FINALLY the book that we've all been waiting for!! (Or at least I have!)
I seem like only yesterday when we first met Meg and got the opportunity to be in her book!
We got our copy of Meg's "Crafting A Meaningful Home" book recently and was totally blown away by the quality of it all. The beautiful cover, all the lovely colorful photos, and 27 seven amazing project by all amazing designers/artists/crafters!
Here's a little sneak peak!!
Meg and her husband.
I'm on the first page! Crazy!
L&G's Mega-Doily!
R&L's wood burned coat of arms for the Dupe!
I just love this photo...
Here are all the project & the people in the book
About the book
As the second decade of the 21st century begins, we’re more compelled than ever to find refuge in our homes and personalize our living spaces with DIY projects that celebrate who we are and where we’ve been. In Crafting a Meaningful Home, Meg Mateo Ilasco shares 27 projects that tell personal stories and celebrate heritage, all easily created on a budget. Learn how to decoupage a plate with photos of a best friend; silkscreen upholstery with folk motifs; artfully display love notes; sew a teepee from a vintage quilt top; or create family silhouettes for a festive banner. Contributed by a hip cast of well known designers from across the country, the projects are, at once, nostalgic, sentimental, and modern. Clear instructions are easy to follow, even for beginning crafters.
You can get your copy here!
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chikabird
So around last August we briefly mentioned that Meg Mateo Illasco is working on some home decor book....but we forgot to mention that both Chika & I are also gonna be her book!!
Ok, you totally want to hear the whole story, right?
Well...let me tell you! It was a total serendipitous thing.....
It all happened on lovely mid-July day in San Francisco when Chika & I traveled there to sell our goods at the Renegade Craft Fair......
But this particular day was more than any other craft show days we worked at. We had the pleasure to meet Meg for the first time that day when she was doing book signing for her book "Craft Inc."
I decided to get a copy of her book to have her autograph it since I'm a big fan of her work and I love the book and wanted to get it for a friend..but instead of acting like my normal self....I some how turned into a giant dork too shy to say much besides looking awkward and mumbling some less than significant words like "uh..your books is, uh, really cool...yeah...I like how you talk about business...and stuff...but for crafters....uh...that's pretty cool...yeah, totally."
Well...those weren't the exact words..but I'm sure it was pretty close. :P
But of course, Meg was totally cool and SUPER friendly and just started asking me what I do...and as it turned out, Meg actually knew about our work!! AWESOME!
On top of what was already an exciting interaction with Meg, things just escalated from there. Next thing I know she was in our booth checking out our stuff and chatting with us as if we're already friends (I love friends!)...and JUST when I was thinking that things can't get any awesome-er..Meg all of a sudden says to me "Hey, I'm working on a home decor book and is looking for people to submit some creative projects with a personal story, you guys wanna do it?"
I looked at her like a deer in the headlight....then looked at Chika who also had the same look as me......I looked back at Meg and thought "Could this be real?!"....then realized I should provide some sort of response since she asked me a question....then finally I responded with great confidence "......yesssss?????"
I totally thought it was too good to be true and thought maybe she just wanted to feel it out and so I was prepared that at some point we'll get an email from Meg saying that she found someone better with a better project or for whatever reason.....but everything fell into place....and we realized it was truly official when both Chika & I went back in SF 2 weeks after we met Meg, and found ourselves hanging out at Lisa Wong Jackson's lovely mid-century modern house doing a photo shoot with Meg, Lisa, Joy, and Joanna with Thayer Alllyson Gowdy the photographer for the book. Everything happened so fast I couldn't even register it all!!!
The book will consist of of 25+ other well-known designers/artists/crafters each with a DIY home decor project that has their personal stories or memories. We were thrilled when Meg told us all the awesome people like Joy from Oh Joy!, Lauren & Derek of The Curiosity Shoppe, Lisa Congdon, Lisa of Good on Paper, Cathy Callahan of Cathy of California, Tootie of ReForm School and more were all contributing to the book!
With a power group like that, I don't even have to know what sort of projects they are doing for me to just KNOW that this book will amazing!
Here's some photos from the shoot. I want to live in Lisa's house!
Lisa & Virginia (Meg's lovely assistant) in their matching striped shirt watching the photo shoot take place.
Below are the projects that got shot that day....
My Mega-Doily Rug....Oh how I wish my living room looked like that....it looks much better than my long skinny coffee table sitting on top of it...
For Chikabird, we made a Coat of Arms for the Dupe with all the graphic icons that represented us and then we wood burned them!
Joy's beautiful gold leaf glass lamp
Joanna's lovely stamped door curtain
An here's everyone sitting down for a nice lunch break. It's amazing how exhausting styling a shoot is! There were lots of moving objects back and forth going on, standing back to look at it, framing the shot with our hands, tilting our heads, squinting, and then repeat....
Yum yum almond croissants from my FAVORITE SF bakery, Tartine!!
I still couldn't really believe that this whole book thing is actually happening even after several months in when we already done the photo shoot and submitted the instructions and story...for some reason I just feared (and was trying to prepare myself) that there would still be a chance that we could get edited out.....for simply looking stupid in our photos or something like that...but they decided to keep our project! Even though I wouldn't argue one bit that I probably do look a little stupid in the photos... :P
I'm just more than excited the fact that not only will this be our FIRST time getting published in a book...it's gonna be in a book by Meg along with an amazing group of people that we've always found inspiring, too!
There's just too much awesomeness all around! Can't stand it!
The real book is plan to launch this early fall!
Stay tuned!
If anyone is around this weekend in Seattle, please come by and say hello and check out our exciting new line of notebooks and cardcases with Piano Nobile at the BIG holiday Urban Craft Uprising show!December 5th & 6th, 2009
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days
Seattle Center Exhibition Hall
Admission: FREE!
Isabelle and Nickolas of Piano Nobile runs a multi-faceted design studio where they could be described as professional designers and colalborators. Isabelle has a painting and printing background with a great sense of material, color, and texture. Nickolas on the other hand has an architecture background with mad building skills in all realms whether it be funiture, design build or a large scale printing table. I'm pretty sure he can build a pyramid.... I remember reading that in his resume somewhere....11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days
Seattle Center Exhibition Hall
Admission: FREE!
Not only do they have the perfect print studio with their self-designed and welded textile printing set up, they're also just a short bike ride away from our studio in Ballard! It's almost too good to be true!
(and yes, convenience does matter...)
(and yes, convenience does matter...)
Did I mention that they have a dog named Bauhaus, and also owns a sweet vintage Vanagon and Volvo?Can you stand it?!....I can barely keep my composure thinking about all their awesomeness.
Okay, so come to UCU to see all the goods in person! You can also go to our shop to check out the entire PN collaboration line.
This weekend I'll be at the first Summer Urban Craft Uprising (UCU) indie craft show!
When: Aug 1st-2nd, Sat/Sun 11am-5pm
Where: Seattle Center Exhibition Hall (map)
What: Seattle's biggest indie craft show with a wide array of handmade goods, workshops, book signing, and more!
Why: Do you really need to ask? My answer to you is....why the hell not? it's gonna be 100+ degrees in Seattle this weekend (miserable!!), and why not come hang out inside at UCU WITH AIR CONDITIONING...need I say more?
But come check out awesome stuff, do some shopping, meet some people, and then go back out to the giant fountain at the Seattle Center to have more fun!
I might even do that during my lunch break!! :D
But come check out awesome stuff, do some shopping, meet some people, and then go back out to the giant fountain at the Seattle Center to have more fun!
I might even do that during my lunch break!! :D
Here's a little sneak peak!
We will have some new items like these wooden plant labels for your garden or plants! Every plant needs a friend just like all of us!
Another new exciting items we're gonna have are these notebooks we're debuting at UCU! These are made with LOVELY hand printed fabric by Isabelle of Piano Nobile. We recently befriended Isabelle and Nicholas and they're wonderful enough to print these fabric in time for us to sell at the show! I'm drooling over them myself....don't worry, I'll wipe off my drool.
Another new exciting items we're gonna have are these notebooks we're debuting at UCU! These are made with LOVELY hand printed fabric by Isabelle of Piano Nobile. We recently befriended Isabelle and Nicholas and they're wonderful enough to print these fabric in time for us to sell at the show! I'm drooling over them myself....don't worry, I'll wipe off my drool. We'll also have tons of other items marked down, too! I mean, who doesn't like to brag about how good of a deal they got, right?
AND our dear and super talented friend, Ingrid will be selling her awesome bags at our booth as well! I'm totally excited to see what she'll be bringing!
AND our dear and super talented friend, Ingrid will be selling her awesome bags at our booth as well! I'm totally excited to see what she'll be bringing!So lot of exciting things...so come by to check out our stuff and say hello!!..... and while you're at it bring us some ice cone or treat, too! :D
Hope to see you there!
Through a series of events and connections this Spring, we've been lucky to meet some nearby and very talented neighbors! Isabelle and Nickolas, founders of Piano Nobile are a short bike ride away from us in Ballard - and Chikabird have some exciting things brewing with them.
If you're in Ballard this Friday or Saturday, stop by Piano Nobile's home/studio for a Summer Studio Sale. Part of the City Stimulus event running all week to encourage folks to shop local - it's a great opportunity to do a little shopping and check out a stellar transformation in the Ballard industrial zone. Prepare yourself to get incredibly jealous of PN's space, talent, resources, furnishings, dog, Vanagon, and Volvo. The sale features handmade goods by some fantastic local designers and we feel flattered to be included in such a group.
Chika and I met with Isabelle last Monday. Over coffee, berries, and coffee cake - we decided to do some collaborating! Isabelle has been printing her own textiles for home and personal accessories, so her scrap bin contains a lot of high quality fabrics. The following pictures feature the various patterns and pieces she gave us, and what we did with them.
Anyone want a silk dupioni notebook? Perhaps taffeta or linen is more your style? These beauties make their debut at the Piano Nobile Studio Sale and are just the teaser for what we have in store for the Fall!
Stop by, check out their amazing space, do a little shopping, enjoy some snacks and drinks, and meet some talented people!
Piano Nobile Studio Sale
Fri & Sat July 17th&18th
11am - 6pm
908 NW 50th St
Seattle WA 98107
Unfortunately, neither Chika & I will be there, and we sincerely apologize for the fact that we're unable to be there to support and see everyone....but don't let that get to you. We'll be there in spirit while we do the Renegade craft sale in San Francisco. :)
This happened about a 2 months ago, and I've been putting it off. But Chika and I did a special project for Henrybuilt.It was for their new wardrobe system and we did the design and prototyping of some leather handles, felt pockets, and hamper bag that's cleverly integrated with the whole system.
Our work got mentioned in blogs like Remodelista!
Check out all the sexy beauty shots below.....
Leather Drawer Pulls with hand stitched reinforcement detail. They're minimal but supple. We heart leather!!
Felt Accessory Storage Pockets for the interior door rail system
Hamper Drawer with integrated basket, constructed from mesh + recycled leather 
As funny as it sounds, we actually never saw the entire system as a whole in person. We only saw parts of it here and there, and now it's all the way in the NY showroom. So, unless we go there to see it, or order it ourselves, we'll never get the real experience....
But actually we're just happy to see all the photos and all the blog mentions of HB's extraordinary work...and I have to admit....Chika and I's work looks pretty darn good with it, too. :D
Tomorrow Chika and I are gonna leave for a long 10 day trip hitting up 2 major city in Cali for 2 shows in 2 weekends and it's gonna be 2 awesome!
This weekend, July 11th & 12th, we'll be in Los Angeles for the Renegade Craft Fair! Come see us and our new sweatshirts (read further down to see our new design), Patch Kits, wooden buttons, and Plant Pals(tm). These haven't made it to Etsy yet, so get 'em while they're hot! 
The following weekend, we'll be in lovely San Francisco for Renegade, July 17th & 18th.
We got lots of new stuff...but of course we didn't get around to take photos of other stuff like the plant pals, buttons, and patch kits.
But we're super excited about these new Chikabird bleached hoodies and track jackets! We got inspired by our friend, Dave, who used this process. Thanks Dave!!
I designed the stencil...we love tools....
Th process of bleach stenciling is SO simple, but the result looks more than just ordinary!! The possibility to play with layers, time, and ways to apply makes it super fun, since the results can look so different!
It's easy to do and the materials needed it is so minimal that you can literally do it in couple hours.
Here's a step-by-step instruction, so you can try it, too!
Step 1: Make a stencil with waterproof sheet. We used a medium weight Mylar here.
Step 2: Mix 50/50 bleach & water in a spray bottle.
Step 3: Spray back of Mylar with light adhesive spray to keep stencil secure.
Step 4: Use a the mist setting on spray bottle and try to spray evenly over the areas you want to cover. Dab any extra residue on the surface with a rag.
Step 5: Wait and watch the magic happen! You can see the color change immediately. It's so much fun to watch.
Step 6: Peel off stencil when you've achieved the result you want. The time can vary since you can play with something really subtle with less time, or let it sit longer with more contrast.
Step 7: Wash it in the washing machine in cold water right after. This is to set the bleach so it stops the bleaching process. Ta-da, you have yourself a awesme shirt!!
The best part about this process is that you can really play around with the bleaching time, layering, and even different texture. I like to overlap the stencil so it just adds another layer of visual interest.
Oh...and this was a little funny accident I had during the proess where there was a fold.... It's Hammer pants! Get it?.....it's a Hammer...and it looks like it's wearing pants??
I think it's adorable...I actually might just make a print of JUST that.
Have a good weekend!
After a fun weekend at Cafe Weekend, I just like to share some lovely photos of the cafe, the successful grand opening, and some fun photos taken with USNAPS! Above is a photo of the owner/super entrepreneur couple, Christa&Nin and their adorable cafe/studio. The cafe has a great mix of simple modern design mix with charming vintage materials and findings.
I'm proud to say that Dylan and I contributed by finding that bright yellow coffee sign. We couldn't possibly fit it in our house, so it was perfec that Christa&Nin can actually use it. Pretty perfect, no?
These shelves are made from salvaged school benches! It's clever, resourceful, and one-of-a-kind. I love their display of vintage science books, jars & candies, and of course our sweetheart patches! Yay!
The grand opening was good fun with a great turn out. The cafe offers Cafe Vita coffee, delicious mini-Trophy cupcakes and delicate handmade Japanese wagashi treats by Tokara, Morning Glory Chai tea, Dry soda , and organic Theo's Chocolate.
And here's some real fun from the awesome USNAPS photobooth.
Montage of everyone, and there's Chika and I in the middle.
Here's us. Ha ha. That's what I'm saying in the photos...
Thanks Christa&Nin for their awesomeness!
Hope everyone had a good weekend. And here's to Monday!! Woo Hoo! Let's work!
If anyone is around in Seattle this weekend with no special plans what-so-ever like us! We got an idea for you!! Come hang out at this new adorable cafe my friend Christa&Nin had recently opened! It's called Cafe Weekend. They're doing a fun grand opening/cheap date Valentine's day/Presidents day celebration from February 13th-14th.
It's a fun cheap date with friends, loved ones, kids, pets, and whoever and whatever. They're doing lots of special offers and fun activities that's fun for everyone!
Also come get some super adorable Chikabird iron-on patches for your shirt, jackets, pants (if you do mind taking it off...) pillow cases, towels...anywhere you like! There will be an ironing station, so you can do your last minute love patch application there, too!
Still don't think it's fun enough? Well, you can also take fun photos using USNAPS photo booth for free!! Doesn't that sound like it's going to be a fun, fun, fun, the number one place for fun? :)
Read below for details of time & location. Don't forget to mark your calender! Hope to see you there!!
café weekend
851 Hiawatha Place South
Seattle, WA 98144
www.cafeweekend.com
Grand Opening Schedule
Date: February 13th, 2009
Time: Friday 8AM-6PM
Date: February 14th, 2009
Time: Saturday 8AM-3PM
Special Weekend Offerings-
• Caffé Vita coffee neighborhood special buy one coffee get second coffee for free.
• Locally handmade treats
• Traditional Japanese sweets- February only menu from Tokara
• Caramels & Confections- Theo Chocolate local organic bean-to-bar chocolate factory
• Little Rae's Bakery/ free Valentine cookies for kids
• Sweetheart Patch Kit- from Chikabird /Ladies & Gentleman vintage
• Photo-booth provided by USNAPS/ free valentine photos to all customers
For some reason I've been feeling super holiday-spirity-lately, but maybe it's the jolly feeling that is still resonating since the election. Either way....It got me and Chika excited for the holiday season...and life in general!! So, here it is! Our Chikabird cozy fuzzy wozy holiday items!
Left: Mama bird's nest made by Chika's talented mom, Tsuneko. Top Right: Linen zipper pouches with sulple indigo Vera Wang Linen. Bottom Right: Custom felt/fabric monogrammed slippers. (the one in the photo is for me...heh. J for JEAN!)
These are the vintage ornaments that I'm making for L&G. I have it in various series: Monogrammed letters, Safari animals, forest animals, farm animals, birds, and classic ornaments.
Jan from Poppytalk was nice enough to mention us on her lovely blog! 
oh and this..I really just LOVE the Mama Bird's nests, which made me go camera happy with it. I was expereimenting with these felted eggs....what do you think?? The face is just a piece of paper with pushpins for the eyes. They're gonna live next to our sewing machine now. :)
Is this making you feeling all warm&fuzzy inside?? no?? Hmmm.....Okay. Maybe I'll try something else...like putting all of our things on a puppy or a kitten or a baby...or all the above where the baby is on the puppy and with a kitten on top....That should do the job, right? :D