Gochemoche

Used my japanese nuigurumi book

2011-08-19T19:22:00.001-04:00

Used my japanese nuigurumi book, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I really love this book
http://www.flickr.com/photos/offgenemi/2245526186/in/set-72157603856804820
i made a lot of animals from this book; the smaller version of the pig on the cover., the big elephant, a small sheep and now the whale :)
the whale is about 1 yard (~1 meter) long. I am sure he wont be able to play with it for a few years but still i am ready :) when he is ready , we'll have the whale for him :D

Chenille blanket with birds and blossoms

2011-08-15T18:31:00.001-04:00

Chenille blanket with birds and blossoms, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

made another one for a friend :) I think I am getting addicted :)

we are closing the shop

2011-07-22T23:39:00.002-04:00

tomorrow morning I will sit down and close our Etsy shop with one click :)
DH is preparing the packages diligently as usual. They will be at the PO tomorrow on their way to their rightful owners. I wanted to give something extra to each customer who came back on our last day on Etsy so I added one or two extras to each package. I felt like Santa Claus :)
then I couldn't stop there and prepared two more packages for friends. Tomorrow i will pack most of the left overs and give them to local charities. Then we are packing our house and moving!
wish us good luck!

Chenille blanket

2011-07-03T20:55:00.001-04:00

Chenille blanket, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

it is time for nesting!!!!
I found this tutorial
http://www.aestheticnest.com/2010/08/sewing-heirloom-cut-chenille-baby.html
and I just had to make one. it was really a lot of fun :) The top fabric is from nani iro. it is a thin cotton fabric so it is very soft the bottom layers are all flannel. the blanket kind of feels like a towel :) and now my husband wants one :)
I used regular scissors to cut the bottom 3 layers, it took some time but it's worth it
hope you have fun making one, too

New coupon code!

2011-06-24T01:03:00.002-04:00

Hi all,
as I promised a better coupon is available now "40PERCENTOFF" is obviously for a 40% off discount :)
I will stop taking custom order in mid July and completely close the shop towards the end of July. I might not come back for a year or so. if you need any of my items , now is the time to shop :)
cheers
g

One week left

2011-06-18T17:15:00.001-04:00

Hey,
there is only one week left until the coupon expires.
30PERCENTOFF , it's for 30% off coupon and it is valid till June 23rd 2011
I will also have to stop taking custom orders mid July. if you wanted a custom item please contact before mid July.
thank you!

Sales are going great!

2011-06-09T08:45:00.003-04:00

Hi everybody,
it seems that people are taking advantage of 30% off coupon! good job shoppers :)
items are flying out of the store, if you had your eye on an item , you might have to be quick!
have fun shopping
g

Etsy shop closing sales

2011-06-02T21:34:00.001-04:00

Hi all!
I will have to close my etsy shop towards the end of July and go on a hiatus for a while. So I decided to make some sales to empty the store. here is the new code I created.
30PERCENTOFF , it's for 30% off coupon and it is valid till June 23rd 2011

Also if you like to put in custom order please hurry up

it will be very hard to say goodbye for now, but it is all for a good, positive reason

thank you!

Free shipping coupons from gochemoche!

2011-05-01T19:22:00.000-04:00

Hi,
Just created my first free shipping coupon on Etsy, I wonder how many people will take advantage of free shipping!
coupon is SUMMERFLOWERS19
have fun shopping
g

chirimen simple barrettes

2010-07-08T22:44:00.001-04:00

chirimen simple barrettes, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

Simples designs last forever :) I love my collection of kimono fabric and chirimen and sometimes I cant appreciate them enough if I fold them so I came up with these simple barrettes, they are much easier to use , I mean I can throw them in my bag and they will survive it :) Tsumami kanzashi inspired hair accessories are not that forgiving, they are delicate. these are perfect for everyday use :)
cheers

Mother's day is coming...

2010-04-25T16:18:00.001-04:00

for a sweet mom, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

Stefan and I have to think about Mother's day a bit earlier than other people since both of our mothers are an ocean away from us and we try and arrange flowers to be delivered to them on time. We never get to se what got delivered :)
recently a nice customer asked me if I can make some flowers with stem to put in a vase. So I made some, dont they look pretty? these flowers never wilt, also they dont have any pollens :) I live in Florida and this long winter (in FL standards) caused all oaks varieties to pollinate at the same time and we are having a lot of trouble with the pollens. So I appreciate these pollen-less flowers :)
cheers

mizuhiki knot

2010-04-25T16:14:00.001-04:00

mizuhiki knot, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I got some mizuhiki cords to make some butterfly tsumami kanzashi, but the cords came with some instructions to make a knot and I couldnt hold myself :) and made a bunch, the colors are vibrant and making them is a lot of fun, now I have to find an excuse to make more :) I guess they would look pretty in scrapbook page.
cheers

Army of cherry blossoms

2010-03-14T13:29:00.001-04:00

Army of cherry blossoms , originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I think it is obvious that I want spring to come as soon as possible :)

Custard yellow peony brooch

2010-01-25T20:52:00.001-05:00

Custard yellow peony brooch, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I really liked this flower when i first made it as a headband, this tme it is in brooch form, but it is still big! I am making more big flowers and add a pin so that pretty girls can use them with their pretty outfits :)

gochemoche_IMPROVEMENT_MEME

2010-01-06T21:22:00.001-05:00

gochemoche_IMPROVEMENT_MEME_TEMP_by_Kamaniki, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I just love how everything I made between 2003-2009 looks like! I wish I had a digital camera before, well I should be happy with what I have right :)
I see that my Kanzashi improved and kind of matured :) what do you think.
make one of these for yourself! I put the link for a template below, it will make you happy :)
g

PS: I got the template frm kamaniki at deviantart http://kamaniki.deviantart.com/art/03-09-IMPROVEMENT-MEME-TEMP-148611559

Back!

2010-01-05T23:12:00.001-05:00

Teal chrysanthemum , originally uploaded by offgenemi.

During th holiday season i was super busy so i couldnt write much here sorry!
I will try t update this blog more in 2010
Happy New year!
g

red chrysanthemum christmas ornament

2009-12-09T23:04:00.001-05:00

red chrysanthemum christmas ornament, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I always end up making an ornament as a custom order every year, I like this one very much, it looks very much like a real chrysanthemum :)

yelow lily on a black wire comb

2009-11-24T16:30:00.001-05:00

yelow lily on a black wire comb, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

another custom order!, I really love working on custom orders, they give me such good ideas. you know I have a day job, so I can not think about the flowers as much as I want to. so these custom orders really help me out and save me time :) so thank you all!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-30T10:13:00.001-04:00

130, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

Me and my lovely husband love to make gingerbread houses around Christmas. This year a friend of ours suggested to make one for Halloween! it turns out making a haunted gingerbread house is a lot of fun! I love especially the ghost waving from the inside.
Stefan made the gingerbread using his german recipe and german spice mix, he makes a delicious gingerbread :) kathy and her son brought all the candies.
I made another one with my friend Yen, I took some photos with my cell, probably I'll put them on my flickr. if you click on this photo it will take you to my flickr account :)
cheers and happy halloween!

For DIY lovers!

2009-10-23T22:55:00.002-04:00

I opened a new section in my Etsy shop for DIY lovers, now you can make your own origami stars and tsumami kanzashi flowers! I uploaded onyl a few but more are on the way :)
cheers
g

clark gable of cats

2009-10-03T14:43:00.001-04:00

clark gable of cats, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I just love my cats and I think my flowers look very nice with them :)
I am preparing some Kanzashi kits by the way :) I will be listing them on my etsy shop soon :)
g

How do you name your colors?

2009-09-13T11:29:00.003-04:00

Maybe you already know but my first language is not English, so when I started my etsy shop the biggest challenge for me was to find out the names of the colors I use. I googled a few keywords and found this awesome website
"Name that color", I just wanted to share with everybody :)

Style Hive!

2009-09-12T10:41:00.003-04:00

This is a wonderful website especially if you are getting married. I dont have a lot of time surf the net for pretty little things so this website is the perfect for a busy girl like me :)

Busy with weddings

2009-09-12T00:21:00.001-04:00

corsage, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I cant say enough how much I like to work on custom orders. I have a habit of saying "sure I can" every challenge that comes my way. So when my friend asked me if I can make corsages with Hibiscus flowers I said, "sure" . When I was struggling with the whole production process I wanted return back in time and beat myself :) but Thank God we dont have such technology yet.
I made this corsage from the left over flowers and ribbon, and I love it! would it look weird if I just wear as an accessory? I tried to put it on my cats you know like a hat, but they didnt like this fashionable idea. I will try next time I see them, just wait Koko and Suki mommy will be there to annoy you for 15 minutes ;)

Yellow orange lily

2009-08-27T20:20:00.001-04:00

yellow orange lily, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

i made a lot of new flowers; traditional sakura, lily, hibiscus and more :) sometimes I get more creative I guess :)

my first attempt on fabric design

2009-08-08T21:16:00.001-04:00

my first attempt on fabric design, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I guess most of my friends know that I am possessed by fabric. and all the smart young fabric designers doesnt help me to get over this obsession of mine. well I really dont have any time to print, paint or (perhaps the most important) design. so when I get a fabric pen and some of the fabric I dyed already I become a 3 year old playing with pen. it was a lot of fun, I thought everything looked great :P these are a few from that batch.
I made several other flowers and I uploaded them to flickr, it you click on this photo it will take you to my account
cheers
g

new season of triangular pyramid bags

2009-08-02T18:39:00.001-04:00

new season of triangular pyramid bags, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

My lovely husband finished making a bunch of new triangular pyramid wristlets. He says the hardest part is to match colors of the patterned fabric with the right ribbon , zipper and lining :) He is very proud of red riding hood bag where the finished the bag with a brown zipper.
I already listed a bunch and will b listing more throughout the week.
cheers

1300 sales!!!!!

2009-08-02T13:09:00.001-04:00

1300 sales!!!!!, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

we hit 1300 sales yesterday , thank you 1300th customer :)))

A fabric and yarn outlet in our town

2009-08-02T01:46:00.001-04:00

A fabric and yarn outlet in Bradenton, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

My good friend yenny and I found this cute little shop from Etsy when we were looking for fabrics for the girls'. To support the local economy immediately we went there right after work and met the super cute couple who own the shop. They won my heart when they said Turkish yarns are beautiful and high quality :) I love it when I hear nice things about the products of my country. Stef got Haribo gummy bears that were made in Turkey from sole shop in town, I was super surprised and happy :)
well let me return to the subject, this little shop (a fabric and yarn outlet) is super cute, most of the quilting store tend to carry fabrics that speak to older generations, I like all colors and everything but I prefer Japanese fabrics or fabrics that are full of interesting designs and broght color. so this little cute shop of perfect for me :) Next time I go there I hope to meet their little dog and smart daughter who brought up the idea of selling fabric along with yarn :)
So we got these two sets of fabrics one from Heather Ross but sadly I forgot the other one, sorry! when we finish the projects I will do my best to upload photos to the blog. They will be on flickr for sure
cheers

My youngest and

2009-07-25T16:05:00.001-04:00

I love you, daddy!, originally uploaded by yen yen yen.

prettiest super model, I think she makes the flower look cuter :)
I am totally in love with these girls, they are super adorable, I cant wait for them to grow up so that I can make more things for them . we are planning on making genie pants for them. then dresses and other cool stuff. babies are the coolest!

home decor with kimono fabric

2009-07-20T20:50:00.001-04:00

home decor with kimono fabric, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I made this set for my bed room, it really changed the atmosphere in the room. It looks more like my room and less like a hotel room :)
should I make these for you guys, too ?

Dreamy tsumami kanzashi from Japan!

2009-06-21T00:45:00.002-04:00

I look for pretty photos of Tsumami Kanzashi from their mother land , Japan. Last week I got obsessed and look for some more, and thank God I did so, I found this blog , these are the most dreamy, beautiful kanzashi I have ever seen. I couldn't hold myself and wrote her an email and she responded! She is very very sweet. I am so excited to exchange e-mails with an authentic tsumami kanzashi artist :) Thank God for Internet :) we are very very lucky.
Please check her gallery out, you will see beautiful dreams filled with kanzashi tonight :)
cheers

gochemoche sales graph by year and day

2009-06-15T23:31:00.001-04:00

gochemoche sales graph by year and day, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I always thought I sell more on fridays, obviously I was wrong actually Monday was a much more popular day last year (2008).
I love graphs :) another obsession that comes from my day work :)

New projects

2009-06-13T08:27:00.002-04:00

I love making tsumami kanzashi, but I am always scared that I will be bored of it if I spent to much time on it. So I keep finding a bit different stuff to do. I tried decoupage and quickly find out the medium used makes me sick, so goodbye decoupage, byeee
I think I am going to spent some time making some clothes, I have this gorgeous fabric from Kokka, it is perfect for hot summer days. So I cut it out yesterday to make a kimono style top. wish me luck!
Then I decided to cut some fabric and being a bit ADD, I make some wall art for myself :) I have a lot of kimono fabric that are sooo beautiful I can not cut them, I have to use them somehow because I dont believe in keep things as they are, I love collecting but I love using them in projects even more.
Today I think I am gonna go to my quilt shop :) it will be fun, I will Stef was here we could have gone there together :)Yes ladies, you can be jealous, my husband actually likes quilt shops and uses our sewing machine :)
have a great weekend

I just love working with fabric

2009-06-09T21:02:00.001-04:00

anti tarnish silver pouch, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

It calms me down :) after a long day at work, I come back home mentally tired. Then I looks at all the fabric I have and just admiring their beauty takes me to the times when my mom was telling me stories. My imagination starts working, sometimes I cant keep up with it. There is so many project I want to start but I have to be patient and go with the flow :) maybe in a few decades when I retire huh? of course palying lottery is also another option :)
cheers

Thank you !

2009-05-28T23:22:00.001-04:00

another angle, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

Thank you, everybody who congratulated us :) I am very happy that we are surrounded a lot of thoughtful, and loving people
I would really want to thank Missmalaprop ( http://www.missmalaprop.com/) who featured our shop gochemoche on her awesome blog, it was a great surprise for me to see it just after we returned back and re-open our shop :)
I am very tired since it is near midnight now, I am in the process of making more flowers for other weddings, now that I know how hard it is to organize a wedding (mine was very very simple) I really feel for the lucky couple. The good news is that after everything is said and done, you never remember the upsetting details :)
cheers

Back from wedding

2009-05-24T01:41:00.002-04:00

Sis is putting earrings, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

Our nice trip to Turkey to get married and to Germany for honeymoon was so nice that coming to work was a bit hard for me the past week.
Now everything is back to normal, and I miss both Turkey and Germany dearly! Apart from all the loved ones I left in both countries the food was sooo good, I have to admit that we ate like there is no tomorrow. and guess what Stef lost 5 kilos (9-10 pounds)! I didnt gain any weight. This miracle happens everytime we go back to Turkey :)
I was so busy with filling out all the custom orders I had that I couldnt make much for my own wedding. I didnt want to pay hunderd bucks for my veil so a comb we had at home and some tulle from Joann's fixed that problem. I wanted to have colorful hair comb so I managed to make some time to make one last night I was in USA before the wedding. I love the way people can put hair comb in their hair casually, I cant do it, my hair is super flat and everythign falls off. so this was the perfect opportunity for me to try my own creation. My awesome hairdresser cam up with this do'. Turkish hairdresser's rock! I will take more photos of the comb but this one is the best one I have so far :)Our photographer kicked ass, he was really easy to work with and I love all the photos he took :)
not bad for a budget wedding right :)
cheers

my oak leaves are featured in a new book

2009-04-06T21:57:00.001-04:00

my oak leaves are featured in a new book, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

Stitched jewels, it is full of very cool projects that you can make using textiles. The publishers just sent me a copy, I am so proud and happy :) I published a few scientific papers but for some reason this one made me as happy as those if not more
:)
you can find it on amazon.com

Birds on branch

2009-04-04T00:53:00.001-04:00

Birds on branch -1, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

My super talented friend recently had very very cute twin girls. She can not make anything just ordinary. I put the mural she and her sis made for the girls room earlier. This time she wanted to make a mobile and she came across a DIY bird mobile online (http://www.casasugar.com/1673198) and decided to make one. well I had all the cute, adorable Japanese fabric she was looking for so we started making an army of birds. She added some wings to some of the birds so they look like they are flying :)
I made some birds, too. I have a few friends, actually including her, 4 friends who had or will have babies this year so I will try and finish it before the babies make it to college .
cheers

love is in the air!

2009-03-27T22:14:00.001-04:00

pink and pink brooch, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I am getting married in May, but I had no time in preparing anything for myself. I receive lots of custom orders for weddings. Flowers for bridesmaids, boutonnière for the groomsmen. And of course beautiful flowery pieces for the bride :) and my customers have the most awesome sense of taste. They come up with beautiful colors and combinations :)
I want to make a comb for my hair and flowers for my dad, my brother, , Stef's daddy and brother. maybe a big flower for my sister.
Stef and I made our invitations, when i have a chance I will take a photo and upload it here. of course they are Japanese themed. Actually I am getting married in a japanese association :) lucky!
Stef and I are also gonna make some origami stars to use as favors. We will get M&M with our names or specific colors we like and mix them up with origami stars . so people have some candy to eat and stars to remember us by :)
I hope we will have time to make these all I should get to work right?

Happy Sunny Days

2009-02-23T19:58:00.001-05:00

110, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I love this color! I cant wear it since it doesnt match my skin tone, but I still love it, it makes me happy :)
My fav in this citrus blossom set is the brooch with the leaves , what is yours?

My updated fabric index

2009-02-01T17:33:00.001-05:00

My updated fabric index, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I checked my fabric stash and updated my index :) all japanese style or japanese fabrics

Weddings

2009-01-25T10:54:00.001-05:00

orange set, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

Looking back I realized many people ordered pieces for their weddings.
A nice bridal hair accessory, boutonnière for the groom and groomsmen, hair accessories for bride's mother, flower girl and of course bridesmaids. Most people wanted different pieces for each person and they choose red and orange the most :) Tsumami kanzashi style boutonnière are very nice since you can preserve them very easily as a memento from that beautiful wedding party. They are also very unique and they complement cherry blossom themed weddings perfectly :)
Flowers were not the only this that were ordered for weddings, our good luck origami stars are very popular these days, people use them as favors or as table decorations or as fillers for the gifts they get for the bridesmaids.
Some lucky bridesmaid got triangular pyramid bags as a gift for their hard work and support some others received anti tarnish pouches to keep their nice silver jewelry clean and shiny.
I also made a birdcage style hair accessory with a tsumami kanzashi hair comb, the same person got something for bridesmaids, flower girl, groom, groomsmen. so Her cherry blossom themed wedding was perfect with all these details.
have fun planing your own wedding or helping others plan theirs
cheers
g

Stitched Jewels- oak leaves

2008-12-24T18:35:00.000-05:00

Hi all,
I returned back from my home land and I am ready for a new year! I received an email from the publisher the other day, "Stitched Jewels" a book describing how to make several beautiful jewelry projects by using sewing techniques and textile products will be released May 2009. You can also find a section where I am describing how to make my oak leaves brooch/pendants. This is the first time for me to be featured in a book so i am very very excited, I can't wait for it be released! So I just wanted to share with you :)
cheers

Leaving on Sunday

2008-12-03T20:02:00.001-05:00

black and pink head band, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

Hey,
Prospective shoppers! gochemoche will not be able to ship till December 23rd, please place your order before December 6th if you like to receive the items before christmas :)
have fun shopping!

Black friday to Cyber Monday gochemoche is full of awesome deals!

2008-11-27T17:17:00.000-05:00

25-30% off a lot of items in my shop
I will be out of town between dec 5th -22nd
shop at gochemoche while you can :)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19

HOLIDAY SEASON

2008-11-13T21:04:00.001-05:00

Suki, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

!IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!
THE SHIPPING WILL BE STALLED BETWEEN DECEMBER 5TH-22ND. WE WILL RESUME SHIPPING AFTER DEC 22ND. IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON SHOPPING HERE, PLEASE PUT IN YOUR ORDER BEFORE DEC 5TH.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS :)

fruits and veggies from my garden

2008-10-28T23:06:00.001-04:00

fruits and veggies from my garden , originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I wanted to make fruits and veggies for a while now, I started of with strawberry and raspberry, now I am mmoving on to eggplant ( my favorite!) pumpkin and apple. they are adorable :) I attached them to pins so the owner can use them as brooches or pendants :)

peacock blue chrysanthemum head band

2008-10-26T20:24:00.001-04:00

peacock blue chrysanthemum head band, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I am making a new ste of hair accessories... a lot of people have asked me about head bands and at last I managed to find bands that complement my flowers, I will be listing them in my etsy shop gochemoche soon. Let me know if you like to have head bands with specific flowers :) I like to work on custom orders.

Bridal kanzashi and veil

2008-10-21T20:00:00.001-04:00

Hair accessory and veil, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

custom for a lovely bride; birdcage veil red and ivory silk cherry blossoms and chrysanthemums

Quilts Japan january 2008

2008-10-19T12:35:00.001-04:00

Quilts Japan january 2008, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I wanted to get a Quilts Japan magazine for a while now, after long hours of research I got my first issue. and I am totally in love. the only thing is I need to make something from all these books and mooks I get or Stef is gonna do something about it :)
you can go to my flickr to see a few more pics from this book and other japanese craft book I have

Heads up for a new place to buy japanese fabric

2008-10-18T23:34:00.000-04:00

E-quilter has started to sell some japanese fabric from Kokka, Cosmo, and more
have fun shopping!

fall colors oak leaves and flowers-chirimen

2008-10-15T20:22:00.001-04:00

fall colors oak leaves and flowers-chirimen, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I uploaded more photos of my vintage kimono fabric collection, Ok I dont have yards of these fabrics, they are pieces of kimono, but they are soooo beautiful. every now and then I find some stains on them but I guess I can get rid of those. dry cleaning these pieces would be too expensive, so for now I am preserving them in my house. apparently instead of folding them I should roll them. Thank God I work a lot and turn all of them into a bag or a anti tarnish pouch, so they dont feel lonely for a long time :)
cheers

My first Tsumami kanzashi ecru and brownish red

2008-09-30T19:18:00.001-04:00

Tsumami kanzashi ecru and brown-red, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

Yes, I call all my flowers tsumami kanzashi, but this one is the real deal. I was making something like this one for a customer (for her wedding!), and with the left over flowers I made this one, maybe I should keep it for myself, I am so much in love with it. Colors are perfect for fall, although there is no fall in florida maybe in january , for a bit :)
I dyed habotai silk 8mm from dharma trading with ecru and brownish red. I should try and get this color again. I work in the lab all day long and measure everything meticulously. so when I work on my craft I am not being precise. I should weigh the dye and the fabric I know but it is just too much work for now, maybe later...
cheers

Mural for the baby room

2008-09-21T17:11:00.001-04:00

Mural for the baby room, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I just wanted to share this with you all. I am very proud of my friend and her sister who painted this mural on the wall. She is a know jewelry artist here in Sarasota. With the babies (yes twins!) coming she started using her super powers to get the house ready for the girls :) Basically she projected the image on the wall and painted it on the wall. It looks much prettier when you actually see it. I took the photo when they threw the baby shower so I did not have time to adjust the lighting.

Digital catalog of my kimono fabric

2008-08-03T13:36:00.001-04:00

kawaii little flowers on blue, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

For more you can visit my flickr kimono set.
I started taking photos of all the kimono fabric I buy. they are so gorgeous, and the variety blows my mind. I am so happy these fabric once were somebody's kimono, haori, etc. , now live on with the pouches and flowers I make. If I could I would hang all of them on the wall :)

Updated fabric index

2008-07-20T11:57:00.001-04:00

Updated fabric index, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I added my new lovelis from Lecien, their website does not do justice for these soft and pretty fabric. The print is very precise and colors are gorgeous, I collected so many fabric it will take a while before Stef can start making some triangular bags from these.
cheers

My little treasure

2008-05-24T00:58:00.001-04:00

fabric index , originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I took pictures of all the japanese or japanese influenced fabric I have and play with photoshop a bit to make this fabric index of mine. I am expecting more japanese fabric from lecien , nani iro, kokka, it is gonna be fun to add more and more to this collection :)

Anti tarnish jewelry pouch party

2008-04-19T15:42:00.001-04:00

My light box is too small for pics like this one. I need a new one! I guess I have to ask Mr German Engineer :)
well I made some new jewelry pouches, these fabrics are so lovely. I am so glad that I can save them and turn them into something that can keep more pretties :) The fabric I use for these bags (99% ) comes as scrap pieces of tradition japanese outfits like kimono, haori, etc. Usually these outfits are stained so people cant wear them anymore so people take them apart and sell them. Basically we recycle the fabric to make these pouches. It would have been a shame if they wound up in trash, right?
The ones I use are mostly silk, chirimen (mostly rayon), sometimes cotton. They are all beautiful.

MY NEW FABRICS CAME!!!

2008-04-06T21:02:00.000-04:00

my cosmo and shinzi katoh fabrics came, I am soooo happy, most of them are canvas .

Well I like blue

2008-03-03T23:02:00.001-05:00

Flickr 144, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I made a similar barrette a few weeks ago and got an overwhelming response. I played with more colors. Layers of blue looks so calming to me :)

custom order

2008-03-03T23:00:00.001-05:00

Flickr 151, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

my customer wanted purple to pink transition with white center, she is happy with the result, I am hoping to get a picture of her with this barrette :)

Red to pink chrysanthemum

2008-03-03T22:59:00.001-05:00

Flickr 148, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I made a similar barrette a few weeks ago and got an overwhelming response. I got some custom orders so I played with more colors.

Vintage jimono fabric

2008-02-26T19:33:00.001-05:00

fabric 013, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I get my kimono fabric from different suppliers, most of the time I dont know what I am getting. I know it is silk or cotton but everything else is in the air. So every time my package comes I rip th envelope like a kid and look at the gorgeous fabric I have. I wish I can keep them all, but no I have to make them into other things. The fabric in the picture is very pretty, it looks like water color huh? I wish I can have the chance of seeing these kimono fabric artists in action. that would be truly awesome. I have a big crush on fabric, God help me :)

mini patchwork book

2008-02-22T23:44:00.001-05:00

mini patchwork book, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I got hooked on quilting at a very young age. I think I was 16 years old, my father sent me to an sewing machine embroidery class. all summer I made 16 pillows and 5 bags. I worked on bigger pieces like bed cover, bags, etc this book is about "tiny patchwork" pieces. it is very adorable. my mom will love this one.
if you click on the picture you see other pictures and ISBN

amigurumi no hon

2008-02-22T23:34:00.001-05:00

amigurumi no hon, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

I got this one from Kinokuniya San Francisco. I was in a dream when I was there, looked at like five thousand books I wanted a amigurumi book and this was the perfect one. A very good beginner's book, very lovely.

if you click on the picture you see other pictures and ISBN

kimono mook

2008-02-22T23:16:00.001-05:00

kimono mook, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

Kimono Hime magazine is awesome I got two more volumes I will take pictures as soon as possible. since I cant read very fluently the japanese articles I rely very much on the pictures. and if you are a fabric freak like me this is the best magazine to salivate over. especially this volume is the best... so far.

if you click on the picture you see other pictures and ISBN

Mini kimono dressed dolls

2008-02-22T23:11:00.001-05:00

Mini kimono dressed dolls, originally uploaded by offgenemi.

This is one of my favorite japanese craft books. it is super adorable and I got it so much cheaper at amazon.co.jp from a seller who ships USA. not every seller in Japan sells to international customers. Thank God they have the web site in english so I can order with some sort of ease. I think I ordered twice from there. SO far nor problem since I had to pay for the expensive shipping 12 bucks per book, it came super fast in like 3 days. which is impressive :)

if you click on the picture you see other pictures and ISBN

Kokka fabrics I used so far

2008-02-06T20:34:00.001-05:00

where to find japanese fabrics?

2008-01-18T16:26:00.000-05:00

Fabric Brands
lecien has a very nice collection of fabrics that will appeal many quilt makers and children's dress makers
Kokka is full of cute, fun, elegant and modern fabric designs. Every fabric lover must see them.
Cosmo has the cutest fabrics designs, I just want to get them all!
Hobbyra-Hobbyre has both fabric and a ton of cute projects
Shinzi Katoh is a great designer both fabrics and other cute houseware worth getting or al least looking at them.
Kona Bay makes a lot of traditional symbols as their design elements, they are simply gorgeous. I think they are one of my most favorite fabric designers

Where to get them
Fabric Tales is a great store that is located in Japan, my experience with them has been great so far. everything was shipped super fast in great condition
Superbuzzy has a good selection of adorable fabrics from japan.
Kitty craft is a nice store where you can get both books/ magazine and fabric from famous japanese designers
Modern craft is carrying both books and fabric, too.
Purl soho has a section devoted to Japanese fabric, too
Retro depot is another online fabric store that carries a lot of Japanese imports along with other fabrics.

I gues this is enough for you to looks around, have fun shopping :)

custom order

2007-08-03T15:17:00.001-04:00

I love to work on custom orders, my customers share their perspective with me so the way I look at my flowers and bags change. I think all of the ideas they've shared with me were superb. This flowers is the latest one. My customer liked different textures and colors together, so I used cotton, indian silk, habotai silk, and recycled kimono silk. I love it hope she wears it on happy days :)

New Barrettes

2007-07-23T12:47:00.000-04:00

I think barrettes are the most popular items in my Etsy shop. But it takes longer time to complete them, so I have producing my barrettes these days. I like the red one very much, because I used vintage kimono fabric , the colors are just beautiful and the fabric is very soft. The other flower is cream/ white, it is perfect for a bride.

Crafting japanese in english

2007-07-10T18:01:00.000-04:00

Today I was looking for some books to get at amazon.com, and I discovered some books that were available only in japanese before. But some smart publishers decided to translate them. Happy!!!!
SO I made a list at amazon.com for you to check them out, have fun :)

Tsumami kanzashi tutorial by gochemoche

2007-06-11T23:29:00.002-04:00

I am sorry it took me a long time to finish it. I made the Turkish one first and got lazy. The funny thing was writing in English was easier than writing the tutorial in Turkish. I guess because I use English on daily basis more than my native language.
well if you have any questions , dont hold them back :)

Tsumami Kanzashi

2007-03-04T12:28:00.000-05:00

I decided to make a tutorial. But first I have to take a lot of pictures.
There is not a lot of tutorials on tsumami kanzashi. The ones I found are very useful, but I guess I everybody has their own way of explaining things. My Turkish friends wanted me to make a Turkish tutorial so I said I can make one in English, too. so keep on checking it will be here soon :)

I want these bead caps?!?!

2007-02-23T21:36:00.000-05:00

I got these vintage filigree bead caps, they are sort of cone shaped. I need silver colored ones now. and all the ones I found on net are very heavy. please help!

Thanks Modish!

2007-01-31T13:02:00.000-05:00

Today I got a message saying that one of my tsumami kanzashi barrette is featured in Modish. Immediately that particular kanzashi was sold. I am so thankful to Modish, therefore I am going to send her one for her gift basket giveaway.

The origami stars Stef makes are on sale at Etsy now. They look really pretty in between my kanzashi. Stef is totally addicted to making them. All the glass containers at home are filled with them. That's why I decided to sell them in the first place :)

probably that's all for today :P

Bring them on!

2007-01-22T16:27:00.000-05:00

I worked the whole Sunday and finished 5 bags and 2 pouches. I need to take their picture and I started making a beautiful purple bag. I need to kanzashi mode tonight.
When I was making the bags I watched new episodes of D-gray man, Pumpkin scissors, and Ghost Hunt. D Grayman story is gonna develop soon I guess the introduces lots of characters in the last a few episodes. Pumpkin scissors has a goofy name and the reason they use that name is really stupid. However, I like its story. This anime kind of reminds me of Full Metal Alchemist. Ghost Hunt turned out to be a good anime , it is a bit scary but I like it. I cant watch it alone though.

Crafting japanese dictionary

2007-01-19T17:47:00.000-05:00

At last I managed to complete my dictionary to read some japanese words in the craft books. I uploaded it and publish via google. let me kow if you have any problems with it :0

mY BEAUTIES

2007-01-18T15:06:00.000-05:00

Making the tsumami kanzashi is really a long process. Especially when you are using material that is a bit different from the traditional fabrics, your jobs becomes harder. But they are so beautiful (maasallah !), I cant stop making them.
These designs are following the original designs, however the original designs are more appropriate for special occasions where one wears kimono.
If you are interested, follow the links in the section. or just google the word tsumami kanzashi

All my lovely books

2007-01-16T10:43:00.000-05:00

I met my lovely friend Asako on Sunday. SHe brought two books from Japan for me. They are soooo beautiful.
Now I have 3 chirimen books, 1 sashiko book, 1 amigurumi book, 1 quilting book and 1 nuigurumi book. Ohh and I have two tsumami kanzashi books.
they are alll super beautiful. I wanna start working on my new chirimen book. Two little girls, sitting with their kimono.
I need to make more kanzashi, but I can take a break from it and make some lovely fabric figures. so wish me luck and patience
see ya

Let's craft Japanese

2007-01-12T10:10:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know I am psycho about everything Japanese. It all started when my lovely Japanese teacher told me 'Gogce-san you have a very nice handwriting'. Until that moment I thought (well, I have been told) I had a really bad handwriting. Apparently, I can write Japanese alphabet clearly but I suck at Latin alphabet. Then my other Japanese teacher told me ' you should enter the pronunciation competition, you speak very well'. I already lovedddd anime so I decided at that moment I am gonna get obsessed with this culture.

In this blog, I am going to write about my adventures in japanese crafting and anime.
cheers