This is it, my friends. The final Advent Calendar for my not-so-little girl. Next year around this time, she’ll be somewhere on a college campus, taking exams or grabbing food from the dorm cafeteria on her way to a class. The daunting phrase is looming above me all the time lately: empty nester. I have a plethora of thoughts on that. But I won't go into them right now. For 11 straight years, I’ve handcrafted a different advent calendar during the month of November to set it up by the last day ... Read more
Creativebug: The Hanten Coat
Hello my friends! I know, I know, it seems like I am constantly updating you on Creativebug classes. I've had the enormous pleasure and honor of filming approximately 20 classes with them, so there's a lot to talk about. My latest class on how to draft and sew a Hanten Coat just launched and I love, love, love this coat. It's an enthusiastic nod to the traditional Japanese quilted short jacket by the same name. You can also check out a fun little styling reel I created with the ... Read more
Summer of Sewing + Destashival in full swing
Hello, hello! Whew, what a summer it's been. We've been traveling here and there, often in the form of short road trips. Senior year of high school starts for K in less than a week and I'm feeling that surge of energy that comes with September and the beginning of the academic year. I've been looking forward to this. It's been a great few months, though. As you can see, I've sewn a lot. In fact, that image above isn't everything. I stitched up a grand total of 22 items. I lost ... Read more
Creativebug Cuteness!
The end of July is full of festivities in our family: birthdays, trips and reunions, and just an overall celebration of summer. As you read this, I’ll be in the Midwest on the tail end of exploring college campuses and connecting with extended family. Can you believe that K is a senior in high school!!?? We are relishing this summer before things heat up with academics and college applications. Anyhow, I’m just bopping in and scheduling this little post before I head out on my trip. July has ... Read more
Summer!
From my book SUMO COLORS - I was thinking of my parents when painting Mt. Fuji, which is in the Shizuoka prefecture where they live A while ago I had mentioned that if all goes well, I will be traveling to Japan this summer. Unfortunately, all has not gone well and the trip won’t be happening. The reasons are innumerable, and I won’t bore you with the details. I’m disappointed, but we’re tentatively looking into going during winter break. Has anyone traveled to Japan during the holiday season? ... Read more