it was my birthday last week, and timothy took me to the bronx zoo, which was incredible! we saw the special madagascar exhibit, with lemurs and fosas. but the gorilla exhibit takes the cake for sure. we spent almost an hour in there, watching. the bronx zoo has been a leader in wildlife conservation, and i think the gorilla exhibit exemplifies their goals. they have 6 acres to wander around, play and forage, and the humans stand in a little glass enclosure to watch them. it’s amazing.
i also received some fabulous gifts….. i’ve been coveting these shake-a-legs forever!
they’re so cute! they’re from perch!, and you can find them here.
of course, i put the salt in the two hole leg, when it should go in the one hole……
i love the cleaver pillow! now on etsy, among others……
after the BUST fair, a few of us discussed how perfectly this bit up here, where the handle meets the blade, fits around your neck…. and how awesome it would be on the plane….. and then how hilarious, but also troublesome, it would be to bring this pillow, or better yet, one of the “explosive” varieties, on a plane.
i put a very manly axe up on etsy today. i think he’s a very sophisticated axe!
also, on July 1st, my etsy shop will be featured in the main showcase. maybe you’ll go check it out?
i put some pretty brass knuckles up on etsy!
i was poking through my sewing book resources recently, and found this ole’ jem:
Simplicity’s Simply The Best Sewing Book from 1988.
i think i first learned how to use a sewing machine around the age of 10, but didn’t actually attempt a garment until 12 or so. before that, i mostly just played with my mom’s machine and the fancy stitches, like rows of scottish terriers, nose-to-tail-to-nose. but that first garment… wow. my stepmom, ricky, helped me with it, and it was so much fun to make, and learn about patterns, and what a sewing machine could really do, but it was so incredibly unattractive. it was a jumper dress, in peach with little teal medallions. ugh. anyway, i think this book was my very first sewing book. it followed me to college, grad school and new york city. all the way from 1988.
the reason i bring this book to your attention is this: i was looking into it for help with zippers and buttons and what-have-you (these things never go out of style), and found this:
this is a sort of similar method as the one described by amy karol in her book for making bias tape. my first thought: i had this all this time?!
but wait. it gets so much better.
this book is from 1988. did i mention that already? 1988. maybe you don’t remember 1988. there were shoulder pads. lots and lots of shoulder pads.
look at this picture. it’s subtle, but look at the right picture. you know what her problem is? narrow shoulders. she’s happier because she has shoulder pads. you can see it.
this book will teach you how to make this:
and this:
oh wait. and this:
wow.
