Try and Error, I made four leather straps!!!!

Yesterday, I tried to make leather straps.


At first, I polished the back and side of the strips with glue for leather.


Then, I tried to put cap rivets.

It was really difficult for me. One is because my hammer is of rubber and couldn't beat well. And also because I didn't get a setter for it.
So the rivets didn't go well. I made many failed pieces...

Then, I went out to get good hammer and setter for me and retry it.

It got much easier than before!!!! I could put the rivets well and I finished making straps.


The top one is what I got and the other four are what I made by myself. (At first, I cut six strips... He he...)
Now I can make my new pouches with my handmade straps (* v *)!!!!

At last, I made a little leather charm for my practice of stitching.

It was difficult to cut a circle with cutter knife, and to make good stitching holes. But I'm just getting started it! It's only the beginning!

Today when I went out with my boyfriend, I got this book as a text.

I couldn't find it in Amazon.com.
This is written by a woman who is from Yoshida & Co.ltd.(of PORTER).

She wrote detailed instruction and basic information using lots of pictures.
I try to make this passport case at first.

I hope it appears well and I can post here about it...

Thank you very much for reading!
Have a good weekend to you all!

Bo-chan, Lecien fabrics and leather pieces

I went to see Bo-chan today.
But he was in the house, and seemed very sleepy.
I sang a song for him (* v *)!!!!!

When I came back home, I saw to packages arrived.
One is leather pieces. I wanted to make leather straps for my new pouches, and got this pack and some tools.


They are approx. 9 inches square, and costed only 10 dollars for all.


I also got a rotary cutter knife and cut the leather in strip using it.
It was so easy to cut! I wanted to get the rotary cutter knife and try it to cut bias tapes. I also tried to cut fabrics in bias and it came out very well! I should have got it earlier...

I'm enjoying to try new things.


And the second package includes lots of Lecien fabrics.
Most of them are of Lecien. There was a sale in a Japanese online shop, and they were quite cheap.

Now I'm making the tutorial of my leather strap pouches. Please wait for a while.

Arigato (* v *)!!!!

!!! Matsuri !!!

Last weekend, I went to a summer festival of a small shrine.
There were lots of people and food stalls.

This is a Yakitori(Grilled chicken) stalls.

And this is a Okonomiyaki stalls. I love it very much so we got it! It had lots of cabbage, noodle, two eggs, bacon, flour, Dashi-soup, calamari etc... Full of tastes!


There were lots of children in this stall. They were getting golden fishes with thin paper tool. It's difficult to get fishes without breaking the paper.


Cute toys and a cute girl.


The main of this festival is Mikoshi, portable shrine. The first one was brought by the school kids.

They are wearing the same costumes. They don't put shoes, only Japanese socks(We usually don't wear them, only for matsuri).


Mikoshi are not so big, but very heavy. So they got really sweaty.


I like to watch the detail of Mikoshi.
It's so beautiful and well conserved.


Many women were bringing it also and children were helping them bringing lights or paying drums.


At the end of the street, some people were playing drums. I love the beat very much so we were seeing it to the end.

I enjoyed this festival a lot. Economically, it's not in good situation but they seemed very happy, friendly and worked together happily.
I like to see smiling faces! Of course, I smiled a lot (* v *)!!!!

Handmade stamps

Hi there!
I got new cutter knife for carving stamps yesterday.
I used to use normal cutter before and I couldn't carve well at all.


I also got some pieces of wood for stamp handle. I cut the rubber as the size of wood piece.


These are tools what I use for stamps.
Cutting board, carving knives, my new cutter knife, wood pieces and rubber piece.


At first, cut the rubber as the size of wood piece.


Then draw the design on it. I directly draw it on the rubber with thick pen.


Then I began carving from outlines.


I finished it!
I want to stamp it on cotton tape and use it as a tag for my items.
I ordered some inks for fabrics and am waiting for them.

Enjoy handmade!

New pouches with leather straps and cats.

I got some leather straps recently.
They are only 9 inches long, so it fits only small wallet or pouch.
So yesterday I made these pouches.


At first I wondered how I close the pouch. With a zipper or a flap?
Then I thought of drawstring.
I wanted to make a little fat shape one.


I used thick cotton linen fabric to make the bottom sharp.
Then made two fabric covered buttons to decorate it. It's fun to think a new design, isn't it?


When I finished making it, I really liked the shape (* v *)!!!!!


It can hold only change wallets, cell phones or some candies. I think it's good for kids also.


This was very easy to make. I'd like to write here the instruction to make this type of pouch.


When I went out yesterday, I saw some cute cats.
I like his/her cute face very much!!!!


He/she run away soon after I took this picture.


Sleeping like my boyfriend...


I also went to see Bo-chan and he was sleeping well too.

Have a good day!

My daily exercise with Youtube

I stay at home most of a day.
So I need some exercise.

Several years ago, I tried to do Nintendo WII Fits.
It was good for some months, but soon I feel short of the programs and I couldn't continue it for long.

I want to go outside for run. But I'm a very lazy person and when it rains or it's too hot or too cold, I soon quit going out. I sometimes frequented to the gym, but only when I was with my friends. When I decided to go one by myself, I could go only several times....

I'm such a lazy person.


But for these three months, I could continue daily exercise.
It's because I do it in my room with my PC.
I jog for 15-20 minutes(on the exercise mat), then do these exercises for 20-30 minutes with Youtube.





I could lose my cholesterol by 20 percents in one month!( even if I cannot loose my weight at all... )
I go to donate blood sometimes and check it.

But I'm quite better than 3 months before. I was suffering from stiff shoulders because I'm sewing every day. But now, they are quite good!

Thank you for reading.
Have a good day!

Petit remake of my tank top

I got a tank top recently, but it hurts me at the shoulders.
Because the straps are short for me, and the stitching at the strap hurts my shoulders.

So I cut them.


And put my favorite double gauze fabric, making the strap longer to fit my shoulders.


Now, I can wear it comfortably.


And I made these flowers recently.
I mixed water and glue, and rinse small pieces of cotton in it.
Then I dried them. They became crisply and they don't fray easily.

I made these flowers with the pieces.
I wanted to make a flower like dahlia, but I couldn't... I'll try again!

An idea to organize fabrics

I have little space for my fabrics, and most of them are in boxes.
When I make something new, I usually take upper fabrics in the boxes.
So sometimes I re-organize them all and notice I forget some fabrics in the bottom.

Today I got a good idea in my head for them.

At first, I cut recycled paper(some catalogs) in small pieces.
Then I cut the same size piece from my fabrics. I wanted to do it for them all, but some fabrics are not so big and I didn't want to cut them. So I cut maybe 80% of my stash.

At last I paste them on the pieces of paper.
I also wrote a note on the back, where I got them.


That's all!
I made about 150 pieces (* v *)! It took 2-3 hours.


I ordered them in colors.

I can make combination of fabrics with them. I'll use them for making the kits of Sarubobo pincushion.


I also made pockets to put them, also using catalogs( I like them because they are hard and I have lots of camera catalogs).

How do you organize your fabrics?? When I make something with patchwork, I always make them messy.

By the way,,,
Today I went to see Bo-chan, and he was quite well. Whenever I go to him, I can meet new people who also came to him. He has much more friends than me!