At 7:09pm on Monday, August 10th, I submitted close to 300 image files to my publisher. There are only 20 projects in the book, so only a fraction of the photos will make the cut, but I like to err on the side of ridiculously excessive. For all intents and purposes, the hardest parts of book #2 are done done done! From this point forward, it's mostly about refining, tweaking and updating. I'll do a final review of the book in its prettily designed and formatted state in September and/or October ... Read more
Giveaway: Stylish Remakes [CLOSED]
Good morning! I haven't done a giveaway in a while, have I? The always good folks at Tuttle sent me the Stylish Remakes book to review, and what makes this special to me is that yours truly actually translated it. Yes, if you happen to get a hold of this freshly published (in English) book by Violette Room, you'll see my name next to "Translated from Japanese by". Exciting! Here you can see the Japanese version next to the English one. The Japanese copy is slightly smaller, and the cover ... Read more
Happy Friday + Monthly Income(s)
Happy Friday! As promised, I am continuing with the monthly income reports. M, K and I are, as I type this, frantically packing up for a last-minute super budget camping trip (how is it that all our trips are last-minute?) so I'm keeping this short and to the point. My income continues to be mainly through the Furoku membership though I've unexpectedly sold a couple of pinafore/bloomers patterns via email. I tend to give more nitty gritty details about book sales and behind the scenes ... Read more
Summer Fun with Ba-Chan
My mom returned to Los Angeles yesterday. For 16 days, she cooked us delectables (sushi! Soy sauce mochi balls that K loves! Seafood pasta!) and spent large quantities of time with K while I labored away to meet deadlines. I wouldn't have survived and most likely wouldn't have met my deadlines without my Mama. I took these shots while on the ferry to and from Bainbridge Island. On Sunday morning, I decided that I had ignored my family for too long, and thought it might be enjoyable to ... Read more
Glitter and Sparkle
Good morning! I have a well-oiled and thrumming sweatshop raging in my "atelier" (aka bedroom), but it's all been book-related so I've not sewn much for K. And when my mom brought her a suitcase full of animal print clothing and all that sparkles and glitters...well, my sewing motivation for K faded a little more. But isn't that image above pretty spectacular? Not my usual simple and light vibe, but I love the dramatic effect. The light is reflecting off of an extremely bling-y sequined dress ... Read more