tote done

the zipper was added with moogsmum's fabulous tutorial !! thanks!:) it looked scary at first but i really wanted it to work on this big tote with no trial or error (ripping is so no fun) so i spent extra more time in the measurement and it did pay off ! :)

big roomy space inside with large pockets for water tumbler and etc. i'm not sure about the neon blue lining. but this is the last big piece of solid color i got. all the others weren't big enough to use. oh my! i'm running out of solids! :0

looky here! i got a card from alice the futuregirl!!! :) THANKS!! i love it and ashley love the butterflies stickers! alice sent me two sheets but i couldn't find the other one.. ashley must be hiding it :) mail day is so good~~~ ;)

2 big totes in the making

thanks to you all for giving me opinions on my quilt's problem! :) i still couldn't make up my mind in choosing the right combi of fabrics for the baby quilt... i need to find another in substitute for the red dots. eventhough i've got a variety of prints, mostly the cute-ness :P, it's very hard to find a good matching pair amongst them :/ and my best bet is with my limited polka dots and a little solid i got. maybe another trip to my local fabric store may help... but i'm in doubt. sigh... they takes monthS to stock in new stuff :[

while i'm still pondering at my baby quilt, my ma asked for two big totes!! :) yay! right up my alley! lol! at least, i can sew something right away without cracking my head too much. something 'not so cute' she highlighted. lol! well, i got one finished with my favourite and the only plaid i've got. the french japanese print is just so lovely on its own! i hope she wouldn't find it too cute?!

intermission time break with ashley's new hex puzzle bead! this is actually quite fun!!

i'd start working on the second tote with ikea's pernilla fabric :) i got 2 metres and when i spreaded it on the floor, ashley's ooh~ and quickly lay on it :) so cute!

wip : completed

here it is! my make-up pouch :) now, i don't need to rummage through a few drawers for a lipstick. every bit and pieces are zip in together. it's full and compact and it feels like carrying a piece of log! lol

since i was making this for myself, i was free to slumber with the design. oh that was so good! :) i was uncertain about the lace. so, i sewed it on one side and not the other to see which looks good. now, if anyone ever wonder if i'm going to rip that off incase i don't like it, certainly not! lol that's what i meant to slumber along AND feels totally fine with it :>

and i do like this side without the lace blocking the lower piece. i love this plaid! i was a bit dissapointed when it doesn't look as yellow bright as the picture shown in the website when i bought it. it was a little bit more to the muddy brownie kind of color. but the more i look at it, the more it grow on me and matching with this cute blue breman fabric is just so awesome :)

these two were the pockets inside. i couldn't decide on which fabric to use. so, i used both. and the pleats were just so pretty to look at :) though i was not sure how it would turns out... create more room for the pockets or otherwise ...

well, they works! the pleat does make the pocket more roomy and doens't make the opening too loosely. perfect for storing small perfume samples. love collecting them.

with one BIG mistake! look at the bottom! :/

i don't know how to explain in words. so, i drew a diagram to show the mistake.

'leave 2 cm for the base' . so, the pockets on both sides will not end up as part of the bottom inside the pouch. price to pay for being too slumbering :?

as now, it's compactly filled with my stuff, i was thinking to make the pouch taller in the future but then the things inside would be tossing around. oh no. conclusions : i love how everything turns out! even with the mistake :)

wip

i need a vanity bag! lol. i don't think the word 'vanity' fits me at all :) but a small and functional pouch is what i needed for a long time to store all my loose make-up. i don't wear make-up on regular basis. but sometimes the colors really needed for a special invited dinner. i do own a lipstick and some compact eyeshadows and others bits and pieces which never enough though to hide my imperfections but well, it's better than showing up with a dull blunt face :/

hoping to sew this up quick :)

all done

for a good cause : to a good heart! :)

i've given up on searching my velcro tape :[ did the button holes instead :]

oh, happy valentine's day to all!!

help in so many ways

by this week i'm sure everyone had heard and knew about the awful news of what had happened in victoria, australia. losing your home and everything in this bad economy is already a deadlock. i couldn't even dare to imagine the pain of losing lives of our loved ones... i read the news on paper but i was totally not awared that blog-sphere was so happening doing lots of lots of work in so many ways offering help to the victims and all that affected in the bush fires. how super gracious is that! i'm so sorry of being so late to response.. probably i was too engaged sewing pillows! :/

apart from making direct donations to the Red Cross , there are so many kind bloggers out here who taking so much time and effort in creating more alternative ways for us to offer our most affordable help. all that i'd read from handmade help . we can even help by donating our stash! and the famous trashalou has organized a grand raffle! i was so glad i could offer my affordable help by contribute a cushion cover as prize. i am working on it right now, fast and furious .

a very late gift

remember how happy when i've got a surprised christmas gift from an old pal?, the fabrics are so cute and i wanted to use them to make something for her 2 years old son, ethan :) but with so many celebrations and holidays fall in consequently, i only able to start on it now. but with each of the fabric measured 25cm x 53cm, it would be hard to make something big or anything at all! lol. actually, i was blank of what to make for a little boy. i don't think a little boy would like to carry a little purse around?... well, after some thought, a lengthy one! i came up with a pillow! sure every little tots would love to cuddle a pillow :]

i choosed these two piece and patching is sure a great way to use on smaller fabric. it looks good at first and then i felt a little unsure because i think it's too red for a boy?! then i searched my stacks and the only blue fabric i've got is this polka one. after adding them in, ha! it looks balanced! i'm so satisfied with it.

i added another layer of thin batting behind and it feels so 'comfy' even without the pillow ; ashley said! :)

it fits perfectly on ikea's IRMA . that's the pillow i'd used for the measurement. and that's my perfect dream pillow! i never found a pillow that fits and feels so right-so soothes to my neck! with my existing normal lousy pillow, i'll put my little magic IRMA on top and gosh! no more neck pain! i think it's so coincidentally added the perfect height that fits me and come in so cheap! :*

oh.. back to the pillow! this is how the back look like. it could be finish anytime soon only i can find my velcro tape! :/

ashley said she wants one! great! i'm working on hers now! :)

problem solved and a wristlet is born

i'm more than happy when my mom has finally requested a purse from me. something that suits her need and definitely to use. instead of making her something which i like, it would be best to make one which she need. although, i had already made several type of purses for her, she never get to use all of them. some she said are so cute to use.. some are just so dear to her and would be just nice to store and admire. so when she asked me to make her a small purse that have enough room to carry her handphone and have a strap too, i'm so excited and straight away sketched some pattern. one of them, is 'variation 4' which i was so eager to try! :) something a bit different that have the zipper in 'L' position. which i think can create a bigger opening to slip in the handphone and does not make the wristlet expand to accomodate the length of the zipper. and ya! i'd decided to switch the paris fabric to this one. fabric = zipper color = availability = yes ! no headache. problem solved! :)

but it was no easy peasy. just look at above pic. what a mess of stitches! it shrank abit after i finished the outer layer. making the wristlet a bit smaller than the actual measurement in my pattern :/ wouldn't want to give up now. continued with the lining which found faults again! arrg! the pockets were too low. and not to mention my fingers were so sored after handstitched the thick lining in.

phew~ so happy to have finish it at last. try it out with my handphone... and it fit! voila! double happiness :)

i really love how it looks with the little crocheted circle attached which is my current favourite thing to accessorize my bags :)

well, small it is but not bad at all.. lol. i kinda liking it myself :} will try to make another in better improvement soon!

:)

hands numb..

4 finished. 3 more to go...

more boxy for family.

thought i could put my sewing on holiday mode till 09' after i'd finished sewing for x'mas. totally forgot about new year gifts. opps. and i need to make a pencil case for my niece who's going to start primary one next year! and ashley going for her kindergarten year2 next january too :) how fast time flies!

i'm so in christmas mood seeing so many of you light up the christmas tree! and all the wonderful ornaments and the prettiest gift wrapping! and snow!! and cookies baking!!! lol. thanks for all the eye candy! :) they making me feel so happy and a good warm in my heart ;)

a wee update

a new dottie tote bag in my etsy :)

subsiding..

thanks for all your regards on ashley's bad gum-tooth-ache. the new antibiotic was working! :) her swollen gum already getting a bit smaller and her crackiness was subsided too! lol free-ing my time so i can get this dress finished. so happy-so happy :)

big modification on the back! i was getting so confused following the correct pattern for the opening on the back. so, i just used the bias to wrap everything up! used the same bias to make the loop button too.

i hope this zig-zag stitches could do the trick. serger oh serger~ when can you be mine?

simple as ABC

life needs to goes on after the grieve. i tried very hard not to think too much about what had happened to the victims and their families or else i would never could shut my eyes and my mind at night..

... my internet connection was so poor these few days, making everything look more solemn :/ ... i'm sorry to bring my sad mood here and double apology if i'd affected you.

let's move on to something brighter. a new bag i'd made. a very simple bag and i'd named it A-B-C mini bag (not so creative i know :] ). something simple and easy but practical and convenient to use. its all started with this one that i'd made for my sis-in law. and i love it very much! it's so convy to put my purse and keys in and i just hang it in the gear place inside my car.

and so i continue to make another with light interface. and the moment came when the bag looks a little plain to me. i wanted to accessori-ed it! and i just knew what i want to make! not one but more! and before i begin with them.. i really need to continue making more bags so i could make more of that :)

and here they are!!! my own design of tassels!!!!! :)

i love them to bits!! i was dragging myself to finish all the bags (it was quite boring to do the same cutting and sewing of the same pattern for 5 times! lol) so i can start making these with matching japanese fabrics and colors!!

i'd decided to attach a bell in but it can be remove. you can add in your own cute etc. :)

the whole look was quite 'zakka' with wooden ring and cap and the leaf like bead. all with the leather string. i love them so much!

it look pretty on its own too :) my mind is brewing for more alternative material!!!

for ma

i wanted to mail something new for my mom for this coming mother's day. so i tried making a simple wallet with pockets for cards and notes. but gosh! it's so hard! lol it turned out so wonky and bulky and the stitches were so terrible! i did switched the needle but my sewing machine was near to quake throughout the sewing! scary :? i think my sewing machine is raising the white flag now if i'm gonna to make another one! i did plan for two, another for my sis-in-law. but nope! i may go back to zipper that's much more manageable and tame :)

apart from the wonkiness, i'm so happy that the measurement turned out alright! i can insert cards and notes with no problem! :)

happy weekend! :)

hop-able!

hop-hop hooray! i've finished all my stuff for the bunny swap! so much fun sewing these up. thanks lucy, for hosting this swap, giving me a great time exploring something new and sometimes exploring is just not enough.. things were meant to be learned!! lol. i should say i'd went through a very good lesson of how to make a an unappropriate wonky softie! but i love every bit of it :)

well, i should continue building my felt house but i got the itch to sew some skirts for ashley .. and of course sewing means fabric! a great excuse for fabric-shopping ! ;) till then!

bunny hop hop!

i've joined lucy's bunny-hop-bunny-swap for the coming easter, such fun of the challenges to create a soft bunny!! actually, i was in the middle of building another felt house after i'd completed that buckety tote. but since that's not an order, i was able to take some breaks in between :) and the time is just so right that the swap pop in. i've never make a doll before and was hoping to try one, i don't think making tiny 2-D felt creatures count? anyway, this swap is giving me chance to try something new definitely. after i e-mailed lucy about my participation, i'd straight away drew out my bunny, and cut out the pieces and sewn on!!! wow! i'd surprised myself by finishing it in a night!!! :o really! my bunny is finished!lol

i don't want to ruin the surprises of my swap partner, so i won't show my bunny now. it is such a thrilling experience to see my bunny with legs and ears and naked! lol. since i've more time for it, i'll sew her/him some nice clothes :) couldn't decide on it sexes yet but 80% would turn out to be 'her' coz i don't think i've much of boy's fabrics :)