Cucumbersome

Japanese Masking Tape + Eva

britt — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:47:47 +0000

Looking for a reason to buy some (more) Japanese masking tape? Yeah, me too. I covered these tiny binder clips with some of the tape and they are pretty adorable. Almost makes me want to get organized. Almost. Maybe these would help, too:

These clothes pins made by Whitney of Whisker Graphics remind me of ones by SusyJack. Whitney also used the tape to label her files.
The very clever Merilee of Mer Mag made these great invites:

And while we’re on the subject of garlands:

These decorations from Project Wedding (they have great party ideas even if you’re not getting married) use the tape for the little flags and place settings. I love that color combination.
And last but not least:

Holly of Decor8 had the idea to make a simple border on a picture frame. It really suits that photo, doesn’t it?
So if you were looking for ideas to justify purchasing some beautiful masking tape, there you go. I bought mine through Origamisan who had good prices and was willing to make custom combinations.
In other, bittersweet news: my laptop has bit the dust. It has served me well (*moment of silence*). But I have found comfort in my brand new MacBook! It’s so beautiful… and fast. It will be much easier for me to post now. I do sort of feel like I have deserted Wall-E for Eva, though. That may be a dorky reference, but I seriously loved that movie.

Grey Suede Shoes

britt — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:45:04 +0000

Just wanted to share this great tutorial that I used to make these tiny baby shoes for Piper. The easy-to-follow tutorial took me about one hour from start to finish and was generously provided by Joanna of Stardust Shoes. I want to make more, maybe with some cuter fabric. I used really soft white leather for the soles (left over from this necklace project) instead of the bonded fleece recommended, which worked out quite well. So if you are looking for a baby gift and have a bit of sewing experience, check it out. I wonder if I could convert the pattern and make some slippers for myself…

Downsizing

britt — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:43:27 +0000

I’ll admit it. I get a little emotionally attached to clothes. It’s not like I cry each time a sock goes missing (although that sure does happen a lot), but I have a tendency to hold on to things past their prime if I have fond memories associated with them. This skirt is a prime example. The eyelet had ripped off in one area and I had stitched it back on. The lining was threadbare in places, and a couple of the side seams were starting to pull apart. I have had this skirt for at least five years, three summers of which I wore it to death. It served me well in Mexico because it was comfortable to tromp around in, ever so light, and it actually looked better a little wrinkled. Now that’s my kind of skirt.

But it really wasn’t wearable any longer. In fact, I hadn’t worn it at all this past summer. It was too worn to donate, but I held on to it because it seemed to have a little life left. And now, with this dress for Piper, I have found a way to happily part with it.
First, I removed the little metal grommets from the eyelet. They had started to fall out, and I didn’t want them to be a choking hazard. Then I ripped the skirt apart (and cried a little… just kidding), reinforced some of the seams and added light fusible interfacing to the panel that would end up being the top of the dress. For the pattern, I used a dress that I bought for Piper, tracing the outlines onto kraft paper with a spoked tracing wheel. It left a nice little dotted line on the paper for me to cut out after adding seam allowances. (This Built by Wendy book taught me that trick for transferring patterns.)
The skirt had a string attached to the waist, I guess so you could hoist up the top layer a little to show off the eyelet. I promise I never did that. But I was able to repurpose the string into little ties on the back to accommodate a baby’s adorably large head.

(Forgive the wonky hanger - I had to twist it up to get the tiny dress on it.) The whole project took just a little over an hour. It helped that I didn’t have to hem it at all. It’s much too large for Piper now, but it will hopefully fit her in the summer, when it’s much more weather-appropriate.
It’ll be good to know that my skirt went to a better place… on a cute baby.

Small Luggage

britt — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:40:37 +0000

This post is a little homage to The Darjeeling Limited, because the Louis Vuitton collection of luggage featured in the movie would be ideal. Number four (of eleven), shown above, is just what I have been looking for. But, alas! These were auctioned off, likely for many thousands of dollars. So I must look elsewhere. Here are the runners-up:

Clockwise from top left: Billykirk Waxed Cotton Leather Tote, $356; Warsaw Bowler Bag, $85; Carga Industrial Felt Weekender, $345; The Brothers Bray & Co Weekender, $98.

Clockwise from top left: Billykirk Mason Bag in Striped Ticking/Black Leather, $297; Peasants and Travelers Weekender, $138; Matt & Nat Bauhaus Greybag, $175; Lou Dalton Weekender Boiled Wool Bag, $528.20. *If you are in a DIY mood, check out this great tutorial on drafting your own pattern for a weekender bag.
I think luggage should be classic, utilitarian, and even a little masculine. I ended up getting the Brothers Bray & Co weekender from Urban Outfitters because we needed it for this weekend, and UO is literally three blocks from our house. Instant gratification! We’re heading to Nelson for the weekend, but I’ll be back here next week with some projects to share.
Have a good weekend!

A Two-Part Plan

britt — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:46:32 +0000

My ideas are often a little too grandiose for my skill set. Seriously. I have these projects stuck in my head, and no clue how to follow through. Instead of taking the time to learn, I tend to run ahead to the next project, leaving behind a messy path of tools and supplies. Not good (especially in a tiny apartment - I wasn’t kidding about the messy part).
I have a two-part plan. Part one: organize. Part two: learn some real skills. Part one has been sort of dull, just sorting my woven fabrics from my knits and that kind of thing. I’ll spare you the details. Part two is definitely more Cucumbersome-relevant. Right now, I am tackling the intimidating art of sewing with stretch fabrics, with the help of the book Sew U Home Stretch. Turns out it is not all that scary, and I will be sharing some of the results with you soon.
So while I’m reading books, drafting patterns, and separating grommets from studs, feel free to peruse the gorgeous photos in my flickr favorites (shown above). I’ll be back very soon with some projects. Completed projects.

Found Freebies, Part 4: Le Blahg

britt — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:55:14 +0000

Here is another series of free downloads that I have come across. These are all courtesy of the creative Miss B (you may know her from The Bright Side Project). She has lots of digital downloads available on her ~~blog~~ blahg, from mailing labels to photoshop textures. You can browse through them here. The images shown above are a few of my favorites. The “Get Excited and Make Things” poster print (8.5″ x 11″) was actually created (and generously provided as a free download) by moleitau, but Miss B has adapted it into five different colors, for your color-coordinating pleasure.
Check them out: Library card bookplates, Get Excited poster, folded mini notebook.
Thanks, Miss B!

Piper

britt — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:04:56 +0000

I would like to introduce you all to my niece, Piper Isabella. She was born yesterday (so as the saying goes, she is probably pretty gullible) and I can’t wait to meet her. You might see a few more baby-sized tutorials here (like this one) in the future because I plan on being the best aunt ever.

PS I Made This: Statement Necklace

britt — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:15:40 +0000

And by “I”, I mean Erica Domesek. I’m really loving this statement necklace that was featured on Refinery 29. She uses upholstery trim - that’s genius! It has my head spinning with possibilities.
Check out her site, PS I Made This, for other ideas.

Time for Tea Soap

britt — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:07:04 +0000

Drinking tea is such a lovely ceremony, what with the dainty cups and small spoons and little dishes reserved only for steeped tea bags. The aroma is such a huge part of that experience. Sadly, I’m finding that one can only drink so much tea in a day. So why not pull those luscious scents into our lives in other ways? This was my thinking when this idea popped into my head. I whipped up a batch of small Earl Grey tea soaps (see my instructions below) and folded them into individual tissue tea bags.

I have included a full, rather detailed tutorial for you to make these yourself. You can even download my tea soap tags, if you are so inclined. Each tag has a “Made by” and “For” on the back, so you can give these little soaps as gifts. You could also write a tiny message on the inside of the tag. I assure you that these are extremely easy to make, and cheap as well.
Click through below for the free tag download and how to!

You can buy all the materials you need here.
(a) Soap: I used a Melt & Pour Soap Base which some may think is cheating, but I think it’s fantastic. It’s incredibly easy - you just cut up the block of soap and melt it in the microwave (or if you are like me and don’t have a microwave, use a double-boiler) and add in whatever ingredients you want.
I used Earl Greyer Tea which has more bergamot than usual. Then just pour it into a mold or pan and let it set. After a few hours mine was set and I cut it into rectangles about 1″ x 2″. These are small (think hotel soap) and I was able to get eight soaps from a 1 lb. block, plus scraps that I can melt down into another one or two. You can see more detailed instructions here. I would recommend wrapping each soap in a dark-colored paper.
(b)Tags: You can create your own tags, or download mine here. Each sheet has tags for Earl Grey Tea Soap, Green Tea Soap, Citrus Mint Tea Soap, Ginger Peach Tea Soap, Rooibos Tea Soap, Jasmine Tea Soap, and Tea Soap (plain). Just cut them out, fold them in half, and snip little notches in the corners (see photos). [A note about the tags: Feel free to print out these tags for your personal, non-commercial use. Please do not redistribute in any way.]
(c)White tissue paper: Pieces cut to approximately 6″ x 9″, one per soap. *Not intended for use in the tub or shower.
(d)Tape
(e)String
(f)Stapler
(g)Scissors

How to fold, tea bag-style:

1. Place one soap on the tissue paper, centered vertically but slightly higher than the middle.
2. Fold the two sides over the soap so that they overlap slightly. Tape closed.
3. Pinch the edges to form a rectangular box. Pleat the sides inward.

4. Fold the bottom up over the soap and secure with a loop of tape (or double-sided tape)
5. Trim so that the front and back are the same height
6. Fold the two corners in to form a peak.
7. Pull the peak down and tape shut.

8. Flip over and staple the string onto the bag, tying a knot in the end to keep it from slipping through. Staple tag on the other end of the string.
If you have any trouble with these instructions it might help to inspect a real tea bag. For the sake of comparison, here is a real tea bag with mine:

Here are the tags that are available (click here to view and print):

Now I’m off to have a cup of tea…
Thanks for reading.

I’m In Trouble

britt — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:04:39 +0000

Seriously in love with these vintage-inspired trouble lights. Wouldn’t one of these lovelies look beautiful strung above a wooden table and tolix chairs? Of course, with such a setup one would be forced to eat aged chevre and torn bits of crusty bread with a glass of red wine for every meal… Sounds perfect to me.
Mechanic’s Beacon Lights 1, 2 & 3