time...

how I miss you when you were only a little over 1 year old....how did the time pass us by so quickly :'(.  Big M in Brisbane, while I was pregnant with little M :)...I promise I have something to write soon...I just couldn't find my memory card :(

happy birthday, chiara :)

it's my niece's birthday today and I sewed a few things for her.  I do hope she will like them.  Happy 5th Birthday, hunny :)...with lots of love from Emma, Belle, and us :)

tutorial: pencil case

a pencil, pencil case mmmm :).  I've been wanting to do this for the longest time, but been too lazy to make it.  Now, I have a purpose...it's my niece's birthday tomorrow, and it's part of her birthday gift(s) :).  I'll reveal the rest tomorrow.  I made the outer fabric using corduroy and just check cotton for the lining.

Here's the link to the tutorial.  Enjoy!  Email me if you couldn't get the link to work :)

for sale...anyone interested??

I love my thread spools.  And been thinking of making some and selling them.  This is only a rough sample of what I had in mind and I think it's fabulous :D.  You can make it free standing, you can hang it on your wall with the legs stowed in and it's sturdy to just let it rest against the wall (I'll ask the factory to make 2 holes on the sides for hanging).  I was thinking of making this in a few colors.  Red, Yellow, Green and Natural.  What do you think???  This will be available soon.  Oh, btw, this sample is still very rough and unfinished :).  Do give me some ideas and input if you have.  It could hold 32 thread spools.  Email me if you're interested :)...btw, for shipment to Indonesia only, unless you want to be a stockist :p

  

i splurged a little

and bought this cute camera bag for my cute little camera.  It's from the talented cocomomo at this collection of new stores called Level One at Grand Indonesia.  Abacus is the particular shop that sells this at Level One :).

thank you for the best cupcake

this morning, before breakfast, a special delivery came to me...these are simply the best cupcakes I've tried...made of beer and baileys icing :).  Thanks, C...you made my morning and day....and definitely night too :D

little cards pouches

some pouches I made with the cards I gave away last weekend :)

goodies from target

I ignored my friend Chia, when she first told me about Target's new Liberty Collection...then it just hit me one day after reading some blogs...I needed to go to target to see and get some Liberty!!! I was too late...these were all I got left...oooh and that ruffle dress, looked hideous on me too hahahaha so I gave it away to Chia...I'm sure it'll look nice on her :).

oooo how i've failed....

miserably...at making this dress from happy homemade book.  I tried to model it but thought it was simply too hideous to be shown to public hahahahaha....I think this is just going to be a night gown :D.  Oh, and I sewed the pockets too low :D

i was so happy yesterday

VERY happy, actually...you see, my parents finally got back from the US of A :) (they attended my sister's graduation at RISD).  So, I've been sending a lot of things to my sister...for my parents to take home hehehehehehe....They were almost overweight :D...oops

These are some goodies I won from heart of light through Liam, aren't they just pretty?! :)

Then, I ordered these pencils after reading Amesh's blog and ordered some from Oriental Trading, in time for Big M and Small M's goody bags :)

Then, to my surprise, my wonderful cousin in law in Alaska gave me these beautiful and cute sewing kits :)! Thank you, Donna :)

I ordered a few wonderful books :)...ooo so happy!!! I found a little piggy drawing, but am not sure where that came from???

Annnndddd...the highlight was this coooool cutting machine!! A Silhouette SD!!!! Now I need more time to do my (new) crafts :D

There are more to come....like some of the wonderful things I got from Target (Liberty for Target!)

jasmine's 2nd birthday

I ran out of ideas :)...Don't know what else to applique for a pretty little girl's birthday.  So, I thought I'd make a whale and a cupcake...turns out, her birthday theme IS cupcakes :)...talking about coincidence.

Oh...and Big M was cranky when I asked her to hold the whale, because she was ready to go! :p

buttons...and more buttons

Lately I've been getting some covered buttons order :).  I'm happy :D.  I've finally bought the big "machine" for covered buttons...it's kinda cool :).  I'll take a picture of it some other time :).

heritage exhibition

Last Friday, my friend and I went to this fabric show at Dharmawangsa Hotel.  The vendors were all from Palembang, South Sumatera...where my mom is from.  There were some beautiful fabrics but stupid me didn't bring any cash :D...it's okay...next time when I go to Palembang for some excellent food, I'll stop by some of those shops :).  I love the antique silver-gold plated jewelries, they're not too expensive but I'm not sure how long would the gold stay...

Look at this cute antique child's bolero..I think it's made from songket fabric...it's so beautiful and fragile :).  Songket is a handwoven Sumatera's fabric, usually adorned with gold thread.

Look at these gold plated jewelries...I love them...I wish they're real gold and not too expensive :p one can hope, right?? :)

 

On the exhibition side, this is a typical wedding decoration from Sumatera's area.  Very lavish, lots of golds and a lot of good foods :)

On display at the exhibition...some old songket, they're sooooo beautiful and luxurious :).  I love the colors.  I wish they're mine...oooo I wish :)

tutorial: doll's kimono pattern for BA dolls

You see...my big misfit HATES moving dolls...she's always been scared of them :).  Recently, she's a tad bit braver and she got this little boy doll as a gift on her second birthday, but it could move and cry.  So, when I bought her sister a Baby Alive girl doll that could not move, she wants it too.  So, last night they were fighting over the girl doll because the doll was wearing a pink dress and lately she's very into pink *sigh...*.  After I took out the batteries in her boy doll, she requested a pink outfit for the doll.  I couldn't possibly make the doll a dress because it's a boy :) hahahahaha...my conscience just wouldn't let me.  So, instead I made it a kimono PJ :).  I thought I'll share you the pattern I made.  It was really quick to make and I sewed it using french seam.  It is a mess, I know...

Link to pattern and instruction

tutorial: gift bag applique

There were two birthday parties today.  So I had to make 4 simple gift bags.  Anyway, here's a simple guide into making the bag and applique.  Use whatever measurement suits your gift :) and you just have to cut 1 long piece of rectangular fabric :).  Ooo and we watched the A-Team today :).  I looove that movie!

1.  Cut and glue the appliques onto the fabric and center them.

2.  I used blanket stitch all around the appliques, you can also use zig zag stitch

3.  Fold the fabric in half and I did a french seam bag here.  Sew on the right side approx. 1/4" all the way on one side, and on the other side, do the same but stop about 2.5" from the top.  Then turn it over and do straight stitch on the wrong side for about 0.375" from the side (do the one side first, where you stitch all the way up and leave the one with 2.5" gap from the top last).

4.  Fold the open edges in twice then sew the edge (the 2.5" part), so there won't be any frayed edges when you fold the top for the cord casing (at angled position)

5.  Fold the top twice and sew all around for the cord casing.

6.  Sew the other side on the wrong side, approx. 0.375" from the edge and close the stitch just below the cord casing

7.  Put in the cord and you're done

baby belugas performance

We almost missed our baby beluga's performance...We were taking our time before finally going to Emma's performance...we thought she won't be performing until later that day...turned out, they were fast, luckily, we made it juuuuust in time for her entrance :).  Mommy and Daddy are proud of you, baby beluga :).

and Belle was a good audience :)

rocking horse card

I've been wanting to make a baby theme card...but finally decided on the rocking horse after seeing my friend's beautiful card's creation using cricut :)

new spools holders

I commissioned the factory to make some spool holders...The 3 rows spool holder was a bit too big, so I asked them to make a new one...but then they fixed the old one...so now I have 4...I gave 2 away to my friend and I keep 2 for myself...I don't have anymore space in my minuscule office/studio...but I'm happy for my spools :)

beluga's fins for my baby beluga :)

I was talking to misfit's friend's mom yesterday and we were discussing about their teacher and what a wonderful teacher she has been...then she talked about how the teacher didn't want to trouble us by asking us to rent a costume for the children's year end performance...I am thankful she's very understanding but at the same time, I jumped at the opportunity to offer her to sew something for the children...their theme is baby beluga the white whale...each of them will be wearing a beluga hat and so I thought...why not make beluga fins for the children :D...something easy, something fast and something cute :).  I sewed 18 pairs last night using muslin fabric and this morning, the children tried the fins, I would need to adjust a few for the bigger and smaller kids...but all went well, I think :).  Can't wait to see their performance this Saturday.