Alphabet Quilt

WIP - managed to complete the top of this Alphabet Quilt for a friend today. Applique-ing the alphabets was not an easy task. Though I thought I knew the theory behind machine applique, working on it was a totally different experience. But it was a good learning experience for me. Thanks to my husband who cut out the alphabet templates for me. He's the sweetest *hug*

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Birthday Giveaway

I love reading sew I do. She's talented and her creation inspires me and makes me drool. It's her Birthday today, 'Happy Birthday Novita!!' and she's hosting a wonderful giveaway on her blog .
And look what her hubby created for her.. her own cute button!!

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Monday 3Rs

I love the idea of reduce, reuse and recycle (3Rs) and I wish I could do more everyday. Living in Japan means separating your burnable from nonburnable into different colour coded trash bags (different for every state - available at the local store), washing and drying milk cartons, aluminium cans, tins, PET bottles and polystyrene packs before recycling. Taking out your trash is not something you do without proper planning here in Japan, first you are allocated a garbage station according to your address, then you are given an annual garbage collection calender that you have to adhere to. For example, you take out your burnable trash only on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Nonburnable on Wednesdays, plastic items only to be taken out on Fridays. Bulk items i.e sofa, microwave, etc that cannot fit into the colour coded trash bags need to be handled separately - buy a special ticket/coupon and call the 'special' collecting team to make appointment to come and collect your bulk items, or better still, if they are still usable try selling them to the many recycling shops in your town.

I imagine housewives around Japan diligently spending minutes and hours or their day thinking and sorting garbage in their houses but coming to think of it children in nursery schools are trained to understand the concept of separating the burnable from nonburnable from when they start walking. Imagine growing up with with that notion of recycling carved in your brain, after a while it becomes a routine and you do it out of habit.

Growing up in Malaysia, over the last 10 years or so, we have started hearing and seeing so many recycling campaigns, booths advertisement with catchy jingle tunes created to educate Malaysian about the importance of recycling, but we still only have 1 trash can in the kitchen in my mother's house where we always forget to not throw cans and PET bottles or plastic in it.

I try my best to apply the 3Rs in our daily lives, but my favourite has to be REFASHIONING *wink*

I got this adult size sweater from a friend


Took the sides in and removed the sleeves and turn it into a vest.

Used my mounting scrap and some old sweater from my stash to make this scarf.
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Card Holders

How do you organise your cards in your wallet?? These are not credit cards I'm talking about, but rather point cards given by every shop no matter how big or small that somes in various sizes making it that much harder to organise.
I'm forever fumbling at the checkout lines for the right cards from the stack I have. So, I've made these - PLASTIC CARD HOLDERS



And these card holders with zippered compartments for coins and notes.



How do you organise your cards?

Don't you just LOVEEEEEE mushrooms?? This is Happy Channel by Cosmo I got from Nippori. Pin It

New Year's Resolution

I know.. I know, it's either too early or too late to talk about RESOLUTION this time of the year.. and does anyone really still make resolutions to begin with.. Well I do.. Call me conventional, but every year I make a list.. My list consists of things I wish to change/achieve..

So, thingking about 2010, I took out my list from 2008 and 2009.. Among other things that I had there, 'to better improve oneself' appeared on both lists.. and looking back at it now, I wondered have I improved myself??


What do you have on your list??

I just can't get enough of this print by Alexander Henry - KOTO Pin It

A Good Day to...

start a blog - Hi and welcome.. *wave*

A teacher in the day and a crafter wannabe at night, I self-thought myself to sew and quilt using books and the Internet as my guide. I grew up watching my mom sew everything from curtains to clothes and softies but I don't remember her teaching me to sew or use the sewing machine, maybe because I never really showed any interest then..

My sewing moment started before the arrival of my nephew 2 years ago, I wanted to make a patched changing mat for him - I didn't own a sewing machine at that time so I hand sew the whole thing. My sister loved it and that made me realise no store bought gift could make me that content and happy.. and I started making other things - small projects like placemats and coasters all hand sewn before I decided it was time to make my daughter a quilt as a gift for her entering primary school - I had the quilt 85% completed before I got my Singer sewing machine.

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