Patchwork Drawstring Pouch

I was bored one day when everyone else was
gone for Tokyo and decided to do something
with those fabrics I'd got using my mom's
sewing machine. What comes to my head when
I want to make something super easy and quick
is always a drawstring bag.


I never have enough drawstring bags.
I feel like I've made a ton of them in the
past, but I still need more,,,maybe it's
because I always give my bags to someone and
most of my bags don't stay with me.


(Back view of the same bag)
And again, this little bag is gone.
My middle sister who usually doesn't
care about what I sew said she wants
this one, and I was absolutely grateful.


Oh, thanks a million for lots of comments/
e-mails ;) Your comments do make me realize
how precious this trip must be for me as a
crafter and encourage me to get aggressive
at fabric shopping!


I'm crossing my fingers that I'll make nice
giveaway sets out of everything I've got
for some crafters who love Japanese things
but don't have opportunities to obtain them.
Fair enough, right?


These craft related items I'm showing today
is from a chain craft store called Tokai.
I always remembered the store to be a little
boring and not really my type, but it impressed
me quite bit when I went over a couple days ago.

These white puffy things are something you
put in a handmade toy to make it sound when
pushed. Cute sound like Boo Boo.
There were many kinds of them and I thought
I had never seen anything like this in America.
I didin't know if I needed them, but they were too
inexpensive = irresistable!


I love chickens. I think they look adorable.
Chicken print fabric is great for making
something for kitchen/dining.
Lunch mat, coasters, tea cozy...


And what I can't lack is English lettered
fabrics! Without this kind of fabric, I
suffer very often. I think it makes
patchwork look very interesting for
some reasons... I love it!!


To me, Japanese craft equals linen.
I was not interested in linen before,
but I think it is such quality fabric
and extremely useful for any craft purpose.


Again, I have a few pictures from a zakka store.
These aren't yummy cakes but cacutus!
Aren't they lovely?


Pink penguin!!!!!!!!
I felt obligated to get this pink one
just for the sake of this blog, but
I decided to save money on fabrics.


Ok, today I have a LOT of links
I'd love to shre with you guys! a lot!
I'm usually pretty good at keeping track
of links to beautiful craft works by
talented people based on my tutorials
(Thank you!!), but I am not being that
good just because I'm on vacation.
If I forget to introduce your crafts,
I'm very sorry in advance! Please
remind me so that I can share yours
next time!

Fabric Basket by Nancy

Fabric Baskets by Nanette

Fabric Bskets by Des

Fabric Baskets by Stephanie

Fabric Basket by Jodi

Pen Case by Aneesah

Pen Case by Cindy

Fabric Basket by Randi

Fabric Basket by Lisa

Fabric Basket by Kay

What lovely creations!!!

Thanks for reading!

Loads of Japanese Fabrics!

Thanks a million for those of you who look
forward to my entries about this Japan trip!
I'm impressed with how popular Japanese fabric/zakka
has become among crafters all over the world.
Japan is not only for temples and animes!
We've got more attraction here, and I always
feel great letting people know that!


I didn't know about this little fabric store
located next to the preschool I attended as a kid.
One time my mom sent me some extremely quality linen
from Japan and I simply loved it. She took me
to the fabric store where she found the linen, and
that's where I had to gasp and went crazy afterwords.


The fabric store's got lots and lots and loooooots
of kinds of fabrics I like! I had to look through
everything in the store, because there were many
surprises as I went through.
Oh my! Hey!! Awww!!!!!


Some are made in Japan and some are not.
Some looked familiar and some looked new
to me. I love discovering new fabrics.
The joy is indescribable, isn't it?


Did I go way too crazy there? Yeah, I might
have to agree that I bought too much before the
next trip to Nippori where I'll probably find
more fabrics that are less expensive.


But I really enjoyed the company with the
owner of the little store and I loved how
I was the only customer the entire time and
was able to look at fabrics without other
people around. I can save some money on
fabric in Nippori, but do I enjoy the constant
crowd there where I was constantly smothered by
other people? Not really.


The owner kindly gave me this fabric from the
early 90's. Isn't it kinda interesting fabric?



I hope you are not tired of looking at
fabrics at this point, because I have some more!
haha! I shopped online for fabric too!
Oh sure I am really crazy about fabrics!
I just knew that this online fabric store
carries rare fabrics that I wouldn't see at
local stores, so I had to buy some from them too.


The good thing about this store is that
you can purchase any fabric for just a tiny
bit. Spending only 100yen ($1) or some little
more for cute fabric sounds really good, right?
Cotton Tail makes it possible for you!
As a patchwork lover, I sometimes need
only a ttle piece of fabric.


They have lots of fabric with a little
patterns like teeny tiny flowers and
polka dots. I just love that kind.


Ok, done with showing all the fabrics I've
got so far! After I get back to the U.S.,
I'll make three giveaway sets of fabric and
possibly some other things. It will be fun ;)



Some pics of Humpty Dumpty, a zakka store,
near my home. It is nearly impossible to leave
this store without buying anything. They've got
a big selection of really pretty zakka!


I went there yesterday with my sister.
While we were there, a blackout happened
and for a while it was difficult to
see the items with no light, but it didn't
bother us at all. We kept shopping in the darkness.


Some kids stuff there was so adorable!
Aren't these aprons pretty?


How about this cute fish bag?
I love cute items for kids!!!


Cute magnets...!


Ornaments that made me smile...!


Thanks for reading!!

More Japan!

Thanks a lot for the comments you've left for me
recently and thank you also in advance for any
comments/e-mails you might give for me in the near future.
I really appreciate the opportunities to hear
from you and enjoy reading what I receive, but
I've been quite busy and haven't been able to
reply to each comment yet. I apologize for this, but
I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate
each and every comment from my heart of hearts!


Oh, these fabrics? Yes! I got to go to Nippori
Textile Town yesterday, so I got lots and lots of
fabrics that I'd never seen in person in America
for really inexpensive prices!


I was absolutely thrilled when I got Nippori!
"Finally! Finally! How long do you think I'd been
dreaming about this place?! I waited too long!!!"
But the sad thing was that I got there around 5pm
and most stores closed at 6pm, giving me
almost no time to shop around. I knew I could come
back soon but I was way too excited that I started
grabbing whatever that seemed cute and
unusual without much thinking.


I respect those people who have exact plans
when they pick up fabrics from stores. They know
what they need for how much for specific craft projects
every time they shop at fabric stores. Unfortunatelly
that doesn't happen to me very often. My principle of
shopping fabric is like.."I buy if I find cute ones."
Kinds of fabric? Linen? Cotton? How much of it?
Fat quarters or more? Who knows! I just want it!!


Oh trust me! I actually live pretty frugally,
and I am quite careful when I shop for other things
but fabrics. Fabric will live almost forever.
I believe owning too much fabric is a good thing.
It will one day pay for me, so it's ok to follow
my instinct if I happen to find cute fabric!


Japanese fabric is especially great one to have,
because I like to enclose a piece or more of
Japanese fabric when someone purchases my handmade
items from my shop for a little appreciation.
And also, I'm doing giveaway when I get back to
San Jose, so I can give some of them for you!


Oh how I love lettered fabrics! Why is it so hard to
find fabric with English letters printed on in the U.S.
but Kanji (Chinese characters) printed fabric is everwhere
there? It is really difficult to find Kanji fabric here
in Japan just because modern Japanese people don't
find it cute. We want English instead!!
I guess everyone wants something different
from what they are used to seeing, huh?


So glad I finally got this Embroidery book.
I was craving for embroidery ideas! I love this book!
While I was away from Japan for 2 years, a huge
Kinokuniya (book store) has opened near my home
in Gunma, Japan. It's now the biggest book store in
this prefecture! I love it!


Some pictures for Zakka fan? Sure!
Oh! I was asked what "Zakka" means.
It simply means anything that makes your
home pretty. For instance, some cute toys and
baskets to decorate your room are good examples
of Zakka, but things like dishes and towels
can be counted as Zakka, if they are cute
enough to make your space prettier.


I found these coasters at a Zakka store too.
Simply little things that makes you smile..
that's zakka! I hope I explained well, if not,
check out this wikipedia page.


And some pictures unrelated to crafting.
My sister lives in Yamanashi and we always
stay ay her apartment whenever we visit Japan.
Such a country place. I always expect about 10
mosquito bites,,but Joe enjoys this place a lot.
It was obnoxiously hot and humid!!!


We went to Hachioji festival with my sister and
her boyfriend yesterday. I ate too much food there
and couldn't anything anymore until this morning.


Japan trip has been pretty fun!
I'll post more later about this trip and
hopefully more fabric that I find on the
next trip to Nippori ;)
Thanks so much for reading this long entry!!
Have a great summer time!