Envelope Clutch Tutorial!

This is the project I sent to Mara in her care-package. I typed it out on my old typewriter ($.250 at a church garage sale 9 years ago- still works perfectly!), which looks great- but unfortunately I forgot to type it out on the computer as well, so she had to send me the instructions... oops.

So, first, cut out your pieces.

1. 3 envelope shaped pieces- 12" along bottom, 18" high (think on folding it in thirds, so the peak should be 6"). Lining, interfacing and denim or something stiff.

2. 14"x 2" Strap

3.  Pocket

4. Strips, varying widths, 18' long

All the pieces

Next, fold your straps as shown in the photo, then fold in half and sew closed. Leave the short edges raw. Fold the pocket in half, right sides together, and sew almost all the way around the three open sides,  leaving enough space to flip it right side out. Press and top stitch just one long edge.

Folding the strap, preparing pocket

 Pin the pocket to lining.  If you put on middle third, top of pocket points up to peak.  If on bottom third, top of pocket points DOWN!  Sew pocket to lining, leaving topstitched side open.

Place pocket

Sew pocket on to liner. Mind the direction!

For the front of the purse, we will use the string quilt method.  Place your first strip right side down on the denim, just off center.  Sew, leaving 3/8" seam allowance.  Flip it over and press.

Starting the strip pieced quilt

 Take your next strip and place right side down, raw edge aligned with raw edge of first strip.  Sew, then flip second strip right side out and press.  So now your first strips just be neatly sewn under on both sides, and your second strip has one neat, one raw edge.  Repeat these steps until you reach one end, then go to the other side from the first strip.  You could also just start on one end, I was just taught from the middle....When all your strips are done, trim the excess, using the lining as a template.  Optional extra would be to topstitch the strips down.  I find it just looks a bit more polished, but it isn't structurally necessary. 

Second strip

Third Strip

Fourth Strip. Continue this way.

Trim the edges

Almost done!  Place your lining right side up.  Place strap so the raw edges are about 1cm past the raw edges of lining (strap is on top of lining, not hanging outside).  Place the main part on top, right side down.  You now have a purse sandwich, with the folded strap as the filling.  Pin around the edge.  Starting at the strap, sew all the way around the edge, 3/8" seam allowance, and finish about 3-4" before you get to the strap.  Clip the corners so that they are not bunchy.  

Purse sandwich, how to add the strap

again!

Flip right side out. Press.  Topstitch just the shorter side.  Now fold your envelope purse into thirds, and sew starting at a bottom corner, going up the side, around the point, down the other side.  Don't topstitch the very bottom of purse though.

Top stitch the bottom (short straight side)

Fold, sew up sides and topstitch around peak

Take a ribbon long enough to wind around the purse a few times, and sew just about the peak.  Sew a cute button on top of those stitches and Voila! Vous avez fini!

Add button and ribbon, rickrack, lace etc.

The only problem with this purse is that as a stay at home him, I generally have way too much stuff to carry around. It's fun to make though, and sometime I will use it!

Enburi Festival

While JP was in Korea this weekend coaching hockey, Szerafina and I made the most of the winter weather and local festivities.  We did a lot of this, walking and digging our way through the snow piles.

Here are some photos of The Enburi Festival.  Enburi is a well know celebration, distinctive to this north eastern region that we live in.  In traditional Japanese folk culture, people believed prayer and dance performance brought a rich rice harvest.  This is a modern rendition of the ancient ritual of honouring the sacred rice crop - the most important crop in the country.

Horses are also important figures in this region.  Thus, the dancers wear decorated horse head caps to symbolise rice harvests where peasant and horse become one.

The dancers and costumes were quite spectacular, and I found myself becoming overcome with emotion.  I felt the sacredness of the movements, the drumming and chanting of the people.   Rice is still considered to be the most important self sustaining crop of the country. In fact the word for meal is 'gohan' which literally translates to 'rice'.

Szerafina and I hung around as spectator for about an hour before the snow made its way into our boots and mittens.  We opted to find some lunch and hot tea, and ended a lovely day by finding some vintage cashmere scarfs (score for Mamma!!).  

Vintage Kimono Love

Kimono in Japan are magical, ceremonial and worth thousands of yen.  There are many different types of fabric and detailing, but the real deal is always costly. These here lovely pieces are second hand, purchased for the equivalent of 5 Canadian dollars.  They were probably worn as 'everyday' kimono because they aren't very fancy, but i love the prints and feel of each of them.

My big scheming dream is to learn how to transform these beauties into summer frocks or otherwise wearable dresses.  There is also a lot of room to play with extra fabric (the huge sleeves and the bottom) so I can use the extra pieces for purses, quilting....who knows what else!  The creative possibilities are endless and it has me reeling for more, more!  But i'll hold off (promise) until I can figure out what to to with them.

Firstly, I'm using some of the fabric on the clutch that I'm working on (from Nicole's tutorial).  I'll take pictures and post on that soon.  Thrifting in Japan is such a goldmine, as everything is so well made and Japanese typically enjoy turning over their wares frequently.  I'm just beginning to learn about where to find nice fabric and collect ideas on what to do with it.

We Got Mail!

And trust me, that's exciting in these parts.  All those Japanese flyers are tough to read, you know.  This was a perfect little package made for sweet little us with love - from Nicole and Lena!  I was totally stoked to find something in there for me too, a sewing tutorial!

I'm a total novice when it comes to sewing (like I just pick something and go at it, youtube as I go). I'd love to take a proper course or class some day when I'm in the 'Big City' and opportunity presents, but in the meantime, I'm happy enough to muddle my way through and see what turns up.  It takes me a while to figure out the lingo and get the project going (all that cutting and ironing?!) but once I do, I feel pretty smug.  This tutorial is for a 'Entirely Impractical Purse', as Nicole calls it, but i'm super excited to use some of the fabric from the vintage kimono I scored a few weeks ago (more on that in another post).

Szerafina received a Cafe Alphabet game.  It's really versatile and can be worked on in so many ways.  It began as a cutting extravaganza, then morphed into matching the first letter of the pictured word with the upper case alphabet letter.  The activity also comes with the lower case letters, so we worked on matching the 'big' and 'little' letters, because 'They're not all the same!' don't ya know.   It was good practice since Szerafina doesn't recognise all the lower case letters yet.  In the future, we could use the letters to spell out the words attached to the picture.  She (this daughter of mine) was also eager to create the 'healthy!' version of the cafe game, where we draw or cut out our own whole foods.  I like it!

Here I run the risk of veering off into tangent land (because we mentioned the topic of food...and you know, i'm kinda into that). Especially food and children.  If I haven't said it before, i'll confess it now, we're kinda food snobs around here. We like to eat local, seasonal, whole-from-scratch and organic when humanly possible grub.   My day revolves around what I cook for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Add in the time to eat and do dishes...and well, that's a fair chunk of my day.  I believe in it, we live it and it won't likely change. HOWEVER. We love to travel, try foods from all over the world and would never turn something down made with love and soul.  Just the other night we had a hankering for Japanese noodles and these delectable dumplings called Gyoza...and it was the night before our organic delivery box, so fridge scraps were running bare.  What am I saying?  That we do keep an open mind and open heart and don't 'shut in' to live an idealistic life in a bubble.   I think it's all about perspective and thinking 'big picture'.

Another example (because you asked, right?) is that I accompany Szerafina to a parent and child Japanese preschool two mornings a week.  It's fabulous, she loves it undeniably and blows me away with her ability to interact and pick up the Japanese language like it's nobody's business.  The kids, teacher and social interaction (for both of us) is desperately needed.  The catch?  Snack time.  The worst possible cookies, cakes, donuts and crackers are served.  I spent the first two months in quiet anxiety as my 'perfect' girl gobbled it up and everyone wondered if I fed her at all.  I've been able to make some peace with the idea that...a few sugary treats will not spoil my loin fruit.  And the reality is, she eats so darn well at home that the occasional 'fall off the wagon' or 'real life eating' may eliminate later food issues in life related to what's 'good' and what's 'bad'.  All this to say...that the cafe game is based on sweet treats :)  But we love it and it's great for play, a wonderful teaching tool and a reminder to keep it 'real'.

A big THANK-YOU to our girls Nicole and Lena!! We will have so much fun returning the activity love real soon.

A new year feast.

A few months ago I discovered the only local yoga studio in the city, and to my surprise, the owner spoke English!  He is an American who has been living in Japan for 18 years and is married to a Japanese woman.  When I contacted him about attending classes at his studio, his response was warm and friendly, and I felt instantly grateful.  When Barry and I got to chatting, we arranged to offer a healthy vegan cooking workshop and feast, along with yoga classes, for a day of learning and retreat.

The workshop day was this weekend, and unfortunately the cooking portion had to be cancelled because Barry came down with the flu (and we were doing it all at his house).  However, I still got to teach my yoga workshop and had lots of fun!  I had planned to take photos of the food and post the menu, and while I don't have pictures I might as well share the recipes here.

I typically don't use exact measurements in my cooking and go on taste, creating the magic as the food cooks (it's magic, right?)  Please use these recipes as a guide and adjust for your individual preferences and number of servings that you would like.   Most of the ingredients I chose are local and in season right now in Japan, but many of these foods are available in other cold climates right now too.  Hope you enjoy!

MENU

~ Creamy Turnip Soup
~ Baked Maple Cinnamon Pumpkin
~ Curried Chickpeas
~ Ginger Carrot & Cabbage Salad

Creamy Turnip Soup

2 bunches of small japanese turnips (7-8)
4 leeks
2 medium potatoes
3-4 cups water or veggie stock
1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
White or yellow miso to taste

Roughly chop and saute the leeks in 1/2 Tbsp of coconut oil in your favourite soup pot.  Quarter the turnips and cube the potatoes, adding those in once the leeks are soft and flavourful.  Add your water or vegetable stock, careful to just *barely* cover your vegetables or else your soup will be too watery.  Bring to a boil, then gently simmer until turnips and potatoes are soft and cooked through.  Use a hand blender to make your soup smooth and creamy, turn off the burner.  Gently stir one tablespoon of miso into the soup at a time, adding more as it fits your taste.  Most of the saltiness and flavour will come from the miso, so keep testing as you add.

Baked Maple Cinnamon Pumpkin

What can I say, I had to add some Canadiana to the meal!  Use only the best Canadian Maple Syrup for this recipe.

1 small pumpkin
sea salt
cinnamon
cumin
maple syrup
coconut oil

Slice your pumpkin into crescent moon shapes and evenly spread them out in your baking dish.  Sprinkle some sea salt, a touch of cumin and cinnamon to taste.  Drizzle a thin layer of melted coconut oil and a medium layer of pure canadian delicious maple syrup.  Bake in the oven at 350 until pumpkin is soft and mushy.

Curried Chickpeas

I use a Japanese curry powder for this recipe, and Japanese curry is a fair bit sweeter than other traditional kinds.  If you don't have access to an asian grocer selling this particular spice blend, I would plan to sweeten your curry dish with a bit of honey or maple syrup to get a similar flavour.

2 cups of soaked and boiled chickpeas
1 Tbsp fresh ginger
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 a medium onion, finely chopped
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
2-3 Tbsp Japanese curry (or any type of curry with 2 Tbsp of honey)
Sea salt or soy sauce.

Saute your ginger, onion and garlic in coconut oil, careful not to burn.  Once the lovely aroma hits, time to add the curry, getting the powder nice and wet.  Let it warm for a minute on low heat.  Add the cooked chickpeas and a tiny bit of water if things start to stick to the pan.  Add sea salt or soy sauce to taste. It will only take 5-10 minutes for the flavours to blend.

Ginger Carrot & Cabbage Salad

2-3 medium carrots, grated
1 head of cabbage
1-2 Tbsp fresh ginger
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
2 sheets of nori
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup rice vinegar (without sugar) or apple cider vinegar
1-2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp olive oil
sea salt

Cut the cabbage in half or quarters and thinly slice into long strips, place into salad bowl. Add the carrots and onion.  This is an important step!  Sprinkle sea salt onto the salad and drizzle about 1 tbsp of olive oil into the bowl.  Vigorously massage the cabbage with your hands, the salt and oil will help to soften and wilt the cabbage.  On the side, mix together your dressing (ginger, vinegar, honey, sesame oil) and pour over the salad.  Add raisins and toasted sunflower seeds, garnish with thinly cut up strips of nori seaweed.

And that's it, a perfectly healthy and balanced vegan winter meal made to share with friends!

painting stones and telling stories.

We are getting into more storytelling around here, the kind that you make up as you go along.  It seems to agree with long winter afternoons, a cup of tea and a warm wool blanket.   Painting stones to use to tell stories is probably more of a spring or summer activity, but on one particular clear day in the park we spotted some perfect rocks for painting and we seized the opportunity.

All you do is prepare for an outdoor adventure with a crafty 'treasure' bag (we always have one at the ready!) and hunt for smooth rocks.  When you return home, wash the rocks and let them fully dry.  Next, it's time to paint.  I chose to use acrylic because it sticks well and the colours are vibrant, however it is tricky to paint in detail (at least for me it is) so I would use small paint brushes, toothpicks and Q-tips.  You could use a theme, like farm animals or winter, and paint objects that remind you of that theme.  This time, we chose to freestyle and paint whatever came to mind.  Here's a sample of what we came up with:

A sun, heart, moon and stars, rainy day, fall scene, bunny rabbit, dog, tree, snow storm and a few more.  I put all the stones into a drawstring bag and randomly pick one at a time, alternating story telling between myself and Finny.  She had to see me do it a few times alone before joining in, but after that she was letting her imagination run wild.  I would definitely do this again, maybe grouping the stones into themes or subjects, according to what we are focusing on.

I'd like to come up with more ways to encourage imagination and creative expression through unplanned activities such as this, it's great fun for both parent and child!

hoops and fancy dresses.

I've been wanting to teach Szerafina (er, myself) how to embroider, so I figured i'd get us both a hoop and some floss.  I got a piece of burlap fabric for her, along with a blunt needle, pink thread and made sure she was well fed and content.  We did this project in the afternoon, alongside tea and homemade cookies.

I really had no idea what her interest or skill level readiness would be for this, but with a few simple instructions she was totally into it!  It was so fun to watch her amazement at her own work, exclaiming, 'look, I did another one!' each time.  Maybe she could have done this earlier, but she is primed for it now.  I really enjoyed watching the design and process unfold, and expect that she'll want to add a little to it whenever the mood strikes.  Right now I have her project sitting up on a little shelf, ready to go.

As for myself, I started with a simple stitching of my nieces name, as I plan to sew a rolled up pencil crayon holder for her.  Stay tuned for that.

Bored to Creativity.

Konichiwa! From Japan, in case you hadn't guessed.  I'm pleased to make it to the pages of this blog, as a way to share Mama stories and adventures in crafting, food, and the little things that string together to make up our life.

Right now, my husband and 3 year old daughter and I live in a small city in north eastern Japan.  He coaches hockey, which takes him on the road for long stretches of time.  I do my best to remain positive and upbeat, but you'll get an honest glimpse into what life is like as a 'single mom' in a very foreign place.  We are on day 9 of a 16 day separation, and here's how i've planned to keep my girl and myself engaged.

*  A friend of mine shared an idea called 'strewing' which involves casually setting up an activity for your child to notice and work with on their own.  No instructions given.  Some examples are a tray with clay and small tools (pipe cleaners, child scissors, tooth picks), stickers and paper, sensory bin, etc.  I've been doing this before I go to bed at night, so that when we come downstairs in the morning, instead of asking me to play with her right away she finds an activity for solo time.  It has been working quite well, some activities more than others. It gives me about 15-20 minutes of quiet time to make tea and prepare breakfast.  It's a smooth start to our day.

*  I've organised a shelf with bins and envelopes of prepared activities.  Some of these things are origami paper, markers and a journal, felt story books that we made, letters for tracing, doll dresses, small animal toys, stamps and stamp pad.  In this way, she can direct herself to an activity if she wants to (although it doesn't happen that often), or ideas are at the ready for me to suggest we do.  It really prevents the 'what do we do now?' and 'can I watch a show?' when we both get tired and bored.

* A whole area in her room dedicated to dress up play. She loves it so much, so I thought it deserved it's own space, away from the already over crowded and small living room.  She even goes up on her own to change outfits, which shows me that she's slowly getting ready for more independent play if I set it up right.

* At night, I make sure I set aside at least 45 minutes before bed to decompress, meditate (even if it's just 5 minutes!) and journal 3 pages, including thoughts on how our day went and what tomorrow could look like.  This is SO helpful as an outlet. It also makes the days run smoother, as i've set an intention.

* I commit to one out-of-the-house activity per day. It can be as small as a walk around the block, to a morning at a nearby museum.  We do it before lunch, and reserve the afternoon for crafting and dinner making.

* I have small goals for myself, that include knitting projects, beginner sewing activities, and new ones, like embroidery.  Having something at the fingertips during the day helps to unwind and feel like i've accomplished something tangible.

Now if I can get it together enough to find the charger to my camera and document some of our projects, I'll be sure to share through photos as well as words.