Makers Always Bring Extra Love

Komebukuro & Mottainai

Mottainai (moe-tie-nigh) is an integral part of Japanese life. Simply put, it means 'not being wasteful,' although sometimes it's said wistfully when something is wasted, whether that's something p...

New Hobbies

Or better yet--trying new things, because I'm pretty sure this is a 'one and done'.   One of my goals for this year was to take advantage of all the options my maker space (NextFab) offers, one of ...

Repurpose Your Quilt Coat

I read once when you're contemplating buying a new something that you already have multiples of, there's a mathematical equation to rely on: N +1.  N, of course, equals the number you already have....

Japan Craft Tour 2024 Recap (and registration for 2025!!)

Yes, this is delayed, but also yes, it's been...um....shall we say, busy?  Our 2024 Japan Craft Tour welcomed five travelers last November, and we were blessed with good humor, wonderful camaraderi...

Quilt Bins, Studio Totes, and Now Studio Cubes!

The evolution of a new tote!  A cross between my Quilt Bin and Studio Tote 2.0 yields the Studio Cube.  

Holiday Mending Tins

One of the things Japan does so well is packaging.  I'm reminded of that every time I return home from a visit and spend then next few weeks clearing out hundreds of images of boxes and wrapping. ...

Maker Caddy Make-Along

It's that point in the summer where my knitting projects are at a stand still, and I'm eager to spend some time at my sewing machine.  There's something just so satisfying about starting and finish...

Quilts in the summer? You Betcha!

As someone who's cold all the time (yes, even in the summer, thank you central ac!) my summer closet doesn't look all that different than my fall/winter/spring closet, but I do recognize that quilt...

Welcome Cohana to the m.a.b.e.l family!

Welcome Cohana, to the m.a.b.e.l family!  I'm so pleased to be a stockist for this thoughtful and beautiful Japanese brand of wonderful tools for makers.

March's #mabelinthewild winners!

Thanks everyone for participating in March's #mabelinthewild campaign--it's great to see where all the mabels have been going! The winners for March are Emily, who brought her m.a.b.e.l notions pou...