Something that I make ...

All the windows have open!

2011-12-23T22:45:00.000-08:00

My Advent Calendar is looking so good that I will definitely make some more. They will be great gifts. :)

My first Advent Calendar

2011-12-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

I am so proud that I made my first Advent Calendar all from recycled materials - Ellie's Christmas cards. We have been keeping all these cards for a few years now. This is one great way to turn them into something that we can use instead of just something to be kept in the cupboard.

The cutest thing about this calendar is that the card sender's signature/name is on every window. Every morning Ellie opens up a window and finds out which child sent her a Christmas card and what the card looked like.

Here are some brief instructions of how I made them:
1. Cut out the name/signature first. Make sure you leave enough space around all sides as window frames. The border of my windows are 1/4" because I used quilting rulers.
2. Use the cutout name/signature piece as a template to cut out an interesting part of the card.
3. Cut a big "I" on the back of the name/signature piece. Use the back of a knife to score the two sides of the "I" to make it easier to open the window.
4. Glue the name/signature piece onto the card cutout in step 2. Now you have your first window. Repeat this for the next 23 windows.
5. Glue all 24 windows on a big cardboard (mine is a house shape as I want to make a village if I can make one a year). Any shape will do.
6. Cut numbers from a used calendar and glue the numbers on the windows. It will be good to save a couple of pages from previous months earlier so you can have them all in the same colour.

Voila!! The calendar is done!

I will post a picture when all 24 windows are open.

A bolero

2011-09-06T01:11:00.000-07:00

I love this bolero. The pattern is from Debble Bliss's book Junior Knits. I used some inherited vintage yarn Patons Beehive Shetland Chunky (Made in Britain). It looks fashionable enough that Ellie got a compliment every time she wore it. I ran out of yarn at the very end so there was not enough yarn for the ribbing at the sleeves. They were a little bit shorter than the pattern. I also wondered how it would turn out had I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran as recommended. Would it be much softer and lighter? So tempted to make another one.

Found this detailed note from another knitter. She did a great job!!! Will go through it before I knit it again.

A knitted baby top

2011-09-06T00:50:00.000-07:00

This knitted baby top is based on Debbie Bliss's pattern. Since the yarn is different from the pattern used, I had to to do some conversions to fit the tension of my inherited yarn. It also gives a different feeling. I do like the vintage cartoon button. It makes the top super cute.

Another throw

2011-09-06T00:45:00.001-07:00

After that mohair throw, my daughter really wanted one for her as well. I was not going to knit for another few months to knit her another fancy one. Among all the inherited yarns, I had no idea what to do with the loopy yarn until the request for another throw came up. Voila!!! I finished this throw (10 balls) in one week with 7mm needles. So quick! Just stocking stitches. Ellie loved it. Thanks Aunt Grace!

A coral project

2011-07-24T11:17:00.001-07:00

I am in exhibition again!!! How exciting!!! It's SALA festival 2011. RiAus is going to hold a fabulous exhibition of coral crocheted by hundreds of people as there will be really heaps of corals. I really enjoyed making them as it's so free form. All I need to do is to crochet. Unfortunately, I just don't crochet enough for my muscles to get used to it. My right hand became so painful after 5 minutes of crochet. :(

A "remake" bath robe

2011-06-07T04:35:00.000-07:00

Ellie finally outgrew her fleece bath robe. When she first wore it, it was down to her ankles. You could imagine how little she was. This robe has been really useful that I have been longing to "remake" one for her.

I bought 1 metre of this fleece of a really cute elephant pattern thinking that it would be enough since it's 150cm wide. After I drafted the pattern from her purple robe, I realised that I didn't have enough material to make the whole gown with this fabric. So, I cut as much as I could except the sleeves which I was thinking I might just use some other colours if thing went wrong. When I finally got to Spotlight which is 2 to 3 months after I bought the fabric, all these fleece materials are gone. That's why the blue came into place. I am so glad that it turned out really well.

I really love this robe as it looked really good, it was very warm and Ellie now wears it every day. It was very easy to make. I used a lot of zigzag stitches instead of straight stitches to give it a more professional finish. The only problem is that I only managed to make it bigger but not longer. :(

Well, it took 1 hour to copy and draft the pattern. Another hour to cut the fabric since I kept fiddling with the paper pattern to see how I could fit everything on the fabric. And then another 2 hours of sewing. You can imagine that I finished everything in 4 nights which is very unusual. ;) Now that I have the pattern, I can always make another one which is loooooooooonger.

My queen size throw

2011-06-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

I started knitting this throw from this Erika Knight's knitting pattern a few months ago because I inherited 20 balls of mohair yarn from my aunt. What's a better way to use up all these yarns? I have never knitted anything so big in size. This throw was made up with 4 rectangles of different patterns stitching together and then I knitted the fringe and sewed it around the borders. It's just gorgeous and wonderfully warm. I am so happy that I finished it just in time before it got really cold. My husband kept suggesting to spend AUD300 on a good down quilt. After I made this throw, I'd rather spend that money on raw materials, more fabric and more yarn. It's only a matter of time that I can make something we will treasure of years. :)

I have never knitted lace patterns. It's pretty tricky as I often got lost in the pattern and forgot which row I was on and missed a stitch here and there. Having made so many mistakes, I learnt that it's always good to make a total of number of stitches for each row so you know where you are based on the number of stitches on your needles. This worked wonderfully well with the fringes. For the lace pattern, work out the "trend" in the pattern so that you can count where you are based on the first few stitches in a row. It's not as relaxing as knitting stockinette stitches but the results are well worth the efforts and you will grasp the pattern before you know it.

Souvenir from Singapore

2011-05-14T05:44:00.000-07:00

My friend came back from Singapore. She always bought us something from there. I asked for fabric this time. Not knowing what I will get and whether I will get anything. It's definitely a big surprise when I received these gorgeous batik fabric from her. I love the colours and the patterns. So vibrant! It's 100% cotton. Since I had no idea of what batik meant, I googled a bit and found that it's referring to those special patterns. So, I learnt a bit of histories and cultures as well.

Since she lost her luggage at the airport, I made some luggage tags with the batik in return. It's great that she loved the tags. Hope she won't lose her luggage any more.

I also used the fabric to make buntings for Ellie's birthday party. We can now easily throw a party without too much effort in decoration.

I also sewed two shopping bags with the batik as I have way too many ugly shopping bags with company logos on them. I also wanted to make a shopping bag that is light enough to be carried everywhere. Ideally, it could be folded into a small bag. I still can't work out how to close the fold-up bag, whether to put buttons or elastics... What do you think?

I will make more stuff but i think it will be at the end of my very long to-do-project-list. ;)

A revamped bag

2011-05-10T04:28:00.000-07:00

I bought this mini-messenger bag a long ago in Kathmandu in sale. I love the size and everything about the bag except the awful brown colour. I finally stitched a piece of bright fabric over the very dull bag. Wow! I got a new bag. Now, I use it every day.

I usually took pictures of what I made at home or in the garden. I just realised that it's very hard to get rid of the colourbond fence as it's everywhere. Ellie and I went to the reserve on our street and pretended that we were models. We took heaps of pictures of each other. Most of them were deleted by my husband as they were too "surreal". I do love the photos and we had sooooooooo much fun.

These photos were inspired by a Japanese lady - Chie Duncan. I recently discovered this Japanese seamstress who has her own online fashion boutique. She showcased her clothes with a photographer in this secret garden collection. I love the pictures and her blog. She recently just posted how to make a poncho top. I think it suits a tall slim person very well. Hm ... it's not me then. :(

Umbrella Prints Trimming Competition 2011

2011-05-09T04:16:00.000-07:00

I have been chasing deadlines lately probably because I have over-committed myself. When I was still sewing the party bunting and the organza party bags for Ellie, I was actually working on the Umbrella Prints Trimming Competition at the same time. Her party was on 1 May which fell on the same date as the deadline of the competition. The many ideas that flew by suddenly disappeared. Yet I am still quite happy with what I came up with - two matching T-shirts for me and Ellie for her birthday. :)

More 2011 entries in Flickers. There are some really amazing work - actually artwork. 10 finalists have been selected. Voting here!!! I am so glad that I have entered the competition. It's a fun (although a little hectic) experience. I enjoyed playing around with the trimmings a lot. I guess I will have to keep all my scraps for future projects?

My cushion arrived!

2011-04-19T04:58:00.000-07:00

My beautiful cushion cover arrived from Colours in You!!! I loved the beautiful colours and the stitches by hand. They looked so good that I nearly ordered one for each of my friends. I even thought about getting 12 of those and stitching them together to make a bed spread or a quilt. It would look pretty awesome too. Shall I order some more now especially they are running an Easter sale?

For Sale

2011-03-22T04:57:00.000-07:00

These origami earrings are now for sale in Irving Baby - which sells some yummy new and vintage fashion and accessories and quirky stuff that you can't think of in the heart of Adelaide. I love visiting shops that stock beautiful things. It's always like I have never spent enough time there.

The earrings look very delicate and elegant on you. I have had so much fun making them. There are 6 pairs in this collection. The earrings are made with sterling silver findings, Japanese patterned paper, Swarovski crystals and Japanese seed beads. The paper cranes have been coated with 3 layers of varnish to make them splash-resistant. The crane symbolizes good luck and peace in the Japanese culture. I used the Chinese red packets - meant to be for good luck and fortune to make the boxes.

Hope they will go to a good home and bring good luck and fortune to those who love them. :)

SOLD

SOLD

A mobile phone pouch

2011-03-15T05:18:00.000-07:00

I am in love with denim fabric at the moment that most of my projects in the head use denim fabric. This is another one that I just finished. When I bought this beautiful Japanese inspired quilting fabric from Spotlight, I knew that it would be part of a bag or something that I would use. I don't like cutting beautiful fabric. I have to convince myself that it is better to use the fabric than to store them. ;) A mobile phone pouch hardly uses any of the one metre that I got. I will use this gorgeous fabric in my many other projects.

Back to the pouch, it's like making a tailor-made suit for my phone. I first drew the phone on a piece of paper. I then added width to the shape to cater for the thickness of the phone as well as seam allowance. Then, I designed the flap matching the body. Since the pouch would be padded, I used some corduroy scrap that I got as the padding. I didn't want to push my sewing machine too hard. So, the padding was cut without the seam allowance.

Here is the anatomy of the pouch. I stacked the 3 different layers (like in the picture) all together leaving the flap part for reversing the pouch inside-out. Then, the most exciting part came. I put my phone into the pouch. It fit snuggly. Perfect!!! Then, the flap wasn't big enough. It should have been 1cm longer because of the thickness of the phone plus the thickness of the fabric. So, I had to undo the velcro on the cover and relocate it. Then, I stitched the flap together. Finished!!!

I was going to add a strap that can be used together with the pouch. The idea is that the strap can be strapped onto my arm when I use Endomono to track my workouts. It doesn't quite work now. I am thinking that I can use a safety pin to pin the back of the pouch to my backpack until I can think of another solution.

Here are the mistakes that I made in case I will make more pouches like this:
1. Make sure the padding was "ironed" on nicely. Otherwise, the padding seems to move a little like you wear a few layers of tight clothes and they don't line up quite well from time to time.
2. Make sure the outside of the cover is slightly longer than the inside of the cover for the flap to close nicely.
3. The velcro for the flap should be stitched after the pouch is stitched and reversed.
4. I may design different strap at the back of the phone next time as I was hoping that the strap could be used to strap on to my bags.
5. Use velcro of different size - should be narrower so I can put a longer stretch.

My new pouch for my mobile Nokia E52

Umbrella Prints Trimming Competition

2011-03-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

I am going to enter Umbrella Prints Trimming Competition this year. I haven't even dropped by Nest Studio to purchase a trim pack. Hm ... It will be this week. Otherwise, I won't have enough time to make anything.

Today, I just read the competition's FAQ and found out the winner of the previous year and her winning works. It's very so impressive and inspiring and that I hope one day I can make something like this. It's absolutely gorgeous and sweet.

Here are the links of her 5 pieces of works for you to "wow" and "ao".

http://lilsonnysky.blogspot.com/2009/07/so-far.html
http://lilsonnysky.blogspot.com/2009/08/one-more.html
http://lilsonnysky.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-creative-blog-space.html

First of all, I guess I need to learn to draw first. ;)

A tote bag

2011-03-14T03:57:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to use up my fabric scrap. A nice lady at work showed me some beautiful quilts completely made of scrap. So, I decided to just cut all my blue scrap to 3 inches wide and stitch them all up. I think I got about 2 metres of some lovely long strips that I could use them as bias tapes or something. I am really in love of denim at the moment and I got metres of denim fabric. This tote bag was made for taking lunch to work. I have made it almost the same size as the bag that I have used for lunch boxes. I added some little compartments for cutlery. I am very happy with the colour and the way it looks. The only thing I would have changed next timeis to add some heavy duty interfacing at the straps which should make it "stronger". Otherwise, it's perfect. :) When I showed this bag to the lady at work who showed me the quilts from scrap, she said her Mum just added panels and straps on the supermarket $1 bag. That makes the ugly shopping bags look one of her own. How clever!

The inside of the bag in the making ...

My new lunch bag

A "new" old skirt

2011-03-07T22:43:00.000-08:00

This project has to be quickest one that I have ever done. One day, I thought this very black classic skirt was just so boring. It needed a little change. Since lace has been very trendy at the moment (hope it still is), I decided to add a little fringe to the skirt to give it a new life.

First I measured how much lace I would need. I also thought about covering the whole skirt with lace but I wanted to do something more subtle this time. Lace along the bottom of the skirt will be just good enough for now.

Then, I stitched the lace onto the hem of the skirt with running stitches thinking that I may undo it one day and put different things on the skirt.

Voila!!! It only cost me 50 cents and 10 minutes. I love the results.

My first ever Artist Pass

2011-02-23T22:54:00.000-08:00

I picked up my first ever Artist Pass from Irving Baby last week. I was so excited to show everyone about my pass. I probably will book some discounted tickets for artists. Can't believe that I am art of Adelaide Fringe 2011!!!

Back to the exhibition, I have been there once with my friend Nayth. I will go there again on Sunday night with Kate and Sue. I haven't taken my husband and daughter to see it yet. I am going to see it at least 3 times. I have asked my husband to take some really good pictures for me.

Trenna said that there have been lots of visits plus a few Fringe group tours. Lots of positive comments ...

Trenna also prepared and posted the exhibition catalog in Knitting Nancy Dives In website. She has truly done a great job!! I didn't expect that she would need to spend so much effort on it. Thank you Trenna!!!

Some new ice-skating outfit

2011-02-21T03:05:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to make some new outfit for Ellie when she goes ice-skating. For so long, I have done nothing. Suddenly, I finished a few things for her to mix and match.

Here is a top from Simplicity pattern 3810. I loved the little rose to make it extra special.

I added a bow with long trailing ribbons hoping that they will fly on the ice. ;)

This top is my very-proud-upcycled creation. I was about to throw away this very daggy stained skivvy. The solid colour of the fabric made me think that I can add some sparkle to it and turn it into an ice-skating top. (All ice-skating outfit seems to have some sparkles on the fabric). I kind of pictured that I wanted to get rid of the turtle neck and the sleeves are a bit short and there were some stained area need to be cleared. So, I cut the sleeves and replaced them with the sparkly fabric (oh forgot what it's called now). Then, I cut the turtle neck and finished the neck with bias tape made by the same fabric. Then, I made different yo-yos from the fabric just to cover what I don't want to see.

I cut so much from this skivvy that it now looks completely different. The yo-yos came in really handy to cover them up. Instead of giving away her stained top, her skivvy now has a new life and become something that I am so proud of. :)

The hardest thing was to sew the neck as the layers of fabric was quite thick. I don't remember how much I pushed my sewing machine to the limit. I think I ended up hand-stitching the thickest point.

Original

I even used the leftover fabric for a headband.

How many nights did I spend on this? Quite a few but I had lots of fun.

A cape for my little girl

2011-02-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love this gorgeous cape for my daughter. Mum made it based on the pattern from Make it Perfect during her stay with us. It's really easy to make. With a little translation help, Mum finished it in a couple of hours. I'd love to try the pattern myself but I am more than happy for my Mum to try a modern pattern like this. After all, she used to sew 20 years ago. You can imagine what kind of clothing she used to make. ;)

Since this cape is reversible. She used a wool fabric of Scottish checkered pattern on one side and a 100% waterproof fabric on the other side. It's so practical and so beautiful. Ellie loved it. My friend Nayth now also wanted to make one for her Tessa.

This side view was still "work-in-progress".

I asked Mum to make a label like those designers. It's the first time she used fabric markers. Then, she wrote on some fabric, ironed it and stitched it on the cape. This label is in Chinese meaning "Nana made". I am so happy that Mum made a piece of clothing for Ellie as well as "signed" it. It will be an heirloom especially Mum lives overseas. It's a shame that she won't be making any clothes when she's back home.

I love this book which shows readers some really practical, do-able and beautiful projects. I am yet to make an Afternoon Tea Jacket from the book for myself. Then, I will think of what next ... (actually I am already thinking of what's next after the Jacket). ;)

Ariel the Mermaid

2011-01-31T02:36:00.000-08:00

Ariel was finally finished. Tonight, Ellie and I handed her over to Irving Baby for the exhibition Knitting Nancy Dives In which is part of the Fringe Festival. When we arrived Irving Baby, there were quite many underwater creatures floating around. Ellie was very excited to see them. Her favourites were an orange fish and the little ribbon squid.

Thinking back, it took me a long time to decide whether join this exhibition as I rarely make dolls and I didn't know if I could finish anything in the summer holiday. Apart from spending time with Mum and Ellie this summer, I have been busy with thinking about how the mermaid should look like and finishing the mermaid doll . It's great that my order of
Toys to knit arrived quite early. I don't need to go around searching for patterns. I wanted to create something instead of following a pattern for this exhibition. I knitted the base doll based on the book and made up the tail myself. So, Ariel can be a mermaid and a human at any time. Ariel was made of 100% cotton yarn and 100% merino wool. The tail was made with both acrylic and merino wool only because I couldn't find the right colour. Otherwise, it would have been totally made of natural material. I loved the trims on her tail and the shell bras. The sequins made it super special. When the exhibition is over, I can make more clothes for her. Ellie kept asking not to hand over Ariel. Well, she was made for it. She wanted to be "seen" for a little while. :) If you happened to have knitted a doll from this book and would like a pattern for the shell bra or the tail, feel free to email me as I haven't tidied up my notes yet.

With a little magic, Ariel got her legs and could taste the life of human on earth. I think she will need a ballroom gown when she is back from her adventure.

The exhibition will be held at Irving Baby between 18 February and 13 March 2011. Feel free to drop by and go underwater.

My husband's birthday present

2010-12-21T01:08:00.000-08:00

My husband loves servicing his bikes. He asked me to make him an apron as there's grease everywhere with bikes. He eyed on my denim fabric that I acquired in a recycling shop. Although I had other plans for my denim fabric, I couldn't say no to him. Back to the apron, I wanted to put a bicycle theme to the apron. So, I asked Ellie to draw me a bike and transfer the bike pattern on some plain fabric with the almighty fabric marker. It already looked stunning when we finished the bike drawing on the fabric. Then, I just needed to assemble all pieces together. I am so glad that he loves his birthday present so much that he would pose for me.

You are welcome to download the bike template.

Printable fabric

2010-12-20T05:10:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to print my own label on fabric since it is just not commercially viable to purchase commercially woven label for a hobby. Perhaps I will do it one day. I still want to give it a go to print on fabric as there will be endless possibilities if I can just print anything on fabric with a printer.

After some research, I found this link to show you how to treat your fabric so that you can print on the fabric. It does work!!! It was a success in the first attempt. The labels look great. I printed two A4 sheets of labels that I can further experiment whether I can make it colourfast as the post did say that the colour would fade with normal laundry powder. I guess I will need to do lots of washing from now on to see what works the best. More reading to do!!!

My first batch of labels

A top that I will be donating to Salvation Army - I did put a label to see how it looks. Even if it will fade, it doesn't matter. I didn't make the whole gown. I just stitched some ribbons and a buttonhole.

I made this apron for Christmas Kringle at work. I think I am in the mood of making aprons. I made a similar one as my husband's birthday present with a completely different fabric. I love both aprons. This one is really sweet with a family photo printed on it. Not even sure if it will ever be used. ;)

Christmas presents for Ellie's teachers

2010-12-09T04:04:00.000-08:00

I loved these colourful Christmas presents that I made for Ellie's teachers.

These headbands were made for the two daughters of her Thur/Fri teacher.

This wheat bag was made for her Mon-Wed teacher. It's really easy to make. I stitched up a bag and then filled up some lavender seeds from my garden (should have picked more before they were all blown away by the storm) and lots of wheat from the fodder store off the road in the bag. I then sealed the opening. I thought wheat bag would always be useful to a lady with grown-up children. There was also Ellie's writing on the bag to make it a more special. The red corduroy was leftover fabric from my friend's T-shirt that I turned into a bag. I bought the top fabric in Spotlight on my birthday. I am in love with the colour and the pattern. It's so vibrant and uplifting. They turned out to be a great combination.

A mirror from a recycled box

2010-12-01T17:39:00.000-08:00

I found some really creative, crafty instructions to make this mirror. So inspired that this will be one of my next projects in the summer holiday. It's amazing how you can do all sorts of things with paper. I need to put aside more cardboard and paper in case I need them ...

A scarf

2010-11-29T02:42:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to make a scarf after reading a Japanese lady making her own scarf from fabric. I loved how she used running stitches on her other work. I have combined the two elements into my scarf but the "finished" scarf didn't feel quite right. It just didn't look like a scarf people would wear. I knew that something was missing. For quite some months, I had no idea what to do to fix it until I read Amy Butler's book "In Stitches" where there was a picture of a fabric scarf. She added trims to the scarf. When I saw the picture, I knew right away that my scarf needed the trims. I went to Spotlight hoping to find the right trim for my scarf. Then, I realised that the trim would cost me anywhere from $8 a metre when I only needed 20cm of it. The colour and the size of the beads weren't exactly the ones I liked either. So, I picked some seed beads and bigger beads and made my own trims. I am so happy with the trims dangling from the scarf. I wore it to the office today on my birthday. I made myself a birthday present that I liked so much.

This scarf is really easy to make. It's just a really long rectangle folded in half. I added a few rows of running stitches of coordinated colours. Then, I threaded beads one by one on the scarf. It's a relaxing and rewarding project. :)

Typo

2010-11-23T02:52:00.000-08:00

What a surprise to go to Harbour Town on the weekend!!! There's a new shop that sells some really gorgeous stationery. Typo!!! We Adelaideans always have to wait "forever" for the any shop to land in our state. Just like IKEA. I love everything in Typo. The colours and the patterns and the styles are all very inspiring. I was told that the shop just opened 2 weeks ago. So, we would have been one of the first lots of people to shop there. Of course, we have to buy something for us. My husband picked the giant letters (20cm tall) while I bought this super-sized-polka-dot-peg. I think I am starting to collect pegs as I also bought another stainless steel one that goes on the fridge from General Trader in the same afternoon.

Pendants

2010-11-20T01:05:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking of making my own charms and pendants as I am a very small person. Most pendants in Australia are a little big for me. I finally made these pendants from air-dry clay. I am very happy with the results. I loved the little girl's face the most. I made it from the memory of a cookie in David Jones. Both the house and the donut are based on children jewelery hand-made by the two glass jewelery artists I have seen in Kirribilli market in Sydney. The finger print is Ellie's - read too many finger prints jewellery ads in the Adelaide Child magazine. For no reason, Ellie has been saying that the finger print pendant is very important as it is "part" of her. How cute!

Back to how I made them, I made the shape and the details out of air-dry clay first. Then, I pained it with water colour and acrylic paint. I found the acrylic paint so much better to paint as the clay is a little porous. With water colour, I had to paint it a few times to get the tone right. The silver colour is acrylic paint as I really wanted to fake "silver". Since I tend to paint on all sides, it takes at least 2 days to paint as I need to wait for one side to dry first. After the paint is dry, I sprayed it with varnish for decoupage. This also takes at least 2 days as the whole charms are meant to be "water proof". When the charms are ready, I glued some attachments at the back so I can put on jump rings. I haven't been able to go to a bead shop to buy the right attachments. I kind of improvised a bit from the leather clamps from Spotlight. When I make some more in the future, I should improve the techniques to make things easier and faster. I do want to make some more. Just never have enough time!!!

Bia's birthday present

2010-11-19T04:55:00.000-08:00

I went to pick up Ellie from school and happened to see her friend Bia. This sweet girl said to me, "Thanks for making me the doll. I love it. I sleep with it every night." I am so happy that Bia loves her birthday present. I do think the doll is really cute. I am so happy with the fabric choice which vastly followed the spirit of the "original".

I got the pattern from this book. If you have this beautiful book, have you made any softie yet? You are welcomed to list what you have made in comments. I have made Lucy's Monster for Alessa, Polly for Bia and I really want to make Guardian Angel for Nicole. Don't forget to upload your softies in here. There are also some free softies patterns for download.

Matching night gowns

2010-11-13T03:13:00.000-08:00

I made another night gown with panda fabric for my Ellie and used the leftover fabric to make a night gown for Lily. It took me a few hours to finish this very small night gown for the doll as she's a lot rounder than I thought. I drew a pattern and then cut and sewed the top. It didn't fit her at all. I had to redo it but then I didn't draw a pattern this time. One day, I had to work out a more universal pattern for Lily as Ellie already ordered a few more items for Lily ... I really don't want to spend a few hours on one thing just for a doll. I still got lots of ideas but not enough time to finish it.

A crochet flower brooch

2010-11-09T03:23:00.000-08:00

I bought some very colourful yarn from Spotlight a while back when it was on sale. I have been meaning to make some crochet flower brooches. Well, I did make one finally. It's a pity that I am not allowed to wear it on my black top (most of my tops are black) as my husband said "flower on black top" was a taboo in the Chinese tradition which only would be worn when families passed away. Living in Australia doesn't seem to change how our brains operate for the culture buried deep in the back of our minds. I finally found a green top that matches the brooch beautifully. It would be nice I could make some more as Christmas presents. They are quick and easy to be done. I made up this flower brooch and forgot to write down the stitches. I think I cannot make the same one again. I've got to write down what I will do next time for the next brooch.

Bye bye to white pages and yellow pages

2010-11-01T03:53:00.000-07:00

I just found out that I could cancel the delivery of white pages and yellow pages. We hardly use these two books. Although we recycled them every year, it makes sense not to have them delivered at all. Since we already got the new ones, I now have to also call them 1800 008 292 to have the books collected. I am not a big fan of calling those 1800 numbers and get placed in a queue. Having said that, I already cancelled my order for the next 3 years. Saved some trees. Hurrah!!!

Origami lilies

2010-10-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Everyone in Adelaide seemed to have been to the Bowerbird Bazaar market because the newly-made friend that I made these origami lilies asked me about the market straight away when I gave her those flowers. I am glad she liked the flowers. I used some Japanese paper that I bought in HK and some coloured paper from my sister. I made the origami lilies and glued them to dried cut branches from my trees. I even wrapped up the flowers like a bouquet. It looked quite pretty. I must admit they are great gifts as they are so inexpensive but a lot more long-lasting than real flowers.

I did a lot of origami when I was a kid. I remember I had this huge book with every possible animal, flower, box and everything. I went through every one of them. I could understand some and made them. I asked the adults when I didn't understand instructions. In the end, I pretty much could make everything the book listed. It's pity that I don't have the book any more. Having said that, the internet does have everything. I found the origami instruction from this website. They look great. I might make some mini ones from the Chinese red pockets as I've got a few packets of them. These red pockets are made with red paper and tinted with golden colour. Very vibrant. Should be good for Christmas and Chinese New Year decorations. What about the pages from vintage books for origami lilies? Will they look good? I can have some in my office.

Recent finds from local shops and markets

2010-10-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

Am I collecting basketry? Not sure but they are so expensive when they are brand new in the shops. These 3 little baskets only cost us 60 cents. Ellie found them in this Ukrainian Church garage sale close by and really wanted to take them home. I couldn't say no for 60 cents!!!

I love this basket. As soon as I saw it in the car boot sale in a car boot sale in a well-to-do suburb, I bought it. The weird thing is that I saw exactly the same basket in Vintage Carousel in Bowden selling this basket with a set of vintage plastic picnic set for 10 times the money I paid for my basket. What a big return of my small investment!!!

Vintage fabric from That's not Garbage which is very close to Ellie's school. We went there to see if there's anything interesting. We bought $10 worth of "stuff". One of the treasure is this vintage fabric with its original tag. Hm ... shall I even cut it?

This wood offcut from That's not Garbage now becomes door stopper in my house. I would love to buy more as it looks so pretty. I can easily make a sculpture with them.

A PJ from an old T-shirt

2010-10-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to make a nightgown for myself for summer. I wanted once that is comfortable to wear but no looking too feminine. So, I decided to make it with some stretch fabric but I then realised I didn't have enough meters. While I was rummaging my fabric tub, I found this old T-shirt of my husband that I saved and he no longer needed. I put it on straight away to see if it would be long enough to make a nightgown. It's perfect!!! So, I folded it in half, cut up the sides and some sleeves, overcast the raw edges and sewed them up. It was all fun and a quick project. I am a children size 12 in Australia. A "M" size men T-shirt can easily fit me as a nightgown. What a surprise!

Fabric hunt in Op Shop???

2010-10-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

My friend Nayth got some really fantastic ideas!!! She could combine charity and recycling and craft all in one project. She just turned a table cloth rescued from Salvo into a beautiful tote bag. It's certainly the highlight of my week seeing her using her beautiful bag. This reminds me of this post from Holland that tea towels from op shop can be a great source of materials. The colours can be so fantastic!!!

A notebook of ideas

2010-10-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

On the weekend, I went to the Bowerbird Bazaar Adelaide Design Market. I was so thrilled to see something new and something different than we normally see in the other markets in Adelaide. I started to become a market and garage sale fan. It's like a treasure hunt and you never know what you will find.

In the Bowerbird Bazaar, there are many interstate traders with amazing designs and quality work on display. Some even come from Tasmania. I feel so privileged to be talking to the traders and see what they are offering. There is this Melbourne group Rebound Books showcasing rebound books. It's my first time seeing vintage book covers rebound on notebooks and diaries. I am used to the idea of decorating plain notebooks. I never thought that covering the notebooks with vintage bookcovers would be so charming.

I recently inherited 2 boxes of old Better Homes and Gardens magazines. Some of them are back in 1994. Inspired by the market visit, I touched up my "idea" book with my not-so-vintage magazine covers. I loved it so much that I want to make a few more as gifts or even to sell. Now, this notebook reminded me that I used to cover my textbooks with beautiful flyers of concerts or exhibitions in my middle school time. I still remember one of the flyer was an ice-cream cone of 3 scoops of ice-cream in pink, yellow and green for a summer concert of the orchestra. It was a gorgeous poster.

Front:

Back:

Slippers

2010-10-06T03:12:00.001-07:00

I knitted these slippers really quickly as 7mm needles were used with 4 strands of 8 ply yarn. These slippers originated from a Lincraft pattern Grandma's slippers. I made it exactly according to the pattern 2 years ago. I did find that I would love to change it to turn them into boot-like slippers. I altered the pattern a little bit and knitted some extras for the legs. I added some pompoms to make them more interesting for my 7 year old. They have been great. I just need to stitch some felt and make a few knots at the bottom to make them non-slippery.

My next project ...

2010-09-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

I have had a few ideas of what to do next. It seems that nothing has been inspiring enough to get me started. Perhaps I am still in the gardening and spring cleaning mood because spring is coming to the Southern Hemisphere.

This blog post from Holland

could well be my next project ... I just stared at my white IKEA stool thinking it's a bit plain and that perhaps I can make it more comfortable and colourful. ;)

A short moss jacket

2010-09-27T04:42:00.000-07:00

Ellie and I both loved this short moss jacket. It's so easy to knit with a crochet border. I knitted it for her cousin because the pattern was up to 4 years old. It still fits Ellie. She asked me to make her one. I will just have to enlarge the pattern and pick another colour. It's definitely one of my favourite knitwear for kids.

This jacket is knitted from a free patterns downloaded from Drops Design which have a huge collection of knitting and crochet patterns. I love this website because it's very easy to look for the patterns that fit your yarns as the patterns are also categorised in "tension" and there are so many free patterns to choose from.

Some knitting from Debbie Bliss books

2010-09-21T06:48:00.000-07:00

I always love Debbie Bliss knitting patterns. The knitwear from Debbie Bliss is surprisingly classic but also modern looking that I will always treasure for years. I knitted something from one of Debbie's books lately.

It only took 2 days to knitted this beret. I inherited a lot of my aunt's yarn. I looked through all her yarn and found this Patons Beehive Chunky perfect for knitting this beret. This yarn is very easy to work with. It's also very light. 100% wool. These "vintage" yarns are so much better than the new yarn.

The cable scarf was a more difficult. I was really excited that I could make the "ball" as I remember I didn't know understand the instruction as a kid. I have progressed from my "middle school" years. Now, Ellie and I fight for the cabled scarf whenever there is a chance to wear it. :D

Come back!!!

2010-09-21T04:38:00.000-07:00

I finally found the time to update the blog for the few things that I did these last few months. I made 3 library bags as presents. Although every one of them looks different, I am running out of inspirations to make them more interesting. They are probably my last library bags. I think I will move on to make tote bag styled library bag.

A bag for Anu

2010-06-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

I made this bag for my friend Anu in Sydney. We would stay with her for two nights. So, I made her this bag as a grocery shopping bag. It's fully reversible that her fiancee could always use the not-so-colourful inside as outside. Then, I was told that only South Australia banned plastic bags!!! The colour looked so good that Anu still loved it. ;)

A bag of memories

2010-06-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

I found this great book in the library. It's all about books. The bags shown in this book are so beautiful and so classic that I can definitely take them to the office (if I finally make them).

I made this shopping bag mostly following the instructions of the "Market Day Canvas Tote" pattern. The main fabric is from my husband's unwanted pants. The fabric of the front pocket was used as a cushion cover for my Grandma's first home. I also put an inner pocket with some vintage fabric from Mum. I did very much want to put my blog to "sign" the bag. I wrote on the inside as a shortcut. I hope my aunt will love it.

My first hand-stitched Sarubobo plush

2010-05-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

I hand-stitched my first Sarubobo plush. I have been wanting to make them after reading Mai's blog. There is a sweetness in her blog. I am so in love with her hand-stitching everything. I don't think I can afford the time.

We signed up Farm Day program which lets a a family from the city spending a day with a family in their farm as a "cultural exchange". I was just advised today that we were matched up with a farming family in Goolwa with 2 daughters. I kept thinking what we are going to bring. We don't want to go there empty handed. It's too rush to make any softie now. These Sarubobo dollies fit the bills nicely. In case you want to make your own, here are the instructions.

A library bag for Shannon

2010-05-24T04:52:00.000-07:00

I can't help making library bags as gifts as they are easy to make and the school age kids can always use them. Since Shannon is Ellie's special friend, I made her a really special one. The front of the bag is a picture with a frame. Ellie drew Shannon on a surf board with fabric paint - my new toy. I love to personalise my work and the fabric paint opens up endless opportunities. I put a frame around "the picture" and made the bag. This bag is one of a kind.

My fabric paints - I bought the Setacolor from Spotlight as this is the only fabric they got. Since this paint requires the brushes, it is not easy to paint it at times especially for younger children. I bought another set of fabric markers from a toyshop in Norwood. Ellie had a better go at it and there was so much different colour for her to draw. She loves it.

Ellie's drawing on fabric

Challenge "finished"

2010-05-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, I left a message to meg about me being in the 3rd day of the Challenge. I got an email from Meg the next day telling me that the challenge actually start this week. ?_~_? How come I didn't pay more attention to the calendar for the second week of May???!!! Anyway, I spent one week - almost 1 hour each day - to finish a nightgown for Ellie. She loves it and she is wearing everyday. She loves it very very long. So, I used up all the fabric I got to make the dress. It's so long that even it fits me "lengthwise". There are over 200 people sign up this challenge. I bet there will be heaps of photos uploaded here very soon.

Challenge Day 3

2010-05-05T05:58:00.000-07:00

3 more steps done today. In theory I have completed 5/13. I spent almost 15 minutes trying to understand the instructions. Then, I decided that I had to make my own bias tapes and looked for the right tutorial. I finally found this tutorial that I am happy with. I am pretty happy with making those bias tapes and I think it is a great way to finish up the fabric that I no longer want to use - turn them into bias tapes. :D

Now, the flounce sits beautifully around the neck. I am very happy with the achievement and the lessons learnt today.

Challenge Day 2

2010-05-04T06:09:00.000-07:00

I finished cutting the bodice parts and also 2 out of the 13 steps of the instructions. The next few steps told me that I would need bias tapes. I do have some from Mum, I think I do. Will look for them tomorrow. For the first step, "stay-stitching" - what is it? Spent time on the internet to research how it should be done. That's the problem with me self-taught everything. I don't normally follow instructions. I just made things up along the way. No wonder it was hard to follow the patterns. Having said that, I do now appreciate how to sew something in the correct way. I figured that I spent more time understanding the instructions than completing those first 2 steps. A good learning experience.

Challenge Day 1

2010-05-03T05:24:00.000-07:00

I did finish quite a bit in the first hour of this challenge. I am really glad that I signed up for it. Otherwise, I don't think Ellie will get her new night gown at all this year as I figured that I really didn't enjoy copying the patterns and cutting the pieces. It took me three quarters of an hour to copy the pattern. Then, another 15 minutes to cut the fabric. So, I still need to cut the bodice parts. The rest is done. Sewing can start tomorrow. Hurrah!!!

Elsie Marley Kids Clothes Week Challenge

2010-05-03T02:14:00.000-07:00

I finally signed up Elsie Marley's Kids Clothes Week Challenge as I owe Ellie a flannette nightgown which I should have made a couple of winters ago. Hope 1 hour a day will make a difference. ;)

A new habit

2010-05-03T00:03:00.000-07:00

I really want to stock up more beautiful fabric for my next, next, next ... projects. As a friend of mine used to buy some stationery every time she went past a stationery shop, I thought I could do the same thing for fabric. When I went to Spotlight yesterday to have a look, I bought myself a fat square. Ellie chose one for herself. I also picked up another half metre from the $6 a metre clearance items. By buying just half a metre, I can purchase the material with a smaller amount of money. I really love the colours and the patterns. Can't wait to make something with it.

Op shop finds

2010-05-02T01:51:00.000-07:00

I changed my working hours - no working on Friday. So, I started to have time for some soul searching like visiting op shops. ;)

These pure wool yarn and needles only cost me $4. I used to knit Patons when I was a kid. I always like to stock them.

Brighton High Car Boot Sale

2010-05-01T02:28:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, we rode our bikes from Glenelg to Brighton. We rode past this car boot sale that I have read in the paper so many times but never made it. There's a lot more good quality stuff than I ever thought. Some ladies are selling brand new Milkshake shoes for just $10. She must have bought more than her kids could wear. Had they been Ellie's size, I definitely would have bought them. We love Milkshake.

I bought this picnic basket for just $4. I have always wanted to have one. It's a pretty good bargin. Since we rode the bikes, Shing had to carry it like a backpack all the way back to Glenelg.

A library bag for Brendan

2010-04-26T04:28:00.000-07:00

I bought this car print and made a library bag for Brendan for his first day at school. I rarely make anything other than in pink colour. I am glad that it's "boy" enough. I added the "car" applique from inspirations from Nayth. She kept talking about cutting up prints to make applique when we were in Spotlight together. The "car" really looks cool in the front of the bag.

Tracy Chapman

2010-04-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

This book renewed my concept of knitting. Tracy designed a range of knitting patterns that include basic dolls and a series of different gorgeous clothing and accessories. For her ballerina range, there are leg warmers, hairband, necklace, shoes, wrap top, tutu and even knickers. I figured that her doll is much bigger than Barbie. In order to achieve some quick results, I decided to convert the patterns for Barbie. I knitted a wrap top and a skirt at night. Ellie woke up in the morning and found the new outfit. She was so excited that she wrote another long list of items that she would like Barbie to have. Oh dear ...

A new look

2010-04-20T05:24:00.000-07:00

I read Lia's blog having 3 columns that gives you so much space for something extras. After a series of research, I found this article the most useful. My blog now sort of has the look that I want. It's just embarrassing that I got a computer science degree but I have to rely on some blog articles to do the trick. Well, I was born earlier than the birth of HTML after all!!! Time for bed and dream for my new blog. ;)

A knitted lacy flower headband

2010-04-14T05:24:00.001-07:00

This knitted lacy flower has had lots of positive feedback. Ellie wore this headband to school. Even her class teacher would like to have one for her daughter. The flower pattern comes from this book. I even contacted the pattern contributor Kate Buchanan to see if I can use her pattern to make more lacy flowers to sell as they are just gorgeous and I can't help myself making them.

A felted bag

2010-04-12T03:57:00.000-07:00

I crocheted the flower again with a crochet hook of different size. The result was not what I expected. The crochet flower is a beautiful decoration of something like a bag. So, I decided to make a bag with it. I have felted the cut-up woolly jumper earlier with a hot washing. They seemed to be a perfect match. I took out the scissors and cut and cut and stitch ...

The bag was born. I did think about taking more pictures when I made the bag but I ran out of time to do so. I was making the bag as Ellie's friend's birthday present. The party is tomorrow. I shouldn't have left it until the last minute. Back to the bag, I really liked the running stitches. I should explore to use it more. There is also a inner layer of fabric that didn't show as I didn't like the raw stitches showing in the inside of the bag.

Since it is a birthday present, I made a little tag under my new shop. Should I be making a pattern for this bag? I really wanted to. There are a couple of things I want to improve. I am not going to make a similar one until I have some woolly clothes to felt!!! If I get enough requests how to make one, I will have to think about it.

A crochet headband

2010-04-06T02:51:00.000-07:00

Ellie and I went to the library and borrowed some books. It's one of my number one favourite to borrow craft books. I found this crochet pattern book for some gorgeous motifs and blocks.

I crocheted a flower. I remember Ellie got a plain Roxy woolly headband for winter. Wow! I got one beautiful flower headband. The only trouble is to get Ellie to sit still so that I can take some good photos.

A gift bag

2010-04-02T02:59:00.000-07:00

This gift bag was made from an ordinary paper shopping bag with paper girl figure. I love her eye lashes that were made with brown feathery yarn. You probably noticed that her back looks bigger than her front. Well, it's a little design mistake. ;) My daughter and I cut and glued this little girl together. We had lots of fun decorating this bag.

A drawstring bag from a dress

2010-03-31T05:16:00.000-07:00

Ellie grew out of this dress a long time ago, but I do love the colour and the pattern of this dress. I have saved it and waited for the inspiration to come. One night, I cut it up and turned it into a drawstring bag that we use it every week now for her ice-skating outfit. Since the fabric is a stretchy material that can stretch both ways, I learnt the "new" technique from a machinist in the ice-skating club that I need to use zigzag stitches for this kind of material!!! I wish I had met her earlier?!!!

A yo-yo hairband

2010-03-30T00:45:00.000-07:00

I have made this one for Ellie's friend Alyssa for her birthday. She loved her birthday present. I probably like the tag more than the yo-yo.

A crafty friend in Adelaide is asking me how to make these hair bands. Here are the instructions that I got from other site that I can share. First you need to make the yo-yo, a few of them in the colour you like. Then, stitch them up, add a button and attach to hair band (good quality ones).

Blade protector

2010-03-29T04:40:00.000-07:00

Ellie has always wanted a pair of blade protectors for her ice skates. I finally took the time and made one for her. The tulip pattern is looking good on the skates.

IKEA sale

2010-03-29T04:28:00.000-07:00

I bought some really great fabric at a great price in the IKEA sale in Adelaide. Only $4 a metre. 100% cotton. Pretty thick like linen. I may as well to make tea towel with it if I run out of ideas. I heard all discounted stock has gone. Should have bought more!!!

A knitted mouse

2010-03-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

Definitely want to try this toy pattern a mouse toy. It's so cute. It will be in my to-do list.

A new look to Ellie's folder

2010-03-27T04:55:00.000-07:00

The various embellishment on Ellie's folder has slowly come off. I have revamped it with a more appropriate theme. Give it a new life!

A down quilt (reconditioned)

2010-03-25T03:49:00.000-07:00

A down quilt made from a pre-loved down quilt with not much down or feather inside AND three pre-loved down jackets. The process is very messy. I first removed rows of stitches from the quilt. Then, I cut open the down jackets. You cannot possibly imagine how much fleck of down was floating in the air whenever there was any air movement. As soon as my hands were near the down, the down would fly everywhere. It's not a scene that anyone would like to see. Really wonder what the down jacket/quilt factory looks like inside with every worker wearing face masks??? If you are not careful enough, you can have more down on the floor than inside the quilt. It's a tricky project. I call this "reconditioned" - the same idea as the engine of my car got a new life by the mechanic that every component inside was new. Now, every pocket is full of down and will last for years.

Bower Bazaar

2010-03-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

I am going to this Bowerbird Bazaar market in Adelaide on Sunday. It's all about Australian designer/makers. Looking forward to it.

Some girl's hair accessories

2010-03-10T02:56:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the stallholders in the Mathildas Market, I made some hair accessories for Ellie. They look so cute that Ellie is not going to wear any store bought items!!!!

A reupholstered chair

2010-03-10T02:42:00.000-08:00

My first reupholstery project. This chair looks a million times than better than it used to be. I scrapped all the black paint off the wood, applied five coats of varnish, replaced the foam seat and wrapped it in a fairly modern looking fabric. It took me almost one year to finish it but the result is worth it!!!

The chair used to look like this:

When I finally put the chair together, I borrowed this book from the library which is still on sale nowadays. I was so amazed how an ugly chair could turn into something good enough for royalties in this book. I even showed the pictures to my husband. He started to be curious how it's all done. ;)

A bikini top

2009-09-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

Ellie has been asking for a bikni for a long long time. Since I decided to retire my old swim suit, I gave it a new life by cutting it up and made a "new" bikini for her as dress up. Of course, she loved it.

A hand towel

2009-09-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

Spring has come!!! It's time to "spring up" the house. I added the floral pattern to a plain white hand towel. The bathroom is a lot more refreshing now.

A lilac sweater

2009-09-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to knit Ellie a quick-and-easy sweater for a long time. It took me a long time to find a pattern that I like. I really like Debbie Bliss's knitting patterns. So cool and so stylish!!! I knitted this sweater based on her pattern. Since I don't have much patience to use small needles, I knitted it with thicker yarn and 6mm needles. It took me only 2 weeks to finish this sweater for a 6 year old. It did take a little calculation to convert Debbie's patterns from 5mm to 6mm but it's all worth it.

A dress and a cap for Ella

2009-09-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

This dolly dress and cap is made by Ellie's old T-shirt. The big floral pattern is perfect to be the new dress. I thought I could just slip the dress on the dolly because of the stretchy material. It turned out that the dolly head was way too big that I had to cut up the back and put some velcro on. Ellie was so happy that the dolly could wear something that she wore before. :)

An arno cat for Kim

2009-09-06T06:01:00.000-07:00

It is my second attempt on softie. I found this pattern in the Women's Weekly magazine and thought it would be a great gift for Kim's 7th birthday. I embroidered her name on the cat's bottom. I was going to make another one for her little sister. Since this little cat takes a lot longer than I thought, I might make another one later. My daughter was a bit disappointed that it was so small. I thought it was a good size to take it everywhere.

A pair of leg warmers

2009-08-16T05:54:00.000-07:00

My daughter really wanted a pair of leg warmers for ballet dancing. I cut up the sleeves from a pullover that I no longer wear, cut a slit on each sleeve and serged the edges. Voila!!! Done!!!

Gift bags

2009-05-16T02:40:00.000-07:00

For my daughter's birthday party, I bought some really nice craft kits for the kids as gifts to take home. Since the craft kids are unusually big, I can't find any party bags that are big enough but won't break the bank. I decided to make my own party bags. It took me a while to figure out how to make the bottom right. Then, I kind of worked out how to fold up the bottom nicely. I made more bags than I needed as I really enjoyed making these beautiful gift bags. I even used my daughter's painting into gift bags. Now, I've got some piled up at home for parties.

A wheat bag

2009-04-28T03:25:00.001-07:00

I made this wheat bag long time ago but recently gave it to a friend for her shoulder pain. I have made a few of them already - one traded with a used bread machine, one for my aunt and one for myself. It's the most useful thing I have ever made that is also very expensive (around AUD40-50) when you purchase it elsewhere.

It took me a while to source the wheat in the wheat bag. I found it in a local fodder store. It's very cheap - only $2 a kilo. 1 kg can make 3 to 4 wheat bags. My first one was considered to be too heavy that didn't fit the small microwaves. So, I made the subsequent ones with smaller partitions so that I can fill in less wheat.

The results have been great. I use it in the winter as a warmer and pain killer when I have sore back and sore neck.

A girl's night gown

2009-04-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to make this night gown for my daughter with this gorgeous apple print. My daughter and I saw this fabric in Spotlight 50% off. We decided to make some night gowns for either one of us. So, I researched on the internet what pyjamas patterns are available and found this pattern. Then, I discovered this whole new world of open-source sewing (not programming :D). I signed up straight away and downloaded a lot of different patterns for future use. I also found heaps of very useful "how to" videos that can help patch up my sewing skills.

This is the first "creation" after I joined McCall's pattern M3906. My daughter loves it!!!

Another cube

2009-04-13T05:32:00.000-07:00

I made this cube for baby Wilson with the letters in his name on every face of the cube. I used polar fleece this time thinking it suits winter time better. Then, I found that the end result wasn't as square as it should be with the non-stretchable fabric. Yet it's a lot softer than the ordinary fabric.

Something for the wardrobe drawer

2009-04-03T01:33:00.000-07:00

I made this for my daughter's wardrobe drawer from same kind of Fuji cardboard boxes. I cut a box and glued in a partition board. And then, I glued fabric both inside and outside the box. When it's all dry, it is one great lingerie and socks storage.

A free giveaway from Dont Look Now!!!

2009-03-31T05:07:00.000-07:00

I think it is a great way to advertise your blog when you already have certain number of visitors. Hope it will happen to my blog one day!!!

Anyway, Kellie in Victoria is giving away some of her fantastic work. All you need to do is to leave a comment in her website. I was the 46th person to leave a comment for the give away when she posted about it only 7 hours ago. More than 6 people an hour!!!

I absolutely love her design and her sewing skills are immaculate. I have posted her design of art smock in previous posts.

Go and check out her website now!!! The deadline for the give away is 6th April. Get in quick!!!

My 4th library bag

2009-03-30T02:51:00.000-07:00

This is my 4th library bag. I use totally different fabric this time. Similar applique but different pattern. My husband said the colour looked like a test for colour blindness. I really like the colours but can you see the name easily? :)
Hope the birthday girl will like it. I found a new blog that makes some really cool drawstring bags. I have to buy some cords every time I make a bag. I think she actually makes her own cord with fabric. Time for a change next time.

A cosmetics bag

2009-03-27T04:56:00.001-07:00

This cosmetic bag is made of waterproof material with cherry pattern which I bought to make an apron mainly. I got a good rectangular piece left and thought it would be great to make it into a bag. I really like the inside as I put extra pockets and ties on both sides. It is really easy to make as the opening is sealed up with velcro.

A cube

2009-03-23T03:19:00.001-07:00

I made this cube for a friend's baby Carson. This box is so easy to make. It took me less than 1 hour. I even tried my new quilting foot. I haven't made any quilt since I bought it. It's really useful to be used in any straight lines that requires exact measurement.

I started to love making this cube because it was so quick and you can put anything you like on them. There are 6 faces in this cube (actually, in every cube). Each face contains a letter from the word "Carson". I should have known that I can make the letters linked to spell Carson. Well, I didn't expected that ... so it only spelt "Cars" and the rest was not in the right order. My geometry has been wrapped up and packed into boxes that were buried underground.

Should have swapped the "C" with the "O". If you don't trust me, try it on a piece of paper. :)

I cut up my daughter's baby toys to rescue the rattle inside and plant it in this box. Hope Carson will like it.

An ice pack wrap

2009-03-08T01:22:00.000-08:00

I made this wrap for my daughter over the long weekend. She often has a blood nose. An ice pack on the forehead will help but who is holding the ice pack for her? We made this wrap together. She designed the houses and we put the pieces together. I put velcro on the straps so it can fit her head when she grows bigger. It is very pretty and very practical.

A pass holder

2009-03-06T17:08:00.000-08:00

I made a holder for my company work pass this morning. This is the second time I made such cases. Since the first one was torn apart, I am using a stronger fabric this time. Instead of stitching the transparent material onto the fabric, I glued it with a hot glue gun. Super fast and easy!!!

A broken zip

2009-03-05T17:04:00.000-08:00

The zip of this dress was broken. So, I decided to turn the dress into "button" style. I found some matching red buttons and stitched them on. Now, I know that I should have avoided the thick part of the dress so that my sewing machine can make the buttonholes. I am quite pleased with the results. So is my daughter.

An art smock

2009-03-01T03:26:00.000-08:00

The school asked for a smock to be brought to the class. I finally had an excuse to make one. I did some research on the internet looking for idea and patterns and found this absolutely fantastic hand made smock. In fact, I almost every article in that blog. It's so inspiring. Since I figured that the art smock would be "ruined" by paint work, I decided to make a simple smock from Lincraft from scrap fabric.

It is a smiley face with my daughter's name as "hair". I made it big enough for her to finish primary school.

A shopping bag

2008-12-07T02:14:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine is coming to Adelaide for a visit. Really want to give her a gift to bring home. So, I asked her to give me some old clothing and I would turn them into something useful.

She gave me this red corduroy shirt that she no longer wears and she would like it to be a shopping bag.

Voila!!! I added some floral print of mine to make this shopping bag. She loves it.

Birthday presents for Alanna

2008-11-22T22:55:00.000-08:00

I have made a few library bags as kids' birthday presents. This latest one uses some gorgeous craft fabric from Spotlight. I did a twist this time by putting a extra inner layer to make the library bag much stronger. Now, I wish to recall my previous library bags and upgrade them.

I also made Alanna a skirt based on a Simplicity kids pattern 4252. The great thing about making skirts is that you can add any kind of trim or ribbon to make the skirts really beautiful.

I was going to make a top from knit fabric but I wasn't very confident about my sewing techniques yet. I found this brand new white T-shirt (actually with a logo in the front) from my daughter's wardrobe. So, I designed some very cute appliques to put on the T-shirt.

Voila!!! The birthday presents are done and Alanna loves them.

A peg bag

2008-11-08T03:09:00.000-08:00

I made this peg bag within 2 hours after dinner. A few days later, my husband asked me where all the pegs had gone. I took him to the door of the laundry. He then asked, "Did you buy this?". :)

This peg bag is extremely easy to make. I managed to reuse some rag and a small-sized hanger from my daughter's wardrobe. The hanger is one of those cheap ones that come with the clothes bought in the department store. Loved this recycling project.

Turning a flat sheet into a fitted one

2008-11-04T01:25:00.000-08:00

I bought this sheet set in IKEA a while ago. It is really hard to make a bed with the flat sheet. I bought this special elastic that has a gap in the middle so that I can sew the elastic on both sides of the bedsheet. Well, it turned out that the sewing was a lot harder than I expected. I just couldn't stitch a straight line with it. The stitches just simply zigzagged every inch. Now, I think back. I guess I have run the sewing machine too quickly. I should do it a lot slower. Never mind, there is always next time.

Some cute appliques on singlets

2008-10-17T00:11:00.000-07:00

I have longed to make baby gifts. Finally, I got this chance to make some baby gifts for a friend's son. I always wanted to try putting cute appliques on singlets. It should be quite easy to do. I drew some pattern on the fabric and embroidered the baby's name on them. I used some iron-on-interfacing to iron the appliques on the singlets. I tried to match stitch the appliques but the needle was too thick that it didn't work. So, I hand-stitched the applique with blanket stitch. The results were really good.

My sewing machine

2008-09-22T05:34:00.002-07:00

The model is Brother Star 15. Sort of a basic one ... as there are only 21 stitch options but I have been able to use it to make most things.

A "recycled" cushion

2008-09-14T00:02:00.000-07:00

My daughter loves this cushion that I made. She asked me what it made of as she really likes it. I said, "Rubbish ... This cushion is made of rubbish". I have been saving scraps of fabric that I used in many other projects. I have got enough to make a cushion insert. So, I sewed a plain one and stuffed in all the scrap fabric. The cushion cover is also some left-over fabric. This is why the cushion cover is in two different colours. I made this felt in the middle when I learnt felt making in the local library. Finally, I managed to use it in a good way.

Recycle Fuji Xerox boxes

2008-09-11T00:11:00.000-07:00

We use tons of paper everyday in the office. The good thing is that I am never running out of those sturdy boxes from Fuji Xerox. I took one home and tried to revamp it. I ended up using lots of glue to glue on some left over fabric. The result is ... at least, I prefer to use the revamped box rather than the actual Fuji Xerox box.

My craft cupboard

2008-09-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

I stored most of my craft material in boxes. The most beautiful ones are the ones from IKEA with proper Dymo labels. I am getting to use more Dymo labels. :)

A book

2008-08-22T04:20:00.000-07:00

This is my second book. My first book was purely based on a pre-printed fabric with all the instructions to make a children's book. I promised my sister-in-law to make her baby a book thinking that I could buy the same fabric again. Then, I realised that this type fabric was not around any more. I ended up designing and making my very own unique children book. I have read enough children books to make this one really rich in content. The book cover and the names on the first page are the scraps from the pre-printed fabric of my first book. I kind of kept it for a long time thinking that I would use it one day. Who would have thought that I would make a book?! It looks good that I need to get a patent or trademark for this. Again, I used the beautiful animal print that I also used in the play mat.