28 Jul 2006: Keep Truckin'
Oh, this heat can make a person bird. . . so. . . sleepy in the afternoon. Ah, but I kid -- we have air conditioning! At home AND at the office! And I travel between the two in a climate-controlled hover pod! Okay, well the first two things are true, and practically as fantastic. The birds are having their afternoon lull -- resting up after a hard morning of hopping and bipping and preparing for more of the same this evening.
I've been forging ahead with the Crafter's Companion and have foolishly moved my target date from the middle of September to the middle of August. Why would I do that? Am I just a masochist? Well, having a two-month lead time instead of one opens up the range of printers we can use, and it will greatly affect the print price (a savings which won't be passed to you, but which will be used to line my pockets! Except not my pockets at all. Bum.). And since progress seems to be going well, I couldn't see any reason not to throw a spanner in the works by bringing everything forward by a month.
And that's how publishing works!
Also, of course, I can start focussing on other projects once this has been polished and sent away. Not least of all my own book. Oh, if you could imagine what I'm imagining, you'd be excited too!
27 Jul 2006: Craft Apron
How great are simple projects that go exactly to plan? So great! Despite loving the look of aprons, I don't actually use them, so this isn't for me. But I love the look of it, especially since the fabric for the centre panel is my Some Dogs print! (You can't really tell from the photo, though.) I designed an A4-size panel of print and then stuck a piece of Moda marble fabric to contact paper, crossed my fingers, and ran it through the printer. I'm very pleased with the results. Now if only I could make a piece larger than A4. . .
I don't usually like sharing my plans before the project's more than 60% finished, but I'm thinking of creating a book of my original patterns. Things like the lunch bag/sandwich wrapper, the girly purse, and other projects both old and new. I'm not going to start seriously planning it until all the work for the Crafter's Companion is finished and out of the way, but I'm very excited about the idea.
I'll create the entire thing on my own time (it's handy to use Photoshop and InDesign for a living when it comes to things like this) and then either publish through everybody's favourite Small Publisher of the Year or self publish. The only catch is that I'm not technically, legally allowed to do this, since I'm in the country on a work permit + visa, which allows me to do only one job, exactly as described on the permit. Are any of you top immigration lawyers who know all the tricky loopholes for situations like this? Eh?
p.s. -- I also wanted to say how happy I am that people found my zipper tutorial to be helpful! Hooray!
23 Jul 2006: Zipper Tutorial
Once upon a time, somebody asked how I do my zippers. Because I like to share knowledge, I decided I'd write up a little tutorial for my method (and probably the method of others, too). Because I am lazy busy, it's taken me a long time, but I finally got round to it.
Some things: This is a tutorial for a zipped pouch, but you can use the same method on larger projects. If you put little 'end caps' on the ends of the zipper before sewing it into your project, you can have a zip that doesn't go all the way across, as with this purse. Doing that can take some jiggery pokery to get it to work, but it's not so difficult, really.
Just a note: I've had to close the comments on this post, because it was starting to get pretty heavily spammed. Thank you to everybody who has used and enjoyed this tutorial!
The tutorial is behind the cut!
Continue reading "Zipper Tutorial" »
22 Jul 2006: Prints! And other things!
Post, post, post, that's all I do these days. I suppose I'm trying to distract myself from all the work by talking about it! Anyway, you may have noticed that I haven't been selling any prints for the last. . . few months. But to celebrate closing my old PayPal account (which was linked to my American bank account which I've also just closed) and the opening of my shiny new PayPal UK account, I give you two new prints:
Okay, so I actually printed these quite a while back and then couldn't decide if I liked them. Turns out I do! If you'd like to help me inaugurate my new PayPal account, you could buy one of these for £5! (Note that that's 5 pounds sterling, not American dollarses.) There are only two (two! It was a trial first-printing of this image.), so e-mail me (anna.torborgATgmail.com) quick as you can, and I will send you a request. If this text is struck out, then it means they're no longer available.
Other things!
Firstly, a book I made. Okay, okay, Ayun wrote it, and she also drew the illustration on the cover, whatever -- but I published it. Or rather we did. In the UK. A few years after the American release (this is The Big Rumpus with a makeover). But never mind about that! I can't get over how vibrant the colours are -- it's always a tense moment for me when I take out the cover Cromalin -- will the colours be too dull? Will it totally lack oomph? This one has craploads of oomph! I've had a blast working with the lovely Ayun Halliday, and you should scoot over here and religiously follow the virtual book tour during the month of August. Do it!
Oh yes, and the card. I'm very much in love with this little mini patchwork card I made. It'll soon be flying over the seas to land in America. I've been keeping in touch with one of my college professors, if you can believe it. I'm just about the worst correspondent you can imagine, but it's been important to me to write to her. I like knowing what's going on in that bit of the world, and I like having somebody to share my successes with (besides the entire internet and all my friends and family -- that's not enough!). And I always think it's a shame that there are people out there who have influenced my tastes and choices, and they just seem to disappear once I've moved on.
Which reminds me, did you know they're tearing down Mr.D's? Tragedy.
21 Jul 2006: WIP Friday
I've never been much of a joiner, even when I want to be, but since I realized that today was Friday, I'm jumping in with my Friday Work-In-Progress:
This silly little bunny might look finished, but she's lacking accessories. As you'll know (especially if you've read the latest East Village Inky), accessories are what it's all about. Now that I look at her, she sort of resembles a Mini Moopy. Making toys is weird. I don't think I'd have 'stuffed animals' around if they weren't ones I'd actually made. I'm not drawn to soft toys in shops; I don't even have a particular interest in buying the creatures other crafty people make (although I love admiring them!). I don't suppose I'm alone in this -- do you find yourself making things you'd never buy, just for the fun of making them?
Two little birdies sitting on their perch. They've been very busy today, throwing bits of fluff out of their nest and fetching them back again. Whatever keeps 'em happy, eh?
20 Jul 2006: Ack.
Ack, so many things going on. I don't even want to look at that list I made a while back, because I'm sure I've not done even half of it.
Work-wise, I feel like I'm going non-stop on the craft book. I never wanted to do all the illustrations for the pattern instructions, but am I doing them? Yes, although it's slow going. Even though the contributors provided me with photos of each step, it can still be difficult to visualize certain things in line-drawing form. Beyond the craft book, I've got other books to worry about AND five covers to do for another publisher AND six children's books to illustrate before 1 Semptember. I feel as though my eyes are constantly wide with terror. Okay, not terror. Panic.
I've been balancing the panic with marathon viewings of Spaced, which briefly filled the hole in my heart left by the season finale of Doctor Who. But now I've finished with the DVDs, so I've got nothing. Except for Scrubs! Which just started last week, and although I was underwhelmed with the premier, I have it on good authority that it's all uphill from here (good authority = Rob quoting the internets).
And that's the television portion of my website done with! I've been doing exciting things too, fun things -- meeting with people and making deals and. . . knitting. I've got three knitting projects on the go right now, which is fairly, um. . . impressive? considering none of them is more than 30% done.
So, that's what I've been doing. Panicking, watching television, and starting a new knitting project every fifteen seconds. . . . yup. There you go. What have you been doing?
P.S. -- The photo is from the Como Park Conservatory in St. Paul, MN. Soothing.
16 Jul 2006: Gifts
For the past few days, I've been working on and off on this:
It's a fabric covered box based loosely on a project from one of my Japanese books. I figured it wouldn't be too difficult to follow the instructions (that is, guess the intructions based solely on the images), because they provided measurements for all the pieces in Arabic numerals, so all the measuring had been done for me. That's what I figured, but I went wrong at about every turn. The base is supposed to be 2.5mm wider than the body of the box all the way around, yet mine was practically the same size. And so on.
So the box is seriously wonkified here and there, but I'm still really pleased with the end result. I keep tying up the ribbon and admiring it, and then having to undo it so I can peer inside the box. It's lined with flocked paper, which I adore -- I wish I had a fabric version too! I made the box for somebody else, so I might have to do a slightly different version for myself soon.
And to end, some pretty flowers Rob gave me. They're sitting here in my craft room, in my little aqua pitcher, looking ever so sweet.
13 Jul 2006: 12 of 12
This month, I have done the 12 of 12, and I've done it for Mo. I worry that she gets her hopes up every month only to have them crushed when I let another 12th go by unnoticed (or possibly, her life doesn't revolve around which memes I participate in). Anyway, here are my twelve from yesterday:
5:40 -- Getting ready in the morning. I suppose, overall, this bathroom is better than the bathroom I had in the last flat, because it's bigger and has a skylight. But it's not blue, and I can't paint it, so it's a bit boring. Or was -- until I put the pothos in there! Plant power!
11 Jul 2006: Tuesday = Funday
I've got this new scheme at work where I put in a full day's work over the weekend and take Tuesdays off. For galavanting and such. Today I went to the Foyle's knitting group (it's nice to have friends) and then paid my first visit to Stitch in Time in Kew. Because I didn't have enough fabric after my trip to America. But look at these!:
Perfect. The two pieces on the bottom are for my market bag, which I've. . . more or less figured out the design for. This is going to be my pattern contribution to the craft book, so trying to work out something I can explain is tricky. At the moment, the actual production is only in the early stages, and it looks a bit like a pillowcase -- an AWESOME pillowcase! I wonder if Rob would go for a primary colour scheme in the bedroom. . .
Stitch in Time, by the way, besides being London's only quilt shop ('Wha?!' I hear you say -- I know.), is very nice. Well stocked for its size, and the woman working there (the owner?) was very friendly. I think it took me about an hour and forty-five minutes to get home (they're way out west; I'm way out east), but it was worth it.
Here's a cupcake:
I've been craving angelfood cake for a while now (I haven't had it since before I went eggless, so it must have been a good five or six years -- obviously I'm no longer eggless. I'm. . . eggful.), so I made some yesterday. One big loaf and four cupcakes with the leftovers. The cupcakes turned out fine, but the loaf. . . you could actually hear the 'whumpf!' as all the air rushed out of it at the 20 minute mark. More of an angelfood trough than a cake.
Still! I made lemonade out of lemons, etc, and picked off all the delicious crunchy top bits from the loaf (the top bits are the best anyway) and then threw the rest away. And I realized that this is the best reason ever for enduring childhood. Why must you go to school/do what I say/do well on exams/etc? Because it's necessary if you want to someday be an independent adult who can get herself to the supermarket, buy a dozen eggs, and bake a cake in her own oven. And then you can eat the top bits off and throw the rest away. Now do your homework!
This just in: Rob finds it more dumb than funny when I set my camera to autofocus and move my head in time with the focusing noise. To give him an idea of what it would be like to have a robot girlfriend. Wree. Wirr. Funny!
11 Jul 2006:
The mooooon! It was low and bright the other evening, so I snapped a picture with my telephoto lens (and no tripod!). Obviously not the most amazing shot of the moon ever, but pretty.
I've been making some noticeable progress on the craft book, but there's still a long way to go. For people who were wondering when it will be available, it will be published in the UK in October. We're making plans with our potential distributor in Australia, and if things go well it could be available there (and in NZ) for the Christmas season. And it should be in the US by next spring. If you're in the States (or anywhere?) you should be able to order it from amazon.com -- but it'll definitely be available through amazon.co.uk starting in October.
So. I've got a few new links to add to the side, but I wanted to mention Momma Pajama specifically. She can sew, she can draw, she can decorate cakes! Wow! I've only just found her site, and it's amazing to see what she can do. Definitely my kind of person. I love her contour drawings and that graduation cake. Wow again.
And now off to some knitting at Foyles! I knit the first side of the fox from And So to Bed and then decided I didn't like the colour I used, so have knitted the first side all over again and am starting on the second. Whee!
08 Jul 2006: The hamster that started it all. . .
Oh hello, and a special hello to everybody who's come here from Whip Up! I always feel so special and honoured when I get a mention at Whip Up -- it makes my day!
I've just been writing and typesetting my section for the craft book (I'm so behind schedule with my own personal contribution to the book -- if I weren't in charge of it, I'd totally kick myself off the project!). Anyway, I wrote about the very first thing I made, which made me realize there's no record of it on this blog (what with the archives missing). Here it is:
Of course, when I say 'first thing I made,' I mean the first thing since my crafty rebirth. I grew up messing around with everything from sewing to crocheting and had a cupboard full of pipe cleaners and pompons, but that was childhood crafting. It wasn't until about four years ago that I really immersed myself in all this crafty business for real. I've just blabbed about this for the book, so I won't repeat it here, but I really love to think about how far I've come and all the things I've learned along the way.
On an unrelated (but crafty) note, today I bought Lucinda Guy's And So to Bed. . ., even though I haven't got any children of my own to knit for. It's an adorable book in its own right, and I think I'll make the cutey fox, since I've got the wool lying around anyway. I might have to check out her other book, Designs for Kids, just as a source of inspiration. Wonderful!
06 Jul 2006: Not Much
Some of the fabric I bought in America. I don't have any plans for it, of course -- just adding to the stash. I was pleased to see that a local-ish quilt shop was selling Amy Butler prints while I was there. The comic style and letter/number prints were on half-off clearance at a quilt shop in Buffalo (Minnesota -- we travelled wide and far, but stayed within the state!), and the 30s (?) reproductions were from shop that's just opened a few miles from my parents' house.
I've been a bit listless with a head cold since I arrived back in the UK. The flight on Saturday/Sunday was delayed and generally awful, and I think the germs got to me in a moment of weakness. So, besides my regular journey to the office on Monday, I've just been sitting at home, jabbing a stick at the pile of work I have to do. Why must everybody suddenly want covers designed when I'm in the middle of putting together a craft book?
Things I'd like to do:
-- Write a post covering the various tips and tricks people have asked about along the way (zippers, drawstrings, etc). I'm not ignoring you guys; I'm just incredibly lazy.
-- Make a new pincushion.
-- Make some sort of mini patchwork with the Amy Butler prints -- a runner? A. . . something else? I'm thinking hexagons.
-- Think of something to do with my bamboo yarn, other than squishing it from time to time.
-- Get around to trying to sell this purse, since I made something less girly for its intended recipient.
-- Make a reusable bag to take to the supermarket; get in the habit of going every (other) day after work, to avoid so much food going to waste before we get to it. Totally doable, but will it happen? Maybe if I have the awesomest marketing bag. (Also, have become blueberry snob and will only eat those from Waitrose. Waitrose is not near the office -- a problem.)
There, not so list-less anymore! Har har.