Beginning of a new adventure

Took a Valentine's Day Zentangle project class earlier this year.

Been hooked since.

The portability of Zentangle (sounds familiar doesn't it =)) was an allure... for months I've been toting around a pencil case and sketch book in a large zipper case (not particularly ideal IMO) until last night.

Two days of planning, designing, measuring and construction resulted in...

(Yes I like scooby doo).

I'm quite happy with it - I should be since I customed it to what I wanted! Some small problems and bits I'm not quite happy about but my biggest irk is that the front looks like an inflatable raft after the pens are in! Grrr!

Contemplating redoing the pen pockets to reduce the number in the hopes that it becomes less raft-like. What do you think?

Pen sleeves

My sister is fountain pen fan. Recently saw that she bought a new pen that came with a pen sleeve. I was a little bit shocked at how much pen sleeves cost when I looked it up and even more shocked when I couldn't find a tutorial on how to make one. So I bungled my way through! 

Several trial and errors later... 

Since these were ridiculously simple (yes even then it took me several trials and errors to get the sizing right), I'm wondering whether a tutorial is needed (since I couldn't find one online!).

That being said - these are great scrap busters!!!

Pleased

Packed up some festive book caddies for gifting. Pleased at the way they look packed!

Crafting update

Have been busy at work (and hoping it pays off!) and have been trying my darndest to do bits of crafting here and there. Sadly not much time to tat (so for people looking for a tatting update, you can exit right about here).

 

I'm still one of those "old foggies" who like to have physical diaries... but this year I really couldn't find one that caught my eye... So I made my own with a S$1.90 dotted Muji notebook. Then made a fabric book cover (with extra pockets!) to "protect it" - first book cover I've made using the same concept of the card holders that I shared in a previous post.

Next on to Christmas!!!

This project was inspired by a Christmas gift that I'm going to share later in this post. What you're looking at is a S$3.00 A4 sized calico bag covered with dinosaur stamps (from lawn fawn) in black Versacraft ink. I love it! Have I mentioned I love dinosaurs... and I was inspired to do this because of this gift....

My boss's daughter appears to be a creative little gal... so I decided to put together a "decorate a bag" kit. With a budget of S$30.00 (about US$21.00) I put together a varied collection of items including 2 blank calico bags, fabric paint, fabric crayons, lace, fabric scraps, craft glue, cover buttons, buttons, sequins, plastic gems and more! And it all convenient comes in a plastic carrying case! I'm rather pleased with this gift idea - I think I got a lot of things in there in my budget and I managed to destash a little as well... When I compared this to US30.00 kits that I saw online for sale... I thought I did good! Hoping the little girl enjoys it (and just in case she wasn't sure what to do, I'm even including an idea sheet!).

 

On the topic of Christmas, I have a habit of trying to "personalize" my store bought cards - this year I'm going simple with sequins! Who can resist a little bling =).

Card holders - sick day sewing

Been feeling ill since Saturday night. Chills and a fever are making all my joints ache something fierce... which means I can't really do any fine crafting (like tatting or sewing by hand)... but I can still use my trusty sewing machine.

This has been on my to-do list for quite a while now... since I saw the tutorial on crafty cupboard. But I was intimidated by the requirement for iron-on fleece which I don't have (and is quite pricey to procure here)...

I finally gathered enough courage and made do with a thin batting. I quite like the way it turned out. This also turned out to be a destash exercise (who doesn't love destashing!). 

Not to mention crafty cupboard was right! That everything is more exciting in multiples!

Great tutorial from crafty cupboard.

Great little project for quick gifts for both genders (the blue moon and stars is already spoken for by a male friend!).

Great little project to destash! (The fabric pieces are small enough to help destash fabric scraps plus it's a good excuse to give into that button stash that I know we all have!).

Give it a go and craft on!

Book caddies!

Growing up whenever we were taken out on an outing we were both allowed either a small toy or a storybook each to entertain ourselves (particularly on sit down dinners). I remember that one of my favourite outfits was a pullover pinafore with these gigantic pockets that were big enough for a paperback book.

Old habits die hard - I hardly go anywhere without a book in my bag nowadays. I love my books and they are each wrapped in bookwrapping plastic. But even then, I'd be disturbed if the book was damaged while being jostled about in my bag.

At one point of time I kept my books in a plastic bag in my bag - not only was it unglamorous... it was also extremely noisy to extract my book!

So I made myself book caddies!

The top two were the trial ones. I made them in different sizes to accommodate different size books. They fastened shut with plastic press buttons but I discovered that the plastic press buttons also damaged my books on occasion (sob).

So the bottom two were the "improved" designs with ribbon ties instead.

I love them (especially the Scooby Doo fabric - who doesn't love Scooby Doo!) - I also had fun playing with the fancy stitches on my machine! Wooooo!

Does anyone else have pet peeves about carrying books? Or is this just me being weird. LOL. Wondering if they'd make quick easy gifts or whether the recipients would be like "what the heck kind of gift is this?!?"

(For anyone looking to make book caddies - I used pinking shears (I love me my pinking shears) and the fabric pieces were 7.5 x 11 inches!)

Christmas is coming (well kinda)

It is time once again for me to consider what will be this year's Christmas brooch. 

Decided to try something different this year... and this is the result... 

Felt reindeers =). Never did felt brooches before. 

I got the idea from this site with felt Christmas ornaments ideas. There was a picture of a cute little reindeer but the template didn't seem to match the photograph =(. So I did a bit of reading, researching, sketching, resizing, testing... 

These sites involving different stitches for felt and options for eyes (as well as this one on how to sew safe eyes) were of great help. 

Hope my reindeer herd grows big enough my Christmas! Hope my friends like them! 

Preparing for 2016

My 2016 planner and home sewn pouch (I make a new one every year). 

Used a seldom used luminous yellow thread for the pouch. I love it. Arrr! 

Hmmm

Bought some Christmas fabric to try to make scrap trees but they didn't turn out how I imagined (read "ugly"). 

I usually don't buy themed fabric because I can't use them any other time of the year. 

Experimenting on fabric gift tags with the Christmas fabric instead. 

It isn't great but this is the "scrap experiment" - worth continuing to work on? Or is this another idea for the trash bin (together with my ugly scrap trees). 

The first sewing in a long while...

Made it home early (for the first time in quite a while) and decided to do a little sewing... And I do mean little. 

I made myself a little pouch for my new headphones. 

I love it 😍

I used one of my Lego men as a same compassion :). As usual I like my pouches lined. I've been dying for a chance to use the short double coloured zipper from the local $2 store and I love the outcome! 

Inspiration

I lost my sunnies sock long ago. 

The other day I was walking through the local $2 shop and spotted an adorable sheet of eyeglass cloth with Minnie Mouse print. 

I initially passed it by because I don't wear spectacles. The next day inspiration struck and I had to go back. 

Meet my new sunnies sock! Made from a piece of $2 eyeglass cloth, my favourite ribbon and cute little pink polka dotted loop and stopper (that I got two sets of for $2 at the same shop). Since it is eyeglass cloth after all I know it won't scratch my sunnies! Woohoo. I love it! 

Maybe this will make a decent present for  a loved one! It is so hard to think of gifts for men - sans the Minnie Mouse print and the pinkness and rainbowness, this might be a good gift idea, even for men, if I don't say so myself! 

Mid-week sewing session!

Just a little sewing to unwind. 

Have been wondering what I can do with small across leftover from different sewing projects (other than Five Stones - as shown in my previous post). And I came across this post for a patchwork drawstring bag (http://ayumills.blogspot.sg/2008/09/tutorial-reversible-patchwork-bag.html?m=1) 

I did a little tweaking to shrink it to 3x3 squares (instead of the original 4x4) to make a tatting project sized bag and TADAH 

I love it! I used the leftovers of one of my favourite fabrics (the sun moon one), some other scraps and my favourite rainbow cord to make a fully lined pouch. I love it!

Quick traditional presents

Five Stones sets for the daughters of two of my colleagues. 

(For more info on Five Stones: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_194_2005-01-07.html) 

Quick present to myself (what! Another one?)

Earlier this year I did tissue holders for my colleagues at my previous workplace. But never got round to doing one for myself. 

Broke out some fabric (that I never really had the heart to use after buying it online)... 

Notice the sprinkling of sparkles? I heart :) 

Happy Tuesday, Self! 

All ready for 2015?

I think I'm done with decorating my planner! 

Each month and each note page is different :) 

Plus I've also sewn up a new fully lined pouch to carry my planner in (I still hate and fear zippers). 

I must confess... I still love dinosaurs!

I bought this fabric in Malaysia earlier this year - it cost more than I would usually pay for fabric but I couldn't resist the dinosaurs! 

My heart aches when I use expensive fabric and I'm perpetually afraid I make a mistake and the fabric goes to waste! The only (cold and perhaps delusional) comfort is that the lining was clearance sale fabric! 

Loving my planner and its little pouch! 

Selamat Hari Raya!

I recently bought crocheted flower brooches at a fundraiser for the girls in my office. They liked them so much they asked for more! 

So, as celebratory gifts I made them fabric flower brooches using the clover templates (extra small). 

I love these little guys. 

A bit of sewing and a bit of tatting

Inspired by the ladies at the Tuesday crafting party I decided to try my hand at sewing a purse with a sew-on purse frame.

This was the end result (I didn't use my favourite fabric since this was "experimental").  

I wasn't quite pleased with the outcome. I don't know whether it's supposed to look "crinkly" - it looks okay when there's stuff inside I think. Anyone know if it's supposed to be crinkly? Please help this beginner sewer (oh dear that looks wrong... is it sewing person?)!

Do not be fooled by my apparent partial success... The partial success was based on several failed pieces and templates...

I would however like to give credit to these two webbies (here and here) which I used as references to do the templates and construct the purse.

Somehow their measurements didn't work well for me and I had to make several corrections before I could get a fabric pouch that fitted into the frame. 

I will probably get more frames (they were only $1.80 per piece) to fiddle more with the template.

I've also completed the Celtic Hexad pendant from Yarnplayer's Beaded Tatted Finery.

This was done in size 20 Milford with size 11/0 Toho beads and bicone crystals. I was quite pleased with my colour combination but somehow my completed project doesn't look as awesome as the photograph in the book. Am slightly disappointed with myself. =(

Finally significant effort was taking to drag my sleepy rear end out of bed this morning for an early morning jog - mid jog I couldn't help but feel grateful for having such a beautiful public park to jog in - I just had to snap a photograph to share.

Tuesday crafty sessions

My local tatting teacher invited me to join her little craft group that meets on Tuesday afternoons - something I could never do when I was working. 

The collection of talent was amazing. A lady that is a quilt whizz (her hand quilting is awesome), a haberdashery teacher, several knitting teachers and more! 

They essentially share what they have done and teach the others if they want to learn. They share patterns, templates and everything! 

Just a quick glimpse of what they do. 

These coin pouches were made by my tatting teacher and taught to her by the quilting instructor. What she can do by hand is amazing.

This was done by the quilting instructor. Lovely.

After the group left for the day I found myself a little cafe to "park" for my first ever Tatting Tea Tuesday :) 

At madtatter's request!

I'm off to perth for a couple days tmr! Hope to have lots to post after! 

Farewell

It is farewell to my current workplace. Tomorrow is my last day. 

Whilst good byes are often sad, as Mary Poppins sung, a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down in the most delightful way. (If you have no clue what I mean or just had a flashback moment, please take time to enjoy this video! http://youtu.be/HrnoR9cBP3o)

Hand embossed and personalized thank you cards. 

Personalized home sewn travel tissue pack covers for the ladies. 

Fabric paint stenciled home sewn tissue pack covers for the men. 

To put things in context, lunch tables are often in high demand and short supply in the local business district so people often use tissue packs to "reserve" the table. Colloquially "chope" refers to the "reservation" e.g. Let us go and "chope" a table. 

And as a last minute gift I took a trip to ikea and did these on my compact photo printer with the photos I took at the farewell lunch today. 

I do hope my girls and guys like the gifts I made. Worried that they'd prefer purchased gifts!