Tiny Mini Japanese Boro Fabric Snippet Book: The Destiny of Things, STory 16

Tiny Mini Japanese Boro Fabric Snippet Book:  The Destiny of Things, Story 566

These tiny boro fabric snippet books are a labor of love!

I need to make more of these!  I think the next ones will be my fourth or fifth batch!  The upcoming new batch will have a laundry label with it, since I've stocked up on them, not sure if I'll have time to stitch a wee teeny tiny flower from my Garden of WeEden series.  My third batch of these were a customer request and she had a birthday deadline to meet, so this listed batch may not, mostly not have laundry labels or flowers from the Garden of WeEden in them, but there is a video, so you can see what might be inside your book!   Tiny mini boro books, like these, available at Hoarder Rehab here and Mending Ways here.

Someone loved this book so much, they ordered it to make their own!  Story from France below:

amazing ! i just admire and love those tiny tiny pièces of art, so charming and evocative ! thank you so much, it is perfect to dream about pièces of boro, to make my own artist book ... 

I totally know what she means!  If I had more time, I'd make more of these with other items for mixed media art kits.   For example, these books could hold favorite postage stamps, favorite stickers, little favorite scraps of wall paper and other ephemera, even the pages can be used after your all done with it!  And they are small enough to fit in your sewing basket or mixed media art tool kit.

Here is a photo to help show the tiny size of them, available at Hoarder Rehab here and Mending Ways here.  Photo via Hoarder Rehab

These take a long time to make and usually I take a month of so and work on them off and on at a leisurely pace.  Warning!  There are a lot of steps to making these, so you might not want to read them all!

First I make empty books by hand ripping the paper to size, then I make sure all the pages are right side up, then I fold all the page edges and lastly stitch all the pages together.  Each book has 16 to 28 pages with at least 20 Japanese boro scraps inside them.

Then the fun part begins, when I gather at least 20- 25 different fabrics and the laundry labels.  All kinds, at last on of each of mainly different types of Japanese boro cloth, like kasuri/ikat, katazome, indigo blue solids, shibori, striped, plaid, yukata, and some of my favorites to work with that are silk, rayon and synthetics.  The others are cotton.   And of course, my favorite of all favorites, time worn boro that is fraying and very thin, so when they get laundered, they start to morph and can be mended over!  Then I cut all the pieces to size.

Then comes the part that is most fun to me, I choose one fabric from 20-25 piles and arrange them on each page of each book and use the folds to hold them in.  Then I count to double check I used at least 20 fabrics.  Lastly I tie them closed.  Then it's time for a photo shoot and listing them!

Some time between all the steps, I gather the cloth and the threads to make the wee tiny Garden of WeEden flower patches.  I usually add the laundry label on the first page and the floral patch on  the last.

Below is a photo of some of the supplies I used to make the last batch of each book....

The pages are from a children's book or at least I think it's one, not sure, but the writing is in the traditional way of Japanese writing from left to right and up and down and I used hand spun and hand dyed sashiko thread from Thealese on Etsy.

The fabrics before they get cut into 20-25 piles.

My third batch of these were a customer request and she had a birthday deadline to meet, so this listed batch may not have laundry labels or flowers from the Garden of WeEden in them, but there is a video, so you can see the inside of each page!   Tiny mini boro books, like these, available at Hoarder Rehab here and Mending Ways here.

What I love about these books is they can hold very tiny scraps and strips, so nothing is wasted.  I use the tiny scraps as accents on patches or under the time worn boro cloth, so after it morphs I know the tiny scrap will start showing though it.

Here is an example of using the teeny tiny scraps as an accent and pop of color.  This patch has sold out.  More like this available here.  Photo via Mending Ways.

As a matter of fact, the teeny tiny scraps are some of my favorites and usually have great meaning to me, for example, the maple leaf is a sign of endurance and strength to continue all kinds of growth, as growth takes us into limitless possibilities to places our hearts and minds may never dream of, just like the maple leaf, we never know what color it may be, but it doesn't matter because each one is magical. 

Another example of using a teeny tiny scrap for an accent or pop of color with meaning for me.  Just as St Patrick used the 3 leafed shamrock as a symbol of faith, hope and love, it also provides a good reminder for those of religion or not!  The wee red pieces with shamrocks are silk, very worn silk.
One also has the maple leaf, I think it's sold.  Available here.  Photo via Mending Ways.

Oopsy, getting off topic again...  Here are all the Japanese boro scraps sorted, cut and sitting in piles ready to be arranged in mini books!

All the books basically have all the same fabrics in them.  I did try and arrange each page differently because that's my favorite part, I hope you add your stash to it and arrange them how you love!

My third batch of these were a customer request and she had a birthday deadline to meet, so this listed batch may not have laundry labels or flowers from the Garden of WeEden in them, but there is a video, so you can see what's inside!   Tiny mini boro books, like these, available at Hoarder Rehab here and Mending Ways here.

 What I Learned:

1.  These books take more time than I thought to make, on the custom order batch, she wanted 2 books for twins for their birthday, I forget how many books I made that time, but I do remember each book took over 2 hours to make!  I do know it's a whole lot easier to make a batch of these books, rather than one at a time.  It's so fun to scrap patch some of the covers!

These have sold out, but my fourth or fifth batch of books, I hope I have time to scrap patch some of the covers.  My third batch of these were a customer request and she had a birthday deadline to meet, so this listed batch may not have laundry labels or flowers from the Garden of WeEden in them, but there is a video, so you can see what might be inside your book!   Tiny mini boro books, like these, available at Hoarder Rehab here and Mending Ways here.

2.  I'm still exercising to rid myself of extra Covid pounds!  Yipee!!! It's not easy staying motivated and inspired during the California heat waves, but I'm still doing something daily!  I do rest on Sundays because my old bones creak if I don't!

3.  Blog land has changed their settings and formats again and I'm challenged with how to use the center and left alignments, which doesn't always seem to work for me!  I was hoping to shorten my time in Blogland since Etsyland has gotten so busy, but it looks like I'm in for another lesson in patience!

4.  The blog stories are piling up and I have many with photo updates, so I hope to write at least an hour 3x a week, until a post is ready to publish!  Lately my mind has been either fogged or scattered, so things take longer to get done.  Slowly but surely!

 5.  Let me know if there are issues with any of the links because with all the new changes in blogland, I'm crossing my fingers that I did everything correctly!  Also, I keep clicking on post preview but nothing comes up, so I'm publishing blind! hoarderrehab@gmail.com

Anyone out there have any remedies for foggy or scatter brains?  I think mine might be from the last food parade with too much of my favorite fried foods and wheat binging on bread and noodles!  Due to allergies, I usually eat mostly organic vegan, no sugar, no carbs and juice and broth fast 3x a week with meat once or twice a month, but that went out the window a month ago!

Here is a page example from one of the books from Mending Ways.  If you click on the link below and go to the listing page, there a 15 second video showing the book pages.  My third batch of these were a customer request and she had a birthday deadline to meet, so this listed batch may not have laundry labels or flowers from the Garden of WeEden in them, but there is a video, so you can see what might be inside your book!   Tiny mini boro books, like these, available at Hoarder Rehab here and Mending Ways here.

Thank you Etsy buyer from Paris, France for leaving your kind inspirational words!  I am so happy you are going to use my book as an example to make your own!  I'd love to see yours!  Especially if it was made with French vintage paper ephemera and filled with time worn scraps, like solid and striped linens, chambray and florals!  Don't get me started!  My little hoarder head is already thinking about finding and ordering French paper and scraps now!

First I must sort through what I have and organize it all!  Which looks like an impossible task!  Baby steps!

Here is a page example from one of the books from Hoarder Rehab.  If you click on the link below and go to the listing page, there a 15 second video showing one of the books pages being turned.  My third batch of these were a customer request and she had a birthday deadline to meet, so this listed batch may not have laundry labels or flowers from the Garden of WeEden in them, but there is a video, so you can see what might be inside your book!   Tiny mini boro books, like these, available at Hoarder Rehab here and Mending Ways here.

 

Sales are still crazy sky high! and I'm sure it will be another busy weekend since we have joined the Etsy Labor Day weekend sale.  Enjoy!  The sale has started today and ends on Monday.

I am adding new items weekly, but since sales are way up, some days I'm too busy just packaging for our shipping days!  We ship out every Mon, Wed and Fri and get packages ready the day before, if payment has cleared, but lately I need to package everyday to keep up with all the orders!

 

I just listed several new things at each shop this week!  It was nice to have the time to get it done!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 178 items, The Destiny of Things- 170 items, VintageToGoEasy - 156 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 175 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 51 items!    Many of my textile art patches have found new "forever" homes, so I need to make some more.  I am so grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All pleasant lookieloos are appreciated!

Some of the scraps used on this one are from my mini boro book!  Another fun labor of love, this is my latest patch this took me 3 weekends to finish and I could keep stitching on it!  Hopefully you will!

Available here.  Photo via Mending Ways 

 

"During these uncertain times, there is one commitment we all need to make:  always be part of the solution and not part of the problem."

Stay safe, stay well and stitch on!    Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things by taking part with your visits!

PHOTO UPDATE St Anthony & Infant of Prague Religious Medals for Special Rosaries: The Destiny of Things, Story 564-565

PHOTO UPDATE St Anthony & Infant of Prague Religious Medals for Special Rosaries:  The Destiny of Things, Story 564-565

Very special heart felt story from Guatemala with photo updates!  BEFORE:

She ordered the large round Infant of Prague made in West Germany.  I think this one might be the one for her daughter's nightstand.  The bird brooch with Infant of Prague dangle medal is available, here.

Photo via VintageToGoEasy

Actually, now that I think about it, she ordered three religious medals of Infant of Prague and St. Anthony!

Here is her inspiring email!  Thank you Mrs. C!

Hi!! I was meaning to write you, I loved your note telling your story!!!
I want to share you mine!!!
I am from Guatemala City, Guatemala. It took me a while to get my package because it goes to my P.O. Box in Miami first and then it comes to Guatemala.
I saw the medals in your shop and I knew they would be special for me!!
I have a rosary from a long time ago, and each time I go some where or I see a medal that I love or feel something, I attach it to my rosary. I pray with this rosary every day. 

When I was little my mom use to pray to Saint Anthony for me to find a good man with a good heart who loves me and respects me and I married the best one!!! The love of my life! That’s why I fell in love with that medal! 

 The two lower ones, #3 and #4 are still available, here.  The top two have sold out.

Photo via VintageToGoEasy

And the Divine child me and my husband had a hard time with our first pregnancy and our first daughter came early because a health condition I have, I have systemic lupus and it’s very hard for me to get and keep pregnant. So we went to Medjugorje (where Virgen Mary has been showing to 6 persons) we went there the 3 of us, my husband daughter and I and pray to have an other baby, and there was an image of Jesus, divine child. We prayed there a lot and when we came back I got pregnant and I had my second and last daughter. She came very very early term and with some complications but she was able to go trough everything by Jesus in her hand!!! So I got one for my rosary and the big one for her night stand for her to be protected!!! 

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to have them!!!
I am glad to hear you are doing great in your rehab!!!! Keep on going!!!! ;)
Keep safe!!!   Ps. Attached is a picture of my rosary with the medals already attached

  I can see the gold one above added to her rosary!

There is one silver tone, one copper color and the rest gold tone, she ordered a gold tone, all the rest are available here.  Photo via VintageToGoEasy

She is so inspiring to me!  And her words so motivating!  Yes, I will keep going!  And if she can make her dreams come true despite her health issues, so can I!  Mine are way less threatening, just food allergies and insomnia, so I can do it, slowly but surely!  Thank you so much for all your enthusiasm!

I just love her rosary and collection of religious medals!  I am so thankful they went to a forever home with such a kind and thoughtful family!

Interesting too, there are really only two holy places I'd like to visit and one is Medjugorje, I don't really know why, it just must be calling me.  And the other is Geel, Belgium because for over 700 years, residents of Geel have been accepting people with mental disorders, often very severe mental disorders, into their homes and caring for them. It isn't meant to be a treatment or therapy. The people are not called patients, but guests or boarders. They go to Geel and join households to share a life with people who can watch over them. Today, there are about 250 boarders in Geel.  You can read more about it here, an article from NPR.  Thank you NPR!

As I said, I don't know why I want to go to Medjugorje, but I do know why I want to go to Geel, Belgium.  It's because I can't imagine "one" community being part of the solution for 700 years!  It just brings tears to my eyes!  I'd just have to see how they do it!  Anyways..... getting off topic....

Saying Goodbye:  I have a huge religious medal collection!  I must have at least 10-30 religious medals listed at each shop and I still have so much more to list.  It's so nice to know that some of them are going to people who have such endearing meaning to them.

I'll have to list more Infant of Prague and St Anthony medals because this is the only one I could find that's listed.  Available here via The Destiny of Things.

What I Learned:

1.  There is kindness everywhere!  And no matter, how ill I may feel, I can still be kind and as enthusiastic as possible.  That is what I got out of Mrs. C's message.  Thank you for motivating me with your inspirational story!

 

2.  I learned that despite any health issues, one can still make your dreams come true!  Each birthday, I dream and sometimes plan, but mostly dream about what I call a "food parade", which is basically a pre, post and sometimes pre pre and post post eat "whatever"  I want, which consists of all my favorite foods, however these foods are not healthy because my favorite foods comprise of mostly fried and fatty red meat!  For instance a pre pre food parade celebration might start of with a donut, than pre birthday meal, then my birthday celebration for breakfast, lunch and dinner and then a post birthday meal and then a post post birthday meal might consist of a fried buttery biscuit or a bacon hotdog.  Yes, a food parade can last a week or so!

 

Some favorites in the fried department is crispy crunchy fried chicken, especially wings and especially if they are cooked with little bits of garlic and jalapenos, garlic french fries, organic salted Kettle chips and donuts.  In the red meat department, I love a pound of prime rib, a juicy porterhouse steak or bone in rib eyes!  So you can see why I only have a food parade a couple of times a year.  The rest of the year I am more vegetarian based and juice and broth fast 3 times a week, except my age is catching up to me and I just can not eat like I used to, well, I can, but there are dire consequences, like fat accumulation!

 

I am almost at a milestone birthday, so I've started working out little by little, so next year I can still have a food parade, be healthy and fit into my clothes!  I've made my way up to doing "Buns of Steel 3" by Tamilee Web.  Remember good ol' Tamilee from the 80s or 90s?  I have her CD now, but somewhere lost in my hoard is the classic VHS!

Anyways, it's a doozy workout!  Even if it's only 30 min., I love how she explains which muscles your working out, how to coordinate your breathing and stomach muscles with each exercise and how to make the workout either easier or more difficult.  It takes me at least 3 months to get the workout, breathing and stomach muscles all working together in harmony.  I've been using the CD now for 2 weeks now, 6 days a week and it has really helped my balance, I feel stronger and even the skin around my knees seem tighter and more!  The only cons I have is that after every workout I'm so tired.  Today I had to take 4 breaks to get it done, but I do know I'll sleep very well tonight!

And the best part is I'm hoping to fit back into most of my clothes comfortably, instead of having to buy new ones!  I do have several pairs of pants, shorts and a couple of dresses that I call my "eating pants" because I can eat all I want in them without feeling uncomfortable, but even some of them are getting kinda tight now!  No way, am I going to let it get worse!

 

3.  Plus I think some of my unflattering and unhealthy weight gain are COVID pounds!  Yes, I am a stress eater.  Comfort foods to the rescue!  A favorite being a bag of chips!  Okay, enough about pointing the blame and on to a solution!  Buns of Steel daily and on days I'm sore, I walk/jog and if I can't muster enough energy for those, I do a 15 minute yoga workout!  Sundays I rest.

 

4.  I have been MIA in blogland because Etsyland has taken over my life!  Sales have been crazy, but I am so grateful that so much of my hoard is finding new lives and homes!  It's been this way for 3 months now and I need to start thinking about how to prioritize my life more efficiently because now I barely have time to new list, mend and stitch my textile art.  I just feel like I'm catching up all the time!  The only thing I can seem to change right now to have more time, is to new list less until more hoard sells out!  I'll see what happens after the Labor Day weekend sale.

Gosh the only thing I could find with Infant of Prague is on the back of this medal I just listed today, available here at Hoarder Rehab.  It has 7 Saints all together.

 

Thank you Mrs. C for sharing your story because it has really helped me with mine.  I, especially love the story of your pilgrimage and your enthusiasm to travel despite your health has really encouraged me to think of the few places I'd like to visit!  And you've really motivated me to do more to be in the most perfect health possible.  I might even have to find an alternative celebration to food parades!  It doesn't seem possible at the moment, but I hope I've planted a seed!

I hope your health improves also and your family thrives in body, mind, spirit and energy!

Here is the front of that medal, in case anyone is interested in scapular medals.  This one is marked sterling and Creed, available here at Hoarder Rehab.  It has 7 Saints all together and the back has the Marion symbol to match the Miraculous Mary on the left of the medal.

Sales are crazy sky high! We were back to our regular average of 25 sales a week, but it seems to have doubled with holding power!  I used to package Tues. Wed. and Sun, to get ready for Mon, Wed and Fri shipments, but now I have to package everyday, just to keep up with all the orders! 

 

Last year, I tried Etsy's advice and changed almost all the listing to "free shipping," so I think it might be that because I've been slowly changing my shops back to regular shipping and I think that's making a difference.  Now the only items with free shipping are those over $35.

 

To prepare for Mother's day I changed almost every listing $35 and under from "free" shipping to transparent shipping, meaning you can see my shipping costs now and sales have more than doubled from our usual average.  So it still could be these uncertain times and people ordering more due needing "isolation" and home school activities or changing back to "regular" and transparent shipping.  Now Labor Day holiday weekend is soon and we'll be joining the rest of Etsyland with a celebration sale!

I am adding new items weekly, but since sales are way up, some days I'm too busy just packaging for our shipping days!  We ship out every Mon, Wed and Fri and get packages ready the day before, if payment has cleared.  I've been getting at least 16 packages ready to ship out 3x a week!  I think our record earlier last month was 25!  And lately, I don't even bother counting!  I don't have the time!

I just listed several new things at each shop today!  It was nice to have the time to get it done!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 177 items, The Destiny of Things- 172 items, VintageToGoEasy - 159 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 173 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 51 items!    Many of my textile art patches have found new "forever" homes, so I need to make some more.  I am so grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All lookieloos are appreciated!

 

This double rose sterling silver Saint bracelet is the only other thing I could find with St Anthony.  I'm going to need to go hoarding diving and find more St Anthony medals!  It has 10 Saints and is stamped HVH, sterling.  Available here.  Photo via The Destiny of Things

 

"During these uncertain times, there is one commitment everyone should make:  always be part of the solution, not part of the problem."

Stay safe, stay well, stay calm and stitch on!  Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things by taking part with your visits!

Slow Stitched Patches to Embellish Friendship Gifts: The Destiny of Things, Story 562-563

Slow Stitched Patches to Embellish Friendship Gifts:  Mending Ways, Story 14 & 15

Someone is using my patches to embellish their gifts to friends!  How wonderful!

This one has sold, but one like it is available here.

Photo via Mending Ways on Etsy

Here is the story I received:

This little heart has my heart. Thank you Kennedy. I can't wait to hand sew it to a special project for a friend recovering from surgery! Thank you for the fast delivery, personal note and sweet surprises! I will share a photo when I finish creating! 

Of course, I wish I was a fly on the wall on several occasions for this "grow" patch!  I'd want to see it being slow stitched on the special project.  Then see the friends opening it together and lastly to see the friend happy, well and recovered using it!  That would be such a delight!

These are sold out, but 2 bunny patches, like these are available here.

Photo via Mending Ways on Etsy

And the other one:

I adore the bunnies! I am hand stitching this design of a Japanese friend's spirit animal on gift bag. I know she will love it! Thank you for your kind, fun, personal note. I enjoyed opening every little package you enclosed. Thank you, Kennedy! I am going to check out your blog next! I will order again. 

Another fly on the wall story!  What a great creative idea!  I'd love to see this friend's spirit animal stitched on a gift bag, but better yet, seeing friends together opening the gift!  I'm sure my imagination will serve me well, as I pretend to be a fly on the wall!

Saying Goodbye:  Since stitching is my new alternative to hoarding, I'm never sad to see these go because I know I can stitch some more of them.  Also, since I know they are going to some fun, creative and kind "forever" homes!

COMING SOON in PINK!

I've stitched several batches of these mending hearts and all have sold out!  I am so thankful!  Guess what I'll be stitching this weekend?  I have some time worn pink cutter quilt pieces like these and will stitch some more for spring!   

What I Learned:

1.  My alternative to hoarding through stitching seems to be taking hold and even more surprising, my textile art keeps finding new forever homes!  I am so thankful!  Thank you Etsy and Etsy buyers!

2.  I am still experiencing "stitcher's block."  I haven't felt like picking up a needle in about a month.  And when I do, what I stitch I don't really like, but I hope someone else will!  My textile art has been selling out, so I do really need to get going to replenish the sold out stock, but I've been telling myself that for several weeks now without much motivation.  Let's see what this weekend holds!

3.  Actually I haven't felt motivated to blog either, lol, and there are plenty of stories from Etsy buyers to blog about.  I just can't get myself to do it.  Luckily, all the Etsy shops have been keeping me busy with tons of sales.  Sales have been crazy, some weeks the sales are so many, it's like the last 2 weeks before Christmas!

How have you gotten over your "creative" blocks?  I usually have to wait, which I'm okay with because I usually spend the time organizing until I find a piece of fabric or an idea that hits me.  I'm doing my best to be patient.  Anyone "out there" with any ideas or inspiration for me?

All the fabrics are from recycled scraps or remnant pieces that no one wanted and gave to me.  Most of them are vintage.  Both are are available here.

Photo via Mending Ways on Etsy

Thank you Etsy buyer for sharing your stories and I'd love to see photo updates, since I can't be a fly on the wall!  I am so happy you used my textile art patches to embellish gifts for friends!  Your stories really touch my heart.  Thank you! 

I hope your friend has recovered from surgery and is well on the mend! 

Thank you for coming around again and ordering more patches!  It really inspired me to write this blog post today and to start making more mending heart patches since you ordered 2 more and there is only one left now!  Thank you for helping me get out of my funk!  I am truly grateful to you!

My mom and her quilt guild have been making masks for CHOC nurses and Camp Pendleton marines, since March.  She sent me some of her extra ones to sell.  She's probably sent me 6-7 different fabric types and 2 different mask styles, this is the one with folds.  Here are the ones she made from boro kasuri, they are washable and have 3 layers and one of them is a filter, available here.  Photo via Mending Ways on Etsy

Sales are still sky high! We were back to our regular average of 25 sales a week, but it seems to have doubled!  I hope it keeps up so we can make up for last year's dive in sales.  Last year, I tried Etsy's advice and changed almost all the listing to "free shipping," so I think it might be that because I'd been slowly changing my shops back to regular shipping and I think that's making a difference.

 

Now I think it has for sure because to prepare for Mother's day I changed almost every listing $35 and under from "free" shipping to transparent shipping, meaning you can see my shipping costs now and sales have more than doubled from our usual average.  So it still could be these uncertain times and people ordering more due needing "isolation" and home school activities or changing back to "regular" and transparent shipping.  What do you think?

I am adding new items weekly, but since sales are way up, some days I'm too busy just packaging for our shipping days!  We ship out every Mon, Wed and Fri and get packages ready the day before, if payment has cleared.  Yesterday I got 16 packages ready to ship out today!  I think our record earlier last month was 25!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 185 items, The Destiny of Things- 173 items, VintageToGoEasy - 167 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 172 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 34 items!    Many of my textile art patches have found new "forever" homes, so I need to make some more.  I am so grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All lookieloos are appreciated! 

These "word" face masks were very popular among the CHOC nurses.  My mom sent a photo of them wearing hers, but I can't find it now!  These "word" masks are washable with 3 layers of fabric, one of them being a filter from interfacing.  They also have a the adjustable metal nose bridge inside. My mom sent me an email of how she made them, it's quite long, I'll be adding that to the listing over the weekend.  "Word" reusable masks, available here.  Photo via Hoarder Rehab.

Related Stories:

 

1.   PHOTO UPDATE Blooming Heart Textile Art Patch Embellished on Zokin Table Mat: The Destiny of Things, Story 560 

 

2.  Leather Wallet Textile Patch Storage Book: The Destiny of Things, Story 555  

Leather Wallet Textile Patch Storage Book:  Mending Ways, Story 11

3.  PHOTO UPDATE: My Textile Art Patch is Beautifully Slow Stitched to Mend a Dress! The Destiny of Things, Story 554

4.  PHOTO UPDATE Mini Boro Textile Art Mending Patches on Pocket Pants Clothes Repair:  Mending Ways Story 9

5.  Stitching Repair Hot Pads:  Mending Ways Story 7  

 

6.  All my Mending Ways Creative Outlets Hoarding Alternative stories, here. 
Stay safe, stay well, stay calm and stitch on!  Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things by taking part with your visits! 

PHOTO UPDATE Tiny Mini Birdhouses & Red Bird Ornaments: The Destiny of Things, Story 561

PHOTO UPDATE Tiny Mini Birdhouses & Red Bird Ornaments: The Destiny of Things, Story 561

Another creative Etsy buyer and shop owner idea!  BEFORE:

I used to have 100 of these hoarded away, but now they are all sold out!

Photo via The Destiny of Things

I had 100 of these for school activity projects and still had them after I retired.  Of course, I had many ideas of how to use them and have saved 8 for myself and can you believe it?   All the rest have sold, that's 92 tiny bird houses!

Here is the note I received from a creative Etsy shop keeper:

Since your sweet message with my order indicated that you were collecting the stories behind the items you sell, I thought you might like to know this one. The little birdhouses got some crafty details added and were sold at my church's craft fair. I'm attaching several photos to show their transformation.

The final set were pale yellow, pale blue and white with polymer clay roofs and teeny tiny red birds on the perches. Everyone was delighted with them, and we thank you for providing the base for the project! :) Ida

Photo sharing of step by step transformation and it's amazing!

 It looks like first she glued in tiny sticks for the birds to perch on and then she painted them.

Photo via RitasClosetForDolls and GiftsFromGabrielle 

STEP 2: Make tiny wee red cardinal polymer birds and a black roof with an ornament hanger.

Ida is so kind to thank me for my part in this!  I am so happy to be a tiny party of her creative process and product!  Thank you Ida for sharing!

Photo via RitasClosetForDolls and GiftsFromGabrielle 

STEP 3:  Glue on the roof.  

Photo via RitasClosetForDolls and GiftsFromGabrielle 

STEP 3:  Add all the cute wee cardinals!  To me, this would have been the best part!

 

Photo via RitasClosetForDolls and GiftsFromGabrielle 

 

How cute and creative is that?  and where is the jealous button?  I'm so happy to see someone make their creative ideas come true!  And with wonderful results too!  Thank you Ida!

 

Saying Goodbye:  I saved 8 of these for myself and Ida bought 10 more to make this spring with blue birds.  I hope I she shares those with me too!  I have no idea what I'll do with mine yet.  I love her wee birds, but would have to go out or online shop for polymer clay and since I'd need just a bit, I'm not sure.... decisions, decisions.... 

 

 As close up I could find!

Photo via RitasClosetForDolls and GiftsFromGabrielle 

 

What I Learned:

 

1.  I am so grateful for Etsy buyers and Etsy shop owners for reaching out and being so creatively inspiring to me!  It's really helped my hoarding ways, at least in the retail therapy department.  I have been buying a lot of boro, but now that I've been organizing it all, I think it's kinda donning on me that I have enough to last a couple of life times and either need to start stitching my heart out and/or sharing it!

2.  Unfortunately, I had to buy a lot of boro before I finally honed in and figured out what types I am really interested in working with.  My last couple of purchases were a boro hakama that has the traditional tiny dots in ocean, a boro kendo bag and a boy's boro yukata.  I think I'm done buying for as long as I can hold out!

3.  My hoarding and agoraphobia seem to be more acceptable in these uncertain times, lol.  And so weird, I was doing so much better at letting go of both conditions.  I am still challenged and during these stressful times, I'm having to remind myself that I am enough and I have enough!  and to find other more positive ways to de stress, which seems to be organizing all my boro and other craft supplies.

I haven't been stitching textile art patches as much because I just can't get myself to stitch.  I must have "stitching" block, lol.  So I have been organizing and cleaning, but I do have a lot of textile art projects rolling around in my head!  And of course, I'm very slow mending when need be!

4.  My mom and her quilt guild made face masks for her nearby CHOC hospital and now they are making them for the marines at Camp Pendleton.  She has sent me some to use and some to embellish and sell, but since I seem to have some sort of "creative" block, I'm kinda stumped for ideas at the moment.

Have you ever had "stitcher's block" or any type of creative block?  and how did you get over it?  I'm not sure what to do, so I'm just waiting for "it" to return and in the mean time, I'm organizing and I started to buy more fabric, lol.   I've also started excercising more and began gardening, which at the moment consists of pulling out a lot of weeds! 

This years Garden of WeEden looks beautiful to me.  We have a lot of lettuce looking weeds and tall weeds with white flowers.  Also some volunteer sunflowers, cosmos, collard greens and frilly lettuce.

Last year's Garden of WeEden inspiration embroidered on some tattered boro for decorative patches on backpacks, totes or hats.  Available here, photo via Hoarder Rehab.

Thank you so much Ida for sharing your successful project!  And a heartfelt thank you for remembering me after a whole year!  She last ordered the mini bird homes last April 2019 and then sent me an email about it with photos last month and then she made another order for my last ten!

Wish I could be a fly on the wall, when she makes them with blue birds this spring and I hope she sends me photos!

She told me she sold these at her church's craft fair and several were ordered and reserved before the sale began and later they all sold out!  I can see why!  They are just too cute and adorable.

See more of Ida's creativity at her shops!  RitasClosetForDolls features handmade clothes for 15 and 18 inch dolls and bears.  My favorite are her mini backpacks, my all time favorite one is here!  and it arrives with mini school supplies too!  Her GiftsFromGabrielle  are for crazy cat lovers or crazy cats!  I love her tiny bead jewelry and unique cat themed items, here!  Love her book markers too, here!  Some proceeds from  GiftsFromGabrielle go to the KADO Foundation that helps people.  

The Kado Foundation provides all kinds of support (food, bedding, treats, toys, etc.) besides veterinary care for the companion and service animals of elderly and disabled people who would otherwise be unable to afford a pet. Kado is a 501(c)(3) charity.

I just love this tiny dot pattern on this linen hakama.  I don't know if this is the skirt or the wide pants kind, but if it doesn't fit me, I hope I'm brave enough to cut it up!

Okay, that was totally off topic, but for some reason this photos was already here.  I have no ideas how I did that, so it's staying.  This is some of the boro fabric I've been buying.  Back to blog land....

Sales are sky high! We are back to our regular average of 25 sales a week and then some!  I hope this keeps up to catch up on how poorly we did last year!  I think sales might be up due to the "isolation" situation and also for most of last year I tried Etsy's push for free shipping on all our items and since January 2020, I've been slowly changing my shops back to regular shipping and I think that's making a difference.

I haven't been adding new items lately, since sales are way up, but I will start again next week, so I can let go of more hoard!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 180 items, The Destiny of Things- 172 items, VintageToGoEasy - 172 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 167 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 32 items!    Many of my textile art patches have found new "forever" homes, so I need to make some more.  I am so grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All lookieloos are appreciated! 

This is my quick impromptu of mixed media art using the bird houses.  Funny, now that I think about it, 2 Etsy buyers did ask if I'd sell them what's in the photo, but I could not find the girl doll again, she's lost in my hoard!  Wee tiny mini bird houses are sold out.

 

"During these uncertain times, there is one commitment everyone should make:  always be part of the solution, not part of the problem." Stay safe, stay well, stay calm and stitch on!  Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things by taking part with your visits!

PHOTO UPDATE Blooming Heart Textile Art Patch Embellished on Zokin Table Mat: The Destiny of Things, Story 560

PHOTO UPDATE  Blooming Heart Textile Art Patch Embellished on Zokin Table Mat:  Mending Ways, Story 13

Look how an Etsy buyer used my blooming heart textile art as a zokin decorative patch!  BEFORE:

Created from eco friendly boro and vintage threads, 2 more available here.

Photo via MendingWays

I thought M was going to add this to her screen divider collection, where she hangs a lot of her textile art collages and brooches, but instead, she did something completely different and it would have never crossed my mind to embellish a zokin with it!  It turned out really really really cool!  Such a prominent surprise!  Thanks M!  I hope this inspires others as much as it has inspired me!

AFTER:

Want, want!  Gotta get me a zokin now!  or look through my boro stash and make one!  On the more serious side, look how nice the Japanese pieces look with the cottage style rose print drapes!  The plant seems to tie it all together with it's pop of spring green!

Photo via kind Etsy buyer, thank you!

Here is what M said about her blooming heart textile art patch:

My patches are beautiful! I am so happy with everything I have ever purchased from this shop! (and I have placed lots of orders). There is always something new.  Kennedy is such a lovely person and it is always a joy to order from her great shop.

M is one of my biggest supporters to my alternative to hoarding!  She has been a great inspiration and motivator through the years.... I can't thank her enough!

She is also an artist and as soon as I catch up on some blog postings, I hope to show you some of her textile collage art.  I'll need to get her permission first and try out some of her fun projects!

Here is a close up of her beautiful zokin piece with the blooming heart embellishment.

CLOSE UP:  I like how the blooming heart patch is tacked on carefully with tiny blue x stitches in each corner, so it can be removed easily and used somewhere else, if desired.

I just love all the wabi sabi stitching on this zokin.  It reminds me of the back of a cutter quilt that's shrunk over the years from countless washings.  Oh my, is that a boro textile bag I see peeking out from the right of the photo?  Photo via Etsy buyer

Saying Goodbye:  I get so happy when M orders my textile art patches because I know she'll do something amazing with them and photo email share it with me!  It's so fun watching how another artist transforms them.  From what I've seen her whole house is an artist's haven heaven!  I hope one day, I can do the same.  I have little corners of my house like that, but her house is just wonderful!

I love making these blooming hearts and this is my first version of smaller ones.  In the past I made some larger ones and they have gone to some "forever" homes!  Looks like I'll be stitching another batch soon!

What I Learned:

1.  I've always thought about using zokins traditionally, as dust rag cloth from cleaning everything from table tops, floors, furniture, cars and such.  It's very eco friendly since they are made from discarded and worn out kimonos, towels and other fabrics.  Usually there are several layers, some folded for added thickness and others not and then held together with sashiko stitching.

2.  Also zokin is traditionally only used to clean areas that are very dirty.  For example, you wouldn't use your zokin to clean your dishes and/or fruits or veggies.  Traditionally one would use a new fukin or dish cloth to clean the mentioned above items.  Then when the new fukin starts looking dingy after many uses and washings, it might be used to clean and dust counter and table tops until it starts tearing and looking quite dirty, then it would be folded up and added with other old used up fabrics.

3.  What's the difference between zokin and boro?  To my grandmother and mother, boro simply translates to rags, but traditionally it has various meanings and today even more, to me it means old time worn fabrics, mainly clothes and blankets (futons), that have been patched up and mended through the years.  After the clothes have totally fallen a part, one would use those pieces to add to your used up fukin to make zokin.  

Many other things could be made too, like a boro rug or sakiori.  Sakiori is when they take boro or other strips of old time worn fabrics and weave them into something thicker.  The thickness is usually like a heavy placemat.

Basically one would use the boro until it was completely gone, as if it dissolved into water.

How have you used your boro rags lately?  I do have an extensive Japanese boro collection now, but I use mine, I guess it would be called American boro, in a more practical sense.  I'm mending my own clothes all the time and waiting for them to fall apart to make other things, like zokin.

When we first moved in, our bathroom didn't have a window covering, so we just hung up a large beach sized towel.  We thought this would be a temporary solution, but we soon found out everyone used it as a very large hand towel and over the years, I've mended it!  I'm thinking of trying to make a shower curtain out of thread bear towels because it would be easier to clean by throwing it in the washer, rather than spraying and wiping down plastic.

Of course now, during these uncertain times, we are adapting again.

Here is the other patch she ordered.... It has a very old scrap of katazome with a newer fabric background.  I wonder what M will do with this one, but I do now, it's most likely in her leather wallet patch storage organizer until needed!  That story is here.  2 more patches like this one, available here.  Photo via MendingWays

Thank you so much M for always taking the time to share your photos and inspiring me!  I just love your zokin as a table display protective mat!  You are so creative and so kind!  

For example, your leather wallet patch storage organizer has motivated me to organize all my scraps of boro. 

I've been rolling them on to shipping tags and Bingo cards!  It is so much easier now to see what I have and I went a step further and bundled them into groups, like katazome, kasuri, stripes, solids, plaids and more!  I'll take a photo this weekend.  A heartfelt thanks again M!

 I just love making these blooming hearts!  This is the larger sized one, it's made from my red childhood hadajuban or kimono undergarment, which really was a more casual kimono or long coat, but I wore it out and now it's boro.  Larger blooming heart available here.

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

How have you been spending your time in lock down?  I can imagine that everyone's home is probably spotless with spring cleaning and such with more time for family through Skype or Zoom.

 This is the blooming heart that started it all!  In my head, it was going to be a couple of summer strawberries on a plate, but my stitching seems to have a mind of it's own.

Sales were down and then soared up and now have dwindled to very low.  Not sure, what to do?  Keep the shops open til all this blows over or to temporarily take an Etsy vacation?  Most likely take an Etsy vacation because we haven't been new listing and sales so slow.

At least I have more time now to catch up on all my blog stories!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 183 items, The Destiny of Things- 178 items, VintageToGoEasy - 173 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 174 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 35 items!   

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All lookieloos are appreciated! 

Created from eco friendly boro and vintage threads, 2 more available here.

Photo via MendingWays

Related Stories:

1.  Leather Wallet Textile Patch Storage Book: The Destiny of Things, Story 555  

Leather Wallet Textile Patch Storage Book:  Mending Ways, Story 11

2.  PHOTO UPDATE: My Textile Art Patch is Beautifully Slow Stitched to Mend a Dress! The Destiny of Things, Story 554

3.  PHOTO UPDATE Mini Boro Textile Art Mending Patches on Pocket Pants Clothes Repair:  Mending Ways Story 9

4.  Stitching Repair Hot Pads:  Mending Ways Story 7 

5.  All my Mending Ways Creative Outlets Hoarding Alternative stories, here. 

Stay safe, stay well, stay calm and stitch on!  Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things by taking part with your visits!