Amy + Amy

Tecido da Amy Butler + molde da Amy Karol.

Amy Butler's fabric + Amy Karol's pattern.

Chá das cinco / Five o'clock tea

Nova loja / New shop

Há uma nova loja portuguesa on-line dedicada aos crafts: o projecto é da Isabel e chama-se Na ponta d'agulha. Em Novembro haverá peças minhas nas prateleiras da loja.

Flattering bags

Quem diria que há carteiras que nos favorecem, à semelhança do que acontece com um par de calças? A Gracinha enviou-me este artigo, que aqui reproduzo:

Choose the Right Bag for Your Body
From Cynthia Nellis,Your Guide to Women's Fashion

No More Unflattering Lengths or Sizes!
You probably don't give handbags the same scrutiny you give a pair of jeans: if a handbag is cute or fits your lifestyle then it works.
But did you know that a handbag can flatter your shape almost as much as the right pair of jeans?
Apply these easy steps to getting bag in proportion to your figure. It can not only knock off pounds visually (no kidding!), it'll polish up your style in a flash.

Shapes

Try to choose a shape that is the opposite of your body type. If you are tall and thin, look for a slouchy, rounded hobo bag to compliment your figure. If you're short and voluptous, play off opposites by choosing a handbag that is tall and rectangular or long and sleek (like a clutch).
In general, the rounder your figure, the more structured your bag should be. That doesn't mean that you have to carry a hard box around to counterbalance your womanly shape: rectangular or square silhouettes in soft leathers or fabrics will do the trick.

Some popular shapes:

- Tote - An open-top bag with straps or handles.
- Hobo bag - A crescent-shaped shoulder bag.
- Duffle - Tall shoulderbag, often with a wider opening on top.
- Field bag - A flap-top shoulderbag with utility-type closure (buckles, snaps, etc).
- Clutch - A small, handheld bag or a larger, geometric shape that is tucked under the arm.
- Satchel- A large, handheld bag.
- Baguette - Long and rounded shoulder bag resembling the namesake bread.
- Messenger - A large, soft shoulder bag with long straps (often worn across the body).
- Cigar Box - A small, boxy, hard bag.
- Pouch - A soft, small bag.
- Kelly bag - A classic Hermes style named after Grace Kelly; a large, structured handbag with distinctive hardware closures.

Scale

While the shape should oppose your body type for maximum flattery, the size of the bag should be in proportion to your figure.
Think scale here: a woman who is 6 feet tall and a size 14 would look lost with a teensy hand-held bag. A petite size 0 would look overwhelmed by an enormous slouchy bag.
A shoulder bag's length (where the bottom of the bag hits your body) will accentuate whatever part of the body it comes near.
For example, a shoulder bag that ends around the hips will play up your hip width (the eye is drawn to the bag).
Most women look great with a bag that hits mid-torso because it flatters the waist.

Tips

- Take time in a store to try on handbags in front of a mirror just like you would apparel.
- Don't be tempted by trendy shapes that don't suit your figure: there are plenty of great alternatives that will work.
- Think lifestyle when shopping for handbags: if you're toting diapers and graham crackers, an artsy vintage bag won't hold up.

Gerações / Generations

No final dos anos 20, pertenceu a uma noiva que se casou com sapatos prateados e que nele transportou as suas roupas de recém-casada até Madrid, destino de uma lua-de-mel tão ansiada.

Em meados de 40, guardou o enxoval da sua única filha, que entretanto se casou e que o continuou a utilizar como armazém para lençóis, toalhas, panos e afins.

Desde ontem que é meu. A noiva dos anos 20 é a minha bisavó, mãe da minha avó, que por sua vez é mãe da minha mãe. Sei que não se trata de uma papeleira D. José nem uma cama D. Maria; é apenas um simples malão de viagem. A minha avó nem que queria deixar ficar com ele, de tão estragado que está. Mas eu adoro-o. Para mim é um tesouro.

In the 1920's, this trunk belonged to a bride who got married wearing silver shoes and who then used it to transport her clothes to Madrid, the city where she and her husband spent their honeymoon.

In mid 1940 's, her only daughter kept her trousseau in it. She eventually got married and kept using it for storing bed sheets, table linens and so on.

Since yesterday, the trunk belongs to me. The 1920's bride was my great-grandmother, my grandmother's mother; this grandmother is my mother's mother. I know this is not a valuable antique: it's just a trunk. My grandmother didn't even wanted to given to me; she kept saying it's so old and ruined. But I love it. For me this trunk is a treasure.

Quick crafts for sanity

Quick Crafts for Sanity é o título particularmente feliz de um dos grupos do flickr em que participo. Qualquer crafty girl reconhecerá a satisfação instantânea que um porta-lenços ou qualquer outra pequena peça feita à mão proporcionam -- por vezes a sanidade mental é restabelecida com esses escassos minutos de criatividade.

Na fotografia, um exército de porta-lenços espera uma oportunidade para se tornar presente de Natal. Estão todos disponíveis, é só mandar-me um e-mail para encomendar!

Quick Crafts for Sanity is the well-chosen title of a flickr group which I participate in. Any crafty girl will recognize the instant satisfaction given by making a tissue holder or any other small handmade piece -- sometimes mental sanity can actually be re-established with the help of those scarce minutes of creativity.

In the above picture, an army of tissue holders waits for their turn to become Xmas presents. They're all available, all you have to do is send me an email to place an order!

Sim, fiz mais uma mala com o molde do bend-the-rules sewing! Disponível aqui.

And yes, I could not resist making another bend-the-rules sewing handbag! It's available here.

Presente de casamento / Wedding present

Obrigada, Mafalda e Bernardo, por me terem dado o presente de casamento mais original, único, especial e útil que eu poderia desejar. Oh sim: uma caixa de costura finlandesa dos anos 50 é tudo isso e muito mais!!

Thank you so much, Mafalda and Bernardo, for the most original, unique, special and useful wedding present: a 1950's finnish sewing box is much more that I could possibly wish for!

Copos novos = bases novas / New glasses = new coasters

Parece que o Verão está de volta... apetece estar na varanda a beber copos com os amigos (neste caso, copos de água!). E como os copos são novos, decidi experimentar fazer umas bases com aqueles charm packs de que falei há uns tempos.

Is Summer back? All want is some chatting and drinking (water, in this case!) with friends on the balcony. And since these are new glasses, I decided to try making some coasters using those charm packs I told about some time ago.

Para fazer cada uma, usei dois quadrados de tecido e um quadrado de flanela de algodão -- o que significa que as bases são reversíveis e laváveis! Não dão um bom presente?

To make each coaster I used two squares of fabric and one square of cotton flannel -- this means that the coasters are both reversible and washable! Aren't they a great gift?

Again and again and again

Sempre o mesmo feitio -- só mudam os tecidos e as aplicações. Adoro a charming handbag do livro da Amy Karol!

Always the same shape -- only the fabrics and the embellishments change. I love Amy Karol's charming handbag!

Ah!, e hoje recebi os meus mini moos -- já tenho cartões de visita e etiquetas para as minhas peças!

Oh!, and today I received my mini moos -- now I have both business cards and tags!

Gracinha

Japan in USA - part III

ISBN 4-8347-2492-1

ISBN 4-8347-2509-X

ISBN 978-4-391-62423-6

Japan in USA - part II

ISBN 978-4-277-49057-3

Tânia, este é para ti!

Japan in USA - part I

Uma das atracções de Nova Iorque foi visitar livrarias japonesas e ter a oportunidade (raríssima!) de folhear livros japoneses de crafts. Fomos à Kinokuniya, à Book-Off e à Asahiya -- uhu, que mundo!! Acabei por trazer alguns livros que vão aumentar a minha colecção (confesso que, se pudesse, teria trazido muitos mais!).

One of NYC's attractions was visiting Japanese bookstores, where I had the (rare) chance to actually look at Japanese craft books. We went to Kinokuniya, Book-Off and Asahiya -- oh my!, that's another world!! I ended up buying some books for my collection (I must say that if I only could I would have bought many more!).

ISBN 4-277-41147-9

ISBN 4-391-62249-1

ISBN 978-4-8347-2599-5 (this one is my favourite)

Amanhã mostro mais!

Tomorrow I'll show more!