Wee Wonderfuls

ok then

Thanks for all the great sewing machine advice. I think my timing is off. I'm going to take her in for tune up. The entire family needs a tune up. We've been struck down with a nasty stomach flu. Oscar managed to find some super germ while out on his adventures and brought it home to kill his parents. He had it briefly Monday and has been more or less (I'll spare you the details) fine since. Yesterday I woke up at 4am with it and then Tim got it yesterday afternoon. Today we're better, no more barf-tacular, just laying around like the dead. To distract Oscar from the fact that we're about to pass out we went down to the basement and brought up a toy we were saving for Christmas. Hopefully this will keep him entertained until family nap time.

So I guess the blog birthday project will have to wait til next week. I don't know when I'm going to feel well enough to drive it all the way across Chicagoland to the Bernina place I found. Oh well, I'm going to go have another popsicle and not sweat it. Have a great holiday weekend!

causing confusion and delay

ok I'm stumped. I've been searching all over the internet for answers and am coming up empty handed. Maybe someone can help me? I have an old Bernina (801) and it was working ok until last night when the thread started breaking all over, shredding actually. So I found the manual, took the machine apart to oil it.

Yeah, I didn't even realize the top came off! So this is the first time it's been properly cleaned since I've had it... about 3 years. So I put in a new needle, brushed it all out, oiled it up and now it just isn't working. It's not making stitches. It's running, the bobbin thread is up the needle is threaded properly but it's just poking holes in the fabric - no stitches. I'm going crazy! If anyone had any ideas or could point me to somewhere online that'd be so great. thanks!

update: ok, it won't catch the bobbin thread at all now. everything looks fine, I checked the manual and it's threaded right, nothing is clanking against each other...

Country of Origin: JP

I've received some of the most exciting mail lately - mail from Japan!! First I got a package of fabric that Jen in Tokyo helped me order. I chose the small cuts (30x54 cm) so I could get more patterns. Each piece should be enough for a doll dress or softies or a carrysmall. Thanks so much Jen for helping me feed my fabric addiction! xx

The mail also brought me a package of Japanese goodies from a swap with Molly. Candy, stationary, a zakka book, Decole goodies (!!) and some beautiful fabric. Thank you so much for the swap Molly!

Thanks for the tip Kim!! Some of this fabric is for sale in the US.. here

I'm dying to start using up some of these amazing fabrics but as of last night my sewing machine might be dead. I still need to investigate further. Last night after many small disasters I threw my hands up and went to bed. Maybe there is still something I can do to fix it on my own. My fingers are crossed.

point

What's the only way to make a hot sticky Chicago summer weekend bearable? A trip to Mitsuwa for some Japanese goodness. I found this very cool book on embroidery.. Point (ISBN4277311482)

(photos link to bigger versions over on flickr)

I'm always in a mad rush at Mitsuwa to look through things because Oscar is running around violently deshelving every book he can get his hands on. So although I LOVE this book I think it was a bit of a impulse buy. I'm not really any good at embroidery. I'm thinking I should pass this book on to someone who could really use it. So if anyone is interested and wants to paypal me the $15 plus shipping to them let me know.

These goodies from the dollar store I'm keeping and are more in my budget - 3 new crochet hooks and a tiny little basket bag (!) that I can send out with swap treats in it.

freakishly long leaf

I'm in the middle of working on a very large overambitious project for my blog birthday next week. So what do I do instead of work on it? Decide it's time to seriously practice my crocheting of course. I had my friend Teresa come over yesterday and give me some pointers. I was hoping she could tell me why everything I try to crochet goes so astray. I figured a few things out but I'm still so sucky at it. I tried to make this apple potholder from this vintage pattern I found. And, well, you can see how it turned out. Guess I need to buy the correct gauge yarn if I don't want huge scary leaves. And my core is waaay off. But it is recognizable as an apple right? That's something!

UPDATE: actually now that I'm looking at it here online, the pattern and the potholder side by side, the leaf is about right. go figure.

I was inpsired to try crochet again after getting this super cutie crocheted dollop of cream that I ordered from Cheryl in the mail last week. Thanks Cheryl for making such cute things! I love him so much. Oscar's a big fan too. We actually took him to the park the other day. She also sent this very cute magnet which has cheered my fridge right up.

Hon no Hon

I just got a belated Mother's Day present last week from my Mom.  Hon no Hon or Book of Imaginary Books by Junzo Terada. I've been wanting it since I spotted it on Last Gasp so my Mom ordered it for me and it was backordered and just came in. So worth the wait, it is the most beautiful book. I look through it everyday. The colors are addictive.

Jennifer in Japan clarifed that it is actually a book of book covers for imaginary books. So I guess there really is no The Octopus and the Drum. too bad!

Now I need just about every single thing at the Comes Mart (link via my little mochi) especially the polar bear & panda fabric!

Pictures in Patchwork

I picked up this cool ass book at the sales this past week. It is by Marie-Janine Solvit and was originally published in France in 1976. I know, I know, another 70s craft book. But again, I can't help myself. I'm really feeling this whole pictorial quilt thing lately. This book was such a serendipitous find.

"an aerial view of a house surrounded by the trees of its garden" I've always wanted to do a quilt of a garden plan, but it's always seemed too daunting of a project.

I really love this around the border thing. And the houses. I always love houses in quilts. This reminds me a bit of this house quilt that I love.

And more houses.. a house tree

A house block

A farm landscape

And these two are knit! How is that even possible!!

.................
and man do I want to win the fabric lottery too!!

Happy Father's Day

To the best dad-dad ever!

Here's the book Oscar got daddy for father's day.. I Love My Daddy by Sebastien Braun. It is the most beautiful book. Makes you a little teary. There's a I Love My Mommy too.

pretty aprons

Jen sent me the link to these beautiful aprons at anthropologie. So girly and pretty. Next time I'm going to try my hand at frilly.

some new-to-me kids books

I'm feeling all deja vu'y and nostalgic these days. It was this same time last year that I got hooked on crafty weblogs and started back to sewing full throttle (my blog birthday is right around the corner!). The weather, the garage sales, all the crafty how-to books I've been getting lately - they're all reminding me of this time last year. Thinking about the early days made me realize how I haven't written about any of our children's book finds in ages. Oscar and I still hit the library 3 or 4 times a week and while the chances of me finding something fun and new are lessening, I still manage to bring home at least one great book a week. I'm debating whether or not to put a list of the books we're into on the sidebar. In the meanwhile here are some of our recent faves.

Oscar's new favorite book is slide, already by Kit Allen. I was so happy to find a new book by one of our favorite author/illustrators. Oscar gets so excited when we're reading this book - he kicks his feet and slaps the book and jumps out of my lap.

This book is by Taro Gomi who made the super cool coloring book Scribbles. It's called Bus Stops and on top of the beautiful Gomi illustrations it's a very fun "i spy" kinda thing - "can you find a bulldozer" Oscar's getting the hang of it and pointing before the question is asked.

No Roses for Harry! I'm a sucker for all the little vintage looking kids in their great hats.

The Story of Honk-Honk-Ashoo and the Swella Bow-Wow by Ralph Cosentino. His name, Honk-Honk-Ashoo, is the sound he makes when snoring. And he's a big pillow! Everything at Honk Honk's house is a little character - the slippers, the wagon, the smiling lamp, etc. So cute!

Dog Blue by Polly Dunbar is the cutest little boy and his dog story. Almost makes me want to take on a puppy. Almost. The School Library Journal review on Amazon says the pencil and watercolor drawings are too monochromatic and not eye-catching. But I love them. I'm a sucker for the monochromatic.