Friday, April 17, 2020

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!

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.

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!

STEP 3:  Glue on the roof.  


STEP 3:  Add all the cute wee cardinals!  To me, this would have been the best part!
 
 
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!
 
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!
 
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Monday, March 30, 2020

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



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!  
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Monday, March 23, 2020

PHOTO UPDATES for Mechanical Library Date Stamp Art Journal Travel Map Documentation Camp Letters Home & Anniversary Scrapbook! The Destiny of Things, Story 556- 559

PHOTO UPDATES for Mechanical Library Date Stamp Art Journal Travel Map Documentation Camp Letters Homw & Anniversary Scrapbook!  The Destiny of Things, Story 556-559

Thank you Etsy buyers for sharing your stories and photos!  Much appreciated!  BEFORE:

As you can see below, Etsy buyers use this stamp much more creatively than I ever have!
Mechanical library date stamp, available here.
Photo via Hoarder Rehab

STORY 556:
I’m gonna use it to date my sketchbooks so I know when I start and finish them!

Very nice way to document one's art using a mechanical date stamp!  So many details to look at!  Lov the blue designs on both pages!  The date is stamped in the upper right hand corner.  I'd like to see the book of prompts!

Love the cute little animal at the bottom corner!
Photo via artistic Etsy buyer from Hoarder Rehab, thank you!

STORY 557:
I’ve been using your date stamp on our travel map -love it!!

Love it too, especially the colors!  Where did you find that brown map?

Thank you for another creative idea of how to document with this date stamp!
Photo via traveling Etsy buyer from JunkDrawerAndMore.

I love how the compass stamp marks the spot in black with the travel map date documentation is in red.  And I especially love how it all looks on the brown background of the map!  Wonderful idea!

STORY 558:
I bought this stamp for an anniversary scrapbook I’m creating! My partner is an avid book reader and for the table of contents in the scrapbook, I also bought library due date cards. I plan on stamping the dates of our dates onto the library card! I can’t wait to use it. Thank you!!

Another great idea for an anniversary scrapbook!  I'd love to see the table of contents from using a library due date card.  Perfect for any avid reader to document anything!

Since I can't see hers, here is one I found as an example of how to use a mechanical date stamp!

 This would also be fun for documenting your first baby or grandchildren.  Date of birth, teething date, first word, first steps, etc.  One would need a lot of library due date cards, if it went all the way to college!  Photo via internet.

STORY 559: 
Hi Kennedy! I just purchased a date stamp from your Etsy shop and just got it in the mail! I was happily surprised to see such a personal note inside that you hand wrote, one of the reasons I love buying from Etsy!! 

I purchased the stamp because in June I am going to be leaving for 8 weeks to work at a summer camp on the east coast as a camp counselor! The camp is very traditional and the preferred way of communication with family back home is with hand written letters! So I thought it would be fun to buy a few thing to spruce up my letters to my family and friends back home while I am away! I can’t wait to use the stamp! Thank you again and good luck on all of your future endeavors.

I hope our world will be back to normal by then, so she gets to use the stamp in June as a camp counselor!  As you see below, it's how I spruce up my little "thank you" note to Etsy buyers!  Along with a bunch of hoard samples from our shops!
Photo via Etsy buyer story 559, thank you!

Saying Goodbye:  This is one of my teaching hoard items that has turned into one of our "best sellers" on Etsy, so I call it a "rehoard" item.  I actually do have to hoard this item because it sells out quickly!

What I Learned:

1.  I am so thankful that Etsy buyers are friendly and thoughtful and will take the time not only to share their stories, but to send updated photos!  Photos from Etsy buyers are my all time favorite!  Pretty soon from all their support, I'll be able to write a book named, "100 & 1 Ways to Use a Date Stamp!" 

2.  Here are a couple more ideas from Etsy buyers long past:  So excited to use this for letters and cards to loved ones!!, for library themed parties, crafting, and glue book documentation.  Phew, I think I'm finally caught up on date stamp stories from Etsy buyers.  I think I have about 30 more other different stories to go!  Thank you Etsy buyers!

3.  When I was teaching I used to use that date stamp daily.  It makes a good and practical teacher gift too, since teacher document a lot!  Students need to write their name and date so many times a day that I used to pass this date stamp around with an ink pad to make it a little more fun and as a reminder, plus I think it looks good!

Now I use it at least 3x a week to stamp the date on all my little "thank you" packaging notes that go out to Etsy buyers with a little sample of hoard items, they can order at our shops.  It's a fun little package to open, especially for children and those who junk journal.  One Etsy buyer said his niece was more interested in the goody package than what he actually purchased!  Several Etsy shop owners have let me know they use it for thank you notes and invoices too!

When I was trying different alternatives to hoarding, I made a lot of washi tape art and would date stamp the day it was made.  Washi tape art didn't stick with me and yes!  I have hoards of washi tape to figure out how to use!  I'd like to start art journaling, however, right now I'd rather be stitching!

Thank you Etsy buyers for sharing all your stories and taking the time to take photos!  I just love them and keep them coming with photo updates!  Your inspiration keeps me motivated to keep on with my Hoarder Rehab!

It also reminds me to stop my retail therapy ways when I get stressed or drama happens in my life and to either blog, list more items on Etsy or to keep mending!  A stitch a day keeps the hoard away!

Thankfully many of my washi tape art pieces have gone on to "forever" homes, but I still have several and here is one that's still listed here.  This one wasn't, but many of my washi tape art were inspired by Gee's Bend strip quilters, here.  Photo via The Destiny of Things

I'm still adding new listings weekly to reach my goal of 185 listed items per shop.  Thankfully hoard keeps finding new "forever" homes!  Thank you Etsy buyers!  Sales are up or actually back to what they used to be from earlier last year, which is interesting.

This also may be interesting for some Etsy shop owners out there.  Since I have 5 different shops, I run a lot of different experiments.  One of my latest ones was to see which sells better, "free shipping" or not.  The "not" I call transparent shipping because everyone can see the shipping costs.   At one shop I have the date stamp listed as free shipping and at another shop I have it without free shipping and both are at the same price.  Guess which ones sells more?  The one with transparent shipping sells a whole lot more!  I tried with other of our best seller items too with the same results.  I could go on and on about all the experiments I've tried, lol, but that's another story!

I also changed one shop to almost all "free shipping" and sales were not as active, so now I'm in the process of changing it back to mostly transparent shipping, except for items over $35 due to Etsy's shipping guarantee policy.  As an Etsy shop owner, Etsy life is a whole lot easier with "free shipping."  Unless you have a return policy, not sure how that works....

My goal for our new shop, Mending Ways was 32, so now my new listing goal for that shop is 40 listings total!  I have at one new stitched pocket on a up-cycled top to finish listing. I have definetly been procrastinating on listing that one!  I have another batch of patches to take photos to list next week, a small cell phone bag I'm working on and some amulet ideas have been rolling around in my head for some time now! 

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed weekly: HoarderRehab with 185 items, The Destiny of Things- 180 items, VintageToGoEasy - 177 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 181 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! 
 These patches were really fun to make while trying out some neon yellow thread that ended up looking a bit chartreuse against the ombre indigo backgrounds, available here.  
Photo via Mending Ways

What have you been hoarding lately?  I hope it's not TP and hand sanitizer! lol  I've been hoarding some beautiful time worn fabrics for more patches and hopefully larger textile art projects!

Related Stories:


4.  Wedding Crash Cards Mechanical Date Stamp: The Destiny of Things, Story 496 

5.  Date stamping your fresh eggs story, here 

6. Mechanical Date Stamper 2016 for Mixed Media Art & Mini Signs:  The Destiny of Things, Story 364 & 365 

7.  A kindergarten teacher saving time using this date stamper, here!  A "destiny as infinity" story!

8.  For scrapbooks, Mechanical Rubber Date Stamper:  The Destiny of Things, Story 19 

9.   Office Stamper by Night and Craft Stamp by Day:  The Destiny of Things, Story 199

10.  Christmas and New Year's rotary date stamp inspiration:  Christmas Cards Library Date Stamp Style: The Destiny of Things, Story 529 

"A stitch a day keeps the hoard away!"  Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!   Thank you for visiting my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!  
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Tuesday, March 17, 2020

4 Leaf Clover Sashiko Mending Patches & St Patrick's Day Inspiration: Mending Ways, Story 12

4 Leaf Clover Sashiko Mending Patches & St Patrick's Day Inspiration:  Mending Ways, Story 12

This is my experiment of combining non traditional sashiko and St Patrick's Day!

Lazy daisy sashiko stitching is my usual fun way to stitch, but St Patrick's Day, I turned them into 4 leaf clovers.  I got the idea last June from a Street Mural I admire in Downtown Los Angeles, in a parking lot of Little Tokyo, which we call J-town or Japanese town.
Textile art patches, available here.  Photo via Mending Ways

I admit, my sashiko is very different than traditional sashiko, so I looked up the definition and I'm still within the sashiko boundaries!  Definition is from wikipedia:

Sashiko (Japanese: 刺し子, literally "little stabs" or "little pierce") is a form of decorative reinforcement stitching (or functional embroidery) from Japan that started out of practical need during the Edo era (1615-1868).

In the top two pieces, especially the first one, you can see how I experimented with random, yet repetitive four leaf clover sashiko.  The first two I used colors from the Ireland flag, green and/or orange.  And of course, the 4 leaf clover to add the luck o' the Irish!
I would love to make a whole piece with all connecting 4 leaf clover sashiko, but the kasuri indigo blue piece is so lovely with the hand woven white threads in it, I just couldn't bear to cover it up.
Textile art patches, available here.  Photo via Mending Ways

 This close up show how I attempted to connect different sized 4 leaf clover sashiko to make a random pattern.  I really like this and want to to stitch more!

By the second piece, I reminded myself that this was supposed to be a St Patrick's Day piece, so I added a little pinch proof green!


 I would say this is as far as I got for St Patrick's Day inspiration! 
Textile art patches, available here.  Photo via Mending Ways


It wasn't easy for me to keep the four leaf clovers all the same length!   All the patches are made free style without any patterns or anything.  I use to try using pencil to make even sashiko stitches, but it seems whatever I have planned gives way to the needle which insists on it's own journey!
I almost forgot, the street mural that gave me the idea to start lazy daisy and 4 leaf clover sashiko! You might have seen this before because I use it a lot for inspiration!
 Next time I go to J-town, I'll take a photo of the artist's name.  I originally was attracted to the sun because I think it would make the cutest patch and as I looked closer at all the details in this art, there is so much to try it and started with the easiest for me, the lazy daisy type stitching that can hold some other small scraps down onto a background.

How are you inspired this St Patrick's day?  Corn beef and cabbage soup does the trick for me, which my mom would make every St Paddy's day since childhood!  But creatively, it was very fun to try out these 4 leaf clover sashiko in green to celebrate the day when everyone is Irish! 

Happy St Patrick's Day!  How did you pinch proof yourself today?

Thank you for visiting my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!
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Friday, March 13, 2020

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

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

OH GOODNESS!!! An Etsy buyer has the most creative way to store mending patches!  Closed:
This is a loose stacked patch, meaning it's just tack stitched at each corner, so it can be easily taken a part and used for small patches and then embroidered over.
Photo via Etsy buyer

This looks like a regular lovely time worn vintage leather wallet, but wait, open it and look at all the compartments!  It's like an instant leather junk journal!  And I feel so overjoyed that this wallet is just for all my patches!  They all have a special place!

OPEN:
Want, want!  Where is the jealous button!
Photo via Etsy buyer

And what's inside?  Let's go take a looksee!

It holds many of my textile art patches she has ordered from me, over the years, similar evil eye protection heart ones, here, a tiny little book of Japanese boro scraps, here.
Photo via kind Etsy buyer

 This little wallet holds a lot!  She said it has 24 of my patches, plus several pieces of scrap fabrics I've wrapped her orders in or thought she might like to use one day.  We both love tattered, frayed and time worn cloth of any type!  Scrap photos below:

She's been working on patching a sweater from a photo we both happen to be inspired with, I can't find her patched sweater photo, but I could find the sweater that brings us both inspiration!

I sent her scraps, from the photo above this one, to patch up her sweater, like the one in the photo.  And I'm looking for a sweater in my hoard to patch up too!

Okay, so that's another story! 

 This Etsy buyer has generously supported me and my textile art patches through the years.  The top patch is one I personalized for her with her initial and she was one of the first to order one of my mandala patches!  More mandala patches, available here.

 Here is a scribble doodle patch peaking out and the tiny Japanese boro textile scrap book, here.
She requested a scribble doodle patch that had already sold, so I did my best to recreate it.



 It took me around 20 tries to make it look like the one she requested and oh what fun, it was with all of them!  But that's another story!  Scribble doodle patches, available here and here!
photo via Hoarder Rehab

Below is the latest patch she ordered and I think it's going on her screen collection!  She has this screen divider in her house and she has added a lot of different textile art collages and I think she has about 3-4 of my textile brooches on it already!  It's a very clever display because you can see both sides of all her textile art collages!  I have a photo somewhere!

 These are the latest patches she's ordered from my newer shop, Mending Ways.  There are a couple of blooming hearts still available here and lazy daisy sashiko katazome piece, you can barely see peeking out here. 

How do you store your textile art patches and other little scraps?  I've been trying to figure that out myself!  I need to see my scraps, otherwise, if it's in a cardboard box, it's "out of sight, out of mind" for me, so lately I've been trying different ways, but nothing as clever and fun as this wallet!

Right now I have a lot of my projects stored in either zip lock bags or old clear boxes from food containers and take out boxes.  I'll do a post on that one day!  Unless I find a more practical way to store them!

What I Learned:

1.  M has been one of my biggest supports of me and my textile art and now we've become friends!  She is such an inspiration and I need to get a move on posting all her stories of how she's been using my patches through the years!  Many thanks M for supporting my alternative to hoarding!

2.  Etsy buyers are one of my biggest inspirations of how many of my things are used.  Of course, I want to run out and buy a wallet like this one, but it looks like it would take a lot of time to find one like this and lately, I've been spending my patch money on more fabrics!  Crazy, right?  Like I don't have enough?  and then I end up using all the tiny pieces of scraps anyway!

Well, one day I do hope I can move on to larger textile art projects, but I'm slow moving in that arena!

3.  The time change is always a challenge for my insomnia, but this year, it only seemed to bother me for a couple of days and I'm back to normal.  My health is back on the mend from a slight set back from food allergies and I've been back stitching too!

 M ordered all these patches but patch #7 and that's the one I transformed by using more scraps and adding her initials.  So now all of these are in her wallet storage book or on her pocket pants!  Read and see the photo update of her pants using the textile art patches here!
Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Thank you so much M for honoring my request from a friend, who wanted to know what a wallet storage book for patches looked like!  She is going to be amazed with your creative idea and your patch collection!  And it was so fun to see for myself too!  I love how all my patches have a heartfelt space of their own and it's inspiring me to figure out how to organize all my boro scraps!

Thank you for always emailing with your latest projects, simple and complicated.  I enjoy everyone of them and I also love to see how you decorate your home with all your art projects!  Keep them coming!

Here are some patches like the one's of M's.  There are 4 available here.
Photo via Hoarder Rehab

I'm working daily to add new listings to reach my goal of 185-190 listed items per shop.  Thankfully hoard keeps finding new "forever" homes!  Thank you Etsy buyers! 

My goal for our new shop, Mending Ways was 24 listed items and then 32, so now my new listing goal for that shop is 40 listings total!  I have at one new stitched pocket on a up-cycled top to finish listing.  Plus 2 more batches of patches to list also.

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed weekly: HoarderRehab with 185 items, The Destiny of Things- 180 items, VintageToGoEasy - 177 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 181 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!
 Here are my latest listed patches, "Don't cry over spilled rice and making holes bigger."  Yes, some past and current drama in my life came up and I had to remind myself through stitching that I wouldn't even remember it after I finished these patches!  These patches have several layers, just like the memories of the past and a lot of spilled rice stab stitching sashiko with lots of room to add your own!  Available here
Photo via  Mending Ways

Related Stories:





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



What has inspired you lately?  I'd love to know and if possible send some pix! hoarderrehab@gmail.com 
 Here is one of man of my latest works in progress!  I'd love to see yours!
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!  
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