Make-do project

One for Halloween this year. 

Halloween - Freebie by Aliolka . Yet to decide what to finish this into.

Had a little crazy idea with  leftovers scrappy fabrics 

from the  mask sewing . I am no quilter, therefore choosing fabrics and matching can be quite overwhelming for me. Thus, this crazy patchwork idea I had comes with no actual planning, just grab and hand piecing randomly and nothing measured.  

My idea was to turn it  into a Tissue Case Cover

to fit the size of packet tissue of  Size 5" x 7.5" approximately. I got so disturbed with its

plastic wrapper that got tore so easily. 

More from the scrappy mask fabrics.

I  also hand quilted a mismatched scrappy quilted cover  

for this doll bed made from clothespin.

The bed tutorial by 

Ann Wood Handmade Doll  House Bed from Clothespins 

The finished bed was completed and went into my UFO box. Had wanted to paint it but like always procrastinate with the color choice and so never had a mattress or pillow until now. DD recently ordered some acrylic paints and it arrived yesterday. I also  found a larger clothes pegs, so maybe another bed soon and I'll give the bed a coat of color too. 

Kathy Schmitz Bird In Hand Strawberry Pincushion 

A freebie on my to-do list for a long while.

These are some of the projects that I embarked on during our Movement Control Order.(MCO)

Life was suddenly interrupted as work was like being suspended even thou it was work from home but with no definite directions or guidelines, it was a new norm and  I felt like a sitting duck. I  was lost for a moment in time. During my 'lost time' my kitchen was smoking. It was a  time to hone my cooking skills. A good thing I supposed.😆 That lasted during the first phase of our MCO. 

Things are better now for I am no longer lost, so to speak.😄

Life goes on.

Be Safe everyone and thank you for coming by, very happy to hear from you too and I thank you for your comments. 

Birthday Block Exchange 2014

Last year, BJ convinced me that I am capable of stepping out of my comfort zone, but I love my comfort zone, it's so cozy and there is this feeling of contentment. I rather not take risk because if there is some thing unexpected I would know what to do. With quilting? I am practically a pre-schooler.

To challenge myself out of my comfort zone and exposing my vulnerability with the groups of ladies who are accomplished quilters or better sewing skill, in case someone "jump up" and deny that fact, can be very terrifying. I was self conscious about things that I might be doing the "wrong" way and to make matters worst, I don't even own a super efficient sewing machine. No doubts that I had my moments.  I was very nervous about working a pattern and choosing the fabrics. There's many times I created not only  ugly, unworkable blocks but wasted fabrics too. And on every  challenge month,  I did it with doubts, sometimes scared of mailing our my blocks to the birthday girl. Worried sick that  my blocks are not precisely the way "everyone" expects it to be because  I did it my way. But I tried and I didn't give up or chicken out because I made a commitment or the ladies will have insufficient blocks to finish. And so everyone had to just be contented with my wonky and unperfect blocks.

Whereas, I got the best part of the deal, I received perfect blocks from the ladies in-exchanged for my imperfect blocks. My turn to received my BBE finally came. Here are my gorgeous REDS of 11 Blocks of 9 patch. My Color theme : Red and White. Block size : 6 1/2" unfinish

From Jess W. I love how the reds all go together regardless of the depth of the fabric colors, design and style even the polka dots. Knowing that I collect tape measurements, J included in her package  two vintage tape measurements and a new purchase from Melbourne and a  Wooden Owl Frame. 

The blocks from Margaret W, a beautiful selections of different red fabrics put together  It's simply luscious, I like how the deep red fabrics standout from the softer reds. In her package, there's two mini charm packs and a box of Color Catcher. The latter would sure come in handy later on.

The next blocks of reds came from BJ and I love how she team up all the different French General fabrics together to create an absolute harmonious beauty of reds. And there's this adorable owl fabric pouch that without doubts sewed by BJ as well as a mini charm pack. 

The final blocks to arrive came from June. Her reds are a combinations ranging from dark to medium reds.   It's an extremely delightful combinations of fabrics. Her choice of white tone on tone popped out among the sea of reds. She also sent me a lovely  spool trims and letter pad.

Thank you ladies for all your gorgeous reds and an opportunity for me to improve my skills in the process and create a memorable quilt. One thing for sure, I don't know if I will have the confidence to work through another challenge like this again. The stress can be unbearable..yet I wonder what is the next challenge will be.

On a sad note, my FIL succumbs to lung cancer on September 20th after battling for approximately three and half months. That was when he was first diagnosed, he was already at Stage 4. He has never felt any pain anywhere prior to a back ache, when the pain became unbearable,  he was taken to the hospital and given a scan  and came home with the devastating news.

A week later, we  went out for dinner at Red Bean Bag Restaurant in Publika. It was a very quiet evening. We are still in mourning and there's not to be any celebration of any kind. for at least a year. We spotted couples in a ballroom dancing competition on the ground floor from our table. It was too far for my mobile phone to take pictures. Lovely couples and their dance was mesmerizing. To me they are all winners.

After dinner we proceed  to Mad About Coco for our desserts. since we did not have any cake or more precise blowing out candles on a cake.

Feeling like a Majesty indeed with my Majestic Tea Teapot of Chamomile Tea.

I now have a new guy to accompany me in the kitchen. It's gift from my dear DS. I wonder if this is a hint from him ?? Must remind myself now to add a little more than a dash of  love in my cooking or should I not? so he can sent me another chef next year?? LOL

I shall end my post  now with a new found word of comfort

its the cover of the menu from Mad About Coco

We are having  afternoon and evening rains again, it's the time of the year 

Hope you have a wonderful and lovely season

where ever you may be. 

Thank you for stopping by, I appreciate your visits.

Credits : * Thank You* image via google search

June Birthday Block Exchange

The 3rd Birthday Block Exchange falls in June for June. These are my fabric selection for June who has actually indicated her choice of colors from the Jolie Maison  Belue range

Her block : Rail Fence. Quantity 12 pieces 

Block Size 8.5" . Instructions are  join 3 strips and leave the 4th strip unsew with the  4th strips fabrics from each color block variations. My fabrics from Robert Kaufman and an original Jolie Maison Belue range.

Sounds pretty easy, all I need now is to cut accurately and sew straight right ?  LOL

But I am glad that June finally put up her Rail Fence diagram and being me, I am  following June's 'example' with colors combination to the T.

These are my June's Blocks

My first finished for the year. Took me 10 days to complete and I almost gave up halfway. 

I am not sure if this will inspire me back to stitching. For all I know, I just needed a gift to go with my package and with that thought in mind I just hang on to it with gritted teeth.

Design by Le Chalet des Perelles

Petitie roses de juin

Fabric 32ct tea dyed linen

Finished into a pinkeep Approximate  size 11cm x 8cm

The  package mailed  and arrived on June 10, 2014

We celebrated the Dumpling festival in the first week of June, I attempted my first dumpling making with a Nyonya glutinous rice dumpling. It took me two days to prep the ingredients starting with soaking the rice as well as the bamboo leaves overnight  

Boiled  Blue Pea Flower (Bunga Telang), a must for a Nyonya dumplings

 Prepping the dumpling ingredients

 Two and a half hours later. 

Regrettably, I only obtained a tint of blue hues which is almost invisible on my rice , obviously the quantity of my 'blue pea flowers' is not enough, yet I am happy I managed quite successfully with the dumplings.

We'll see how I will  fair next year, if I am up to it again, LOL

On Mother's day. Celebrated 3 mothers in the family.

Some books I picked up from Kino recently during my meetup with MW and Jackie 

Had a meetup with MW and Jackie that ended with a Nonya lunch (totally Asian) at Little Penang Café.

Very 'pai seh' MW picked up the tab again. Thanks MW and Jackie, you girls (BJ & June included) must make a trip for some 'Loh Mee' treat from me next.

It was great meeting up with both of you .

The next  BBE is in about two months time. The next block will need some studying on my part, hopefully I can manage it, LOL. Until my next post, thank you all who continue to come by and took time to leave me  your comments. Appreciate it a lot !

May Birthday Block Exchange 2014

My fabric selections for the May blocks exchange 2014 for Barbara J 

Her Fabric Colors   : Dark (Red) Light (Cream/Tan/Beige)

Blocks : Uneven 9 Patch

Quantity : 8 blocks

I think I did pretty good with these,even BJ agrees, LOL not without my initial uncertainties and worry with the what IFs, and I may have pierced differently from BJ's requirement...Oops! Sorry BJ didn't realized you posted the piercing instructions.

The May Birthday card

Mailed and arrived May 8.

This marked the 2nd BBE Exchange. 

Thank you all for coming by, appreciates your visits and for all your kind words.

April Birthday Block Exchange 2014

Revealing my first set of blocks for the Birthday Blocks Exchange 

at WSG for the year 2014.

Surprisingly, although working the Hexies Applique was a bit tedious but assembling it went rather smoothly. Instead despite this is my second attempt at sewing the 9-patch blocks, I still have my frustrating moments and  feeling insecure. 

For the April Birthday girl, Jess

9 patch blocks or stitcher's choice

Quantity 9 blocks of Size 6.5 blocks

My choice Hexies Appliqué block

Fabric colors  - Light - unlisted

- Dark - Winter Song by Paintbrush Studio

9 patch blocks 

Light by Exclusively Quilter

Dark Brown  unlisted.

My packaged mailed a little late but arrived safely on 29 April 2014

Knitting in progress a tunic for Diane. Been knitting this since February 2014. It's taking ages because I am still in my no inspiration cum uninspired for craft mood. The second set of blocks are  due for mailing this week and  no, I am not ready for mailing yet at least for another day or two....feeling meh !

My heartfelt appreciation to all who came and left your wonderful comments in my last post. I haven't been visiting yours much in return, but slowly I will try to make it up to you.  My apologies for not thanking you personally, hope you understands, but I want you to know that you are always in my thoughts.

Some updates finally

The first quarter of the year will come to an end in a couple of days.
There is nothing much to reveal, only that I've completed the Positive Thinking SAL for quite awhile now.

Some fabrics to show. My selections for the Birthday Block Exchange 2014.

These are only my preliminary selections. As I have mentioned many times, quilting is not my comfort zone, and making fabric choices is not easy. When I did so wrong with fabric choices the first time, I do not want to repeat the same mistakes, especially when the girls has selected themes for their Birthday blocks. These are rather daring steps on my part when I do not even own a hi-tech sewing machine. What was I thinking when I got roped into this..??!!?

April Blocks

May Blocks

These are  all I can reveal for now.

Have a good weekend everyone and thank you for coming by.

Missing time

I have been playing with some fabrics the past couple of weeks and attempted some hexis with scraps and ended up with two pincushions

and this . I don't know what this is called but it's been around and I made this once before about two years back as a birthday gift, but this is for me.

Learning  to applique. I still have much to learn....I have reasons for the need to practice .

And so I have no stitching to show. I did work on  Positive Thinking but did not completed it as I had hope to achieved but it's coming along. No photos to show, perhaps in my next posting. Am actually  feeling a bit lethargic lately which put me in a mode of no interest in doing things except what needed to be done. I do have a first exchange coming up soon and I have completed  my part last night. I do have my shortcoming and initial setbacks and some wasted fabrics because I math wrongly, I wasn't thinking straight and all. However,  I managed to overcome it, only hopefully J will be all forgiving in receiving it later. 

 I shall end  this post with some photos of my Bird Watcher in the house. It's the first time I spotted her in Diane's room window. And I don't know if the blinds is of her doing or Diane's.

Thank you all who came by and left comments in my last post. My apologies  if you did not received a personal thank you mail from me, but do be known that your words are very much appreciated. 

Have a great weekend everyone.

I've gone crazy

Not in the real sense but crazy over quilting; a crazy quilt.

One of my longest desire but never got around to actually doing one because something always get in the way. Also putting finishing ideas together can be so intimidating. But since I have embark on a journey with patchwork this 2nd quarter of the year, I thought it's time to go crazy as well.

Putting the fabrics can be confusing and am clueless with sewing ideas

The beauty of this is, there is no rule and no wrong with a crazy quilt??

 I am sure I read it somewhere.

My first effort for going crazy

Crazy Quilt CD Pincushion

A Mother's Cuppa
I know Mother's Day may be long gone but it's still May, LOL! This is what I made for Mother's Day.  It's a 3-D  tea cup with saucer filled with my very own hand made red and pale yellow carnations from crepe papers. Details on the tea cup are stamped butterflies and brush paint background in gold. Sorry the pictures are a little blurry, it was night when I took the photos with my cellphone.

This Mini Spool Block pincushion was created  from my first very visible boo-boo first block. See why I had to start all again and a new block for my gift?

I broke two needles with this one. I thought I finished it into a mini pincushion instead of wasting it, something to remind me of my 'beginner's' effort.

Been stitching a little design for this finishing.  I actually cut the wrong side in this but it's almost done. Will reveal more in my next post.

We seem to have a tremendous amount of rain lately especially in the evening, the downpour came with thunder showers to thunderous thundering.

Until then, take care everybody and thanks again for visiting.

Note : Cup and saucer template from here Design by Laura Campbell