Bella, in her box, ready for the move!

Well, with any luck, we'll be making our last move on the 29th of July! Since we started living together in 1983, we've moved 19 times (a lot of times "moving" was putting everything into storage while we went travelling, or camping for months at a time).  So, hopefully the 20th will be our last move.  The roommate has been doing lots of packing and there are boxes everywhere; fortunately I'm working so have an excuse to not be helping too much!  You can see that Bella, the CEO of Bella Industries, Inc., has done her part by getting herself packed & ready to go.    Thanks, Bella!  Speaking of moving...Curtis Mayfield + horns: Move On Up!

From the Collection - Boy's WWII-era Kimono (Propaganda Kimono)

This is a cotton boy's kimono that is lined for winter.  It's in great shape & is mostly interesting for the belligerent symbolism on it.

When we bought it in Japan, our friend, Noriko couldn't believe how obvious it was...the little boy, holding a Japanese flag is sitting on a globe.  The owner of the antiques store we were in started laughing when he saw her face!  Of course, it's something they learn about in school in Japan, but to see it printed as a piece of fabric (and think about it--there were probably yards and yards of this fabric printed), really surprised her.  I like children's clothing because a lot of care goes into the creation and decoration of these items.

There are examples of Japanese technological achievements everywhere: railroads, airplanes, binoculars.  "Go forth & conquer!" the clothing seems to be telling the boy (Update: Actually it's a propaganda kimono. Here's a link to a Metropolitan Museum exhibit, which had 2 such kimono, one for a little boy (like ours) and one for a woman made of silk with gold thread!)  This is just one piece of children's clothing that we've used to decorate our bedroom; hope you like seeing it!

Music?  My favorite song by Lindberg, だってそうじゃない , (Datte sou ja nai!?), from 1993. That's a great live version.  Maki Watase rocks!!

Blanket-stitched handworked thread loop

Thanks to Pattern ~ Scissors ~ Cloth for the great tutorial on a handworked thread loop.  I have been looking for a way to make an invisible loop for the belt on my Route 66 dress.  Since I didn't know what to do, each time I've worn it, I just get some red thread & tie it around to keep the extra belt flap from flapping (a great flapping picture to the left--it even casts a shadow!).  Which works okay, but I usually walk during lunch w/ co-workers, so I change clothes--and almost always break or lose the thread loop!

Yesterday, I was glad to read Sherry's blog and learn how to make a more permanent loop myself.  I can't say mine is as neat as Sherry's, but still, I think it looks great. I tried it on last night, so I know it works; I'll wear it to work tomorrow (a scorcher, 100F, so a dress--yes!).  I used the same length of thread Sherry recommended (about an arm's length), but DUH! I was doing a much bigger loop.  I ran out about 1/2 way thru the blanket-stitch.  But I cut off more thread & wove that in & that worked fine.  The belt rests right on my hips, so the loop doesn't have to bear the weight of the belt.  Thanks, Sherry!

BTW, this amazing pop song from 1982 came up on the roommate's shuffle yesterday:  Dislocation Dance - Rosemary.  I will never ever get tired of those horns!  Ever...

Anyone say "Vintage?"

Thought you'd enjoy seeing this pattern my mom sent. She found it in her box of patterns, but I don't recognize it, so I think it was for her (I have some of the clothes she made for my sister & I--later!).  What I love & what my mom noticed is that there's a pattern so the doll can have a matching dress!!!  Isn't that neat.  It probably still happens--do little girls have clothes that match their American Girl dolls?  Probably.  (For all the photos on my blog, BTW, clicking on them will take you to a larger version.)

Unfortunately, the girl's pattern is missing.  But when I opened it (actually, took it apart, the edges are completely disintegrated), I found the doll's pattern!  Yay!

It's obviously been someplace where there was moisture.  One of my dreams (once we move, next month) is to have a nice storage area for items like this.  Archival quality boxes for photos, textiles, and supplemental accoutrement, such as this, or backstrap looms, or whatever.  All in boxes sorted by country.  With lots of anti-moth controls, thanks to these hints from the Thrifty Stitcher.

I have not tried to date this.  I'm guessing 30s or 40s, just because of the age of my mom & her sister.  To the left you'll see the first side of the instructions.  Since these instructions are usually drawn to scale, it would probably be not too hard to re-create the missing pattern pieces.  Although my guess on easy is usually w-r-o-n-g!  (Just ask my roommate...) Here are the other side of the instructions.

Finally, the pattern for the doll's dress. I hope you enjoyed seeing this!  Leave me a comment to let me know what cool patterns you (or your mom) have found!

Looking for small sewing studio suggestions!

Here are two more smallish sewing studios, one from HGTV and one from MpressiveThreadzStudio.  And of course Tilly's idea to check out the photos on Flickr for Craft Rooms.  

In the meantime, I'm not so sure I'll get the whole room after all...my great idea to add a bedroom basement and bath really isn't possible...or is it?  Anyway, that tiny space may end up being a single bedroom (murphy bed back on the possibilities list) and a sewing room!  Uh oh.  So I'll need suggestions for even-smaller-space-sewing-studios!  In the meantime, I'll give you a look at the room, which has no closet (there's one outside the room, across the hall), and only bi-fold doors.  Of course it's got a window & a nice ledge for books & kitty.

Notice the nice neutral ultra modern paint.  I love it & the whole house is like this (different colors, none of them buttercup)!  Which is great, when you see our decorating style; we have plenty of interest & color...in this picture you can see that yes, Indiana Jones is our interior decorator.  Mola (framed) from Panama.  Whale vertebrate from the coast of Oman. Basket from Botswana.  Fabric stamp from Iran.  Bakelite radio from our old radio collection.  And the Bobo mask, which I carried on my lap on buses thru W. Africa and even on the plane, is from Burkina Faso.

Stuff I've Made, Part 4987b - Nancy Ota's Zip It! Bags

I've made many of these (20?) as gifts for friends & I have 3 of my own.  A friend gave me the pattern, Zip It! Screen Play bags by Nancy Ota, along with a few yards of Pet-Screen (it's screen door material that pets can't destroy with their claws).  It's a quick project (45 minutes is my record) and they are such great gifts.  You can make them in many different styles & configurations.  You just need a few strips of fabric and zippers.  You can also decorate the zipper pulls (beads, bows) to make them more interesting.

You'll notice I couldn't resist adding some of my West African fabric--it looks so good with the black, but apparently there is colored Pet-Screen now?  I haven't looked for it, so perhaps it's easy to find.  And I turned one into a purse by adding a strap--it's useful for hikes, bike riding and birding trips, when I just need a few things.

The bags above are from Nancy Ota's website; aren't they cute?!  

Other stuff I've made: Sweater for friends' new baby girl!

Okay, this beautiful girl is 9 months now.  But I made this right after she was born & thought I'd made it plenty big enough.  But, it fit her when she was only 3-4 months old.  Which shows you how much I know about babies!  It's cotton & I could not get the neck to be the right size (I can't remember which book I got this from--something from the library).  So I just made a neck opening and crocheted buttons to close it.  The trim on the edge is also crocheted.