Crafts

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A Gift for Grace

I have a friend who is very smart, but also very, very stupid.

He is a professor and scientist and an expert in something smaller than I can see with my eye. He is also a college friend, which means I have seen him perform antics not suitable for re-telling on this family-friendly blog.

Recently my friend went to a party, and to bring the proper party pizazz he asked his coworker Grace if he could borrow her jacket. Grace was known for having an eclectic wardrobe, and this was no ordinary jacket. As my friend describes it:

Shiny.  Metallic.  Vinyl.  Bright pink.  The only label inside reads “palm tree.”  It was a custom made gift from her grandmother in China.

I’m sure you already know where this story is going. My friend went to the party with Grace’s jacket.

The jacket did not survive.

And so my friend contacted me, and with tears in his eyes told me this horrible tale. I was quiet; I let the story sink in. I mourned for Grace’s jacket and cursed my friend. And then I told him he was lucky to know another person who owned a metallic pink jacket.

Maybe he chooses his acquaintances carefully, or maybe he’s just the luckiest bastard I know. But it’s true that I happen to own such a jacket, hanging in my tiny Tokyo closet.

But a simple metallic replacement just wouldn’t do for poor Grace. We had to make up for my friend’s silly, fat-man-in-a-little-coat misstep. So I added sparkle.

And more sparkle.

And a pig wearing a bow.

For you, Grace — may it not replace your grandmother’s gift, but help you forgive my very-smart-but-still-a-little-stupid friend. His heart is in the right place.

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A Stylish and Cute Craft Book

If you would have told me a few years ago that after moving to Tokyo I would be ooh-ing and ah-ing craft books dedicated to ribbons and pink bows, I would have laughed in your face.

Only the bows knows who’s laughing now.

I even made a mega bow. I’m not sure what head of hair is ready for this.

This craft book is adorable, full of easy accessory projects to make in under an hour.

I love the brooches and badges. If I wore one of these, I would feel like a winner all day.

I’m not sure what to try first — the bow necklace or the hairy shoulders.

The illustrated step-by-step instructions are really easy to follow, and the assembly techniques heavily favor a hot glue gun. It’s like I’m an 11 year old again!

And get ready for this … scrunchies are making a comeback! A J-pop band even sings a song about them (ponytail to shu shu) though due to gratuitous beach and wet t-shirt scenes, I’ve decided not to link to the music video. Do the work yourself.

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I Can Learn to Love Again: A Crochet Story

My friend from the States (featured here and here) is a crafter, but in a very different way than me.  She loves pretty things and is an ace with a crochet hook (whereas I prefer to stab at things, have never crocheted or made anything remotely wearable, and sometimes I like ugly things). When she visited Tokyo, we found this book:

I begged my friend to buy it — not because I like doilies (actually, I sort of hate doilies), but because 1. it’s a beautiful example of a Japanese craft book and I wanted to share it with you, and 2. if you could bundle my friend’s personality into a book, it might be this book, all flowers and peachy-pink and cashmere yarn. It was meant to be.

My initial unlove for doilies was because they didn’t fulfill my first rule of craft: the things you make should be useful or contribute to the beauty of a useful item. Because seriously, what do you do with a doily?

Apparently you can do a lot of things:

I love that book cover. Psst — hey friend, hint hint. I love that book cover.

I challenged her to finish a doily before she left. She put my challenge to shame and made two. Show off.

She offered to make me one, so I chose the triangle doily. And I love it.

It turns out my new doily is lazy. It lounged on the couch for a week after my friend left. It was being a total couch potato doily. Maybe it was sad to see my friend leave. Or maybe it’s an inanimate object and I need to get some fresh air.

After finding this image,  I’m thinking the doily found a new home. Doily, your purpose in life is clear. You are welcome to stay, as I bind you in chain stitch to my couch.

Image from Apartment Therapy

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Summer stabbin’, had me a blast ♫

Summer stabbin’, happened so fast. ♫

Met a crafter, crazy for me. Met a tea towel, cute as can be. ♫

Ahem. OK, enough of that. Want to know something sad? I actually Googled the lyrics to Summer Nights to make sure I had them right. Of course I had them right. (Head shake.) Silly Angie.

But back to crafting (Dan, I’m back!). I bought this pre-printed cloth from Hobbyra Hobbyre in April. I love the pattern of the dancing fūrin 風鈴, a glass wind chime which catches the wind and creates a quiet tinkling sound. These pop up around Japan during the summer. The delicate sound is meant to remind us of a breeze, to help us feel cool.

I’ve had the windows open a lot this past week, and I can hear a fūrin from somewhere nearby. The clinking sounds, and my blue fingers stained from the indigo-dyed sashiko yarn, remind me of eating blueberries and sitting on my grandmother’s balcony during the summer. She let us make the best forts on that balcony.

This design is different from what I usually do, which is the more traditional white-on-blue. I enjoyed trying something new, even if I learned a few things the hard way.

First, curvy lines are trickier than straight ones. Second, changing colors all the time is tedious. Or maybe I’m lazy. Third, dark thread on a light background fabric means you have to be careful and keep a tidy back, or your fly-away ends will show through and make your finished towel look terrible.  I had to go back with a needle and thread and tack down all my loose ends, which was a bummer because I thought I was done, and then I wasn’t.

Hopefully these summer dreams won’t be ripped at the seams. Whoa-oh-oh. ♫

Anyone else have a summer project?

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Action Craft News Flash!

A long-awaited update — I’m delighted to finally announce that the Action Craft blankets found a home!

Last month I sent four huge boxes off to Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture. (If you Google Kesennuma, you’ll find many videos and photos of the port town, which was completely swept away.)

The Action Craft blankets were sent to the organization Network Orange, a nonprofit focused on helping children with disabilities in Kesennuma. Since the tsunami they have extended their efforts to include helping others in the community rebuild their lives, and they were excited to receive our donation. I was a bit worried my terrible kanji-writing skills had sent our boxes off into oblivion, but this week I received word that they arrived safely. The folks at Network Orange said they’d try to send photos, but I’ll cut them some slack, since, you know, they’re helping people survive and stuff.

Congrats to everyone who participated. A job well done.

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Sweet Dreams

I’ve been digging into the depths of my camera’s memory card and was reminded about the Dream Pillow project I participated in a few months back.

A group of high school students established the project with a goal to collect 5,000 pillows for tsunami refugees. They asked for handmade pillow cases to fill with cotton donated from a futon shop. I sent them a simple wiener dog with flowers motif, which reminds me a bit of Rusty. (I’ve watched that clip 1,000 times, no joke. In my defense, I had a dachshund as a kid.)

I sent my pillowcase off hoping the address written in chicken-scratch kanji was eligible enough for delivery, then promptly forgot about it. About a month later, I received a stack of postcards in the mail.

All handwritten and thoughtfully decorated, thanking me for my donation. Talk about sweet dreams!

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When button dreams come true…

Yesterday I bought a $20 button.

Actually, it cost ¥1,470 — with the current exchange rate, that’s $18.28 USD.

Worth every yen:

I’m not sure if this is a case of succumbing to Tokyo’s inflated prices or embracing the rare gem this city sometimes offers you.  It doesn’t actually matter, because at the moment I’m in button-love.

I’m working on a special project that needed one special detail — thankfully, a place like & STRIPE exists. A button and notions shop in hip Nakemeguro, & STRIPE has really neat stuff.  That’s right — neat.  Neat-o.  Rad.

They have a strict no-photos rule inside, so you’ll have to trust me.  & STRIPE is easy to find — from Nakemeguro station, head northwest until you hit the river.  Follow the river west and the shop is on the left side, about a 5 minute walk from the station.  (Need help getting to Nakemeguro station?  Try this site.)

1-25-3 Aobadai, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-0042   Tel. 03-3714-3733   Open 11:30 to 7:30, closed the first and third Tuesdays of each month

〒153-0042 東京都目黒区青葉台1-25-3

A second shop is now open in Kichijoji: 2-7-4 Kichijoji, Musashino, Tokyo 189-0004   Open 11-7, closed the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of each month

〒189-0004 東京都武蔵野市吉祥寺２−７−４川谷ビル１F

Looking for other craft shops in Tokyo?  Check out my Tokyo Craft Guide

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Kiwa/Crafts

It took me a while to get around to visiting Kiwa, the bead and DIY jewelry chain. It seemed like an overwhelming place for someone (ahem, me) who doesn’t wear much jewelry, let alone make it.  My mother LOVES bling and makes her own bracelets, so I’m not sure how I missed out on that gene.  It must skip a generation.

Kiwa, as it turns out, is great.  (And so is this buck, the shop mascot.)

One of my favorite things about craft shops in Japan is that they not only stock supplies, but also kits and displays with lots of ideas for things to make yourself.  Kiwa is no exception.  Some locations even have workshops and cafes in case your crafting fingers can’t wait until they get home.

There was really something for everyone, even a jewelry dunce like me.  Loose beads, kits, hardware, hair accessories, fancy gems and plastic headbands galore.  Photos aren’t generally encouraged in craft shops, but…

… sneaky sneaky cell phone camera …

Personally, I was a fan of the blingy DIY iphone cases:

Maybe I am my mother’s daughter.

Kiwa Omotesando
La Forêt Bldg 3F, 1-11-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel. 03-3475-0411
東京都渋谷区神宮前1-11-6
You can find many other locations around Tokyo by checking their webpage.
Check out my Tokyo Craft Guide for even *more* reviews, maps, and craft magic around Tokyo.  Enjoy!