Happy Monday Project

Essential vs. Fragrance Oils

2010-02-11T22:24:00.000-08:00

I think the dilemma every conscious soaper faces at least once in his/her soap-making endeavors is whether or not to use a fragrance oil to scent the soaps. The obvious best choice for scenting the soap is through essential oils that are packed with the beneficial properties of a plant or a flower. They not only smell earthy and beautiful (my favorite is the warm scent of lavender … I can be around the scent forever!), they have so many other benefits only natural products can produce. Meanwhile, there are fragrance oils, which are, well, poor man’s essential oils, which don’t have the same benefits as their botanical cousins but can achieve the powerful and playful scents that drive all my senses crazy!

Until I make up my mind, I’ve decided to test out as many batches of both all-natural and almost-natural soaps and see how I feel about it at the end. I guess there’s no real harm in keep making both … afterall, it’s not like fragrance oils are the potion of death or anything! Soaps made in the kitchen still have so much more benefits for the body and the environment compared to other mass-produced counterfeits, and the usage of fragrance oils won’t compromise the quality and integrity of handmade soaps!

So, here are the two batches of soap I made the other day. The first one is Baby Grand from the book, “The Soapmaker’s Companion,” with avocado, sweet almond, jojoba, coconut, and palm oil, and a little bit of shea butter. This is the first soap I’ve made without olive oil and I’m feeling a little weary about the end result. I used multiple tablespoons of Sugar Plum fragrance oil and my entire apartment is smelling lovely now!

Here is the all-natural soap I made – another gentle soap with olive, sweet almond, avocado, palm, and coconut oils. I used great quality lavender and bergamot essential oils. I used the wooden box as a mold, and used the cookie cutter for these heart-shaped soaps.

I took the leftover soaps and made small balls, which I’ll later wrap like candies!

New Soap Batches in the Pipeline

2010-01-06T23:36:00.000-08:00

I made a couple batches of soap during the holiday break. I gave a new recipe from my favorite soap book a try to see if it can rival the foamy and heavenly luscious lather of the Marseilles Soap that I’ve gotten to love so much after making and using several batches.

The new recipe is for a soap that’s gentle enough for babies (called “Hanna’s Birthday Soap” in the book), with generous amount of sweet almond and avocado oils for moisture. I was feeling a bit adventurous and decided to make a dark, rich green marble design using green tea powder, but I guess I didn’t mix well enough because the swirl didn’t even come out on the soap (it only shows on the top)! I was so bummed when I cut the soap and didn’t see a trace of the beautiful intertwine of rich green and pearly white-colored soap I was so hoping for. Bummer!

I also made a shampoo bar using rosemary water and honey to provide protection and shine for the hair. My favorite shampoo ever is one of those little bars from a store called Basin (very similar to a very popular Lush) and my hope here is to replicate its wonderful Egg Noggin’ shampoo bar. Because of rosemary, the soap came out very rich in color and slightly softer in texture. I am not sure why but the soap didn’t dry quickly enough (even though I left it out for two days before slicing) and made it pretty difficult for me to cut clean slices!

The third batch is Zesty Lemon Soap with olive, avocado, jojoba, palm, coconut, and olive oils, with a touch of shea butter, and a generous amount of lovely Lemon Verbena and Lemon essential and fragrance oils. I am really excited to use this one because it smells incredible!

Last but not least, I made my favorite, Signature Marseilles Soap with White Tea and Ginger fragrance oil. All the soaps are drying on the shoe rack in my bedroom (courtesy of mom — thanks, mom for the great idea!) until they’re ready for use in about four weeks. I cannot wait to test them out to see how I like them!

My goal is to open my own Esty shop selling these handmade soaps sometime this year so I’m utilizing every opportunity I have to practice, to create the best possible soaps in the marketplace! Stay tuned! I will be giving away free soaps in the near future!

How to Make Handmade Soaps (CP): Tutorial

2009-11-27T23:10:00.000-08:00

I’ve wanted to make handmade soaps for many months before I actually attempted my first batch. The problem wasn’t that I was too lazy to start, but rather, because the process seemed so complicated and tiring. I just wished someone had told me how simple the process is before I procrastinated for so long!

I truly think that soap making is simple. Not easy, but simple. It can be potentially dangerous, yes, because you use a chemical called Sodium Hydroxide, also known as “lye,” which can get extremely hot and can burn your skin when mishandled, but if you pay careful attention just as you would when deep frying food, the entire process can be very safe and hassle free.

Inspirations:

There are lots of wonderful tutorials on the Web, as well as videos on Youtube if you search, “soap making,” to show how enjoyable the entire soap making process can be! The catalysts for my soap-making adventure were this Japanese blog by Ayumi (who is also the creator of one of my favorite craft blogs, Pink Penguin) and a Pasadena-based soap shop, Soap Kitchen. I got inspires by so many of their adorable creations and thought I HAD to do this! I also fell in love with Basin's shampoo bars but they are super expensive (about $8 a pop) that I needed to find out a way to make them on my own. I guess necessity is the mother of invention (or creation, in my case)!

I hope this tutorial will help inspire you to become a soaper too someday … or at least get you to start thinking about it … (or just start buying the soaps I make if I ever open my own shop).

Soap Making Basics:

Basic ingredients of soap are fat (oil), lye,and water, and you can decide on what kind of fats you need to use and how much, depending on what kind of soap you’re trying to make. For example, for a soap that’s gentle and truly wonderful for you skin, you can use olive oil. If you want a soap that lathers well, coconut oil will do the job. If you like a soap that can hold its shape well, palm oil is your answer. Just like cooking, you can be as creative as you wish when deciding your special “recipe.” I am still learning how to make my own personalized formula (it takes a little planning and a dash of mathematical calculations) so for now, I simply follow several recipes that I find in my favorite soapmaking books.

Where to Buy:

You can purchase most of soap-related (fats and oils, essential and fragrance oils, molds, lye, etc) at Bramble Berry. Basic tools you need to get started are: fats/oils of your choice (based on your recipe), lye, two glass bowls, two candy thermometers, spoon for mixing, electric scale, pot for double boiling, mold, parchment paper for mold lining, knife to slice the soap, and a whisk (I hope I didn’t miss anything!). By the way, the process shown here is called, “Cold Process.”

Instruction:

So, let’s get started!

① First, measure the oil(s) based on your recipe. This particular soap I made called for olive, palm, and coconut oils, so I weighed them separately.

② Melt the oils together in a double boiler. As you can see, some oils are liquid (olive oil) and some are solid (coconut oil). Once the oils melt, bring the temperature down, per your instruction.

③ While the oil mixture is adjusting its temperature, measure the lye according to your instruction. Make sure to wear a pair of gloves when handling these little flakes, as it can irritate, at best, and burn, at worst, your skin upon contact. Make sure to keep anything that contains lye out of reach of children and/or pets!

④ Add distilled water to the measured lye. A strange-smelling gas will fume the second you add the water. Make sure that nearby windows are open for proper ventilation (I do the mixing outside). Stir until all the flakes dissolve, and bring the temperature down to the recipe’s instruction. Drizzle the lye mixture into the oil mixture slowly, and mix with a whisk. The idea here is to combine the oil and lye mixtures when they are at the same temperature. Mix for 30 minutes, or per your instruction.

⑤ After mixing for about 30 minutes, let the mixture rest for 12-24 hours, depending on your instruction. The mixture is pretty runny at this point but it will become creamy like custard with time as it starts to develop a “trace.”

⑥ When the mixture becomes firm enough that the whisk can “pick up” the custard-like mixture, pour it into a parchment paper-lined mold. Mix essential oils and other additives well, if any, right before pouring. I use wooden molds but you can use anything (some people put two milk cartons together to make a mold and others use Pringle’s tubes). Put the mold in a warm place, like in a box, and put a blanket over it. Keep it stored in the box for about 1-2 days, or per your instruction. After 1-2 days, remove the block from the mold (the block is still relatively soft). Make sure to wear a pair of gloves when handing the soap block, as it can still irritate your skin on contact. Let the block rest for about a day in a dry place, until it’s ready to cut.

⑦ When ready, cut the block into smaller pieces and let them dry and cure for 4-6 weeks, depending on your recipe. I know it takes all the discipline not to use these cute little soaps but be patient. Until the lye completely cures, they can be very harmful. When the soaps completely cure, you’re ready to indulge in your handmade soap! Note that the longer you dry, the harder the soaps become (and they will last longer).

Here are the pictures of my latest two batches — Marseilles soaps with Sugar Plum fragrance oil (left), and with Yuzu fragrance oil (right) for the holidays!

Resources:

Here are some online resources with lots of great information and inspiration

These are the soap shops that I adore!

Great Japanese sites:

Ayumi’s Soap (the reason why I’m making handmade soaps today!)
Kyoko Maeda (everything I know so far about soap making came from her books)

Happy soaping!

Perfect Imperfection: Rosemary-Lavender and Zesty Lemon Soaps

2009-10-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

When I first started making soaps, I strove for perfection. I wanted soap blocks to be in a perfect rectangle shape, and sliced with perfectly angled corners and edges. I wanted the color to be consistent, with no weird discoloration whatsoever. Anything less than that went down as a big fat failure in my little obsessive mind.

After making several disappointing batches, however, I realized that it was virtually impossible to achieve the kind of results I was looking for (especially since I’m still very new at this). And my attitude was taking away the fun and the true reward of making anything handmade. I learned that it is those little imperfections that add lovely character and charm to those soaps that are irresistible to make and use.

Two batches of soap I made a few months ago finally cured and I started using them recently. Instead of slicing them right away, I kept them uncut in a log so it took a little longer for the inside to dry. When I touch the middle, it still feels a bit soft and bouncy, but I used them both in the shower the other day and they lathered just fine!

The soaps you see on left are Lavender and Rosemary Shampoo Soaps from the Japanese book, Soaps for the Four Seasons, by Kyoko Maeda. (I use them to wash my hair and body.) I boiled several twigs of rosemary that I picked from my herbal garden and used that in place of water. I added several drops of lavender essential oils to give it a calming feel. I used the same recipe as the Signature Marseilles Soap I made the other day (my absolute favorite recipe using olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil), with extra rosemary essence.

The soaps on the right are called Zesty Lemon Soaps (also from the book), using olive oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, palm oil, coconut oil, and lemon, bergamot and other citrus essential oils. Talk about making your shower smell heavenly!

I think I’m going to be spending a couple of hours this weekend to prepare some holiday soaps for friends and family. I can’t wait!

Making Homemade Soap in the Kitchen

2009-08-09T22:52:00.000-07:00

I’ve been in love with bar soap ever since I purchased my first Clinique facial cleanser as a teenager. Nothing made me happier than lathering up the yellow bar in a pretty green container and washing my face with it. It was heavenly. I think that was also the beginning of my fascination (and borderline crazy obsession) with cosmetics and skincare products.

But after years of wasting money on mass produced skincare products, I got interested in making my own. I really liked the idea of having control over what ingredients go into it, and I loved that I get to do it all in my own kitchen. I’ve been making my own lip balms, body scrubs and facial toners for many months now and I thought now is the perfect time for me to venture into soap making, thanks to the inspiration by books by Kyoko Maeda, who is synonymous with cold process soap making in Japan. My goal is to master, or at least be decent at this, in time for the holidays.

Making soap is very much like baking. You pick your ingredients (oils), mix them up, add extracts and other flavoring agents (essential oils), pour the mixture into a mold, bake (in this case, letting lye and oils get chummy in a bowl), let it rest, slice, and enjoy! Both require that you have the precise measurements, which can be tricky at times, but as long as you pay extra attention to that as well as when handling lye that can get as hot as a piping oven, the process can be pretty easy and enormously enjoyable! Even the oils-lye mixture looks like a luscious and decadent cake batter (but don’t let the pretty exterior deceive you — these mixtures are still very dangerous to handle and it is certainly not for consumption)!

I’ve seen many ways home chemists make soap, such as cooking the soap batch in a crock pot (this is called hot process), but mine is the traditional cold process method, just like what you see here (Countryrose Soap Company) and here (Birch Bark Handmade Soap tutorial). Soaps made this way take a little longer to cure but they retain more of the lovely glycerin that is wonderful for skin.

What you see here (above and right) is a batch of Premium Bar I made over the weekend using olive, sweet almond, jojoba, palm, and coconut oils. I used cinnamon to make the delicious swirl and the room is now filled with the wonderfully warm aroma, reminding me that autumn is just around the corner. I took the block out of the mold and sliced it today.

In addition, I’ve made a batch of Olive Oil Soap and Signature Marseilles Soap that are almost ready to use.

Olive Oil Soap
Ingredients: Pure olive oil, lye, distilled water, essential oils

Signature Marseilles Soap
Ingredients: Pure olive oil (not extra virgin), palm oil, coconut oil, lye, distilled water, essential oils

The only downside to making handmade soap is that you have to let them sit for four to six weeks, which will certainly test your patience. I have one more week for the Marseilles Soap and two more for Olive Oil Soap until these two batches of soaps become ready to use and I can’t wait.

Reversible Grocery Bag

2009-05-31T22:44:00.000-07:00

I have been really busy with my new job and haven’t really had the chance to get myself into the creative mode … so it was nice to get back in the saddle, so to speak, and make a handmade birthday gift for my friend C, just in time for her birthday BBQ party.

To suite her busy lifestyle – of being a fabulous mother and a kick butt professional woman – I made a reversible, multi-purpose tote bag that she can throw anything in. She can take it to a grocery store, or take it to the beach. Beause it’s made out of 100% cotton home décor fabric (as opposed to those fine quilting fabric), she can step on it, feed it to the dog, or toss it in the washer and dryer and it would still hold its shape.

I used Traditions Kelso Brown / Maggie Pink on one side and used Oxygen Dots Kelso Brown / Maggie Pink on the reverse side. When I first got these fabrics, I wasn’t sure what to do with them, but I can’t be happier with the way this tote bag came out. I have the same two fabrics in brown and French blue combo so I think I’m going to make the matching bag … maybe for myself this time. I can’t wait to walk into Trader Joe’s with this fabulous grocery bag!

Fabrics used: Traditions Kelso Brown / Maggie Pink and Oxygen Dots Kelso Brown / Maggie Pink
Pattern: My Own
Recipient: Lovely friend C for her birthday

Kid's Raglan Sweater

2009-04-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

I have so many unfinished, armless sweaters tucked away in the corner of my room. What typically happens is by the time I complete the front and the back, I lose interest in the project and move on to a new one. And the cycle starts all over again … and again .. .and again (talk about craft ADD). The irony of it all is that my latest deserted project is a raglan – a sleeve pattern first designed to fit the armless.

I started this kid’s stripe raglan pullover sweater when my friend K’s baby bun was still in her oven. It’s been several weeks since the bundle of joy became the member of this world. I’m happy that I started knitting a sweater for a boy instead of an infant because by the time I finish it, he will already be walking, talking, or going off to college!

The pattern is very easy to follow and I like the playfulness of the color and design. My biggest nightmare, however, is all the weaving I have to do at the end. I love the stripe pattern but my goodness, weaving in all these yarns is going to be a pain!

Well, my friend K, your baby sweater will be coming to you shortly.

Knitted Baby Blanket

2009-04-11T22:35:00.000-07:00

Babies are everywhere now. I know of at least five friends that recently welcomed the bundle of joy to the world, and there are at least a few more on the way. I wonder if there were no good movies showing nine months ago that couples were forced to stay home … or maybe it’s just that I’m reaching that certain age were it is natural for couples to start a family. Nonetheless, it’s a real blissful time! Now, if I can get caught up on all the baby gifts …

At least I got one out of the way for the baby shower next Sunday – a real simple, off white baby blanket. I don’t even know the name of the stitch I used but it’s the one where you *K1, P1, repeat from * to end on the first row, K all the way across the second row, and repeat these two rows until the blanket is big enough (I told you I don’t like patterns). I can’t wait to meet the baby, and I hope she will like the gift.

In Search of Perfect Potholder

2009-04-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

My craft obsession invaded the kitchen today with handmade potholders. They are still a work in progress, as I’m making few different styles and shapes to see what works best. Here are the photos of one of the several potholders I made this afternoon.

Since they are intended to be a functional potholder, I wanted to make sure that they actually stood up to the heat of a piping casserole coming out of the oven or rotating the baking sheet in a 375 degree oven. I sandwiched the cotton fabrics between the cotton batting and Insul-Bright to make them truly heat safe, and machine quilted to make it easier for gripping. I think having the batting and the insulated material was sufficient, as I was able to hold on to the hot iron without the heat penetrating the potholder.

I want to come up with the perfect pattern since I think these potholders make wonderful housewarming and birthday gifts for cooks! I’ll keep you posted!

Pin Cushion

2009-04-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

I’ve had many random hobbies – candle making, jewelry making, and even dabbling into handmade skincare (making facial toners, lip balms, body scrubs, etc.) – but the ones that stuck with me are knitting and sewing. I think my first and real love is still knitting. There’s really nothing more relaxing than submerging in a mindless, repetitive act like knitting, although that can quickly change into a nightmare when you have a complicated pattern or if you drop a stitch. Compared to knitting, however, sewing is fast and I think that’s what attracts me to the craft. It takes days and even weeks to knit a tote bag but it takes a mere few hours to sew one up!

I’ve been doing a lot of sewing lately but it was only recently that I realized I don’t own a pin cushion! I know I can go to a craft store and pick up one of those tomato-shaped ones but decided to make one instead. My philosophy is always, why spend money on something that I can make at home? I got the inspiration from Paper, String, Cloth blog, and as for the button in the center, I’ll put it on as soon as I find one.

Pincushions are a great way to use us leftover fabrics!

Fabric: Amy Butler Belle Coriander Pine and Seagreen, and Fresh Aire Sprigs Green by B.J. Lantz
Recipient: Me

Journal Cover

2009-04-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

I was looking through my old photo albums the other day and realized that it was four yeas ago next month that I traveled to Europe! I had decided to go on the trip solo because I really needed to do some soul searching at that time in my life, and felt that the only way I could do that was to face fear, uncertainty, joy and all the world’s unknowns on my own. The trip was truly one of the most exciting and valuable journeys of my life.

Aside from stuffing my face with some of the best-tasting feasts in the world, I found joy in discovering cute little cafés in every city to relax and write for hours. Instead of hauling my PC everywhere, I wrote the old-fashioned way – with a journal and a pen. I carried the journal my friend gave me as a bon voyage gift and documented every taste, smell and sound that rushed into my soul.

It was then that I discovered Kraft refill journals from Barnes and Noble and their true awesomeness (my favorite is size 3, which is 5″ x 7″)! Their sturdy cardboard front and back covers keep the shape well and the smooth paper surface allows the pen to glide effortlessly. They are so amazing I haven’t used any other journals since. (Note: And the journal goes very well with pens from Muji, hands down the best writing utinsils in the world.)

The journal design is, however, pretty bare, without those fancy leather journal covers (they are, afterall, a refill). Since I’m not that big of a leather person, I decided to make one myself with a lovely fabric to jazz it up a bit!

The fabric I had ordered from Purl Soho arrived this week and decided to turn this lovely pink-and-blue animal print fabric into the cover. I’m so in love with this design that I was eager to turn it into something … anything!

This is relatively a quick and easy project but the challenge was, for me, to ensure that the cover fit the book perfectly. I have a tendency to want to make things slightly larger to give a little wiggle room but I resisted the urge this time and cut the fabric exactly to the dimensions that I had measured before starting the project. The effort paid off and the cover fit like a glove!

Fabric: Etsuko Furuya’s Eshino collections
Pattern: My own
Recipient: Secret

Pink Clutch Bag for Noelle’s Birthday

2009-04-07T22:14:00.000-07:00

After I “stole” the bag that was intended for my friend, Noelle, for her birthday the other day, I went back to the drawing board to design the perfect bag for her, and this time, I promised myself that I will not keep it, no matter how much I end up loving it.

I knew her favorite color was purple, but something told me that I should go slightly more subtle, so I turned to Joel Dewberry’s Manzanita Damask in Salmon to do the magic. The salmon pink was so perfect because it gave a classy feel without being overly girlie. I came up with the idea to make the purse into a clutch bag because I wanted this bag to be something different and totally out of her handbag comfort zone! In addition to the one inside the bag, I put two extra pockets on the back to avoid keys, cell phones and other little things disappearing in the bag black hole.

The fabric I used for the lining is Aviary Rose Green, also by Joel Dewberry (I absolutely LOVE this fabric!).

Fabric: Manzanita Damask Salmon by Joel Dewberry
Lining: Aviary Rose Green by Joel Dewberry
Recipient: Noelle

Memo Pad Cover

2009-04-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

The shoulder bag I made the other day was feeling a bit lonely so I made this notepad cover with the same fabric to keep it company. This was inspired by one of my favorite Etsy sellers, Watermelon Wishes, who sells wonderfully practical items like tote bags and fabric organizers, and gives me so many great ideas for future projects!

These memo pads remind me of my days as a journalism student, when I went through so many of these spiral memo pads taking notes and jotting down ideas for articles. Although I retired my reporter hat many years ago and the information I write down on them has changed from important quotes to grocery lists, I’m still a big fan of these little practical mini notebooks. Now I can carry them around with a cute little cover!

Fabric used: Amy Butler Daily Chain Demo Rosey Navy
Pattern: My own but idea inspired by Watermelon Wishes
Recipient: Me

The “Almost” Birthday Gift

2009-03-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

I used to have trouble picking out gifts for friends and family. I never knew what to get them and ended up getting something totally safe, like a book or a journal. Although they are nice and practical, they were often impersonal and very generic.

My mother, always the wise one, suggested a gift for others should always be something that I actually would like and use myself. The chances are, she said, if I like it, my friends will enjoy it too. Since then, I’ve been pretty much right on target when it comes to gifts, and my friends and family seem to enjoy what they get on their special days — or at least they’re pretending it well!

(On the side note, my mother, despite her own advice, gives us the most random gifts, ever. Two Christmases ago, I received a nose-hair clipper from her. Perhaps someone was in a need of a personal grooming set …?)

My friend’s birthday is coming up next week and I decided to make her a shoulder bag that she can use for work and play. Using my mother’s advice, I selected the fabric, shape and size that I too would love and tackled the project as if I were making a bag for myself. But THAT was the problem because after I finished it, I fell so madly in love with the bag that I decided to keep for myself.(I promise, I’ll make my friend another one before next week!)

Should Bag

Fabric used: Amy Butler Daily Chain Demo Rosey Navy (Perhaps I should just change my blog title to, “Another project I made using Amy Butler’s fabric”!). For lining: Black and white floral fabric from JoAnn’s.
Pattern: My own
Recipient: Me. muhahaha

Mini Messenger Bag

2009-03-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

Here’s a little something that I’ve been working on for the last several days – a messenger bag using Amy Butler’s Nigella Twill Passion Vine Grey fabric that I purchased the other day. This is my own design and I didn’t use any pattern, but the inspiration came from the Kate Spade messenger bag that I’ve been using for many, many years (I must have purchased the bag circa 2002 and it’s still in good shape) and the tote bag, also by Kate Spade (purchased circa 2004). I love the sturdiness of these bags and I tried to replicate it here using the Peltex fusible stabilizer for its shape.

I still have to work on a few things, like attaching the shoulder straps and clean little things here and there, but I’m happy with how it turned out thus far. I used Joel Dewberry’s Ginseng Wildflower for the lining and I love it!

I must say that my boyfriend is the most patient and understanding person … like, ever. During the construction of the bag, my sewing machine acted up a bit. Frustrated, I got really moody and snappy, but he just allowed me to deal with the frustration the only way I know how. I’m always really amazed at how well he’s able to handle my biotchiness! I love you, honey.

By the way, is it just me or is spring really in the air now? I usually don’t feel festive when spring rolls around (probably because I was never into pastel colors) but for some reason, I’m really excited to be working with vibrant, floral, spring-y fabrics this year!

Happy Etsy Purchase: Jenna Lou Designs

2009-03-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

I’ve never been so smitten by a fabric as much as I am with this adorable one by Estuko Furuya for Eshino collections. I love everything about the design, from the pink and blue colors to the cute little animals that live in this vibrant fabric world!

When I found this messenger bag made out of this fabric on Jenna Lou Design’s Esty shop, I had to have it, and have it immediately! I’m usually not the one to impulse shop but this was an exception. In the matter of seconds, the bag was in my shopping bag and the rest is … a blur. Oh, and I bought a wallet too. How can you buy a bag without a coordinating wallet, right?

Now that I have this lovely Mabel Messenger bag in my possession, I go everywhere with it. And I can’t rave enough on how functional, well designed and wonderfully constructed it is! I’m so happy with the purchase and I give two thumbs way up for Jenna Lou!

Two-Fold Wallet

2009-03-01T21:25:00.000-08:00

After several failed attempts and many yardage of wasted fabrics later, I was able to finally produce the handmade wallet that I’m happy with for my sister’s birthday present! And I finished it in a nick of time because the party is only 12 hours away! It’s already past 2:00 a.m. and I know I should be going to sleep, but Titanic is on television and I can’t turn it off, even though I own the movie and have watched it more times than I can remember. I know I’m going to regret this when I have to wake up in few hours to make gazillion cupcakes for the party but oh well, I simply can’t resist the ultimate chic flick!

The fabric that I ordered last week finally arrived this afternoon and inside the box was a yard of Peltex II Two Sided Fusible Ultra Firm Stabilizer, which, hands down, is my greatest craft discovery thus far. I was first introduced to this product while reading Amy Butler’s In Stitches, where most of her patterns called for a material called, “timtex.” After some research, it turned out that Timex has been discontinued but has been replaced by a similar product called Peltex. Since I’ve never used Timtex before, I can’t really compare the two but I can say that I’m happy with Peltex and how this material single-handedly gives the finished product a very polished look.

For the wallet, I used the Fresh Aire Sprigs Green fabric by B.J. Lantz, which I absolutely, absolutely adore! It’s so appropriate for spring and although my sister has a more eclectic taste, I think she’ll really like this subtle, mature design. For this one, I decided to make it two-fold, instead of three like the one I made before. I was initially going to make it three-fold, but I changed my mind after realizing that having the extra side might make the wallet too bulky (especially with the firm stabilizer). I really loved the flap for the magnetic snaps because this allows the wallet to be filled up with credit cards (six total slots), cash, checkbook and a pen without worrying about everything flying out!

I can’t wait to give it to my sister and see what she says! I hope she likes it! Oh, and inside will be a gift certificate to Trader Joe’s (our yearly ritual — yeps, we’re practical people), which I knoooow she’ll like!

Handmade Wallet

2009-02-23T21:22:00.000-08:00

The Academy Awards is for women what Super Bowl is for men, and I am unapologetically addicted to it, from the red carpet to the post-show interviews. I was pleasantly surprised to find this year’s show extremely entertaining, thanks to Hugh Jackman’s flawless and charming performance! I truly enjoyed the part where past winners came out to salute the current nominees for Best Actor and Actress awards. And I want to give bravos to two Japanese winners for Best Animation Short (domo arigato, Mr. Robotto) and Best Foreign Film for representing Japan’s talents!

While I enjoyed the show, I kept my hands busy to continue my dry run for my sister’s birthday gift. The idea #2 was a handmade wallet. It would not be an overstatement when I say that I started sewing because I wanted to make a wallet, so I was really excited to finally dive into this. I got the inspiration from The*Darn*Kat when I found this Quilted Wallet Tutorial. I didn’t follow the tutorial entirely because I wanted to keep the design really simple and not use the patchwork, but this tutorial definitely gave me great pointers on how to make the credit card slots. I used the wallet I have as a guideline for the positioning of all pockets and the placement of the magnetic snaps.

I’m really happy with the way it came out and I think this is the winner. I’m hoping that the new fabrics I ordered last week will arrive soon so I can make the wallet using one of Amy Butler or Joel Dewberry’s designs for my sister’s gift. I wish I still had some Belle fabrics left because they are so beautiful but I’m afraid I don’t have enough to make another wallet (shucks). I still have a long way to perfect it though — urgh!

Oven Mit

2009-02-22T21:19:00.000-08:00

My sister’s birthday is coming up and I really want to make something handmade for her this year but don’t know exactly what to make. She and I are both very practical people and we only surround ourselves with things with a real purpose so as beautiful as handmade quilts may sound, that’s definitely out as an option. After thinking about it for a while, I narrowed it down to several choices – either some kind of kitchen accessories or organizational gadget.

I decided to take my ideas on a test run this weekend, sewing them up to see how useful they would really be. The first project I tackled was an oven mitt – something I’ve wanted to make for some time now. I own a book called Pretty Little Potholders, which has lots of cute ideas for oven mitts, but I decided to take the idea from Skip to my Lou’s Oven Mitt Pattern for this one because I loved her easy-to-follow instructions. Cindy from the site gave a great advice that I should sandwich the outer fabric, insulating lining and the inner lining together and machine-quilt them before cutting out the pattern. This simple but important advice made the entire process so much more pleasant.

Unfortunately, I did not have Insul-Bright insulated lining on hand so I used a fleece batting instead, which, will not be what I will be using if I were to make this for my sister. Fleece batting is too thin, and while it may be suitable for little things like removing cookies from the baking pan and transferring them to a cooling rack, it’s definitely not appropriate for removing a piping hot casserole from an oven!

I drew the pattern by tracing the outline of the oven mitt I have in the kitchen and I liked how it came out. I may, however, make it a little wider and shorter next time. Oh, and I love Amy Butler’s Belle in Coriander Seagreen!

Shoulder Bag

2009-02-21T21:12:00.000-08:00

I couldn’t sleep until late last night (technically this morning). I stayed up later than usual to catch Conan O’Brien’s final show as the host of Late Night (I’m so excited that he’s coming to Burbank) and was unable to go to bed after that. It must have been the couple cups of hot green tea I had earlier that night. But I knew I had to force myself to sleep when informercials started showing on all channels!

My insomnia did, however, lead me to complete the Shoulder Bag from Tiny Happy’s tutorial that I had started earlier that night. I love any project that I can finish in one day and I especially loved this pattern because it didn’t require any intricate techniques or time-consuming steps (making cute things don’t need to be difficult!). It was pretty much cut the fabrics and sew them together! The instruction was very easy to follow and the pictures accompanying them really helped me understand the process.

I really liked how the bag turned out and I’m certain that I’m going to use it. I used Amy Butler’s August Fields Bright Buds Moss for the bag and a brown fabric with little tiny flowers that I bought from local Jo-Ann for the lining. I had purchased this green fabric by Amy a while back and although I loved it, I really didn’t know what to do with it until now. It slept in my stash for almost three months before turning into this lovely bag. I love it when a good fabric meets a wonderful pattern that gives the breath of life to it. Next time I make this (and I’m sure I’ll make more), I will probably use a different lining though. The brown color, I realized a little too late, didn’t go so well with Amy’s vibrant green and looked too dominant and overpowering. I used the batting fleece to hold the shape together.

Instead of sewing two straps together as the instruction stated, I decided to connect them using Velcro strips because I felt that this bag could give a different look with different lengths of the strap (it gives a feeling of a messenger bag when long, and a cute fashionable bag when short) and didn’t want to commit to one just yet. Having the Velcro will allow me to adjust it depending on my mood for that day. I was afraid that the shoulder part would come out too bulky with the Velcro but t didn’t. I would probably make the entire strap a little thinner next time (I made mine 4” wide thinking that wider straps would give more stability but it was just too wide. I should have struck with the 3.5” suggested on the pattern).

I can’t wait to take this around town this weekend!

Spring Fabric Shopping

2009-02-20T21:09:00.000-08:00

I picked up sewing by accident, really. I went into a neighborhood mega store a few months back to pick up a DVD and instead came out hauling a giant box of Singer sewing machine that was on sale for about 75 bucks. I don’t know what came over me since I didn’t even know how to sew, but I’m so glad I did because I can now attempt to create whatever clothes I want to wear or bags I want to carry, instead of some overpriced department stores dictating what I should. I would love to fill my closet with all handmade things someday — knitted sweaters, hand-sewn dresses and creative bags — but of course, I fear that my friends will think I’ve become a tree hugging, anti-establishment unibomber sidekick. They already think I live the life of a 60-year-old grandma with 15 cats.

I was attacked by an intense urge to replenish my fabric stash last night and ended up ordering these fabrics from Fabric.com. Spring must be in the air because I found myself ordering all floral designs with vibrant, spring-y colors by Joel Dewberry and Amy Butler, two of my favorite designers. I also noticed that many of the designs are somewhat similar, which I tend to do. I’m definitely one of those people who have her favorite shirt in different colors. I’m also not afraid to have duplicate garments even if it risks people thinking that I’m wearing the same shirt for two consecutive days. Maybe I’ll make something out of (gasp) a red fabric (I don’t like red on me) someday, but not now. Not just yet.

(Clockwise from top left: Joel Dewberry Ginseng Orchid Celery, Amy Butler Daisy Chain Deco Rose Navy, Amy Butler Lotus Tree Peony Ivory, Amy Butler Nigella Twill Passion Vine Grey, Amy Butler Nigella Twill Grandiflora Maroon, Amy Butler Daisy Chain Water Garden Forest)

Fabric Basket

2009-02-17T21:06:00.000-08:00

With plethora of free knitting and sewing patterns available online, there’s really no good reason to purchase books anymore. All the information you’ve ever wanted are just a mouse click away. With that said, I am still a recovering book junkie who cannot live without her glossy, shiny, beautiful books (whether they be knitting, sewing, baking, or cooking), but I am beginning to appreciate and try to take advantage of those lovely online tutorials fellow crafters have so generously prepared for us.

Some of my favorite sewing tutorials can be found on a blog called, “Pink Penguin,” a blogosphere candy store where you are guaranteed to walk away with a bag full of delicious ideas and inspiration. I’ve made several things from here and so far, this fabric basket is my favorite. Ayumi’s instruction is really easy to follow and her blog is too cute for words.

You can find the tutorial for the fabric basket here.

Emoticons

2009-02-12T21:03:00.000-08:00

I heart Yahoo! emoticons … they make me happy.

Tote Bag

2009-02-11T20:59:00.000-08:00

I’ve been a fan of tote bags as long as I can remember. There is something very comforting about carrying a big, durable tote bag on my shoulder, like having a fluffy Akita beside me, instead of a little Chihuahua. Hervé Chapelier makes wonderful tote bags and I brought many of them home from Paris when I was there a few years ago on a holiday. The airport custom thought I was a reseller because I had so many of them stuffed in my tiny suitcase!

I also like those eco-friendly grocery bags. They are so cute and practical, and I would love to carry them everywhere but I’m a bit hesitant to haul around a bag with the giant Trader Joe’s logo on it. So I decided to make my own, taking the durability of the grocery bag and combining it with the bright color inspired by Chapelier.

I used Joel Dewberry’s Ginseng Wildflower Rust fabric for this project. I fell in love with this beautiful, orange and turquoise, nature-inspired design the moment I saw it here, and knew immediately that I wanted to make a tote bag out of it.

I used my own pattern for this bag, partially because I did not find the pattern I loved and partially because I’m still terrible at following instructions. I knew that this would be a big risk (since I picked up a sewing machine only a few weeks prior) but I was willing to go for it.

I’m really happy with the way it turned out and I carry this bag everywhere I go. I put a pocket inside for keys and other little items that often get lost in the black-hole of tote bags. I was pleasantly surprised how durable it is and how much stuff it can hold.

I’m thinking about writing up a tutorial for this bag in the near future so stay tuned!

Little Coin Purse

2009-02-10T20:49:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl, my father used to give me weekly allowances. They weren’t much — 50 cents here, a dollar there — and my mother gave me a little coin purse to keep all my changes in one place. It was the old-fashioned kind we Japanese call, “gamaguchi,” which loosely translates to “frog mouth,” because it opened up like a mouth of an amphibian. I loved carrying it around everywhere and although there was hardly anything in it (I was a big spender then), having it made me feel like a grown up!

I’ve always wanted to replicate the coin purse I once had as a child, but was never able to find the perfect purse frames (they were either not available or too pricey) until I visited Japan last November. Every craft and fabric stores there carried them in all sizes and colors, and I snatched up several medium-sized ones for my future sewing endeavors. I finally had the time to sit down to make the coin purse the other day, and here it is.

There is a pattern and a brief instruction in the package, but those of you who don’t read Japanese can find a wonderful tutorial posted on the Purl Bee blog. I ended up making my own pattern because the one included in the package seemed a little too small. I’m glad I enlarged it a little because I can now fit everything, including my cell phone, in my gamaguchi wallet. I also added a fleece batting to give it a little more durability.

I used Amy Butler’s Belle Coriander Pine fabric, with the blue-green geometric patterned one I purchased from a local fabric store. I love Amy Butler!

Akina from Rowan Bamboo Tape Collection

2009-02-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for finding my blog!

Although this is my first post here, I’m actually not new to the blogsphere. I’ve been blogging for the last year or so at a site called, “Time for Dinner,” where I ramble on about good eats in the Los Angeles suburb. I will continue to post there although probably not regularly, as my interest now lean toward more crafty, less caloric hobbies of knitting and sewing.

I fell in love with knitting about two years ago and recently discovered the fun of sewing. I’m still novice at both but try to devote as much time as I possibly can between my day job to hone my skills. I am embarrassed to admit that I only know how to knit, purl, and k2tg, so I only select patterns that use those three methods but my goal for 2009 is to venture out of my comfort zone and try something new!

The first completed project of 2009 is Akina from Rowan Bamboo Tape Collection. I used the Nashua Creative Focus Worsted in Copper instead of the bamboo tape because they were a little more cost effective and I wanted something really warm and cozy for the winter season. I was quite happy with the deep, rich, autumn color the yarn produced but wasn’t all that keen on the overall outcome.

I know it’s partially my fault because I inadvertently knit this couple sizes bigger than my frame but the shoulder part came out way too bulky, making me look very top heavy. I think it looks beautiful on a form but not really on me and I’m not too sure if I would wear it (maybe at home). But I really enjoyed knitting this cardigan and I look forward to knitting other cute garments from the book soon.