FEAR

How do you overcome fear? I feared the unknown, the uncharted territory when I ventured into crafting. I was eager to learn but something was holding me back. More than half of the things people were talking, writing or discussing on sewing forums, blogs or books I didn't get. So, what do you do???

I conquered Mt. FUJI... and it helped. I'll tell you how.. I followed my hubby's international students' trip to Mt.Fuji summer of 2008, where among the participants I was the ehem.. WISEST *wink* and most domesticated. Not only were they young -ER.. they were all athletics in one way or the other.. we had Korean boys who were combat trained and fit like bulls.. and a Venezuelan girl that played football for her Uni.. and they all RAN for fun every evening.. I wanted to turn back and go hide in a hole somewhere.. But I told myself, I'm not there to prove anything to anyone, I'm there for myself, and I'll go only as far as I'm able to go. I've heard stories of people not being able to breathe and needing oxygen once they reach certain altitudes, or of people being carried down the mountain by cart or something.. made my knees shiver and the more reason to stay at Mt.Fuji's foot and admire the view.

But, I did go up the mountain. My hubby and our team started at 1a.m, and we reached the 8th station at 3100m just in time to see sunrise. I hardly felt anything at that time - due to lack of oxygen to the brain I suppose. But it changed my perspective since then. I am a better, more confident, ready to take challenge human being after I went up Mt.FUJI.

So, how do you overcome fear??Pin It

Hand sewing makes my heart sing

Before I invested in my ol'reliable Computer 7900 Singer (which I bought from Auction Japan at USD110), I hand sew. It was a wonderful experience. It was slow, relaxed and addictive - the perfect ingredient needed for a beginner like me. I would sew everywhere and all the time - another benefit of hand sewing - MOBILITY.

I started small, like making coasters and table mats. I love teacups and mugs and teapots. And I love the crinkly texture quilting creates.

Once I was sure that this hobby was for real and that I'll not stop halfway (mind you, I have discarded few hobbies in the past *sigh*), I started looking for a bigger project - a single quilt for my lil'girl to be given to her as a gift when she enters primary school (time frame - 6 months).

I decided on a wagon wheel pattern. Looking back at it now, I would have done things differently, squares would have been perfect for a beginner like me. I had no real idea what I was doing, just information I deciphered from many Japanese quilting books I had and checked-out from the local library. I didn't really had enough fabric to begin with, I'd start with whatever I had, and once that ran out, I'd go out and find something else that would work. I know now I should have planned the layout of the colour better. I was impatient and eager to see progress.

However, I did manage to achieve the dateline (more or less *grin*), the imperfection of the quilt is perfect. My daughter loves it and the best part is seeing her all bundled up in it every morning.

Back view
Completed hand pieced quilt.
Pin It

My LOVE for Ichigo

Don't you just love strawberries? Not so much the taste for me, but rather the shape and colour. Found a wonderful easy to follow step by step tutorial here which I used to make my hand phone straps.

Have you made any felted food items lately?Pin It

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*

Pin It

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!!

Pin It

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.
Pin It

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.

Pin It