love: Japanese craft books

Happiness is sitting at Kinukuniya Bookstore one whole afternoon thumbing through pages of Japanese craft books or better yet buying as many as you can afford to add to your collection. I bought a couple of these books late last year to get some inspirations on making my own bags, but of course not much sewing happened.

These books are so fun to look at, although they are mostly written in Japanese, the instructions with the diagrams are very easy to follow.

These photos are my favorites. The totes are so cute!!

I managed to make one just like this which turned out pretty good, I think.

I used dark brown corduroy for the handles. For the bag I used brown wool and some lace for the details.

corner of my studio

I missed sewing. Today I revisited my spider-ridden studio corner where my neglected Pfaff and threads reside and took photos of my supplies instead. I haven’t sewn anything in months since I opened Modish Vintage on etsy. It’s a shame since I keep finding pretty vintage fabric and supplies each time I go thrifting, and each time I day dream of what cute bags and dresses I can make with them. But alas, I don’t and can’t find time.

Sewing requires time, creativity and lots of patience, all of which I lack at the moment. I have so much respect for all the talented tailors and seamstress on Etsy for all the hardwork and creativity they put on their work. I don’t think I can be a good seamstress, I don’t like the process so much, like the measuring, cutting, basting and the most fun part - unpicking stitches; (I could never imagine sewing in the old days without the almighty seam ripper , those ladies must be cussing up a storm all day in their shops back then) Anyways, I can never wait to see the end result. I’ll start a project, won’t cook, eat or sleep so I can finish and see the finish product.

Since I don’t forsee any sewing in the near future, I am listing some sewing supplies at the shop soon, please look for them.

going green with vintage items

I have to admit that I was not a vintage lover/shopper all my life. I used to be a "label whor*" in my youth. I used to think carrying a Coach bag is very fashionable and owning a Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 is a girl’s ultimate dream come true. Until I started seeing everybody carrying those purses, knock offs or the real thing, it started to look superficial and they kind of lost their novelty. I still have my LV Speedy, it is bundled up in my closet collecting dust. With only thrift stores to go to lately and occasional grocery and Target runs I’m perfectly happy with my huge handmade tote.

Then came home ownership with its financial responsibilities made me realized that newer is not always better. I thrifted mostly everything to furnish my first home, and that’s about the time I got into vintage and antique items. I appreciate the craftsmanship and originality of older pieces. Vintage items has so much story to tell, they have a kind of romantic sensibility that you don’t get from buying a newer item from the mall or boutique.

Sometimes it’s necessary to buy something new, but the vast majority of the time you can recycle, repair or find vintage items not only do you express your own personal stylish self but also doing your part to protect the planet one vintage green cup or canister at a time.

Please look for these green vintage items at Modish Vintage shop soon!