[ ✄ ] Holiday Decorations

I'm not big on holiday decorations but this year I decided to make some fabric pumpkins for Thanksgiving after seeing them in an old Martha Stewart magazine. Luckily, I remembered to browse my old magazines before getting on the internet (and inevitably losing many hours) for inspiration. They were really easy to do but still time consuming. Now I understand why people buy decorations that are used only once a year! For most of the stems, I ended up cheating and rolling thin strips of felt, and hot-gluing them. Sooooo much faster.


I also used the holidays as a deadline to make fabric napkins with mitered corners. Another sewing project I would've never completed, had it not been for the need.

For December…



These felt ornaments are made with instructions from the Purl Bee. Purl Bee is always full of great projects, so I often go there before using any other resources on-line. This was also time consuming but not hard. It was a great project to do while catching up on podcasts. Plus, I think I will leave the twig-mobile version for the non-holiday times too. Previously, it looked like this.

Happy Holidays, everyone! ❄

[ ✄ ] Pillows With Zippers

Learning to make pillow covers with zippers has been on my list of New Year resolutions, for several years. But I can finally cross this off this year, dammit. Zippers got nuthin'on me!

We'll see about that.


All in all, it wasn't that bad. If I can do it, you can do it. I learned how to attach both invisible zippers and conventional zippers by studying various tutorials online (see links below). I prefer the look of the invisible zippers. I am really happy with these pillows now. Before you could see the inserts peeking out (because I made them with barely enough fabric sans zippers. Ha!) and now they're nicely packed in and firm. Problem solved.

Even though I was able to manage with the zipper foot that came with my sewing machine, I still got a foot specifically designed to be used with invisible zippers, so I don't have to spend extra time ironing out the zippers. On a side note, if you have Janome HD-1000, don't get the Coats Invisible Zipper Foot kit. It will not fit. I ended up just getting the Janome-brand concealed zipper foot, which worked out pretty well.





Thanks to the writers of the following helpful tutorials on invisible zippers:

• http://www.stitchedincolor.com/2011/01/invisible-zipper-tutorial.html
• http://sewplicity.blogspot.com/2011/04/tutorial-pillow-cover-with-almost.html
• http://sewkatiedid.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/zip-to-your-pillow/

One for "regular" zippers:

• http://www.designsponge.com/2010/03/sewing-101-zippered-throw-pillows.html (don't miss this comment by Mixette)

Okay! Onward! To the next item on my New Year Resolutions list.
Uh, what was it again?

[ ✄ ] A New Way to Enjoy Polaroids

There was a corner in the living room with this framed San Francisco map (actually a wrapping paper). Boring.


Woot! Look at that.


A new way to enjoy Polaroids! New to me at least. Remember how I made necklace organizers with cup hooks? And how I wanted to use the hooks everywhere for no reason? Well, I found a reason.

Some of the other ways I've enjoyed Polaroids:

• Rainbow heart
• Japan photo albums

I Made: necklaces + organizer

This project was all about using what I already had.
It started with a cheap, multi-strand necklace that I never reached for. It had this pink theme going, and I was like, what the heck. Why did I buy this. So, I separated the strands out into separate necklaces, using chains and clasps I had saved from who knows what. One of them, on the right above, now has a crochet string made from a pattern in my favorite crochet book (featured in one of my older posts here).


You'll recognize my old cell phone strap mentioned in the same old post, turned into a necklace charm, on the far left above. The strap part finally broke after years of use and I couldn't throw it out.

All these had to go somewhere, and then I remembered this diy jewelry shadowboxes project over at Design*Sponge. I got a pack of tiny cup hooks at a local hardware store and attached them to the bottom of three wooden frames that I wasn't using.

Voilà. That was super simple and easy.
Now I want to put cup hooks on all the frames in the house for no good reason, heh.

How do you keep your necklaces?

PS: "Just start" was inspired by Elise Joy (via seasaw) and this papernstich dry erase board tutorial. I love it because it reminds me of the Korean saying that roughly translates to "to start is to be half way done."

Crafty Ideas from Anthro

I spotted this whimsical wall clock (similar here) at Anthropologie while shopping there over the weekend. How fun! I wonder if those strings below can be pulled..

If the store wasn't such a zoo, I would have taken my time and explored all the interior decorations because Anthropologie always seems to have the most interesting ideas. Like this:

Sorry for the cell phone camera quality but this was taken almost two years ago at an Anthropologie in either Seattle or Chicago, I do not remember. I wanted to use this idea for my own interior decorating but I haven't tried it yet. I should, though, with something like "Please take off your shoes". Except I'm worried about myself bumping into the pins all the time. Ouch.

Did you see anything interesting over the weekend?

Rainbow Heart

Here is the mini Polaroid project I mentioned in my previous post. I was inspired by other Polaroid lovers who did similar things with their Polaroids. I wish I can remember where I saw them!

It was citrusboy's idea to do the rainbow effect. It took some planning on a grid paper, and lots of shuffling but it was a lot of fun. Not a bad way to use the other 85% of Polaroids, no? ;)

White Frames

On my last trip to Ikea, I got a whole bunch of white frames for all the art prints and posters that have been sitting in storage too long and to update my Poladoodle prints. They were in black frames so far, and while they worked for some images, I felt they could look better if they were all in white.



I'm happy with the way they look in the new frames, despite the slight-yet-more-noticeable-than-others blue tint in the glasses. Are all Ikea frames like that? Anyway, San Francisco map in the big frame is a wrapping paper from Cavallini & Co, and I'm so glad it's finally framed after, oh I don't know, 2 years? There are plenty more to frame, and you'll see them here soon. Unless I make the frames wait 2 years, too. No, I will not let that happen! ^^

Happy weekend everyone~

More small changes..

First of all, here is the inspiration for the small changes I've made to the bedroom.

This image from Domino Magazine convinced me that I must get some task lamps for the bedside tables. And it got me lusting after the Archimoon table lamps at Room & Board, which look awfully like the ones pictured here. But since I can't afford them ($464! Each!), I've opted for the Antifoni table lamps from Ikea.
Not as beautiful as the Archimoon but it will do, right?

I also added more color to the room by making gingham cushion covers to match the bedding, with fabric from Etsy seller cottonblue. Now, some artwork above the bed and the room will be pretty much done!

And have you seen the sneak peek of Office over at Design*Sponge? Love.

Few changes..

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time trying to improve how things look around the apartment. Like browsing many catalogs and sites like Apartment Therapy, rearranging furniture, taking a rare trip to Ikea.. I even got some archival boards (finally!) to cut some custom mats for all the wonderful prints I've collected so far.

Here are some of the small changes I've made recently:
I replaced the polaroids hanging on the wire with some Chihiro Iwasaki postcards I bought on my last trip to Tokyo. She is one of my favorite illustrators.

A mirror with key hooks for the entryway from CB2. It fits perfectly in the narrow wall and is very convenient for a quick check before I step out.

What I would really like to do is paint all the walls some non-white colors but the landlord won't allow it. Oh well.

More changes to come.. :)

Fun with envelopes

I hope you all had a great weekend! I was able to enjoy the beautiful weather and relax, maybe too much, because I finally finished my taxes. I've been procrastinating it until the beginning of this month, and it was not fun going through all the receipts and calculating inventory. I spent many many hours crunching numbers in Excel and setting up spreadsheets for the next year's taxes. Oh yeah, I'm totally ready for the next one.

Right.. Anyway, doing the taxes got me in the organizing mood, and this is what I did over the weekend:

Envelopes + cork board!
The board was starting to look too cluttered, and my desk was getting messy with random notes I jotted down on small pieces of paper. Apparently, I take that after my dad. I recently found this out from my mom. She said it drives her nuts that he leaves pieces of paper everywhere. Heh.


Pretty borders on the flaps with edge punches from Martha Stewart + printed labels. Love it. I'm thoroughly enjoying these and also finding them very useful.
The idea of using envelopes came about after seeing this envelope book by Derek and Lauren of Curiosity Shoppe. It's so simple. Why didn't I think of this before? Maybe many people out there do the same thing already. I feel so.. behind. ^_^;;

Polaroids on Wire

Hello!
What a gorgeous day, here in San Francisco. The weekend was nice, too. I did a lot of walking around and shopping with citrusboy during the weekend, and this!

I installed a wire across the wall to display my Polaroid films. After more than six months since I moved, the kitchen wall is finally decorated! I've been meaning to try it for so long, too.. I didn't know all I needed was some eye screws and picture hanging wire!

Maybe all the pictures should be of yummy foods.. :)

Let Me Show You..

.. my room. This is Lilacmoon Studio. :D
I think I'm finally done furnishing it, even though it's been several months since I moved. I know I talked smack about showing you some pictures along the way but it wasn't pretty..


This is the corner of the desk that you can't see from the first picture (facing the kitchen).

I love spending time here, especially in the afternoon when it gets really bright. I wish I can work without the desk though because the rug is so plush, I just want to lie down. But then, no work would get done, right? ;)