Coming from a background in design, graphics, metal arts, and leather work, Jenifer Nakatsu Arntson makes quality hand-built vinyl goods such as hand bags, wallets, checkbooks, and accessories. Her materials are animal-friendly and her finished products are stylish and modern. After working in leather for many years, Jen has switched to working entirely in vinyl but approaches design and construction with the same attention to detail, quality and function she learned when apprenticing to master-level leather craftsmen and metalsmiths. She is now an Austin-based artisan but has lived in Kyoto, St. Paul/Minneapolis, and Tokyo. Jen's work is also available in Austin, San Francisco and New York boutiques. Her website is www.nakatsudesign.com. Jen is also an active member of the Austin Craft Mafia, and Babes in Business Bonanza. When she is not at the studio, she is on her way there.
I’ve been making repurposed banner bags with webbing handles as a collaboration with Blue Genie Art Bazaar using banners they have from past holiday bazaars and May Markets. They are large tote bags measuring 18”x16”, great size for an overnight, gym or swim bag, etc. The material is stiff enough that I have to wrestle it a bit in the corners to turn it right side out after sewing, so I don’t want to try smaller totes because of that from this material. There is a little bit of distressing due to these being used banners. I think they’ve turned out nicely.
They will be sold in their webstore after the bags are photographed and listed. They are kind of limited edition as the material is limited, for now I’ve cut as many bags as I can from the material I was given for this purpose.
Blue Genie Art Bazaar holiday banner bagsBack sides of those bagsBlue Genie Art Bazaar holiday banner bagsBack sides of those bagsMay Market banner bags
I took a granny square and Amigurumi 101 class with Austin Crochet Club and have been practicing with making Amigurumi, and improving my skills. Here are some things I’ve made:
I made the granny squares, heart, and jellyfish for my classes, everything else I’ve made on my own.
I’m really happy with the Blue Genie and lamp. Kevin put in a diorama for me, the background image of the tent is from a photo of the mural on Blue Genie Art studio in their old location, before it became Canopy.
I like the yarn that comes with the Woobles kits, it’s a knit cord that makes it easy to see the stitches, and I learned to always use stitch markers to keep track of the start of a round.
The dishcloths/washcloths are the Shooting Star, Roof Tile, and Eranthis patterns found on ravelry. I really liked the Circulo Anne cotton yarn I used on those. I’m using the same yarn in teal/turquoise to knit a cabled scarflette.
The Captain America was made after the jellyfish and the scale and my experience made it a challenging project. It’s not very good, I was still learning to change colors, and I should’ve waited until I was more skilled to tackle the kit.
My current project is making figurines for our friend Pedal Steel Noah, I made their dog Kara, and am working on dolls of Nate and Noah, working on their clothes today. The dolls were challenging making the arms (4st) and legs (6st) because they were so small it was hard to keep a consistent stitch count, I had to keep counting. The arms I ended up crocheting around the pipe cleaners because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get the pipe cleaners into them if I waited to add them, and I’m not happy with the way they look. But every project is a learning experience.
Captain America from a Marvel kitNoah and Nate, in progressPedal Steel Noah, Nate, and KaraKara as an Amigurumi stuffie
I bought some cute vinyl from a designer that had leftover from an upholstery job, and made some card case wallets. Zippies coming up next!
And I am mostly done with a pair of socks (just need to do the second heel), knit toe up with an afterthought heel, knit two at a time using a long circular (magic loop.) Got a little bit of laddering, maybe using a longer circular than what I was using would improve the next pair. Trying to use up yarn in my stash. Pattern is Vanilla Socks (Toe Up & Afterthought Heel) Ravelry link
Also helping work on a project for a SXSW client. Weather has been amazing, temperate after a few cold days, but it’s going to rain over the weekend/next week, wrapping up some painting and staining outdoors.
Had a good show with the Blue Genie Art Bazaar and am waiting for the weather to warm enough to used my glue and get back to working in the studio, it’s been cold and rainy. I have a few more small Star flap bags in progress ready to join inner/linings to outer sand add straps, but the glue doesn’t behave right when it’s too cold and rainy, since I do my gluing work outside for ventilation. So I’ve been knitting some and planning for the new year. I have some stock left, and will be building up stock again for the upcoming Blue Genie May Market.
Here are some projects I recently finished:
Movie Star keyhole scarf in tumeric dyed yarn I bought on a Philadelphia tripThrive Shrug in a yarn I bought at Austin Creative Reuse Vivid Valentine (by Vickie Howell) wrap I made using Madeline Tosh yarn, which was a dream to knit withQuick and Dirty 2-needle Fishnet Stockings (by Joann McGowan) in Madeline Tosh I learned to crochet and made this granny square scarf. I think my tension is pretty good!
I’m in the studio as much as possible to prepare for BGAB 2023, which opens November 17-December 24 bluegenieartbazaar.com at 6100 Airport Blvd at Denson Rd, 10am-10pm everyday (10-6 on Christmas Eve December 24.)
Some bags I recently finishedClear and teal sparkle bagThis year’s postcard
Blue Genie Art Bazaar’s 2023 May Market starts Friday April 28th and is 5 weekends long through May including Memorial Day 10am-8pm. The dates of the show are:
April 28-30
May 5-7
May 12-14
May 19-21
May26-29
Blue Genie Art Bazaar 6100 Airport Blvd, Austin TX 78752
I am making a batch of briefbags using vintage automotive vinyl, which are limited edition because I cut all the light blue ‘55 Ford Fairlane and the dark olive 70s vinyl I had so these will be the last batch with this specific combination of vinyls. They are some of the stock I’m building up for the upcoming Blue Genie Art Bazaar May Market that starts April 28 and is 5 weekends through May including Memorial Day. They will be lined in orange as most of my bags are, a combination of vinyl and canvas.
It’s 2023, and I’m tidying and resetting the studio while I make stuff, finishing up what I’ve already started. So far this week I’ve finished 2 lenticular billfold wallets, and 9 snap clasp key rings. Cut pieces for some small flap front star bags I’ll be working on this week!
Thanks for your support and interest in my work, the 2022 Blue Genie Art Bazaar went great and I sold out of a lot of things, will make more next time!
Flap bags and recent work, and my Blue Genie Art Bazaar booth
Been sewing like the wind, and restocking my BGAB booth. Two weeks left of the show, it’s 10-10 everyday and goes through Saturday December 24 (10-6) at 6100 Airport Blvd, free admission!
