FAQ Friday

Thanks everyone for the feedback on Sarah's peasant blouse.  I wasn't surprised that so many of you were as happy as I was to find that pattern.   I should have added that Miriam's booklet was easy to follow and perfect (as she states) for the beginner seamstress.  I keep going back to her site and admiring the Mexican dress she made.  I told her I have some lovely white linen sitting here all ready and waiting to make another blouse (for me this time).  I've been saving it, waiting for the right project, and this is it.  Sarah wants to design another yoke too, so I've given her some paper with the pattern traced onto it to experiment with.  I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Well, here it is Friday already and we're about to head off into a busy weekend.  Before I skip happily into the sunset, here's the latest FAQ from my laptop to yours.  Just some of the things inquiring minds want to know. . .

      Q.  You mentioned the cute Japanese craft books that you get a lot of ideas from? Two questions: 1) where do you buy/order the books? and 2) how do you figure out the patterns and instructions if you don't read Japanese? ~Teresa A.  Lots of people still wonder about this I hear.  Obtaining Japanese craft books and magazines is somewhat of a challenge.  They're usually not readily available in bookstores and shops outside of larger, more ethnically mixed cities, so shopping online is usually how I find them.  Check out this site and another here.  Both have English versions, but you will have to do your own currency conversion to figure out how much things cost.  If you aren't up to that challenge, check out Super Buzzy and this auction site for the best selling titles.    Aside:  Crafting Japanese is an excellent site for finding books and getting a peak at what's inside them.  It's mainly a collective forum for sharing book information with a corresponding handmade project.  The site is currently in flux and in need of a little revisional TLC and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it continues to live on in any form, because it's been a valuable resource.   Very much appreciated by me anyway and I assume by many crafters. As far as "reading Japanese", no one I know does!  But fortunately, most of the craft books have detailed drawings of each step.  Some even include printed pattern sheets.   With others you have to guess at the size specs, but for most things it's not that difficult if you have a little sewing knowledge.    Even if you can't figure it out, sometimes they're just nice to have around to inspire creativity.  Photos shown are from one of my favorite books from 2006,  and contains an excellent variety of tote bags:  ISBN4-07-246480-5.  (It's the book in the lower right corner of the top photo.)

Q.  How do you stay motivated to finish all the things you start?  I have so many half-finished projects and can't seem to stay focused on any of them.   Any advice you can give me?  ~Liz

A.  Well, keeping it real, I don't always finish everything I start.  For example,  I've been pulling this quilt out and putting a few stitches on it for eight years now.  It's been a WIP way too long and I really should finish it, but I never seem to get around to it.  This is a problem I think we all struggle with and for various reasons.  I blogged about it last year when I got fed up with all my UFO's (unfinished objects) and called for a month of Finish What You Have.   That in itself was very motivating, especially because a lot of crafter's were also on board with the idea and we kind of inspired each other to push on.  A flickr group formed and the finished projects started materializing. I find that if I have too many things started, I get overwhelmed, lose all ambition, and get depressed from inactivity.  I also find that when I finish things and/or just clean-up my workspace, I feel rejuvinated and inspiration has a place to grow.    Maybe it's time to re-visit that idea again.  Anyone else ready to meet the challenge?