ABC Quilt completed!

Yippee!!

Actually, I completed the quilt about two weeks ago, but I simply could not find time to snap photos of it with good lighting. What do you expect when I only have time to snap photos after dinner is done with each day! LOL!

Anyway, it’s finally done after working on it since January 25th, 2009, with many interruptions in between. No, make that, many distractions by other projects! LOL!

Wow! It actually took me more than 5 months before I finally completed it? Gosh! That long? LOL! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! *grin* Anyway, glad that it is finally completed. Felt like a big load has been lifted off my shoulders when I finally put in the last stitch into it two weeks ago. I felt a heave of relief! *grin* Now to find a place to hang it up! Oopps! But I forgot to put a hanger to it. So, how?

Anyway, so far, I have completed 7 projects to date. I have 5 more projects to go to gain my Certification of Completion. So, upon completing the ABC quilt two weeks ago, I started on a new project which is actually the month of June project. Yup, I am behind schedule. *grin*

In fact, when I went to Epal 2 weeks ago, I wanted to work on the pants project which was the month of March project (I think I only attended one class in March, and even then, I went to class to work on another project – the calendar project, which, to date, is still not completed), but one of the teachers there would not allow me to work on it as she said that the project is too far behind already. I would have to wait for the next year’s project schedule to work on it. *sigh*

I was so eager to work on it as I felt that it was going to be a project that I might be able to complete quite fast, but, unfortunately, it was not meant to be. *sigh*

As I was not prepared to do any other project when I went to class that week, but, since I had already driven all the way to Puchong, I spent the first hour going around looking at the other students doing their projects (makes me sound like a naughty student, huh? LOL! *wink*), and seeing one lady working on her Janome 350e machine doing embroidery work. It was so exciting! It made me even more eager to get my machine sooner than September! LOL! Opps! Or was that December I said the last time I posted about making a booking for the 350e? LOL! *grin*

After about an hour of just going around being a busybody, I dug into my project bag and found that I had actually brought along a project kit which I had bought the previous week! LOL!

So, I immediately started on it, and so far, I got up to this…….

Aren’t the flowers pretty? I can’t wait to get it done!

By the way, I have also started on the July project, which is a curtain, meant to be in time for the upcoming Hari Raya celebration. I am doing one for the guest bedroom where my mum would sleep if she spends the night at my house. It is not something that I would put up in my house actually as it is too frilly as the concept of my house is rather simple and modern. But, it would be something that my mum would like. Furthermore, I wanted to learn how to sew this type of curtain. Who knows, I might need the knowledge later. *wink*

So far, I have only started on making the patterns for it last week. Yup, patterns for the curtains! I cannot help but find it amusing as in my years of sewing my own simple curtains; I have never done any patterns before. I would just go ahead and cut the fabric. Maybe that’s it! Because the curtains in my house are simple, no patterns are required! LOL!

A hut of a shop!

I was in Penang last week for work. I had many times made trips to Penang for work, and each time I would only have enough time to give Ina a call, as I would be rushing to go for meetings, and then I would be in a rush to fly home. I never seem to have enough time to meet up with her for a face to face chat.

Ina has been trying to persuade me to take a later flight so that she can bring me to meet Corine who she says is a very talented lady. The last couple of trips to Penang, my meeting would end quite late, and then I’d be in a rush to get to the airport. I told Ina that I will try to make some kind arrangement the next time I come over to Penang.

So, this time, when I had another opportunity to fly to Penang again for work, I decided to take a slightly later flight than the one I would usually take. I almost did not make it to meet Ina this time around too when I made changes to my flight. I changed my flight to one that is an hour earlier than my scheduled flight when my hubby called me in the morning to say that my son was sneezing all night the night before.

I was worried as presently the swine flu is going around. But, when I called my MIL in the afternoon, she said that my son is sleeping and resting well, and is no longer sneezing. Thank God!

As I was also done early at the workshop where I was attending, after lunch, I decided to call Ina to meet up earlier than planned. Ina took me to this nice neighbourhood just behind her office at USM.

Ina told me that I am going to like Corine’s place. She couldn’t be more right. I was in awe of the place the minute I stepped into it.

It’s a cute little place packed full with all things quilt, patchwork, and sewing and there were handmade bags at almost every which way you look! You even have bags hanging down from the roof truss!

Don’t believe me? Just look at the photos!

I think my jaw must have dropped looking at all the lovely things in the cute little hut. Yes, HUT! When I posted at the NNC board that Corine has a little hut for a shop, Paul said that I was 'mean' *grin*, but, really, it is a HUT! Don’t believe me? Take a look! *grin*

According to Corine, it was originally a `wakaf’ (resting bench with roof) owned by her neighbour.

When they moved away, and left the wakaf behind, Corine decided to take the wakaf and added windows and walls to the wakaf to make it look like a little house.

It’s like when you have a playhouse for the kids, only this time, it’s the adults that’s playing house! LOL!

The hut even has an air-conditioning unit! The place is really cozy and I could see myself spending hours in the little place without ever feeling bored!

I am sure many of my crafting friends will agree with me when they see this little place for themselves. Ina and Niza will attest to that. Right, Niza and Ina? *wink*

When we got there, there were two ladies, Jenny and Jenny (yes, they have the same name) taking classes to make a bag. Seen in the photo from left to right - Jenny, Corine, Jenny and Ina.

According to Ina, both Jennys are here almost daily. Ina herself spends many wonderful hours in the little place, and she has made many wonderful things taking lessons from Corine.

I wish that Corine lives in Kuala Lumpur so that I can take lessons from her too. Corine, in fact, offered to teach me the Sun Bonnet Sue quilt I was admiring if I could gather some friends in KL. She is willing to come down to KL to teach. So, friends, any takers? *wink*

I managed to spend about an hour at Corine’s cute little hut before it was time for Ina to send me to the airport. I wished I didn’t have to leave so soon, but, I have a flight to catch, and I didn’t want to get home too late.

I hope to be able to go to Penang again, this time staying longer so that I will have more time to `play’ at Corine’s cute little hut. Maybe I could even take a lesson or two in bag making while I am there! LOL! *wink*

Thanks, Ina, for bringing me to meet Corine. She is such a nice lady. I could tell that she is passionate about her crafts, and excited to teach so that she can share her knowledge of the crafts. I hope that someday I will have the opportunity to learn from her all the crafts that she knows.

It was a visit that got me inspired and excited that the minute I was settled down on the plane, I immediately took out my craft magazine (I never go anywhere without at least one craft magazine in my bag! LOL!) to dream about my next project and to dream about the little shop that I hope to one day own. *wink*

BTW, one of the Jenny wants to sell off her JANOME MC6500 which is unused, and still very much in the box. It seems that she bought the Janome, but, before she could even learn how to use the machine, she fell in love with the BERNINA, and decided to buy the BERNINA instead, and now wants to sell off the JANOME unused at a very much reduced price. Let me know if anyone of you out there who wants to buy the JANOME and I will let Jenny know through Corine.

It makes me wonder why I have heard so many JANOME users wanting to sell off their machines in exchange for the BERNINA. Is there something wrong with the JANOME, or, could it be that BERNINA sales people are better at marketing their machines than the people selling the JANOME?

Did you know that JANOME supplies the BERNINA?

I am a member of a couple of Yahoo! Groups that discusses the JANOME, and I have heard many good things about the machine. I am very happy with the JANOME I bought close to 11 months ago. It has given me so many pleasurable hours churning out projects after projects. I am hoping to have a long lasting and wonderful relationship with my JANOME.

I also love my 16 year old SINGER and could not bear to part with it as it too has served me well, churning out projects after projects over the last 16 years. I hope to have many more wonderful crafting years working on it. And soon, I will have an addition to my family of machines! I just can’t wait! *grin*

A natural......

Isn't my niece such a cutey in this cute little dress made by yours truly? LOL! *wink*

Thanks, Sufia and Ayis, for the photos! Please give Fatin a hug for me for modeling the dress. She looks so adorable. Makes the dress I made look even cuter! LOL! *wink*

So, Ayis, shall we talk business? *wink*

It has bloomed!

During the last Stitching Bee on 13th June, Usha was very kind to give me some plants which I believe are Morning Glory, as the hibiscus plant which she gave to me during the Anniversary Meet in February died on me. Thanks for the plants again, Usha!

I did not plant it immediately when I got home that Saturday as I had arrived home late, and I needed to take care of the household chores first. Not wanting for the plants to die on me again this time, I put them in water, and the next day, Sunday, I had my hubby call his regular grass-cutter cum gardener come over to help me plant them after he was done with cutting the grass.

Each morning before going to work, I make sure that I water the plants first. I would do the same thing too when I get home in the evening, no matter how late, I’d water the plants first.

Today, the plants rewarded me for the attention I gave it by bearing flowers and blooming so beautifully! I wasn’t the only one excited as my son was excited too! When I went to get my camera, he went to get his camera too, which I gave him one of my old ones.

In his excitement, he fell when he hit the curb and landed on the ground, sustaining a few small cuts, but, he immediately got up, and before I could say anything, he said, “sikit aje” (small cut only) and smiled. He usually would cry, but I guess he was more afraid that he might have broken the camera when it hit the ground, and so probably figured that by not crying, and appearing macho, it would divert my attention from the camera. *grin*

The camera’s fine. It’s more than 7 years old and had suffered bigger falls, once even falling from a height of 4ft onto a tiled floor, but still it never failed to give me great photos.

BTW, besides some small cuts and bruises, Aiman’s fine. *wink*

In a state of shock!

Yesterday, my mum’s house in Kota Bharu was burglarized. My mum was here in Kuala Lumpur to send off my youngest brother back to university. She was here since Tuesday, 30th June, and had intended to stay on till this coming Tuesday, 7th July. But, this afternoon, she took a flight back to Kota Bharu, fearing the worse.

According to a cousin who lives near to my mum’s house, in the afternoon yesterday, the back door neighbour thought something amiss when she saw the back door leading to the kitchen looked like it was broken. She called the cousin asking her to check it out, but the cousin was too busy at that time, and did not get to check it out until very much later, when my mum’s daily help came to switch on the lights at 5.30pm, and noticed that the grill door was badly damaged.

The burglar must have been having a whale of a time going through all of my mum’s things as the whole house was turned upside down. Every door was broken down. My dad’s coin collection which is probably worth thousands of ringgits is gone, so are some uncut bank notes which my dad too is a collector.

My mum lost all her pearl sets, and some other costume jewelry which she bought when she was in the US recently. She said that they are worth a few hundred ringgits a set.

Also missing are her international passport, a couple of her and my brother’s bank books. I can’t recall all that she lost but she said it could run in the thousands of ringgits.

When I met my mum at the airport this afternoon, she looked tired as she hardly slept the night before upon hearing of the bad news from my sister. My sister herself said that she was weak at the knees when she saw the condition of the house when she went to look at my mum’s house with the cousin last night.

When I spoke to my mum about 7.00pm this evening, she didn’t sound too bad as she said that she had expected the worse, though I am sure she is still very much shocked and traumatized by what had happened.

I hope my mum will be OK, as she wasn’t in the best of health when she came to Kuala Lumpur, and now, she is going back to a home that has just been burglarized. I am a little worried, and my only consolation is that both my sisters are there in Kota Bharu with her, and all of my sister’s children are with her. They usually perk her up.

Times are bad and people are getting desperate. Just on Thursday, my Senior Director’s office was broken into and the burglar managed to get away with his laptop, the keys to his Mercedes Benz, Toyota Estima and the whole set of house keys. There were other things missing but I could not recall.

Just 3 weeks ago, my hubby’s office was also broken into and they managed to cart away his laptop.

There has been a spate of snatch thefts reported almost every few days in the papers in the last few months, some even ending in death. There are so many sick people out there. The more advanced we are, the more desperate people are becoming because everyone wants to live well beyond what they can afford, and they’d do anything they get what they want.

I can only hope and pray that Allah will always protect us all from harm. Amin.

Oopps!

Guess what?

I made a booking for the embroidery machine JANOME 350e on Saturday, 20th June 2009!

As this month is the month of my birthday, Epal offered a RM500.00 gift voucher only applicable to buy a JANOME sewing machine of any model. I offered the voucher to members of NNC when I first got it, but, after two weeks, no one took up the offer. So, when I went to class last Saturday, I offered it to Ain at Epal should anyone wants to buy a machine, to pass it on to that person.

I told Ain that I would be interested to get the embroidery machine, but not now as I have yet to finish installment payment by credit card on the MC6500 machine I bought in September last year. Rather than let the voucher go to waste, I'd rather offer it to someone who wants to buy the machine this month as the voucher is valid only for this month. That was when Ain suggested that I make a booking for it by putting a downpayment for it and use the voucher to get the RM500.00 rebate.

I did not know that it was possible - make a booking to use up the voucher. I thought about it while I was doing my project in class, all the time contemplating if I should. LOL!

A lady there who bought her 350e machine in January was telling me all about the good side of having the machine, and what she has been achieveing and making with the machine. By the time it was time for me to go home, which was 2 1/2 hours later, I still have not exactly made up my mind, though I was getting even more tempted! LOL!

I kept thinking when in the world am I going to find time to use the machine to embroider anything, as even the MC6500 that I have now I have neglected to use for the past 2 months when things got rather hectic lately at work and at home.

I don't exactly know what made me finally make up my mind to book the machine, but I think it has something to do with the fact that I can pay by CC instalment, and also that I can come in and pay any amount each month until I am ready to get the machine if I want to lessen the amount at the end of the day before finally making the final payment.

Flexibility in payment does make it attractive, something which Sakura could not offer. That's what made me buy the MC6500 last year. If not, I would have purchased the BERNINA a very long time ago. *grin*

When I came home and told my hubby about it, he was very supportive of my decision. In fact, he was quite intrigued with the offers that comes with the machine - a one year free classes, 19 project kits and a Home Business plan, among others. Thanks, hubby! Love ya! Muah!

With his support, I am getting excited, and can't wait for when I will finish paying for my earlier machine! LOL! I am already dreaming of it, and what projects I can do! LOL!

So, Tini, I am joining your club come December or so (have not decided when exactly I will fully purchase the machine) though not necessary in your league as I doubt it if I can make all those wonderful things that you have been making.

Oh BOY! Did I really made a booking for the machine? Oopps! LOL! *blush*

It's back to quilting and sewing!

It’s been two months since I last attended class at Epal. Life has been so hectic – at work and at home. There have been so many weddings to go to on weekends the last one month or so that I cannot seem to find time to work on my projects at Epal.

But, last week, I took a day off to give myself a much needed break from the stress at work. I wanted to be able to spend some time to work on my project, and the same time, I also wanted to be able to spend some extra time with my son.

Due to our (hubby and I) hectic schedule at work, our son has sort of `suffered’ from the lack of attention. We found out just at the end of the school holiday recently that he has not been doing all his home work, he has not been practicing his spelling and two subjects which he has been getting A’s every semester, but last semester, he got a C.

We realized the urgent need to try to be there for him more often than usual, and to be able to have time to go through his homework each day. So, lately, we have been taking an extra effort to come home early each day from work where possible (is 7.30pm early? LOL!), and since I did not have any meeting on 17th June (which is very rare these days), I decided to take the day off so that I can cook him a more nutritious breakfast, pick him from school, have time to go through his homework, and spend some quality time with him.

As my son is only done with school at 3.20pm, I had some time for myself to work on the ABC quilt which is long overdue. I am happy to report that I progressed quite a lot that day. What is left to date is just to finish off the binding.

This is, however, not one of my best works. I am not that happy with the quilting of the ABCs as I know I could do better, but I know that if I were to unpick and redo, I will never finish this quilt. So, I told myself that I will just have to accept this one the way it is for now. But, should I decide to do another similar project (like as if I will…LOL!) when I have more time to work on it, I will do a better job of it. *wink*

However, there is a part of this quilt which I am quite pleased with myself……the quilting on the sashing.

The design calls for birds in flight to be quilted, but I did not like the birds, and so changed the quilting to one that I had bought the template at Quilt Gallery some time ago. I hope the teachers at Epal will not mind me making the changes, as the important thing is that I did the quilting, but quilting of a different design. Opps!

I hope to finish the binding by next weekend, as this week, we have another wedding to attend.

As I am pretty much done with the ABC quilt, except for the binding part, yesterday, after Aiman’s Saturday classes, I went over to Epal to start on a new project – a sailor collared dress for a little girl. Eerr…..I have no daughter, but, as this is part of the class project, guess who will be the lucky little girl that will be getting this cute little dress? *wink*

Anyway, I started this project on Thursday night at home by cutting up the patterns and getting the basics done. On Friday night, while hubby was playing with his new laptop (his laptop was stolen from his office last Thursday), I serged the edges of the dress using my MC6500 machine, and I must say that I am impressed with the results as the serging done by this machine using the overcasting foot M is as professional looking to a commercial overlocking machine. I did not even know that my very expensive machine can do that, and for how long have I had this machine? LOL!

When I went to class on Saturday, I did the appliqué work. I came home, and after dinner until pass midnight, while hubby watched a movie on TV, I worked on the collar which I had to do it several times before I could finally get it right, but it is still not the nicest looking collar. *sigh*

This evening, after coming back from the wedding, while hubby took a nap, and in between supervising my son doing his revision and workbook, I worked on the dress again, and at 6.00pm today, I COMPLETED IT! Yipppee!

I am so proud *wink* of this dress as I think it is SO CUTE! I could do another one if not for the fact that I am 6 projects behind in order for me to get my certificate of completion.

I think the flower appliqué made the dress really cute. Had it not been for the appliqué, it would be just another plain dress. Here's a close-up of the applique. Not too bad, huh? *wink*

Do you agree that this dress is so adorable? I can already imagine my adorable niece in it! Yup, my niece! Which niece? The one born on 12th March. *wink* But, sorry, Sufia, you’re gonna have to wait till I get the dress graded first before I can give it to you for Fatin to wear it. In fact, I want Fatin to put it on so that I can snap a photo of her in it for the blog. Deal? *wink*

Do you think it’s a sellable piece? *wink*

Also, today, I started on a bag for my mum using the pattern she had bought at Joann while she was in the US for 2 months last month. Here are the fabrics.

I hope my mum will like the combination. The purplish checkered/gingham piece will be for the inside of the bag, while the other two pieces are for the outside of the bag. I will be doing the top bag featured on the front of the pattern pack.

I only realized after cutting up the fabric that it calls for pre-quilted fabric, and as I don’t know where to find a pre-quilted fabric here, I decided to quilt the fabric myself, and here’s a photo of the finished quilted pieces all cut up to the pattern already.

Here’s a photo of my son diligently working on his puzzle, taking a break from doing his revision and worksheets.

I make sure that he sits in front of me while I sew so that I can supervise him and make sure that he doesn’t `cheat’ on his worksheets! LOL! *wink*

I don’t know when I’ll complete this bag for my mum as I am only doing this in between doing the Epal projects as I need to complete 6 more projects, and I am way behind. I do, however, hope to complete it before her birthday. Ooppps! I have got exams coming up before her birthday!

Keep those postings comin’……

Over at NNC recently, I gave away two posting prizes to the members who hit the 50,000th posting at the board, and also to the 1,000th message posted in the month of May, 2009.

The winner of the 50,000th posting was Mel, while Paul posted the 1,000th message in the month of May. As Paul had won the posting prize before, I think this is his 4th win, so, when he won again, he was like calmly going, “Oh., ok. Thanks.” Instead of “Yippeee!” and then doing a happy dance like I did when I won the lucky draw at Mel’s Shoppe. LOL! *wink* Typical of someone that hardly wins anything, huh? LOL!

Anyway, here are the prizes which Mel and Paul won – the box in brown is for Paul, and the pink one is for Mel.

I wanted the things to be as different as possible so that I can keep it interesting for Paul, as I don’t want him getting the same things from me.

I just hope that both of them will like the things that I had packed up for them, and hope that they both will find some use for all the things in the package.

For Mel, I added something extra as a token of appreciation for teaching me how to crochet the bag which I have been crazy churning bag after bag lately and also for lending me the very expensive Clover crochet hook.

Thanks so much, Mel. I hope you noticed that I had attached the hook to the side of the box as I had forgotten to put it inside the box when I was packing up the box.

I have thus far bought my own in a set of 3, which cost me a bomb *grin*, but I really love the soft grip handle, and feel that the money I spent on them were well worth it.

Anyway, back to the Thank You gift that I made for Mel, it is actually a small pouch made in the same way as the big crochet bag, only very very much smaller, and I played around with adding buttons, a first for me in crocheting. *smile*

Thanks, again, Mel, and congrats to Mel and Paul, for winning the posting prizes! Do keep those messages coming!