Happy Friday + Randomness

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Happy Friday! I’ve been a busy bee. Once I declare something publicly, due to my powerfully guilty conscience I have a hard time not following through. This means I’ve been steadily working on my tolerations. Eliminating them, that is. I started out with 108 items (!) after going through each room in the house and other miscellaneous fodder. Currently, I’m down to 93, and rather than doing a blow-by-blow review of everything I accomplished which would surely send you and me both running for the hills, I thought it might be best to round up the ones that I found most satisfying at the end of each month. Accountability and all that. I confess that I couldn’t stomach the idea of including gross “before” photos here where I try to keep things pretty to the best of my abilities, so I resorted to sketches…

So here’s what I tackled in the month of January, and these had the highest yield of satisfaction:

1. The little kitchen trash can that couldn’t. For five years, we’ve had this dinky four-gallon trash can that would fit exactly two un-recyclable Trader Joe’s packages. It was a pain to constantly have to empty it, and the hinge on the lid was also a little loose, making it lopsided. A perfectly serviceable trash can that probably belonged in the bathroom, but out of laziness, I never changed it. Finally, I used a gift certificate M got me for my birthday last year, and got this uber cool, multi-functioning dustpan trash can two weeks ago. I love it. It’s utilitarian yet stylish and fits just the right amount of detritus. And you know it’s got street cred when Remodelista features it. The swinging portion of the lid is ingeniously a dustpan and the brush has magnets on the handle to attach to the powder-coated steel surface. I got the smaller size and it was on sale for far less than the posted price on the website.

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2. Busted toilet tank lid. M managed to crack our toilet tank lid (it’s complicated and better not to explain), and I kept avoiding ordering a replacement. I have no excuse other than assuming that it would take a long time to research, purchase, etc. etc. because everything in our bathroom is so old. It’s been plaguing me though, so I did a quick search online, and placed a call. I had trepidations ordering from a place called “Cheap Toilet Tank Lids” but no false advertisement there – compared to other places I searched, the prices were more than 50% cheaper. The guy was super nice, and after examining the photos of the busted tank lid I texted him, he identified the part in a minute flat and shipped it right away. We now have a beautiful, uncracked toilet tank lid again. I never thought that I would be so happy to see a toilet tank lid or that I would find it beautiful. Or that I would write the word toilet so many times in a post.

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3. The credenza horror show. Remember the strikingly spartan photo of my credenza I showed you? What you didn’t see was the cornucopia of junk housed within. I went through all the drawers and cabinets and thoroughly organized everything. Ahhhhh…..felt great!

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4. Death by expired pills. On the tippy top shelf in one of our kitchen cabinets, we stash all our meds and pills like aspirin and my thyroid prescription (which I took once) and various natural tinctures because doesn’t that make way more sense than having them in the bathroom? That’s all well and good, but I discovered a bottle of calcium pills dated 2008, and knew that it was time to clear the expired bottles out. It took five minutes and probably saved our lives.

As mentioned before, I’ve been using the todoist app to track my tolerations list, which has been fantastic for me. I wanted to tackle one room at a time, but I ended up searching out the ones that are either easy to do or annoying me most, and so far, it’s a good system. January always feels like the month of renewal and gives me the energy to attack these types of tasks. How about you? February, on the other hand, is when I start losing steam…

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A few tidbits before I forget:

Secret Valentine Exchange! I’m actively working on mine and hope to have it done in…oh…soonish (I’m putting finishing touches today!). I wanted to do a bit of cheering on if you’re participating and feeling nervous, because friends, I know how nerve-wracking it can feel to ship something you’ve made to someone you’re less than familiar with, uncertain of how it will be received. I’ve found that these types of exchanges pushes me to be more creative and to improve my skills — that alone is wonderful, and guaranteed, your creations will be so happily received given the awesomeness I’m already seeing on the Flickr pool! I love that many of you are keeping the photos mysterious and intriguing! I need to add some pics of my own. Also, having looked at all your blogs/flickr accounts/Pinterest boards, Ute and I are delighted by the loveliness and enthusiasm of the participants!

Imagine Gnats giveaway! Today’s the last day to enter the giveaway for winner’s choice of patterns from Rachael’s shop.

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K has been concerned about the downy fuzz on her upper lip, which is so not noticeable (it starts too early, the nit-picking). And then out of the blue she said to me the other day:

Mama, I’ve decided to think of my mustache as special, and I’m going to comb it every day.

I laughed and laughed and she came up with other similar gems. I love my beautiful little girl.

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It’s so much better
To hold what you have dearly
than to fret and fume

Alright, as M’s dad likes to say: it’s time for me to blow this popsicle stand. Have a fantastic weekend, all!

 

 

 

Sewing for Me: Yellow Silk Tunic

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Being of Asian descent, I’ve always taken it as gospel that I can’t wear the color yellow because the natural undertones of my skin would shine like a beacon and make me look jaundiced. I’m sure it was from some random Seventeen magazine or some such I read when I was about 10. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve worn this sunny hue near my face (t-shirts for school events come to mind).

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So I was hesitant to sew with this SILK (need to capitalize that – if you’ve been around here for awhile, you know that I avoid any kind of slippery fabric). But this is more on the mustard side of the yellow spectrum, and I just really like it. It has a subtle plaid pattern with moss green, rust, orange and grey lines. As you can see above, the fabric was a remnant, and you can bet your life savings that my mom did not pay $27 for this. I don’t think she’s ever shelled out more than $3/yard for any fabric. Ah, the joys of living near the Los Angeles fashion district…I have one more separate cut of this same fabric, and I’m saving it for something summery – maybe for K.

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I don’t know why I’ve been so scared to sew with silk. Sure, I wouldn’t win any precision cutting contests because it does like to shimmy and slide a tad, but really, it wasn’t bad at all. Besides, I don’t think I would win a precision cutting contest for any fabric.

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I just made sure to use extra sharp needles, and kept the iron setting fairly low (though I found I could go a little higher than the recommended “2” without scorching the delicate fabric). Doesn’t the back look familiar? Yep, I modified the dress from last week. The pattern is from this book. I sewed the size 11 that is considered a medium in Japanese sewing, which fits surprisingly well and I’m happy to report that I did a much better job with the tricky underarm bits. I have another dress cut out, but I wanted to experiment to see how it would look as a tunic. I have to say I’m happy with the results. I chopped nine inches from the hem, and made other changes too:

1. Lowered the neckline by 1.25 inches. I lost the v-neck with the way I cut it, but I don’t mind.

2. Widened the sleeve openings a touch. When the sleeves rode up my arms on the dress, I noticed they cut off my forearm circulation. Sausage link forearms, it’s a hard look to pull off.

3. Used bias binding for the neckband. Also made the neckband half the width. The original pattern calls for a neckband cut parallel to the grain and I wasn’t too keen on the thicker neckband. It would have been nice to get my thinner neckband to lay flatter, but I’m not terribly picky.

Here they are, side by side:

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I think I’m about to sneeze in the photo above. I could have put in more effort with styling, I admit. These are my I-feel-icky-and-can’t-be-bothered-loose-jeans. They are so comfortable. Love ’em. And I grabbed my tough girl boots just because they were there. Were I to miraculously conceive a child, this top would also serve double-duty as maternity wear as so many of my clothes do. But because the silk is slightly sheer, floaty and, well, silky, it feels luxe and comfortable. A win in my book.

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I know it doesn’t seem it like it, but I am sewing for KCW, though I’m scaling way back. Also, I’ve cottoned on from past KCWs that trying to get photos of K during the week is a traumatizing affair for everyone involved. So I plan on showing you what I get around to stitching up on Monday!

Valentine’s Bookmarks Download

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Still not indestructible in spite of the wonderful soup. However, I’m feeling more human and I’ve been procrastinating using some paints and doodling with Valentine’s Day on my mind. And what do I like to do when I have a bunch of sketches? Make bookmarks, of course. How are these different from the tags I’ve made before, you may ask? They’re not, but I thought they would sound fancier as bookmarks. They’re multi-purpose (case in point: K insisted on wearing one as a necklace)! Plus, maybe you’re not as scatter-brained as we are, but we’re always losing bookmarks around here — which is very inconvenient in a book-obsessed home — so it’s handy to have multiples.

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This one’s my favorite, mainly because I love the wreath with the leaf ribbon. I’m also pretty darn smitten with all the food ones. I know, I know, watermelons are so not Valentine’s, but they’re fun to paint. And who can resist a little e. e. cummings? Just for kicks, I tried out different ribbons and leather cords:

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I hope you like them! There are even more designs/colorways. You can see the full sheet below, and if you click on the image, you can download the tags. Oops, I mean bookmarks.

2014-valentine-bookmarks-buttonOkay, back to sewing – enjoy the download for personal use!

P.S. The book up there is Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, and so far, it’s awesome.

P.P.S. How are your Secret Valentine gifts coming along? Let us know if you have any questions or would like us to communicate anything to your partner!

Heidi Swanson is a Genius: Immunity Soup

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It seems ironic. Here I am, trying my hardest to eat better than I ever have before and (sob) to reduce my sugar intake, but I am constantly catching one cold after another. I must be doing something wrong – is there such a thing as too much kale? I appear to have turned a corner, though, and I am crediting my near full-recovery from what has to be the longest bout of sniffles/coughing fits to this powerful soup. I was browsing my backlogged blog reader a few days ago, and via DesignSponge, I came across this recipe. It was meant to be.

I’ve long been an admirer of 101 Cookbooks, but I don’t check it very often for some reason. With my new non-resolutions, however, that will change. There are so many soups and vegetarian dishes! Plus, the beautiful photography, the comforting narratives and the incontestably delectable-sounding recipes…Heidi Swanson’s site is a winner through and through.

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Anyway, I was going to talk about this particular soup, the one she calls the “Immunity Soup”. Other than the snow pea shoots, which was a new ingredient to me, watermelon radishes and fresh ginger, I had pretty much everything else in my kitchen so I made a quick trip to the nearest fancy health food store and rounded up the missing pieces. I was out of luck with the watermelon radishes but scored the other two.

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It’s a fast dish to assemble, and though you don’t want to stand close to anyone after consuming it — there are eight cloves of garlic in it — the soup makes short order of clearing your sinuses and lifting that ever-present sickness fog. It’s important to drink/eat it piping hot as she recommends. Slurping up the scalding concoction enveloped by the fragrant steam seems to add to the restorative properties of the soup. As for the taste, it has a distinct Asian flair with the peppery broth combined with the kick of ginger and garlic. The sweetness of the onions, carrots and snow pea shoots balances out the heat and I always love tofu and mushroom in my broths. It’s the kind of soup I imagine my friend’s ancient Chinese grandma would serve me with a strict admonition about not using my chopsticks properly.

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I couldn’t get M or K to get on board with my immunity soup as they both claimed to be hale and indestructible, but that means more for me, and I’m betting that by tomorrow I’ll be indestructible too. Highly, highly recommended!

Monday Outfit: Imagine Gnats Meridian Pattern + Giveaway

ig-cardi-coat1Good morning, friends! I’m not sure if the viruses are extra virulent these last few months or what, but I’ve been getting hit over and over and over. It’s starting to feel like a constant companion, this malaise. And of course, I’m the only one in the house that gets affected and M and K are cheerfully and healthily going about their days. Sigh.

But enough whinging and on to more fun topics. Not only is it the start of Kids Clothes Week winter edition today, but I also have a few sartorial treats for you. I want to preface everything with how very impressed I am with all the ladies creating beautiful independent clothing patterns out there. These talented women are running businesses and juggling family obligations and hosting delightful blog tours all the time. Amazing.

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Rachael of Imagine Gnats is one such multi-tasking dynamo currently hosting one of those delightful blog tours, and her patterns are getting featured all over the sewing blogosphere. When she asked me which pattern I’d like to try, I immediately gravitated toward the Meridian for kids. A swingy cardigan and coat? Perfect! (Okay, it’s technically a jacket but I like to get a little alliteration going)

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Let’s talk about the cardi first. I’ve had this great jersey knit for a couple of years now, but wasn’t certain what to make with it. It has stripes in greys and yellows on a cream background, and the stripes look almost painted. Since it’s meant to be fully lined, I used a mystery knit that has a sort of swiss dot effect for the lining. The double layer gives this cardigan a nice heft. We need hefty, cozy clothes this time of year…I really like that there are several closure options (one to four buttons) and I went with one button for that simple look for which I am a sucker.

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I cut the size 7, which I suspected might be too big based on the measurements, but I think it was the right size for her. It’s a super cute and comfortable design, and K is a big fan. She’s also a fan of the corduroy coat/jacket that I decided to go ahead and make as well:

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The pale blue corduroy is from my mom, and it actually had a lot of ink stains so I had to get creative with cutting out the patterns. It looked like a toddler went to town with a pen while an unsuspecting mother had her back turned. There are a few virtually indistinct marks I couldn’t avoid on the left sleeve and on the back of the collar, but I did a pretty good job of working around the stains overall. I’m sure my mom thrifted it from somewhere; it’s a sturdy fabric and the color was exactly what I had in mind. I used Martha Negley’s twigs fabric for the lining (not thrifted), and the aqua accents work well with the outer fabric. The leather buttons are also from my mom. I love the curved front with the arc of buttons.  I would say the sewing went pretty smoothly — it was a little tricky getting the lining aligned perfectly with the main fabric for some reason, but that’s probably due to the difference in stretch factor for the coat because I didn’t have any problems with the cardi (the corduroy has a bit of stretch).

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All in all, an adorable coat!

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And because it’s KCW week, I felt that I should make good on my plans and at least sew one thing from my list. I LOVE this reversible double-gauze (the other side is cream with grey polka dots). I love it so much that I also got the navy colorway, which I think might become an Archer shirt for me. I made the French sleeve tunic from this book, but modified it by adding an invisible zipper in the back. Unfortunately, I was at the end of my bobbin thread, and it got pucker-y. When I tried to pick the seams, the double gauze started to fall apart, so I left it as is. It could pass for ruched, no? Double-gauze is very tricky to work with, and it’s also very sheer (if you squint a little, you can see K’s handmade coral briefs — which, by the way, she is crazy about and keeps asking me to make more underwear). But comfort and breathability wise, it is probably one of my absolute favorite fabrics.

Alright, I feel like I’ve gone on long enough. Rachael is generously offering you, my dear readers, one free apparel pattern of your choosing from her shop! There are patterns for women and kids! Here’s the rafflecopter doohicky and I’ll announce the winner later this week:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also! All patterns will be 20% off in her shop for the month of january with code “januarytour”, plus they’re 50% off through the 31st – no code needed! It’s a steal! One last thing…don’t forget to check out all the other fantastic creations by other participants:

 


Inder Loves Folk Art / mon petit lyons / Sew Delicious

la inglesita / Miss Matatabi / Rae Gun Ramblings

Welcome to the Mouse House / Casa Crafty

Make it Handmade / Made with Moxie / Buzzmills

girl like the sea / just me jay / Play Crafts

Sew Well Maide / Sew Charleston / Mingo and Grace

Caila Made / Sewbon / do Guincho / call ajaire

Alison Glass / a.Amelia Handmade / Bored & Crafty

you & mie / Stitched Together / things for boys

fake it while you make it / Sanae Ishida

Behind the Hedgerow / I Seam Stressed / Charming Doodle

The Crafty Kitty / Siestas & Sewing / Figgy’s

P.S. It probably goes without saying that I received a free copy of the pattern, but all opinions are completely my own.