What I am working on now...

When I really should be doing something else more important...The pattern is from Umami by Ezura Yoshimi (ISBN4-579-1085-6).

Actually, this is sort of important. I have promised myself this bag for a while now. I am using a super-synthetic snake skin that I bought at Fabricland from the remnant bin. I finally have a project for it. I am finding the gathers more challenging than I thought I guess because it is kind of hard to see the thread on the fabric and, because my new sewing machine is proving sort of difficult to work with. It is not a fancy machine--I just bought a cheaper brother machine because I wanted to make sure that I wanted to continue to sew--but now I sort of regret it. I loved the brother machine that I had when we lived in England but this one is not so easy to use. Anyway, I will post the project after I have time to photograph it.

Five Things You Can Do Right Now To Improve Your Business

via Bakery:

Yes, you can do these five easy things right now. Like, today.

1) Put links to your website(s), blog(s), etc. in your email signature. Yep, even if you’re only emailing with your mom.

2) Subscribe to the top 3 blogs that you feel are direct competitors to yours.

3) Subscribe to the top 3 blogs you strive to be.

4) Purchase something from any Etsy shop you admire. When your item comes, look closely at it: how it is made, the packaging it came in (presentation), and how the seller dealt with your purchase. Learn from it.

5) Write down a one-line short-term goal (and, it can’t be “check email” — make it something you need to work toward). Whether it’s financial, website visitors, sales, clients, whatever it is, write it down. Then, tape it or pin it up where you work. Look at it every day. Only take it down when you’ve accomplished the goal.

Platform 21 Manifesto

Platform 21

Dispatchwork by Jan Vormann


Platform21 = Repairing
Stop recycling, start repairing!

* 13 Mar 09...31 Aug 09
00 00 - 00 00 Platform21 Prinses Irenestraat 19, 1077 WT Amsterdam (view on map) Prinses Irenestraat 19 1077 WT Amsterdam T +31203449444

Platform21 = Repairing starts from the notion that repair, as a creative, cultural and economical force is underestimated. With this, an incredibly rich body of knowledge, a part of our independence and pleasure could be lost. This situation is especially puzzling if you consider the global interest in other durable visions like recycling, and the cradle-to-cradle philosophy. Hence Platform21 = Repairing wants to create more awareness of a mentality, culture and practice that not so long ago was completely integrated in life and the way we designed it. It is not too late though.

As a start of to what hopefully becomes a reappraisal of repair, especially in Western countries, Platform21 has written a manifesto, describing some of the qualities we believe repair offers. We call upon designers and consumers to break the chain of our throwaway thinking. It is a way of thinking, a culture in itself almost, designed to cater to short term needs of both industry, politics and society. But by being very successful at short term effects it has lost track of the innumerable and rich possibilities that lie ahead if durable notions of design in general, and repair especially, are reconsidered and implemented.

More at Platform 21

Murakami mits

Just taking a quick peek at Ravelry before I am out to pick up my daughter and I saw these amazing mittens that combine two of my favorite hobbies: knitting and Haruki Murakami! Tora says that the mittens are knit with the following quote from a Wild Sheep Chase: "You'll never see that woman again...Because you thought only of yourself." A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

More at Tora's blog: knittingalot