I got a funky message about not having an email program. Sorry I don't know how to fix that. THANKS for helping me out.

Kawaii Linen Bag with Felt Deer Silhouette

2011-03-06T18:53:00.000-08:00

GIVEAWAY sign up ends tomorrow ! click here for post

Hi All ~ For the past few days I have been working on this linen bag that I simply adore. I added a felt silhouette of a deer and his friend the blue bird ( my fav theme) which took a bit of time to hand sew. I like 'noise' when I craft so I usually have the TV on to keep me company. I admit I sometimes spend way too much time surfing the channels instead of focusing on my project. hmmm...this could explain why it takes me so long to finish anything!

The linen gives the bag its naturalness ... soft and wrinkly. The strap wraps from the back of the bag to the front and is adorned with a cotton twill tape with sashiko threading.

One thing I struggle with is how much embellishments to add to a project. I'm leaning towards the KISS principle...where simple is good. So in making this bag, I held back on adding buttons, stitching, etc. And I'm totally happy with how it came out! You can find this bag in my www.zakkainspired.etsy.com

...and I had the perfect fabric to make more kawaii rabbit bags...I never tire making these bags...so kawaii neh?..These bags are now in my kodomo: kids etsy shop: www.happyhappydiy.etsy.com

pink eyes

blue eyes

hope you all had a great weekend.!

Happy National Pound Cake Day !

2011-03-04T23:15:00.000-08:00

HIYA ~ GIVEAWAY SIGN UP STILL ON...click here for more information

How perfect is this?..today is National Pound Cake day (go figure) and I have a most delicious pound cake to share with you all....

...and this lovely cake was as oh sooo good as it looks!

...the knife gently glided through the cake...so smooth...a hint of how wonderfully rich and dreamy the first slice would be in my mouth

...can you just see all the goodness?..eggs: check, butter: check, sugar: check, cream cheese: check...and a few strawberries thrown to make it all pretty with pink flecks

Cream Cheese Pound Cake from the Smitten Kitchen blog
link here See Smitten Kitchen beautiful pics and full recipe which includes a strawberry coulis

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 package (8 ounces) Philadelphia brand cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract plus 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or 2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 10-inch tube pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Alternately, you can use a 12-cup bundt pan, and simply butter and flour it.
Place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, increase the speed to high, and beat until light and airy, at least five minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the vanilla, almond, then the flour and salt all at once. Beat just until incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shake lightly to even out the top. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 1 1/4 hours.
Place the pan on a cake rack and cool for 20 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

..this recipe is a keeper!..enjoy.

...want more delicious-ness ? Drop by with your cup of coffee or tea to visit the sweet as sugar cookies blog!

Hinamatsuri Omedetogazaimasu

2011-03-03T16:23:00.000-08:00

Do sign up for my First Anniversary Giveaway : click here !

HAPPY GIRLS' DAY

Hi All ~ Happy Girls' Day! This is my favorite favorite day! Oh it just happens to be my birthday too..oh yeah...birthday cake..ice cream..fried foods..but no gifts in sight. My stupid hubby can't take a hint when I told him, "I want a new bed frame for my birthday gift". Here I thought I was being 'practical' ... after all, I could have asked for a cricut (scrapbooking tool for about $300), a new sewing machine, or a serger. At this point I think he should get me ALLLLLLLL of the above. stupid man.

But don't listen to me whine...please please please..do have a GREAT girlie day....

Oh wait, don't close my blog window yet...I wanted to share my little crafty-do in the pic above. I hand sewed the little sakura flower with some pretty Japanese fabric. It's so delicate. Here's a close up.

...until next time...hugs

First Anniversary GIVEAWAY !

2011-02-27T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hello I am so very thrilled that I am still here...in the blog world that is. There were and still are inner struggles that I deal with; wanting to live life; to fulfill obligations; to strengthen connections between family and friends; to take care of my health/spirit/mind; all while pursuing my passion for crafting and sharing it with you on this little blog. All things take time and commitment though. I sometimes wish I could be one of "those" kinds of people who seem to do it all in perfect harmony. And do you know what happens when I let that kind of "I wish I could be like her" thinking seep into my brain cells? I end up lying on the sofa under a blanket watching one show after another. Oh yes, I check out ... big time.

....but today is today...and I AM STILL HERE...limping along but none the less...I am here. And you are here with me.... thank you for I am touched.

And now to celebrate, you and me together. I want to share a few of my favorite kawaii fabric pieces with you in a giveaway!

You don't have to jump through hoops to enter; simply leave a comment; just be sure I have a way to contact you. The giveaway will close at the end of day next Monday, March 7th (Hawaii time). There are two sets of fabrics for the giveaway. I'll announced the two winners by the end of that week. Good luck~

Each set contains 3 fabulous kawaii COSMO fabrics from Japan. Approximately 1/2 yard of each fabric.

First Set

The Second Set

Close Up Photos of Each Fabric


Oh yes, this fabric is kawaii at it's perfection and is in BOTH sets

hel-looo, this fabric is so damn cute..yum! and is in BOTH sets

if you know me..I love deers!...in set one only


Little Red Riding Hood ... oh what a lovely bag it will make. In set two only.

Okay peoples ~ on your mark, get set, ready, go!