orchid flower arrangements: 2nd edition

eek!  it's been awhile since my last post, but i finally have a break from traveling.  yesterday, i had the pleasure of helping my friend put together centerpieces for the 3rd Annual Freedom House Gala, which was a smashing success from what i hear!  i wasn't able to attend the event itself, but i was able to witness all the hard work the volunteers put into setting up the event.  please please check out Freedom House's website for more information on how you can support women who are survivors of slavery and human trafficking.

here are some pre-gala photos from yesterday taken with my new MFT camera.  i'm very tempted to hop on Pinterest before bed to get some other simple centerpiece ideas.

7 am - Head to SOMA to pick up orchid flowers from the SF wholesale flower market.  These are just eye candy.

At Saint Mary's Cathedral near Japantown. The banquet hall is a blank slate.

Start by rinsing and drying all the vases. The awesome group of volunteers put together ~50 vases.

My friend getting ready to put together the first centerpiece arrangement.

The centerpiece with the flowers and rocks in place. The finishing touches are water and a floating candle.

You might recognize the arrangements as they are pretty much the same ones from last year's Freedom House gala, but I feel like the purple and white combination this year really popped out. Perfect for night-time, right?

Handmade jewelry by the survivors of Freedom House

My friend, a talented designer, hard at work cutting the table numbers

The final spread :)

infinity scarf

i know. i wince just thinking about the fact that i neglected to end 2011 with a fun holiday-esque project, but the holidays got the better of my waistline and much of my time was spent eating and imbibing rather than doing anything creative. however, i did make my first infinity scarf, which i’ve worn quite a few times already. (hooray!)

i thought i’d share it and at least start 2012 as a supporter of the DIY juggernaut sweeping this country.

The final product!

I bought two yards of this jersey fabric from Fabrix in Inner Richmond. It was something like $3/yard, and it's super soft even after a wash. The great thing about the fabric is that it doesn't pill!

I had to sharpen my pencil so that I could mark the fabric. It's been awhile since I have been behind a sewing machine.

I had a general idea of how to make an infinity scarf:
1) Fold a long piece of fabric in half, patterned side facing in (as shown above)
2) Sew the edges together with a 1/2-inch seam allowance to create a tube
3) Flip the fabric inside out so the patterned side of the fabric is on the outside
4) Sew the ends of the tube together to close the scarf

Since I have never made a scarf using fabric before, I wasn't sure how long and wide I should cut the fabric, so I referenced this video for an idea. I ended up cutting my fabric to 59" x 20" (but remember, the fabric is 59" x 10" when folded in half), and since I used a 1/2-inch seam allowance, the scarf ended up being roughly 9" wide. In retrospect, I think I could have actually made the scarf wider with this particular fabric since jersey is not as stiff as other knits and drapes nicely.

For sewing, I figured it didn't really matter what color thread I used since it wasn't going to be seen...

...until I failed miserably at a blind stitch and it became obvious where I made a mistake.

I found that the best solution was to do a basting stitch and to pull a little on the thread to ruche. Mistakes are no big deal in sewing when you can hide them :)

This is a scarf my sweet grandmother knitted for me over Thanksgiving. I showed her a picture of a pull-through scarf that I liked, and she put this together in less than a few hours. Isn't she talented?!? My grandmother made about 50 more of these scarves so that my aunt could donate them to children in Mexico, where she and my uncle spend some of their time.

My grandma even made a little version for my dog! My mom and I have matching ones, haha.

The "Ok, I'm ready for my treat now" look.

october projects: perler bead coasters, new bracelet and necklace, and more

while everyone else is probably putting on real costumes for halloween, i decided to stay in and make/wear some costume jewelry instead. :)  i'm still feeling pretty wiped from spending the earlier part of today at the Treasure Island flea market, which was great!  i'll try to upload some pictures of the flea market when i get the chance to offload my SD card; it was my first time on the island and there were cute dogs dressed in costume everywhere.  antiques + crafts + dogs + 75-degree weather is what i call bliss!

for now, enjoy my month of October!

Remember perler beads? If you spent your kindergarten days in the US public school system, then you probably did a project with perler beads at some point. I found them in my closet and thought I would make some colorful coasters after being inspired by these radical Nintendo coasters that I saw on this website. I actually got the beads at Ikea (of all places) ages ago, so I am not sure if Ikea sells them anymore in the kiddie department. But on a sidenote, if you are an artist, geektoid, or person who wants to feel inspired or entertained, check out Toxel's website. I came across this entry on their website; I wonder where this house with the hidden garage is in Haight?

Since my perler beads were pretty much like Lite-Brite colors, I wanted to do something fun and vibrant. This is a watermelon coaster in-progress. The final version had only a yellow background. I got a second opinion, and D thought the two-tone made it harder to figure out.

Since I had these beautiful flowers in front of me (thanks, D!), I decided I wanted to make a floral coaster next.

Umm, can you say landscape design FAIL? I tried to depict "April showers bring May Flowers" but I think I overdid this one. If you look carefully, I tried to show a shining sun, cloud with raindrops, and flowers. The purple flower is supposed to be a hyacinth but looks more like Marge Simpson's hair for some reason.

Here are my final four. One for each season. If you're wondering what the orange one is, it's supposed to be a pumpkin :P

While I was letting the iron cool off from my perler bead activity, I saw my neighbor selling his pottery on the sidewalk. It's encouraging to see fellow people in the neighborhood with crafty hobbies!

While coasters were a fun project, I think I still prefer working on jewelry. I decided to make my first bracelet in pink (to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month). I finished it off with a Mickey Mouse-looking clasp that my mom brought back from Korea along with some other cool beads and jewelry making supplies. My mother is so sweet!

This is the vendor that my mom bought jewelry making supplies from... it says "To-ma-to"

My mom also bought this sparkly pendant from Korea and wanted me to make her a long chain. A simple enough request!

Extra long chain and lobster claw - done!  I used an adjustable chain at the end in case my mom wants to shorten the necklace.

The final product. Koreans love sparkles!

Here you can get a sense of how long the necklace really is. I like how you can either pair the necklace with a shorter one, wear it wrapped twice around your neck, or wear it long by itself. The possibilities!

While I am at it, I wanted to share some blinged out lace shoes my mom bought for me in Korea for $3.50. Yes, you read that correctly. $3.50. What a steal!

Closer view

Here's my new necklace that I made last night. It's almost a dusty pink with black and copper colored beads. I pictured it here with a $2 resin brooch from Goodwill and a handmade clutch that I got back in college from Portobello Road Market in London.

Whatcha think?

Before I wrap up the night, I wanted to share with you some pumpkin carvings that my roomie did. This is her Totoro from last year.

And this is her country bumpkin from this year... so cute, huh? Too bad it molded after a week.

Here are some cute mini pumpkins that I saw at a small market. This would make a cute centerpiece or decoration on the mantelpiece.

Here are some pumpkins I saw while walking home one night. For those who ventured out in their real costumes tonight, have fun! I'm dressed up in my... well... costume jewelry. G'nite!

diy chunky beaded necklaces

see what happens when you make a side trip to Michael's during a clearance sale event?  you start making necklaces while you watch X-Factor on TV!


The inspiration = chunky beads from the sale section @ Michael's

left: My necklace made of red stone-like beads and turquoise wood beads. For some reason, it reminds me of Ariel from the Little Mermaid.
right: A yellowish gold/grey beaded necklace for my roomie (since she begged me to make her something too :P) 

This delicate necklace would look great with a t-shirt or casual button-up.

This necklace is more of a warm weather accessory, and I think I have a couple of more weeks to wear it before the weather in SF becomes gloomy and foggy again.

This fits more like a loose choker and would be perfect to wear during a tropical vacation getaway (I wish!) or an afternoon stroll in the summer. Now I need to make some necklaces for the fall and winter!