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So there’s this belt. I finished it last week.

However I was deciding how I wanted to write about it here.

Because, you see, this belt is kind of the story of my life.

Not the life you would see in the papers or in a yearbook, but of my life in hobbies and interests. Some of this is old, some new, some recurring.

It was more of a “things that I can draw and represent me at the same time.” Which I kept running out of.

I only repeated two or three items, the ones I knew would be covered up by the end of the belt.

So first up are a spool of thread, a broadsword, and a Celtic knot.

You may have gathered from this blog that I know how to sew. I first fell in love with sewing in sixth grade, when I learned how to quilt. I had loved embroidery before, and still enjoy it occasionally, but sewing took hold early on, and I love it.

As a child I loved the fantasy genre. And a lot of my favorites involve really big swords. Not as metaphors, mind you, just for hacking and slashing and play.

I began drawing Celtic knots around seventh grade, after checking a book out of the library on it. I’ve never been able to find that book again, since that first time, but I thank it. These can make the best doodles.

Then a notebook and pencil, a gear, and trees and a bolt.

I like to think of myself as an amateur novelist. Lots of people share this title. I also like to think I’m good at it. Maybe one day.

Then comes a gear, which in hindsight kind of looks like a movie reel. So I’ve recently discovered the steampunk trend, though I wish I had found it ahead of the curve. I love the appeal to Victorian times, and the power of steam. I did a project on Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine, which was a fancy mechanical calculator, in the time before calculators, and found it fascinating. In terms of the film reel, I like movies. Not the most, but certainly not the least.

Finally the trees and the bolt. I was in a creative writing group as a kid, and there was this book we used to look to for advice. It was called something like “Asking Why,” but I’m really not sure what it was. You might sense a theme. But one of my fondest memories of this book is that it mentioned that the difference between science fiction and fantasy is nuts and bolts. I thought it was clever, and this is my ode to it.

A bow and a quiver, a badly drawn phone box, and the beginning of seaweed.

So even though the new craze nowadays is archery, I’ve always been fascinated. I think it dates back to yet another book I can’t remember the title of, about a Welsh girl finding out that she is in fact a Welsh princess with a side of magic.

The phone box should be self explanatory. We’re getting close to the fiftieth.

The seaweed is for my love of the seas. There’s some fish next to the plants, for when I wanted to be a marine biologist.

Then a bow. A hairbow. Or a bowtie. Take your pick. I love them.

Now, there’s a flower. Who doesn’t love flowers?

And now for my majors. I may have told you that I’m a science major. Let me clarify, which may clarify this… I’m a physics major…

and a biology major. So DNA…

Then I drew a swivel knife in honor of my leatherscapades.

And some musical stuff. I’ve been a musician since third grade, and even though I haven’t been playing much recently, I still love it.

A book. I love to read. I find it much more imaginatively stimulating that watching TV and movies.

And a teacup. I love tea. I really should have been born British. Or Irish.

Then the candle.  I like drawing, though I’ve never taken classes. The first time I seriously tried to draw a still life in a non-manga format was a candle. I still have and love this first one.

And now we’ve got a sword. Another one, since the first will be covered.

I told you a minute ago that I used to draw in the manga style. I still love drawing the eyes, even if it can be a bit creepy.

Then there is a rough design for one of my favorite necklace patterns.

Remember in grade school when you were required to make Valentines for the entire class? I used to make paper cranes. For at least four years in a row. I started after I read “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.” See, I can remember book titles!

And there is another spool of thread.

And I knew the next bit was going to be mostly covered by the edge tip. So I made some swirls. They turned out rather pretty!

That end tip is being held onto the leather entirely by these itsy bitsy screws. Impressive.

I hope you liked the peek into my life!