Surprise from our garden

Surprise! I couldn't believe it when I found a handful of strawberries growing in our little patch in the yard. They've been growing for over a year and while they often fruit, the birds an bugs usually get to them before we do.

It was a nice late-morning treat.

Okay, now I'll get back to my quilting although the clouds have blown over and the air is cool.

Perfect atmosphere to get back into bed with a book - reading Killer Cruise by Laura Levine - but I'll be strong. I'll be productive. Really. I will.

And no, I'm not putting on my comfy pants again. Why would you ever think that?

Hmm? No... That wasn't the covers being pulled back. Really! It wasn't...

Japanese Quilt for Dad

My father fancies himself a samurai. Yeah, we're half Japanese and we did, once upon a time, have our own kingdom in Japan. We are the Tendo's (translated: Heavenly Palace) but we were over run by the Yama-somethings a really long time ago.

Anyhow, I digress.

I had been planning on making Dad a quilt for Father's Day, but never found the time to work on it in between starting up my Etsy shop and working RIDICULOUS hours at the "real job".

I've been on medical leave for about a week and a half now and am due back on Tuesday, so I figured that I should get my but in gear and make the quilt while I still have a few days to myself.

I chose some really awesome fabric from my local quilt shop "Sew Special". Patty, the owner's daughter, helped me out (she has an amazing eye for fabric).

I had pulled down the geisha print (Alexander Henry) and the green (Robert Kauffman) and red (Kimono material) and some sort of crain fabric. She tossed the crains aside and pulled down the maple, which I would have never chosen myself, and ta-da! A quilt was conceived.

Planning on doing large strips with some big squares to keep it simple and back it with some comfy flannel.

I want it to be nice an comfy for my dad. He doesn't get to lounge around often, so when he does I want it to be awesome.

Aside from my husband, he's my biggest sewing fan. It's so funny how he never sees the flaws in anything that I make. I guess that's the perk and beauty of being the only daughter.

I love my dad. He's been a tough act to follow, but I somehow landed a hubby that's pretty close in terms of endearment.

I got lucky with both of them.

The way of the OBI

Yeah. So this is what I SHOULD be doing... Working on my obi belts. Instead I'm puttering around tripping out that the King of Pop died.

Anyway, I'm not going to start a tirade about Jackson and tell you all about my silver mesh glove fetish and how it has led to a fingerless glove craze, or how I was really stoked on my Micheal Jackson-wearing-a-yellow-sweater spiral bound notebook when I was six...

Instead, how about these Obi Belts? So what do you think? This one here has hand-dyed pink lambskin leather (Sorry, little lambie), a gorgeous unfinished cotton and vintage mod daisy fabric from the 60's that hailed from Australia.

They can be worn low on the hips too. Which is probably the way I shold wear it seeing as I have no waist or boobs.

Sigh.

But, the Japanese in me is forcing me into the traditional placement. I'm crazy like that.

I'll be listing them on Etsy soon. As soon as I get my butt in gear and finish the other seven that are half done.

And yes, I'm working on many, many animal friendly ones out of acrylic, wool, cotton, linen an silk.

Have a happy day!

I HEART SPACE STICH

I am SO excited. Here I was, moping about the house because I haven't gotten a dang thing done all day besides eat and low and behold look what came in the mail!

Somehow, I discovered Space Stitch - a really cool shop on Etsy that sells all kinds of neat things like kids clothes, red dirt bracelets, table runners, reusable pads...

I absolutely LOVE everything in her shop. I shop way too much on Etsy. Love it. But I have to say that my favorite right now is her stuff.

I mean, how cool is it that I have a hat, a super cool kid shirt with fish flying a space ship appliqued onto it and reusable pads all in the same order! Yeah, I know. Way cool.

A while ago we ordered a brown shirt with a really cool whale appliqued onto it in vintage fabric.

It's a favorite and fought over in the household.

Check her out! You will be thrilled. Super fast shipping, awesome prices, great quality and just simply really cool stuff. You'll be hooked. Plus, she packages stuff really cute.

SPACE STITCH ... don't you just love that name?

Mermaid Skirt and Cream of Wheat

Summer is here!

Before it slips away, I'm trying to maximize the rest of the world's ability to wear the light and breezy skirts that we get to here in Hawaii year-round.

Don't hate me because it's sunny. We make up for that by not having a Target. Or Red Lobster. Mmm Hmm. Life in isolation can get trying.

So... Here is one of my new skirts that I am selling on in my shop. It's such a simple design - elastic waist, crisp white trim on Heather Ross' "Underwater Sisters" fabric from her lovely Mendocino line.

Cute with or without a belt. Fun to wear. I LOVE the idea of a Mermaid pulling around a little girl through the sea by a piece of limu.

Great print to look down at and daydream while out enjoying the summer sun!

Find it here.

Thanks for looking! Okay, I'm going to wolf down the last bite of my cream of wheat (with tons of butter, half & half, and guava jelly... YUM) and head to the sewing room.

What's that? You want my top secret sinful cream of wheat recipe? I'll think about it.

Back (in the saddle) again!

Well, after a long hiatus of blogging. I'm back. This time I'm keeping it G-rated and will be talking mostly about crafting, selling crafts, kids, selling kids.. Oops. Did that just come out?
Sorry. It's been a long summer so far.

As my mother would tell you, I've been crafting and drawing since I was physically capable of weilding a crochet hook and pencil. I work relatively quickly - I've never been a fan of starting something that I couldn't finish in a day - but recently discovered QUILTING and I lub it berry much.

So... I will be uploading photos and all that jazz over the next few days.

Please be patient with me as I need a blog like I need a hole to my head or another pair of rubber slippers.

There's just not enough hours in the day.

Talk soon.

Starr

P.S. While you wait, check out my Etsy shop Aloha O Ka Aina and buy something. You know you want to buy something. : )