japanese book review: anpanman

If you've been following my collection of Japanese craft books (or even if you haven't!), by now we should all know that there's a lot of cute things coming out of Japan. Today's book features a very popular character: Anpanman. He's a superhero, and his head is made of bread. Bean-filled bread to be precise.

You can find episodes of the Anpanman cartoon online, but they're pretty much all in Japanese, as far as I've been able to tell. Sometimes, however, you can find them with subtitles, like this one. More details on the book at the end of the post, but now...on to Anpanman and Energetic Three Colleagues: Part 3 (gotta love Google Translate on these titles!)




There are lots of characters in this series, and many of them have food for heads. Seriously? I love this stuff! The book shows you how to make all of these fantastic finger puppets, plus other figures too. I'd really like to make this choo-choo for my train-loving brother. Do you think he'll appreciate the cuteness as much as I do?



Of course, there's also some odd items. Like the Anpanman bathroom set. Or not pictured here, the seat cushion you can also wear as a hat. For real.




Apart from the cuteness factor that these characters bring, the projects in this book, overall, are still worth the price of this one (which wasn't even all that much). There are games, toys, a diaper bag, pencil toppers, a quiet book, a wallet, and more! Lots of great ideas! It even has a pullout section of full size patterns.




And then you reach the end. And it's sad. But wait...because I didn't show you my favorite thing in the whole book! Let's go back a few pages...



A felt takoyaki set! I'd never eat the real deal, but I sure do think they're cute!

The ISBN for this title is 9784529045094, and you can find it on YesAsia.com. Here's the fun part: Google Books has a preview of more of the pages! Enjoy!

3 ways to enhance your embroidery

One of my favorite things about embroidery is that it is simple, and easy to learn. I also love that it is complex, and takes ages to master (if that's even possible!). But if you're like me, you're somewhere in the middle of that, or are just about ready to head towards the middle of that.

Today I have a few easy ways to enhance your embroidery. These ideas are good for giving your work a boost, and keeping you learning and trying new things in your work. And the best part is, these apply to stitchers of all levels!




Try a new or different stitch. I rarely use the stem stitch or the chain stitch in my work, but sometimes I look for ways to use them because they're different. This is also a good opportunity for me to get better at those stitches. See the yarn up top? Chain stitch that really made this pattern stand out to me. The Sweet Otter? He's got plenty of stem stitch, and it came out nice and smooth (like an otter!).

And those are just some basic stitches that I started adding in. There are hundreds and hundreds of stitches you can learn, but start with just one. You'll find that adding in something new can make a huge difference!





Fill in an area. I love the simplicity of just lines, but sometimes, filling things in is just what is needed to make something special. There are lots of different fill stitches you can work with, but that's not the only way to fill in an area! You can use crayon tinting, or even acrylic paint (color or paint first...then stitch!), or applique using a variety of materials.




Stitch without a pattern. Given the number of embroidery patterns I've made over the years, it should be no surprise that I love patterns, but sometimes stitching freehand can get you creating things you never imagined! I love using this technique with children, because they are good at just jumping in, but it's a good practice for adults too. See where they thread leads you as you make random shapes, lines and designs!

This is also fun when you combine it with a pattern. For example, stitch a small pattern in a hoop, then add all kinds of free hand embellishment around it. Think of it as the embroidery equivalent of drawing and doodling in the margins.

Try one of these ideas, and watch your embroidery grow!

printable: grocery staples checklist

We have this game that we play at my house. It's called "See how long we can go without going to the grocery store." I suppose that's not really a game, but we do make a challenge out of it. You see, most of us have certain items that they just keep on hand or have extras of, or even things pushed to the back of the pantry, and you can put together some great meals with those!

But then there are the items that you really, really need to have on hand at all times or you'll be stuck. And that's where this printable checklist comes in. You write in the items that you need a stock of, and mark it down as you use them. That way you can see in one spot when you're getting close to the end of an item.



The PDF of this list is set up so you can type in your own staples (you know, in case your needs are different from the needs of my family!). Of course, you can also write them in my hand on your printed page. If you plan on updating your list regularly, print them as you need them. If your staples remain the same, how about laminating the list and using a wipe-off marker?




As you use the staples, mark out the numbers so that the first open number is how many you have of the item (or how full a canister is). (I see you looking at that photo above...and yes, sometimes we do have 3 gallons of milk in our refrigerator!)

Download The Staples Checklist PDF

I want to thank Cécile for this lovely idea! If you have a printable that you'd like to see here on the blog, let me know! I might just be able to make it happen!

we're praying

Sundays on Wild Olive are a point of prayer. Please pause, leave a prayer request, and pray with us.

Thank you so much to each one of you who is praying along. Whether you leave a comment, or are just quietly taking all of this in, I'm glad you're here.

Would you all pray for some friends of mine? My friend's husband was just laid off without warning. Pray for peace for them now and hope for the future! I know this is something that is weighing on many of you as well, so let's pray for peace and hope!

snapshot saturday // best hoodie ever

Many years ago, a friend gave me a copy of My Neighbor Totoro, and told me to watch it whenever I was feeling down because it would help fix that. He was right, and since then Totoro has brought much joy (and even some of my most favorite friends!) into my life.

Now, I am ever so happy to be the proud new owner of this Totoro hoodie! I spotted one on Kelley's blog when she approached me about sponsorship, and I wasted no time in asking if she could make an adult size version for me. And she has!

I love, love, love it!

(Please don't mind my bare face and tired eyes...I was so excited when this arrived, I just had to take a pic right away!)

a specially stitched offer

On January 1st, an online workshop called STITCHED started up. So many people signed up and have made amazing things, but just because this started all those months back, doesn't mean that it's done. In fact, there are more teachers now, more workshops, and of course...room for more people to sign up!

I'm one of the instructors, and in my section I show how to make the purse shown above. The videos include some tips and techniques, and even video stitch instructions for a few of my favorites!

Truthfully though, if you are interested in making artful objects and expanding the types of things you're making, I'm not the one you want to watch in these workshops. There are some very talented and creative ladies teaching here, and I do recommend that you check it out.

As a bonus for Wild Olive readers, now through the end of May, if you sign up through this post, you'll receive your choice of 5 embroidery pattern sets from my shop! Use them on the clutch purse from my project, for another in the workshop, or just for your every day stitching pleasure! (You'll receive details on how to get your patterns within a week after sign up.)

Read more about STITCHED, and sign up here!

Oh, and just in case you missed it, check out this interview I did with Alma, who organized the workshop!

japanese book review: nuigurumi (easy stuffed two-ply)

Ready for another Japanese craft book? I know you are. Especially because this one is so good, and really, quite different from most that you see. Nuigurumi, which Google translates as Easy Stuffed Two-Ply, is filled with animals made from recycled fabrics and the whole thing has a very stylized look. Not so much "cute", but simple and fun.

The ISBN for this title is 9784277563154, and you can find it's Google Books record here. It's available through Amazon Japan, but when I tried ordering some other books, I found that the shipping was far more than the books themselves (so sad...).

Now, let's dig in!



Bears! Just look at those faces...and how fun that they are made in papa, mama and baby sizes!




I've always been a fan of penguins, and oh my...how adorable is that little monkey's backside?! The layout of the pages also gets to me on this. Layers of cut and paste pieces? Yes, please!



As you go through the main image pages, a few things, including the animal names are in English, which is nice for some of the slightly ambiguous creatures. But don't be deceived...everything else in here is in Japanese!




The pattern are pretty easy with this book, since you're putting the animals together in a more 2D sort of way.

But are you ready for my favorite?



Eeeep! What a cute OTTER!!! I want to snuggle him up!

Full size, he's supposed to be about 6 inches tall, but the book shows some ideas for other ways to make these animals at different sizes. For example, big on a tote bag, or small as a brooch. Can you just imagine? Okay, that's it. I've just talked myself into making one of these this week.

project: comforting eye mask

With Mother's Day coming very soon, I figured I should probably make something for my mom. She's always very forgiving when it comes to forgotten gifts, especially because I often give her the things I make. Actually, no. She's forgiving because gifts for "special days" aren't the most important thing about these kinds of days.

For this Mother's Day, I told her before I even made this, what I was going to give her, and that it would be on my blog for you to make for you moms too. She was cool with that, so today I have an eye mask that is easy to put together and will give a bit of comfort to mom! It's filled with rice so you can heat it in the microwave or chill it in the freezer and lay it across your eyes.



Here's what you need:
Wool or wool blend felt (I don't recommend the synthetic kind for this)
Embroidery floss
1/2 cup rice
Eye mask template PDF




Cut out two eye mask pieces. On one of the pieces, stitch whatever you like. I did rows of running stitch in different colors and different stitch lengths. (My mom's favorite color is orange, so I made sure that was in there!)



Sew around the outside with a running stitch, taking small stitches so the rice won't escape. (You could do this on the sewing machine, of course.) Leave an opening of about 1.5 inches.



Spoon the rice into the eye mask. You don't want it too full...it should be able to drape a bit. (You could add some lavender in there too, but my mom prefers unscented...it's better for her migraines.)



Sew the opening closed, and you're all set!



To heat, place in the microwave and heat in increments of 10 seconds until you reach the desired temp. To chill, place in the freezer for several hours. If you're giving this as a gift, you'll want to add a little tag with the instructions, so the PDF template has some tags included for you as well!

Please note: the chilled method isn't quite as effective as heating, but it does work surprisingly well all things considered!

Whether you have a mom who needs one of these, ARE a mom who needs one of these, or just are in need of some warm or cool comfort, I hope you enjoy making your eye mask!

print: 5 a day

You may remember the 8 a Day water checklist that I made last year. Well, recently a reader asked me if I would consider making a 5 a Day version for fruits and veggies. I thought that was a very fine idea indeed, so I got right on it.

And now you can make sure you are getting good healthy foods in each day!

To save on printing these out over and over, download, print one, laminate it, then use a wipe off marker. Thanks for the great ideas, Rakel!

Download the 5 a Day checklist.

we're praying

Sundays on Wild Olive are a point of prayer. Please pause, leave a prayer request, and pray with us.

I have a few thanksgivings, plus a request today. First, my sister has been offered a spot doing her teaching practicum at the school she was really hoping for! Yes!

Also, my grandpa had unexpected surgery on Thursday night. We are so thankful for how it turned out and for how God prepared the way to get there. Please pray that he continues to have a good recovery.

Thank you for praying together for each other. Sundays are a blessing, and you help make it that.

PS: I managed to post this on Saturday...but I suppose it's never too early to start praying, right?

snapshot saturday // photo assistant

Earlier this week, I had some photos to take, so I covered a box with batting and a sheet, then set it up on a chair near the front window. It seems the cat wanted to help, so she hung out under the box for several hours, peeking out the window from time to time.