Needle Field

Applique Project - Progress II

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:55:00 +0000

I'm happy to say that I'm done with sewing the applique...phew! The daisies seems intimidating to sew so I started sewing what I thought was the hardest, little cute daisies. I drew the lines first before stitching, just so I can get the exact looking daisies. Everything went well minus this one daisy that I had to unpicked twice!

The stems supposed to be the easiest to sew but somehow I ended up unpicking the stitches several times. You can see the unraveled stems and my uh.......'shivering' stitches :P.

Never thought that I could sew those small circles. When I saw the tutorial I thought it was impossible to sew something that small. But I just do it & did it! Yea :D

The whole flower bouquet.

Next thing to do is to add batting to the back and maybe sew piping along the corners. I'll update on that when it's fully done soon.

Have a nice day :)

Tree Plushie Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:41:00 +0000

Here's another repurpose project that was made on Earth day last week. If you're still scratching your head thinking what to craft on weekend, well go ahead and try out this easy tree plushie tutorial. If you have some unwanted old shirts and too stingy to use your precious felts :D, then this project is perfect for you. T-shirt is a stretchable material that won't fray, so it is suitable for making plush toys. No measurement is needed so you can make your tree to the size that you wish.

What you need:
- old t-shirt (green & brown colour)
- poly-fill
- embroidery floss (any colour of your choice)
- black felt
- needle & thread

Here's how to make one:

1. Draw the foliage using a washable marker on green t-shirt. Pin the shirt layers together and cut along the drawn lines. Place the 'foliage' on top of brown shirt. Draw the shape of a trunk. Pin and cut the brown trunk.

2. Mark the curvy line of the foliage that overlaps the bark. Cut off the extra material above the curvy line. Add 'texture' to the bark by drawing some lines or semicircles as shown. Embroider the lines with your favourite colour thread & stitches of your choice.

3. Mark the points where the top edge of the bark meets the foliage. Mark both layers of foliage. Put aside one layer of foliage & bark. Draw the eyes & mouth on the other foliage with a pencil. Cut black felt into two small circle for the eyes and stitch in place. Embroider the 'smile' with a black embroidery floss.

4. On the wrong side of the materials, hold together the center point where the foliage meets the bark. Pin together both materials. Hand stitch the layers together. (1/4" - 1/2" seam allowance). The right side will look as the above picture. Repeat the step for the other layers of foliage & bark.

5. Sandwich the two layers together with right sides facing. Pin the layers together. Sew along the tree perimeter, leaving a few inches opening at the bottom of the bark for turning. Turn the tree right side out and stuff it with poly-fill. Sew shut the opening with a slip stitch and you're done!

Enjoy your weekend :)

Robot Plushie

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 06:28:00 +0000

What happens when a robot that is hard as steel turned into a softie?

I made this lumpy robot more than a week ago using stretch polyester pants. The owner is my little nephew. I just randomly cut the material to make the body parts - two simple squares and limbs which to me is the robot's special feature. The hands was inspired from crab's claw & legs. The mouth has a small pocket to hide things ;). Even though I was eyeballing the measurements and pattern, I'm glad that robot turned out looking cute.

Finished size: 23.5" (height: from head to toe) X 9" (body width) X 3.5" (depth)

If you're wondering how I made robot give a 'peek a boo' pose, for sure nothing mechanical involved.....it's purely head pins pinned in between the hands and face. I made the animated gif at Makeagif.

Here are more robot's cute poses:

"Say aaaaaaaa.........."

My lumpy back.

I've crafted something on earth day & I'll be posting a 'earth day inspired' tutorial soon. So keep on checking my blog.

Enjoy your weekend!

Applique Project - Progress I

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:35:00 +0000

Tadaaaa.......a quicky update:

I just cut those applique fabric pieces a few hours ago. Cutting was a breeze but it took me some time to choose the colours. I use interfacing for my appliques as I don't have any fusible web. So each pieces will be glued to the background using fabric glue. Now I just need to find the glue.....it's hiding somewhere :P Can't wait to sew them together.

It's Earth Day today, so Happy Earth Day!

This year's theme is 'A Billion Acts of Green'. Read more at Earth Day Network.

Lets Go Green!

MyBotang Sew Along - Applique Project

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:11:00 +0000

Beautiful eh? This applique project is by Kajsa from Syko. I thought it would look nice hanging somewhere near my sewing nook, so I'm joining Mybotang's 2nd sew along. Yipeeee! (an enthusiastic one of course:D)

Now I need to print the PDF pattern and read through the step by step instructions from Sew Mama Sew.

Project time-line (copy paste from Mybotang as a reminder for me :)

1. Print pattern, instruction and choose fabrics - 11 - 17 April (1 week)

2. Trace, iron on fabric and cut - (Instruction 1-2 on instruction page) - 18 - 24 April (1 week)

3. Arrange on background fabric and iron - (Instruction 3-4 on instruction page) - 25 April - 1 May (1 week)

4. Appliqué the pieces - (Instruction 6 -7 on instruction page) - 2 - 8 May (1 week)

Hop on the bandwagon.....the more the merrier :)

Vintage 70's Malay Recipe Book

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:16:00 +0000

Here's something old and interesting to share. This coverless book was part of my moms recipe collections. Titled 'Masakan Lauk2 Dan Kue' it was published in 1970 and well, it's not that old but what I like about it is the retro style drawings. Written by Che' Amah Tain, there is a variety of traditional Malay recipes ranging from main dishes to cakes and desserts.

The text were written in old Malay (Bahasa Melayu) spelling, just two years before the 'spelling reform'. During that period of spelling reform, publishers were allowed to dispose of their old book stocks and to publish revised editions in the new spelling. This book looks like it was independently published so maybe a revised version of it does not exist. But if you happened to own one, do let me know.

While I was flipping through the pages, I noticed that the recipes are pretty much similar to the modern version of what we now call classic Malay recipes. Some even have funny recipe names :)

Pulut Dansing = Dancing Sticky Rice :)

If you're from the state of Kedah, you might find this recipe similar to Pulut Dakap. I guess that's what they call it back then. For this particular recipe, banana is encased in sticky rice and then wrapped in banana leaves. Two parcels are tied together & then steamed till cooked. You can find a version of this recipe at My Resepi.

Lepat is a Malay dessert wrapped in banana leaves. This recipe has little ingredients, but not that simple to make as there are some steps involved in making it.

Take a peek at a version of this recipe at My Resipi.

This is a Malay version of bread pudding recipe. Using coconut milk instead of regular cow's milk adds a creamy tropical flavour. Pandan leaves are used as flavouring. I'm not sure about 2 cups of sugar stated in the recipe. I bet it gonna taste darn sweet!

My favourite bread pudding recipe is from Allrecipes.com

'Kueh Ma'mor' or biskut Makmur is similar to the western version of Mexican Wedding Cakes & Snowball cookies. The most important ingredient is the 'butter ghee' & you cannot substitute it with other fat. This is my all time favourite cookie.

Images & retro drawings from the book:

This drawing is my favourite.....so retro.

I bet some of you Malaysian might have a copy of this book or maybe some other older cook books hiding in your store room. You'll never know unless you do some spring cleaning & you'd be surprised with all the treasures that you can find.

Have a beautiful Friday :)

Briefcase Clutch

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 09:31:00 +0000

I was in the midst of sewing a patchwork bag when this idea of making a briefcase-like-clutch came to my mind. Instantly, I started sketching and figuring out the size for this clutch. Then off I went rummaging through a pile of garbage......well, actually a bag of old clothing. Finally, I found an old jumper with newspaper & comic design. Based on the sketch and material in hand, the look changes slightly as I used the existing jumper's straps for clutch's closure.

I only used the pants part and the straps to make this briefcase clutch. There are pockets on both sides of the clutch which was formerly the jumper's side slant pockets.

For the lining, I used navy gingham. In between the fabrics I added batting for some structure and hand quilted the lining's flap closure.

Free buttons from the old jumper. Yea!

Here's the handle. The most important feature that gives it a briefcase look.....minus the fabric design of course:D. Now the clutch looks playful & childish. Maybe next time I'll work on fabric with solid or geometric patterns. I hope I can finish sewing the other bag. Still can't decide on the shape yet.

Finished size: 9 1/2" (l) X 7 1/4" (h) X 2" (d)

Happy sewing & see you soon.

Tea Time Coaster Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:07:00 +0000

I have this little fabric scraps leftover from making the reversible bucket bag and I thought of making something useful out of it. Something easy and simple to whip. A coaster would be perfect indeed!

Materials needed:
- small amount of fabric scraps for making two 4 1/2" square
- one 4 1/2" square batting
- some scraps for making cup & saucer quilt.
- embroidery floss & needle

Here's how to make one:

1. The finished size is 4" X 4". Draw a square measuring 4 1/2". Sketch a cup and saucer & write 'tea time' on top of it. Hooray...you've just made your template.

2. Place the scrapes on top of the template until it covers the whole square. When you're satisfied with the layout, sew each pieces together. Now you have a wonky square. * Make sure the size is bigger than 4 1/2" square.

3. Trace a 4 1/2" square using your template. If you own those fancy measuring & cutting tools, use that instead.:) Cut along the drawn lines.

4. Now that you have a neat square, make another one. I'm liking the look of this crazy patchwork.

5. Since this is a scrap busting project, I used leftover batting from previous project. Lay batting to the back of the fabric. Sew the pieces together along the perimeter of the square. Trim off the excess batting.

6. Now we're going to work on the cup & saucer applique. Draw a cup on your fabric of choice about the same size as the one on the template. A rough sketch would do & imperfection is accepted. :) You will have to make separate cut out of the cup, handle, saucer & an oval shape( for the tea inside the cup). Arrange the cut outs on your template.

7. Once you're satisfied with the layout, lay them on the patchwork square.Take out the cup and the oval shape. Pin or baste the saucer & handle in place. Sew along the perimeter of the cup & handle using a simple straight stitch. Then put back the cup & oval shape and sew along the perimeter of each pieces.
Write 'tea time' on top of the cup & saucer using pencil or washable marker. Embroider the word as neat as you can. Mine was a quicky, not perfectly sewn 'tea time'.

8. Place the 2nd patchwork square on top of the quilted one with right sides facing. Stitch a 1/4" seam around the edge. Leave a small opening for turning.

9. Trim the corners & turn right side out. Whip stitch the opening close. If you fancy a neat looking coaster, press it with an iron & top stitch around the edges. That's it! Now your cup can sit on a cool coaster.

Enjoy your cuppa tea :)
Lipton is my all time favourite.

Google Translate Widget Made My Day

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:32:00 +0000

I've just added Google translate widget on the left bar of this blog. So now you can read my blog in any language that you like. I hope it will be useful to my visitors from other part of the world. We may be from different continents and speak different languages, but we all share the same love of sewing and crafting.

I was laughing in tears when I read some of my post translated in Malay. I've never done this before as you would only use the widget to translate a foreign language that you can't read. They're actually translating it in Indonesian instead of Malay.

Here are some that really crack me up.....
-Saya tidak punya bulu melebur sehingga saya menggunakan pemukul sebagai gantinya.
-Aku mulai menjahit sejak saya masih kecil. Menjadi dikelilingi oleh nenek dan seorang ibu yang mencintai jahit, aku langsung menangkap bug menjahit.

-Lucky me! Saya menemukan sebuah bantal tua dengan paip kabel dengan panjang yang diperlukan tepat untuk menjahit pada beg tangan anda. :D

You can learn how to add Google translate widget to your blog at Hub Pages.

Have a beautiful weekend!
Güzel bir hafta sonu var!

Reversible Bucket Bag - Done!

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:39:00 +0000

Here's the finished look of the reversible bucket bag. Somehow sewing the handles was not as hard as I thought & basting it into place before final sewing prevents unwanted 'accidents'. So miss seam ripper was on a honeymoon :)

On this patchy side, I embroidered Charlie Chaplin's quote.

I like the simplicity on the denim side. I'm sure most of you would prefer the denim look.

The size of this bag is perfect for weekend shopping & I particularly like the long handles. Ample of space for your armpit to breathe :D. I usually make 50cm long handles. The inside does crumple a bit. From my little experience of sewing fabric boxes, if I sew the interior & exterior the exact same measurement, the inside will crumple. But when I reduced the interior measurement about 0.2cm, then I get clean smooth interior. So that explains the unwanted crumple.

A special thank you to Sue from MyBotang Crafty Corner for organizing this sew a long. Sewing this bag was fun! To all sew a long members who are in the midst of finishing this bag, keep on sewing :).

Happy sewing & crafting!

Reversible Bucket Bag - Work In Progress II

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:13:00 +0000

Sorry to have kept some of you waiting to see the progress of my reversible bucket bag. The patchwork kind of slowing me down a bit as I was randomly cutting and patching around the printed images. At first I hand quilted the patches but it ended up looking like too much going on. So I just machine stitch along the patches.

For the denim side, I did not add fusible interfacing as I think the fabric itself is thick enough.

I don't have fusible fleece so I use batting instead.

I reuse the old denim pocket for this bag. This is the easiest one to whip :).

For the base, both sides were interfaced. To avoid mistakes, I baste the base before stitching.

Here's the button loop. I thought the loop's too chunky but sew it anyway. After sewing together the main bag body, well..... it is the right size for the bag :P

No fabric flower for the button. I use a 38mm self-cover button. I removed the shank and sew the safety pin to the back of the button. The image is printed on a loose weave Indian cotton. It's not really visible up close but can be adored from far distance.

After basting together the lining and exterior bag together, here comes the tricky part.....stitching the binding. As usual, I pin and baste the binding in place and then carefully sew the pieces together. Phew! Well, not that hard actually. The center top edge binding is done!

What is left to do is sewing the bag handles.

I sew together both ends of the bag handles. I think it is much easier to sew the handles to the bag in one piece. I'm stitching the handles today so I'll be posting the finished bag soon.

I sew this mini fabric scrap basket while working on this project. Little pieces of scraps lying around really bugs me.

Happy day everyone :)

Reversible Bucket Bag - Work In Progress I

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:59:00 +0000

As you can see, I'm still in the midst of patching up the fabrics together. I've chosen the dots, black & white prints & some printed images for the main body of the bag. Luckily I found a medium weight denim for the exterior/ lining. So there is some repurposing involved in this project.

I'm sort of going for the silent movie star theme, so I printed two images of Charlie Chaplin and Louise Brooks on muslin using my deskjet printer. I ended up spending more time experimenting with fabric printing instead of working on the bag itself! :P

For the base and binding, I'm using a red grid line fabric. The patches might be hand quilted & I hope it won't turn out looking like a pot holder.

The handle gonna look like the above as I kept on playing with the fabric. Hope everything will be smooth sailing as I'm working with different types of materials...yikes!

I'll be posting more progress soon.

Have a nice weekend :)

Bunny Plush Doll

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 07:23:00 +0000

Here's a bunny plushie I made recently using my own pattern. Just a simple sketch based on what's in my head and my fingers would start eyeballing the cutouts for the body parts. I use muslin and cotton fabrics to make the doll. Bunny is totally hand sewn.

The bunny parts.

Head, legs & hands are sewn separately and stuffed with poly-fill. It took me some time to think on how to shape the body as I wanted to add a butt for bunny. A simple rectangle body would be much easier to make. For this bunny I made 2 curvy cutouts for the rear end & 1 rectangle for body front.

I sew the legs to the body first and filled the empty stomach with ~~cotton candy~~ poly-fill. I attached the head to body and sew them together. Body part opening is bigger than the neck, so I cinched the fabric closed.

Then I sew the hands to body part & sew together the buttons to tighten it. I embroidered the face with a brown thread. Somehow, I found this easier than painting the face.

Say cheeseeeeeee.......... Something's missing?

Bunny was rushed to the ER for the second time for another plastic surgery. Whiskers was added. Eyelashes permanently sewn so bunny would safe some time from applying fake eyelashes. Even though hers are not as long as Big Bird's eyelashes, bunny is content with her new look. The end.

Posing time.

Bunny's mugshot :)

You can get the mugshot background for free at Photos8.com .

Happy Rabbit New Year to all!

MyBotang Sew Along - Reversible Bucket Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:43:00 +0000

Reversible bucket bag from Sew Mama Sew

I have decided to join MyBotang's sew along and this is my first ever sew along. I never sew this sort of pattern before so it's going to be fun learning something new with a given time line. The bag looks so adorable & I can't wait to make one myself. The pattern is from Lisa Lam's 'The Bag making Bible'. You can download the reversible bucket bag PDF pattern here.

Here's the sew along time line:

Gather fabrics and other supplies 1 - 14 Feb (2 week)
Cut out pieces 15 - 21 Feb (1 week)
Preparing the binding, button loop, self cover button and interfacing (steps 1-4 on the instruction page) 22 - 28 Feb (1 week)
Bag exterior and lining (steps 5-8 on the instruction page) 1 - 7 March (1 week)
Binding - top edge, side top edge and handles (steps 9 - 14 on the instruction page) 8 - 14 March (1 week)

I haven't decide on the fabrics yet. Should I repurpose or use new materials? I'm thinking of mixing denim with cotton but I'm worried that the fabric would be too heavy. If I choose those, then I have to find a sturdier material for the handle. Still got 5 days to decide...hehe

Happy Sewing :)

Patchwork Sewing Basket

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:17:00 +0000

As the new year starts, I was doing some spring cleaning and found pairs of old jeans. Now I have a big bag full of jeans for repurposing projects :D. There is like a long list in my head wanting to do this & that with the material. But before I ended up with fabric cut outs & scraps all over the place, sewing a storage bin would be the first in my to do list.

Lately I've been making more patchwork and quilt related sewing projects. It's a bit time consuming for me even when it's just patching together simple rectangles. When all is done, I can't help but jump for joy!

The sewing basket is 28 cm long with the same width and 25 cm tall. Jeans base makes the basket more sturdy and hard-wearing. For the patchwork, I cut rectangles measuring 8cm X 6cm each (includes 1cm seam allowance). The patches are then lined with thick batting and quilted. For the lining, I sew some pockets to organize tools and notions. Small handles was added for the ease of carrying and holding the basket. The jeans pocket was a last minute addition and I really like the look of it.

One large pocket for magazines & templates. More pockets at the front for pencil & small items.

More pockets to organize big tools.

Top view. A contained mess :)

When flatten, it looks like a bag but the handles are not long enough for resting on the shoulder.

Happy sewing = )

Vintage Crochet

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 17:45:00 +0000

Previously I've posted some sewing books from my moms collection. This particular book is quite interesting to look at just because I can't crochet :(. But if you're into it, I bet you would be whipping some projects from the book. It was published in 1969 by Japanese publisher. There's small tear on some pages but still readable. The images are in colour and black & white and instructions are written in English.

Here are a few pages from Madonna Crochet Book No 5.

I like the embroidery design on this page. If you happened to own a Madonna embroidery book, ~~raise your hand~~ do let me know = ).

When I got the urge to scan the whole book, I'll make a special post about it but it's gonna take some time.
Meanwhile, you can download free crochet pattern at All free crafts.

Have a nice weekend!

Needle Field's Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:19:00 +0000

Yes, Needle Field is already one year old this month & I almost forgot about it. This blog was born on January the 15th 2010 for the purpose of showcasing my needlework and sharing ideas with fellow sewers and crafters alike.

I started sewing ever since I was a little girl. Being surrounded by grandmas and a mother who loves sewing, I instantly caught the sewing bug. During my primary school days I did a lot of cross stitch work, simply helping my mom finishing her cross stitch projects. When I was 9 or 10, my school teacher taught us kids how to make a patchwork pillow. I can't remember what that subject was but we did a lot of crafty stuff including clay work with 'real clay'. It was fun!

The dresden plate pillow that I sew was similar to the image on the left. This hexagon and dresden patchwork template is from my moms collection since the 80's. It is still in good condition & even the fabric scraps are from the 80's. :)

This pillow case was sewn by my late grandma. The edge is scalloped and embroidered. I particularly love the one that's embroidered with red thread. It's a keeper!

A simple cross stitched bunnies from moms collection. It is supposed to be a pillow case but mom prefers framing it. It stays clean forever :)

Some of her cross stitch books. Most of it are Ondori handicraft books from Japan.

The price is quite cheaper back then.

Her crochet books. The Madonna crochet book on the right is from the late 60's. Quite interesting to look at, unfortunately I don't know how to crochet :(.

OK, enough blast from the past for now. Happy sewing & have a nice day.

Fabric Basket Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 04:46:00 +0000

This is my first tutorial for 2011. Anyone who is into sewing and crafting would definitely need a storage box to organize their sewing notions, fabric and tools. Some even hide their favourite snacks in it (& I wonder who?). :) I made this fabric basket last month and the size is based on a cookie tin lid. You can use your growing fabric stash to make this round fabric basket.

Materials:

- fabric scraps

- thick batting

- buttons

- thread & needle

Cut fabrics:

- cut ten pieces of 5" X 5" square from main fabric and lining fabric.

- cut one 5" X 21" rectangle from thick batting.

- cut two 7" circle from main fabric and lining fabric.

- cut one 7" circle from thick batting.

- cut one 2" X 21" strip for binding

* measurement includes 1/2" seam allowance.

Step 1.

a) Sew the five squares together.

b) Make another set of the five squares.

c) Lay 5" X 21" batting onto the wrong side of one patchwork piece.

d) Pin and baste in place.

Step 2.

Quilt the layers together. I just sew some simple zigzags.

Step 3.

Pin together one circle fabric with batting and quilt as desired.

Step 4.

a) Fold the rectangle quilted piece together with right sides facing. Stitch along the open ends with 1/2" seam allowance.

b) Now you have a round wall.

c) Pin the quilted circle to the round wall.

d) Stitch around the seam.

Step 5.

a) Turn the basket right side out.

b) Make the lining. Sew together the second set of squares with the 7" circle.

c) Place the lining inside the quilted basket and pin the layers together.

d) Sew along the top edge of the basket.

Step 6.

a) Cut a 2" X 21" strip for binding. But If you want to make a fancy one like mine, cut 10 pieces of 2" X 3" rectangles. Sew them together using a 1/2" seam allowance.

b) Fold the strip in half. Fold both edges toward the center.

c) Fold the strip in half again. Press the folds firmly with your fingers (you don't have to do this if you have a bias tape maker). Iron the folded strip

d) See the fold marks. Not bad for an imaginary bias tape maker :)

Step 7.

a) Sew together both ends of the strip using 1/2" seam allowance.

b) Position the binding along the top edge of the basket.

c) Stitch along the top folded mark using 1/2" seam allowance.

d) Fold the binding over the edge to the inside lining of the basket.

Step 8.

Slip stitch folded edge of binding to the inside lining.

Now you have a round fabric basket to organize your happy mess.

If you want to add a handle, follow the next step......

Basket Handle:

1. Cut two 3" X 17" fabric. Cut one 2" X 16" thick batting.

a) Lay one fabric on top of batting.

b) Sandwich the two layers with another fabric with right sides facing. I trim along the handle ends to make rounded edge. You can do so if you like.

c) Sew the layers together along the edges using a 1/2" seam allowance. Leave a small opening for turning.

d) Turn the handle right side out through the opening.

2. Sew shut the opening with a slip stitch and quilt the handle. I just sew simple zigzag through the length of the strap.

3. Attach the handle by sewing buttons on each ends of the handle to the fabric basket. The handle that I made is quite wide. You can reduce the width if you want a skinny handle.

All done!

I'll be making more of this fabric basket. One is never enough!

Have a nice day everyone :)

Hello 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:14:00 +0000

Happy new year 2011! Hope you guys out there like this sock dolls comic :)

Thank you all for visiting my blog even though I have too little things to share. I really appreciate all of your comments & 'cluck cluck'. . I'm hoping for a fun filled 2011 & I will try my best to be a frequent blogger. :P (huhu....shoo away lazy bug!)

I'll be sharing more tutorials some time soon. So keep on watching my space.

Happy Holiday!

A Little Something........

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:09:00 +0000

Here's a little something for the kids at the orphanage. I managed to sew four tote bags for the 'Back to School Charity Project' organized by Pondok Craft. The simple tote design is based on a pattern that I made in 2007 & it is big enough for a tuition bag (means I forgot to measure the finished size :P ).

The bundle of totes was posted on Thursday & I just hope that it arrives on time before the deadline.

I hope this little gift from me would put smiles on the children's faces.

A girly tote :)

I thought this navy gingham & yellow patches tote looks too plain, so I sew a cute bunny charm to adorn the bag.

I lengthen the height of the tote pattern to make the large tote.

Here's the cute bunny charm. I got the idea while sewing these totes. So one lucky gal is gonna get my 1st bunny charm & I hope she likes it.

A special thanks to kak Ayu for organizing this charity project. I'm sure a little something from everyone of us crafters would make a huge bundle of joy for the childrens at the orphanage.

Have a nice weekend!

Bird Pouch

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:39:00 +0000

Wonder what they're chirping about?.....:)
I would freak out if I hear a sound coming from something that I sew. Well, just imagine if your work piece can speak, they would have been your toughest critic!

OK,enough chirping. I made two of this bird pouch using Ikea fabrics. Instead of just black & white, I sew a felt bird applique on one side of the pouch.
The pouch measures approximately 9"(w) X 6"(h) X 3"(d). The handle is 4 1/2" long. This pouch is big enough to hold lots of stationery.

Then I sew another pouch using some fabric scraps.

The shape reminds me of petunia, so I named it 'petunia pouch'. It's small & cute with enough space to stash hand phone, small wallet or pencils.
Finished size: 10"(w) X 5 1/2"(h). Zipper opening: 6"

Till then, happy sewing!
Hope you enjoy whatever you're doing.

Your imperfections make you human. Imperfection should never define you. It's how you handle them that defines who you are.

Boxy Bag Pattern & Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 11:00:00 +0000

If you like the the boxy moose bag that I've made & wanting to make one yourself, here is the tutorial.

PATTERN

(* add 1/2" seam allowance to the pattern)

Rectangle Front

Draw a rectangle measuring 28cm X 30cm. Make a curve at each four corners of the rectangle. I used a 3" diameter baking soda lid to make the curve:) Once you've drawn the curvy rectangle, add 1/2" seam allowance to the pattern.

The rest of the measurements will be in inches.

Gusset

Draw the gusset pattern based on the given measurement above. You will need a 17" zipper for closure.

CUT FABRICS

Rectangle pattern (28cm X 30cm)

- cut 2X front fabric pieces

- cut 2X lightweight fusible interfacing

- cut 2X batting

*(add 1/2" seam allowance)

- cut 2X lining fabric

- cut 2X lightweight fusible interfacing

- cut pocket pieces to your liking (optional)

*(add 1/2" seam allowance)

Gusset pattern

- cut 1X front fabric for bottom gusset (26" X 4")

- cut 1X lining fabric for bottom gusset

- cut 1X thick fusible interfacing

*(add 1/2" seam allowance)

- cut 2X front fabric for top gusset (17" X 2")

- cut 2X lining fabric for top gusset

- cut 2X thick interfacing for top gusset

*(add 1/2" seam allowance)

Piping

- cut 2X, 1 1/2" X 44" fabric strips

- cut 2X, 43" long piping cord.

Bag handle

- cut 2X, 3cm X 52cm webbing

* you can lengthen or shorten the handle to your liking. A handle that is less than 3cm in width is comfortable to rest on your shoulder. Use cotton webbing instead of nylon or sew a strap using fabric.

Tab

- cut 2X, 3cm wide cotton webbing (just enough to cover the ends of zipper or for strap handle)

- cut 2X, 3cm X 4" cotton webbing (to cover side gusset & zipper)

Basically you're going to have 4 basic rectangle pieces after pressing the interfacing together with the fabric.

Sew batting to the front fabrics. I only use lightweight interfacing for the front fabric to the bag that I've made.

If you want the bag to be sturdy & hold it's shape, do add batting. Thick interfacing would make the pieces harder to sew but you can use it if you like. Make sure you use the right size needle before sewing.

BAG ASSEMBLY

1. Sew top gusset pieces & lining pieces to the zipper. Start sewing after the s.a (seam allowance) line and end it before the s.a line. Sew it this way because you're going to sew the front fabric and the lining fabric separately. Both front and lining fabrics are only connected by the sewn zipper part.

The zipper part looks like this....

2. Before you join top & bottom gusset together, sew tab on both ends of the zipper. Now you can sew together top & bottom gusset. Sew front gusset first, then sew gusset lining.
Sew the 3cm X 4" cotton webbing to end of top zipper opening, covering the tab. Just like the picture above. Make sure you sew the webbing to the front gusset only.

Here's the sewn gusset lining.

3. Sew piping cord around the perimeter of the front fabric pieces.

Learn how to attach piping here. (sew4home.com)

4. Once you've joined the gusset pieces together, fold it like an envelope, right side up. Just like the illustration given.

5. Place the rectangle front fabric, right side down on the folded gusset. Pin in place. Baste fabric pieces together. Sew all the way around with sewing machine.

Make sure you sew handles to front fabric first before sewing gusset & front pieces together.

Front & gusset pieces sewn together.

6. Open the zipper a bit. Sew the second front fabric piece to the other side of the gusset the same way as step no.4.

7. Sew inside rectangle lining to gusset lining.

The sewn pieces looks like this..........

8. Sew the last front lining piece to gusset lining & make sure you leave 3" opening for turning.

9. Turn the fabric right side out through the 3" opening.

10. Lastly, sew shut the opening with a slip stitch.

The inside lining looks like this.......

11. Turn the bag right side out & you're done!

That's all for now. I hope you get the tutorial & if you have any questions & having problem making the bag, just let me know.

Have fun sewing or whatever you're doing this weekend :)

Repurpose Long Sleeve Into A Bag (Part 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 06:29:00 +0000

Introducing the new Moose bag.

Making this bag was really an adventure. It's my 1st time encounter on boxy/ travelers type bag. Honestly it's not that easy to sew. I broke 1 needle and my pin cushion is now adorned with misshapen pins :o Every single piece had to be slip stitched together before sewing it on the sewing machine. I only added thick interfacing to the gusset. Maybe next time I'm gonna add batting & thick interfacing to the front part too to make it more sturdy. Yes, I'm gonna make more of this type of bag. I'm embracing my fears....:P

When it's done I feel like I've accomplished something. I"VE MADE IT! Yeay :)

Here's some more pics of the bag...

I hope this little project of mine can inspire you people out there to repurpose, reuse & recycle. Just to show that you can make something beautiful & useful out of something that might end up in the dump site.

Have a nice day :)

Repurpose Long Sleeve Into A Bag (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 08:31:00 +0000

After the stencil work, I want to add piping to the bag but I don't have any piping cord.:( What to do? Go to the nearest notion shop & buy one or reuse some piping cord from old pillows?

Lucky me! I found an old pillow with piping cord with the exact needed length to sew on the bag.

But before you get to the happy ever after part, you have to go through this battle of tearing the pieces apart to get the precious piping cord. Once the piping cord is in you hand, you can *smile* & say out loud "I've made it!" :P ( Sorry for making this sound so hard, actually it's not! Maybe I need a cuppa coffee.)

For the piping strips, I'm using muslin. The strips is 4cm wide with enough lengths to sew along the border line. You can learn how to sew & attach your piping here at sew4home.

Here's the sewn piping on both parts of the fabric. It's not that hard to sew but sewing corners makes me nervous still.

Then I sew the handles. I used a blue stripe nylon webbing with 50cm in length on both sides of the fabric pieces.( I would usually add an extra 1" for seam allowance on both ends of strap.)

Pockets are sewn on both sides of the lining. I used bed sheet & some pieces of the long sleeve to make the pockets. 1 big pocket & 2 small pockets that can fit hand phone, wallet & note book.

Here comes the not so easy part of attaching the whole pieces together. There are many ways to sew this kind of boxy bag. Some would sew the outer & lining fabrics separately & attach them together by sewing on the zipper. Others would just serge the fabric corners minus any lining. But I just sew it my way. Every time I'm in doubt & not sure which part to sew first, I would always write it down on my note book. So here's the note....you don't have to take a note, just do it you way :)

The zipper, gusset & lining pieces are sewn the same way as sewing a pencil case. Top gusset is 17" in length & bottom gusset is 26" in length. I sew cotton webbing on both ends of the zipper.

Here's the lining side of the gusset. See...only the front gusset, zipper & lining gusset are sewn together. The bottom lining gusset is sewn together with top lining gusset. The top front gusset & bottom front gusset are sewn together. Both front & lining are only connected on the zipper part. Now the gusset is done.

Next, I attached the front piece of the bag to the front gusset. Sew a running stitch to hold the pieces together.

Then I sew the parts on sewing machine being extra careful along the corners. The bag is taking shape now. Before I attach the second front piece, I open the zipper a bit so I can easily turn it right side out later. After sewing the second piece together clip the corners. I didn't do that on this bag but it's necessary to help ease around the corners.

The lining piece is sewn to the gusset lining.

When you turn it right side out, the first sewn lining piece looks like this.

This is the second last step. The second lining piece is sewn together with gusset lining & I left 3" opening for turning.

See the opening....

Turn it right side out through the opening.

Finally, sew shut the opening with a slip stitch. Hurray! I'm done.

This is the inside lining & pockets. But where's the finished look of the bag?

Coming soon in part 3......:)

Repurpose Long Sleeve Into A Bag (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Bea) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:10:00 +0000

What to do with unwanted old clothing? Rather than throw them away, why not turn them into something useful. Since I'm a bag lover, I've decided to transform this piece of clothing into a beauuuutiful bag.

I've made some sketches & draw out the pattern. The design is inspired by retro bags with boxy shape & images that has unisex appeal.

You can use a lid cover to draw a curve (one of my not so fancy but useful tool:). The finished size of the bag is as on the sketch paper above.

Here's the cut out parts for making the bag. For the lining, I used an old bed sheet. The gusset is fused with thick interfacing & other cut outs are fused with lightweight interfacing.

I cut out the buttoned front part of the long sleeve to make a pocket for the outer fabric.

A piece of lining is sewn to the back of it. An easy way to make a pocket.

Another piece of the outer fabric is stenciled with a moose silhouette.

Here's how to stencil on fabric:

1. Draw the outline of an image of your liking on a piece of paper. Stick a brown tape to the back of the paper. Cut out the image using a sharp knife. Make sure you cut along the lines.

The back side of the paper looks like this...

2. Position the paper stencil on top of the fabric.

3. Now you can start painting inside the stencil area with fabric paint. I lift off the stencil immediately after painting & let the paint dry for a few minutes. (Drying time varies depending on the size of the painted images)

4. Iron the fabric on the back side to set the colour. You can reuse the stencil a few times, so don't dump it in the bin yet.

Now that's a cool moose & I'm amused!

Here's a couple of moose :)

I'll be posting part 2 soon.