The holiday season is upon us, and I'm feathering my nest in preparation for the yearly visits from St. Nick and Old Man Winter. My favorite beef and barley soup simmers on the stove; pumpkin bread is in the oven. Candles are strategically placed, and handmade woolens are back in rotation. Five weeks have flown… Continue reading Getting ready for the holidays; a peek back at fall
Tag: crafts
Messier mandala WIP; craft studio visit
In my last post I mentioned a few things I’ve been working on that have been on the back burner for a very long time. One of these is a beaded mandala using Miyuki glass beads that I sourced in Japan last year. PHOTOS: Early days of the Messier mandala, using Scheepjes Catona yarn and… Continue reading Messier mandala WIP; craft studio visit
Red fig preserves recipe + random craft doings
I'm so glad to be back with you to share a few of my late Summer/early Autumn pleasures. It's been more than a month since my last post, and time just slipped by with my duties at work and the quotidian routine. This long weekend, South Korea is celebrating the Chuseok holiday, so I have… Continue reading Red fig preserves recipe + random craft doings
San Diego Botanic Garden; random WIPs
With only about a week left of my trip home in California, I guess it's time to share a few things here on the ol' blog. I've been up and down the state these last four weeks, and I have a lot of wonderful photos I'll share in the coming days. Last week, Mom and… Continue reading San Diego Botanic Garden; random WIPs
Mini update: New Life mandala in progress
My semester is back in full swing, and I'm alternating between the classroom and Zoom classes, as the Covid protocols make the return to "normal" life a bit rocky for the time being. There are a couple of small projects I have started recently that I can fit into short bursts of free time that… Continue reading Mini update: New Life mandala in progress
Finished Mont Blanc cardigan
The Mont Blanc cardigan is now ready to wear. I really want to call this garment a "shirt-jack" since that is how it looks and fits. I made the sleeves a tiny bit wider than recommended, so I could wear a hefty shirt underneath. The front pockets are stitched as little tubes and attached to… Continue reading Finished Mont Blanc cardigan
2014 Travel memory: lovely handicrafts of Laos
I've found some simple ways to experience joy during this past year of being grounded by the pandemic, many of which are just outside my door in the beautiful Korean countryside. Some other sources of comfort have come from my substantial cache of travel memories I frequently access, as I regard the mementos that surround… Continue reading 2014 Travel memory: lovely handicrafts of Laos
Traditional Korean painting “Minhwa” and WIP update
One of my favorite Korean handicrafts is Minhwa (민화), or Korean folk painting. I recently acquired a lovely reproduction of a well-known Minhwa theme, called Hojakdo (호작도), or a tiger, magpie, and pine tree scene. There are many versions of this triad, and this one makes me smile. Minhwa paintings have a charm and accessibility… Continue reading Traditional Korean painting “Minhwa” and WIP update
Happy New Year! First post of 2021 and Winter view
Just checking in to send out a wish for a happy, healthy, hopeful New Year. I have to laugh a little as I look at my modest crafting resolutions from last year. Hardly any of the things I dreamed of doing got done! But a few important ones did - for example, I made my… Continue reading Happy New Year! First post of 2021 and Winter view
Favorite home crafts of 2020
Three of my favorite home crafts this past year were crochet projects - the Celtic Hearts placemat, the beaded lampshade cover, and the Spice Market mandala. Each one of these projects used either cotton crochet thread or laceweight cotton yarn. The lampshade cover used the same taupe cotton that is part of the mandala. All… Continue reading Favorite home crafts of 2020
The Frill Seeker 