A gift to remember

Remember the quilt top I was working on before..? 

Well it is done and has been delivered to its rightful owner.. for his 8th birthday. 

I honestly get very nervous waiting for evaluation from anyone below 10yo.. They will not lie and always tell you the truth if not with words, with their expression or their reaction towards the item..

Photo credit to Kak Marfiah

So, from the look of it, I guess he approves.. yippeeee!!!! *grin*

 

I binded the quilt using the same Ikea fabric used for the quilt top and backed the quilt with solid light blue fabric. The quilt is 140cm x 190cm. 

If you notice, I'm doing a poll for our next sew along on the top right hand corner. Do take the time to let me know what you think..

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Drawstring knot covers - how to

Do you make pouches or bags with drawstrings..? 

How do you finish the ends of the strings..?

I've seen many kawaii methods in the Japanese crafting books before, but only recently decided to give it a try.  

How to make a pair of TULIP drawstring knot covers

Preparation:

1. Cut 2 squares, size: 3inch x 3inch

2. Fold in half and sew

3. Open seam and press

4. Fold the loop in half

Attaching:

1. Insert the loop, raw edges facing the drawstring knot

2. Stitch around the opening, pull the thread, tie a knot at the end and cut the thread

3. Pull the top loop over the drawstring knot 

4. Shape the edge with your fingers (to form tulip-like shape) and stitch the middle closed  

Result: 

The knots are totally hidden *grin*

Hope you have a lovely weekend.. It is still very cold for late March here in Japan and we hope to stay indoors as much as possible. Oh and by the way, it is spring break here in Japan and Sofea is at home with lots of energy and nowhere to go..*mother-daughter hair pulling session* 

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Refashion Bug

It is almost spring break for school kids here in Japan (and many other kids all over the world.. except for Malaysia..) which means new school terms in less than 2 weeks away. Sofea will be starting primary 3 in April.

It is time to reorganise her wardrobe and bring out the spring fashion line.. ehem.. more like clothes from boxes in our home.. And this is the time I realise how she has grown an inch or two and her old clothes, still good have all shrunk *sigh*

So, during the 3 day weekend recently, I managed to get a refashion project done for her. 

Project 1 - Adding length to skirt

1.I cut strips of knitted fabric from my old shirt (15cm width) and used the rolled hem foot for the hem - to get the wavy look. 


2.I also cut heart shapes from the same shirt and applique them on the skirt - I need lots of practice on applique-ing with knit as it reacts differently than cotton. Any tips on how to get a perfect finish when you applique with knit?


3.Pin the strip to the skirt and sew. 

It really is a fast project, that is if you do not spend hours rummaging through boxes full of waiting-to be-turned-into-something-else-clothes..Pin It

Fabric Find and Bag set

MyBotanG bag set comes with 3 types of bags.

1. Multipurpose bag
2. Bento with zip
3. Bento with drawstring

For more information on sizes and price, visit MyBotanG Shoppe and MyBotanG FB page. 

The above set was made using this cute fabric I've had in my stash for over a year now. Original plan was to use the fabric in quilt making, but so far I've only used it to make bags and pouches.

The main problem with panel fabric is aligning the pattern when cutting. You tend to waste the fabric more as you try to get the main print into your pattern.

How do you work around panels..? Any tips?Pin It

Final stage of the Sew along

Our last task for the sew along was to do the binding for the top edge, side top edge and handles (7 - 14 March). Upon completion, your reversible bucket bag will be ready, and all that's left to do after that will be to get a good spot for a photo shoot *grin*  

I was very skeptical about the flimsy bias tape handles and left the binding till the very last minute to complete while at the same time checking out the sew along Flickr group for the completed bags. My main concern is because I have never worked with bias tapes for binding bags or use them as handles before. But judging from Kak Dee, Anic, Bea and Nadiah's post on the project, I gathered my wits and went ahead with it.

Here's how I did it: 

1. Mark the centre line and sew the button loop making sure the triangle tip is facing down. 

2. Attach the top edge first - unfold your bias tape, stitch the narrow bit on one side of the fabric, fold it over to the other side (smooth it out nice and neat) and stitch it again on the top catching the wider bias tape at the back as you go along OR to avoid heartache and hair pulling slip stitch the folded bias tape and top stitch the whole thing later *grin*

3. Attach the side edge and handles - The same technique as above, but you need to adjust the bias tape to fold in half at the handles, you may need to press the line again. I couldn't find the measurement for the handles anywhere in the pattern, so I adjusted as I went along.

4.Top-stitching (not in the pattern) - Nadiah of color me pretty did this and I thought it looked neat and did the same for my bag. I used my edge stitch foot for this purpose for a neat finish. While you edge stitch, remember to fold your button loop upward and stitch that as well.  

The flower brooch was inspired by Anic, and you can get the different style how to here, here and here.  

Here's the sizes for my reversible bucket bag:

Bag Size: 38cm (in the middle) x 33cm (in the middle)
Base size: 24cm x 10cm
Handle size: 57cm (l) x 2.5cm (w)

All in all a great pattern and I'm very glad I made it. Thank you to everybody that joined our sew along and others who supported and cheered us along the way. To those who are not yet there, take your time and be inspired by many who already have completed their project. Join our Flickr group and upload your pictures and leave a comment or two. 

http://www.flickr.com/groups/mybotang-sewalong/

Attaching bias tape by Amy Karoll
How to do a Slip stitchPin It

Fabric Find

Fabric by Cosmo Textile, 100% cotton.

The print background is filled with newspaper clips and on the foreground various women clothings and accessories in vibrant colours. At first glance, it looks busy and messy, but upon closer inspection, it kind of grow on you *grin* The best thing about this fabric is the no-direction, meaning there's no right way up or hassle in trying to align the pictures while cutting *yeay*

My first commission with this fabric is a Curvy Clutch. 

Head over to the shoppe for more pictures or to order

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Sew along update - sewing stage

By the 4th week of our sew along (1 - 7 March), we are ready to assemble the exterior and lining fabrics to their base. Upon completion of this stage, you'd have both the main and the lining of the Reversible Bucket Bag ready for the last stage which is attaching the side edge binding and handles. 

My bags shell are ready for the final stage

Sewing the pieces and attaching the base was a breeze. However when I tried to put the two (exterior and lining) together, I found that whichever side was on the inside would crumple a bit. First I thought, it might be the fleece that is causing this, but even the side without the fleece would crumple if it is on the inside *sigh*

Did any of you face anything similar? or tell me what I might have done wrong..?  

Recently completed projects by our members:

Iman from Weblog of An Ordinary Woman

Niza from Nizacraft

Here's the time-line for the sew along again:

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)

Come join us at http://www.flickr.com/groups/mybotang-sewalong/

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Fabric Find

Lately I've been seeing a lot of fabrics with sophisticated and elegant ladies on them. 

One example is this fabric I recently purchased by Michael Miller. It is lime green background and of medium weight. It depicts ladies in pony tails carrying out various tasks.   

Another favourite of mine is KOKKA. You can view the prints in the shoppe. 

Have you seen any other similar fabrics by other designers..?

Sew along update

1-7 March - Attaching the exterior and lining fabrics to the bottom contrasting fabric

We are about a week and a half away from completing the whole bag. Hope you are progressing well. 

Few of our member have completed their bags and the pictures are on the Flicker group. Do come and comment and share your pictures and stories on our Flickr group.   

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