NYC Craft Swag

Finally after a bit a time and many meetings I've had the time for myself to work on this post about my crafty purchases in New York City from the beginning of this month.

These were my luscious purchases from Purl Soho. My hubby actually bought me my two half yard pieces of Liberty of London.

I got a good collection of crewel wool to add to my supplies and I was good enough to only buy myself two skeins of yarn both by Madelinetosh .

I went for Florals in Liberty because this is what they are known for. Amazing robust patterns with an array of colors, never looking tacky but so much details into every square inch. I also got this cute Japanese polka dot bias tape which I hope to use on a blouse I have plans to make.

I stayed mostly in blues and greens in my selection since I am still planning to work on bruises for my embroidery but I added in a few choice colors just for me to play with.

Here is a close up for the gorgeous yarns I got in Tomato and Robin's Egg blue. One day when I have my own yarn store I am going to make sure I carry this yarn company. It is just so beautiful and artful.

For yet another hobby that I love which is beading and making jewelry I got myself a new little tool that I thought I would try out and some copper Swarovski encrusted beads for a bracelet.

Of course I had to get some Crafty books while I was at Kino Kuniya and I picked up a Stumpwork embroidery book and fingerless glove book. Also the most recent Gap Press Haute Couture magazine. I've giving up mostly on getting all the pret-a-porter versions of this magazine because they never wow me as much as the Haute Couture does.

Through our many subway rides I came upon this quirky little women's room turned convenience store. I just had to take a picture and share. The men's side was not in good shape and seemed to be turned into a subway maintenance closet.

I love that we have started to finish each trip to NYC with Dim Sum in the City at the huge banquet hall Jing Fong. Got to spend time with one of my favorite people Juyon and see my friend Julie who I don't think I've seen since we were at Yonsei together in 1999 (yes I am old if you didn't know that already). With Hubby in tow of course.

Now the problem lies with what will I do with my fantastic little Liberty of London Fabrics and what to knit with my new yarns?!
Any and all suggestions are welcome!

My Version of Heaven

Is pretty much Purl Soho. What a fantastic store! How in the world I came out of there spending less then $100 is a miracle all on it's own. Part of it was due to me being there just as they were celebrating their 10 year anniversary so the entire store was 20% off. I was too lucky. It isn't a huge store but it is well organized and every single nook and crannie is filled with beautiful fibers. It reminded of the concept that Anthropologie stores go for, where you really need to look under each table and drawer to see what new things are hidden.

As soon as you walk in you are greeted by a wall of Liberty of London fabrics hooped into embroidery hoops decorating a wall. Then your eyes follow the rainbow cascade of yarns and fibers all long the left side.

The Right side of the store is full of notions, embroidery threads, buttons, bias binding tape just oodles of things once again color coded like a rainbow to make your mind blow.

 They had a humungous collection of wool felts that I could of easily spent my paycheck on but I persevered and only bought what I came there to do, Crewel Wool.

 It was very hard with all this charming yarn and my new rule in set that I must use two two skeins before I can buy a new once was very hard but I was good.

It gave me many great ideas of what to do with all the little waste yarn hearts and flowers I've been making. I think I will have to join up with a spinner to make some unique yarns of our own. I wish I had bought this yarn just as inspiration but alas the photo will have to do.

Seeing all the things from the Purlbee in person was nice to get a sense of how the photography can play tricks to make things look much better. Not that things were not still wonderful but it's good to see them in person, makes it realistic and more attainable. I call it the pinterest effect, where you see something think it's neat and store it away never to actually do it. This shattered that effect for me on a few projects.

As soon as the first person asked me if I needed I told immediately that I had come for one thing only and that was Appleton Crewel Wool. The brought out the swatch card from some secret compartment and I went to work making my list and checking against the crewel wool colors that had come in the week before to make sure I had no duplicates. It was a long process but well worth it. I can barely even begin to voice my excitement of trying out this new fiber into my art.

There were about 6 drawers such as this filled with crewel wool colors.

 Then there was the Liberty of London Wall. So much soft and pretty fabrics costing quite a pretty penny. A yard is about $25.00 or more. I've never been able to shut my eyes and throw down for some of this fabric. It is just too hard to decide what to make out of it. It's too pretty and expensive to just use it for a coin purse yet so expensive I shudder at the thought of trying to buy yardage for a skirt or dress. I know I have worked in other more expensive fabrics but for some reason Liberty of London just puts the fear in me.

On the way out I just had to do my classic "I'm an Asian Tourist" self portrait in front of the hoop wall. It was one of the last things we did in the city before we went to our airport for what would end up being a LONG and terrible trip with a bit of Silver lining. I'll discuss that another post when the idea of flying doesn't infuriate me.

Cheers!

Paris Sewing Cafe and dreaming

Today on Facebook my friend Sheila posted this link to a Sewing Cafe in Paris!

The Article is here "Sweat Shop"

Picture is taken from the Article

It is an amazing and wonderful Idea.  Classes, coffee, juice, for adults and childern, Sewing machine rentals by the hour.  This is very near to my heart with a dream I have for opening my own place up in Columbus.  I have an 8 year plan.  Of course I would like it to be sooner but money needs to be saved and time carefully judged between work, teaching and wedding, eventually family.

I'm a planner deep down even though it seems I do things on a whim sometimes.
I thought I would never want to do this in my life but the more and more I dwell on it and am inspired by my friend Stephanie Bair- Garant and her shop, The Gangway, I can't help but dream.

Interior Photo of back of the Gangway

My dream is to in 8-10 years open my own little store in Grandview/Columbus area. The missing link Yarn, craft gift store that is lacking. Someplace to have tea, knit, paper craft, what have you, that isn't Joanne's that specializes in the unique, handmade, and elegant.

Photo from Martha Stewart Crafts of Purl Soho

How wonderful would that be to have my own little shop with some kitties in tow where I can sit, blog, create and inspire other people. Have very simple DIY classes and just some general workshop hours, making little cubicles to use in house die-cutter tools and purchase things as needed. A small library collection to browse while in store.  Perhaps some embroidery machines.

I look at balls of yarn, knick knacks, the things I save from magazine after magazine that I think someday this will make a beautiful card. I am a collector and the only way to make room in my life for new things is to sell them and give them away. There are also so many things I want to continue to do and I feel like I just do not have the time to really get these things accomplished unless I have full days to dedicate to perfecting them.

My main joys in life are to make things whether it be from fabric, paper, beads, wood upcycled items. I feel like it is the next step in my life is to pursue this after I am more financially settled and the wedding is over. School sounds interesting but not as interesting as educating myself and reviving some long ignored crafts into this new world of Indie Crafts and DIY mentality.  Not to mention just having my own little awesome space to meet with friends, past students and meet new people.