{The giveaway is now closed and the winner is Christina Derwee! Congrats!!} Is it just me, or is the year passing at an alarmingly swift rate? I'm deep in deadline mode behind-the-scenes and when I looked at the calendar today, I refused to believe that it was already the end of May. Anyway, last week I received a mysterious extra copy of this book, Easy Shibori Tye Dye Techniques by Studio TAC Creative, which I translated. I always get one advance copy for my translation work (the book ... Read more
Helmi, Owyn, and SEWING LOVE Patterns
Happy almost May! I'm still sewing. I'm also comparing other patterns to my own. They say comparison is the thief of joy, but this is actually a joyful kind of comparison for me, and I've been thoroughly enjoying myself. This month, I've been sewing a bunch of hush-hush things for my upcoming trip to California because I'm leaving next weekend to teach more Creativebug classes (if you want a couple of months free, check out this post). Very excited. Earlier this month, in order to get into ... Read more
Tops: Matcha and More
By the time I submitted my final draft of Sewing Love back in late 2021, I had sewn hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of test and photoshoot-ready muslins and garments. You know that my tendency is to overdo things, and boy, I overdid the overdoing. I hate to admit it, but I was well and truly sewed out. I developed an uneasy and complicated relationship with my sewing machine (I still loved it but felt resentful of how time-sucky it had become, tethered to seemingly never-ending ... Read more
Queen Anne Book Company: A bibliophile’s haven
Hello, my friends! If you've been around here for any length of time, you know that Queen Anne Book Company has a very special nook in my heart. In March, the store will be celebrating its 10th year since becoming QABC under the purview of the current owners (the bookstore itself has been around for about two decades in the same location). My very first book deal (Little Kunoichi!) came about because of this wonderful store -- I wrote about it here (I go on and on about my thoughts on criticisms ... Read more
Valentine Origami Papers for YOU
Hello, hello! If you're looking for some last minute, why-did-I-wait-till-now Valentine's Day craftiness, you're in the right place. I designed some origami paper for you and had fun folding them into different shapes. The heart above is iconic, of course. Envelopes are fun - you can write a secret or lovey-dovey message on the back of the origami paper and fold it up. I am particularly smitten with the origami box. It's surprisingly easy to fold and is a perfect container for ... Read more