NNC February 2012 Stitching Bee

We had our first Stitching Bee for the year this year at Restaurant Sri Melaka, Amcorp Mall on Saturday, 11th February 2012.

Our very first stitching meet 4 years ago was held here but with a much larger crowd. That day, there were only 9 of us, but the excitement and noise that we made was loud enough, it sounded like there 20 of us! LOL!

Anyway, I got there quite late. We were to meet at 10.30am, but since that day was also Aiman’s 3-way conference at his school with his teachers, I could only make my way to Amcorp Mall after we were done with the conference. I had already told the members that I would be late.

I finally arrived at about 11.30am. When I got there, most of who were supposed to come had already arrived. There were Zarina, Anna, Jo, Veronica, Bee Ee, Margaret and Jackie. Paul smsed to say that he was going to be late.

As soon as I managed to catch my breath, Jackie excitedly showed me the oven mitten she had made, which coincidentally matched the bag I had brought with me! LOL! Unfortunately, in my excitement, I had forgotten to take a photo of the mittens. Maybe Margaret can do it for me and upload it to the group?

I started the excitement going by taking out my box of treasures or, shall I say, my treasure trove (in other words, the great stash) from my recent trip to Singapore (will blog about the trip in another posting).

I had managed to haul up quite a lot of things from the trip to Spotlight and Quilts & Calicoes.

Since coming back from the trip, every night, I would open up my treasure trove and look at the stash in it one by one before going to bed! LOL! Non-crafters would probably call me insane, but another crafter would surely understand! LOL! *grin*

Anyway, back to the present posting, as if my treasure trove wasn’t enough to get everyone excited, when Zarina took out 2 of her awesome postage stamp baby quilts, everyone squealed in excitement. Yup! Squealed! You read that correctly! LOL!

I think we probably got everyone in the restaurant looking at us, wondering if someone had gone mad or something! LOL!

According to Jo who had arrived early at Sri Melaka, they actually asked the waitress for a table in a corner or at the back of the restaurant so as not to disturb the other customers, but the waitress had refused, saying that the corner area where we wanted was closed for the weekend.

Jo actually warned the waitress that we are going to be quite (did I say “quite’? LOL! *wink*) noisy, and it might annoy the others customers. But, the waitress refused. So, don’t blame us if we are noisy. We already warned them, right? *wink*

Next time, maybe they won’t be so adamant should we ask them for a corner area, or, do you think they will even let us in? LOL! *wink*

Anyway, Zarina had completed her Postage Stamp Quilt, which we had planned on having it as a Quilt-A- Long at the group as part of our activities for this year.

Quoting what Margaret had said, Zarina was officially named as one of the Advisors for the PS QAL journey in case any of us have any problems along the way. I didn’t hear this, but Margaret mentione din her report at the board that upon seeing the postage stamp quilts Zarina made had made Anna decided to join us for the PS QAL!!!

That would be great, Anna!

Another round of excitement followed when Anna took out to show us her lovely crocheted shawl in progress.

Another amazing work that got everyone excited was a bag done by Veronica for the Friendship Bag Exchange where Margaret became the lucky recipient.

I must agree that it does looked like latticework but it isn't! Borrowing words from Paul’s description, the insides are 'pinched' at intervals like smocking which gives it its latticework look. And the handle of the bag was woven from self-made fabric tubings. Indeed a very beautiful work! I must have Veronica show me how it’s done the next time we meet up.

Things quietened for a while when everyone started getting hungry and we decided to have our lunch served. Did I say things quietened for a while? Not really actually. *grin*

Even when the foods were served, it got everyone excited to see how good the other person’s food looked! LOL!

We had quite a variety of choices as you can see from the photos.

As we were having lunch, Paul arrived and proceeded to order his lunch.

As soon as Paul was done with lunch, the excitement continued with Veronica taking out her lovely overdyed linens and evenweaves which she had bought from Silkweaver.

Next, Jo's lovely bags became the center of attraction, and again, everyone admired the work and effort out into the lovely bags.

We got excited too (I don’t think there was ever a time when any member brought out anything that did not get us all excited when we meet up! LOL!) when Anna brought out her lovely baby blue project. I got excited when I saw the size of the yarn! I have never seen such a huge yarn here in Malaysia before.

Just to let you all know, even a set of chopsticks which Anna gave to Paul, Margaret and Jo got us excited too when we saw how lovely the designs of the chopsticks were. I think we are just naturally appreciative of anything and everything crafts. *smile*

When it got to 2.00pm, we decided to adjourn to Book Axcess to check out some craft books as we know they used to carry quite a selection. However, I was a tad disappointed when there were only one or two quilting magazines available. I bought the two magazines that were available and made my way to the flea market on the 1st and ground floor of the Mall.

However, I was also disappointed with the stalls available. Amcorp Mall use to have many craft stalls, but today, there were only a handful. Could we have gotten the dates wrong?

I went to do my groceries instead, and after that, left to pick up Aiman from his tuition.

Overall, the Stitching Bee was again a success where I had loads of fun, and I am sure all those present enjoyed themselves too. Even Paul who was not feeling too well made it to the Bee and I really appreciate the effort.

Thank you, everyone, who made it to this first Bee for the year 2012. I hope many more will turn up for the subsequent Bees. Looking forward to the Anniversary Meet next in April!

A Date in Penang

I was in Penang again on the 10th of January for work. As my meeting was over 2 days, I had some free time after the first meeting in the morning as the 2nd meeting was scheduled for the next day. This gave me an opportunity to meet up with Ina.

I have been planning to catch up with Ina several times already during my last few visits to Penang, but have had to cancel at the last minute as I was either short of time, or Ina had some other emergencies and family matters to attend to.

This time, with the whole evening free, I made arrangements to meet up with Ina. She picked me up from my hotel at 3.00pm and we headed on straight to this quilt shop called Q Gallery which had recently relocated from its previous location in Queens Bay Mall.

It’s a quaint little shop with plenty of things to make you go goo goo gaga. I wished I had taken photos of the inside of the shop to show you all. I wonder, though, if they will allow me to snap photos. What do you think, Ina? Will they allow me? If they do, I might want to snap photos the next time I am there.

Anyway, while there I bought a Japanese book on bags and, I could not resist getting one layer cake and one jelly roll. I just love this Late Bloomers collection from Moda.

What do I plan to do with them? Not sure yet. I have too many other things in my mind to think about for now, but I hope to use them for one of my quilt projects I hope to make this year. Yup! That’s my plan for this year, but whether that will actually happen is another thing. LOL!

Ina bought some cottons for her quilt projects in pinks, greens and red. Really lovely! Just can’t wait to see the final product!

After the trip to Q Gallery, we sat in the car for a while as Ina showed me piece after piece of her projects in progress.

I was really impressed, especially this piece which I have forgotten what it is called.

I was also impressed with her Dresden plate piece but I forgot to take photos of the piece and so could not share with you all the lovely piece. Maybe Zarina herself can blog about it, if she hasn’t already.

Before sending me back to my hotel, we stopped by for tea at her work place of sandwiches and spaghetti. Really delicious!

I had a great time with Ina. Thanks, Ina! Hugs!

I just love all the pieces in progress you showed me and can’t wait to see the final product. I also learned a few tips on making Dresden plate and the curved piece. Thanks too for the links to a few new websites unfamiliar to me before this. They are great!

Thanks again. I hope we can do this again on my next trip to Penang! *wink*

The Little Black Bag

Do you remember the sample prayer mat bag I made for my hubby’s cousin, Idah, in 2009?

Well, I have been using the bag for myself to carry my documents and other things to work. Recently I find myself in need of a black bag as the black bag I have been using all this while is starting to give way. So, I thought to myself, why don’t I make a black bag that matches this prayer mat bag. That way I would have a matching bag set.

I started on this project on the weekend of the 23rd of August 2011. Yup! That long time ago, and only now am I blogging about it! LOL!! *grin*

I didn’t realized how quick it was to do this bag as I completed the bag the very next day! I made the bag at a relaxing pace as I wasn’t in a hurry to get it done, but, despite stopping many times to do the usual household chores, cook and all those other usual wifely duties, I got the bag done in no time at all! I was surprised at how easy it was to do this bag.

The original design calls for the bag to be padded and quilted, but I decided to replace it with the usual bag interfacing instead. I guess that makes a difference in my timing. Still, I think the bag still looks great. Wouldn’t you agree? *wink*

If I do this bag again, what I will change is the top flap. I think it’s a little small and does not cover the whole top opening, making it very easy for small things to pop out of the bag, not to mention that someone could actually put their hands into the bag. So, if I carry this bag to a public place, I would have to strap it across my body and have it in front of me.

Other than that, I love this bag because of the fact that it matches the prayer mat bag which is now my document bag which I have been bringing to work with me.

Maybe I should start thinking of making bags as a set – a handbag that comes matching with a document bag. What do you think?

A box of pinks!

Everyone knows that my favourite colour is PINK. Funny ,though, that my wardrobe has very few pieces of pink clothes. LOL! There are more reds and browns. I guess there aren’t that many pink clothes in the market that appeals to me. Maybe when I start sewing my own clothes (which is when?), my wardrobe might be full of pinks! LOL!

Anyway, for the recent Mug Rug Exchange organized at NNC, besides Sally, my other Mug Rug Exchange partner is Diane from the US.

I had received my Mug Rug from Sally many months ago, which I had already blogged about it in September, and sometime ago, I received my Mug Rug from Diane.

I have been meaning to blog about it, but life has been very hectic for me the last 4 - 5 months. I hardly have time for anything much else except work, work, and more work, and taking care of the family and home.

Anyway, Diane's mug rug to me came in this huge box.......

....and upon taking the packaging apart *grin*, I was greeted with this very lovely box of pink that got me all excited! LOL!

What awaits me inside the box was even more exciting. You will agree with me when you see the contents of the lovely box. I felt like I had just celebrated my birthday all over again! LOL! My Mug Rug did not come alone, but was accompanied by a load of many very lovely things, mostly in PINK!

Here are the contents…..

The mug rug came complete with a sweet pink mug and a tiny tea pot which is oh, so very cute!

There were also 4 sachets of tea, which is a requirement under this exchange, that is, to include tea bags together with the mug rugs.

As I was also involved in the Antique Tile Block Swap organized by Diane, she included in the box the block swap. I will blog on it in a separate posting.

In the mean time, more exciting things included in the box is a pink hibiscus flower hair clip and a pink Fox Run mold, which I believe, is for pudding or jelly. Diane, can this be put in the oven?

As I was going crazy baking cupcakes in the last few months (will blog on my cupcakes in a later post), and have been telling all my friends over at NNC and showing off photos of my cupcakes over at FB, Diane included inside the box a pattern for making Cupcake oven mitts! How cool is that and it is so cute!

I definitely must make at least one cupcake oven mitts as soon as my Project Management Certification program is completed. I can’t wait!

The best gift from the box came in the form of a Dogwood Trail charm pack, and 9 pieces of fat quarters, all in pink!

I had actually bought a Dogwood Trail Jelly Roll a few weeks prior to receiving the box of pink from Diane. I bought it when the board was crazy discussing about jelly rolls to be used for the impending Postage Stamp Quilt-A-Long scheduled for this year.

Diane actually recommended to me to get the Dogwood Trail Jelly Roll, and the minute I laid my eyes on the jelly roll, I just fell in love with it! It’s pink, remember! LOL! And now, I have a charm pack too to compliment the jelly roll! Now isn’t that awesome! LOL!

Now is to actually find the time to use all the things that Diane sent me. I am looking forward to completing my certification program so that I can get on with doing the other things that I love to do - crafting!

Thanks, Diane, for all the lovely things! I am still jumping for joy and just can't wait to use some of the things you sent me! Hugs!

A quick note!

Yeah! This is going to be a real quick note. I have been so busy, I can't find time to blog.

I just can't wait for when my certification program finishes in Mac 2012, insyaAllah, God willing.

I am all so stressed out, it is giving me muscle cramps, gastric attacks and diarrhea! LOL! Honest!

I have been on MC for 3 days over a peroid of one week! Now that's bad!

I have never had such a bad gastric attack like what I exeprienced the last one week. My whole body was so weak, I could hardly get up. The diarrhea added salt to the wound, making my whole body ache all over.

I am much better today, thank God.

It's Saturday morning here in Malysia, but late Friday evening over on the over side of the world.

It's going to be a hectic day for me as Aiman has got football practice very early this morning, after that, we have a wedding to attend, followed by Aiman's tuition before sending Aiman over for a birthday party.

By the time we get home, it will be almost the end of Saturday. Nothing much any other things I can do, especially to work on my paper or do any crafting (like as it I have any time for them anyway! LOL!).

So, today I will consider it as a day for socializing and running errands. Tomorrow, it will be back to working on my paper.

Oh! I just can't wait to get back to crafting.

What are your plans this weekend?

Anyway, have a GREAT weeekend, everyone!

Told you it's going to be a short posting! LOL!

He takes home the medal; she ends up making more bags! *grin*

Yup! That’s what happened last year when my hubby took part in the Penang International Bridge Run, and it’s been repeated again this year, not that I am complaining, actually. LOL! *grin*

I am very happy to blog report that I successfully managed to learn to make 3 bags during my 2 day bag making class from the 19th to the 20th of November. The bags this time around, except for one, aren’t that complicated as last year’s bags as I think I was a little bit unadventurous this time around. No, make that I was being more realistic this time around as I know I would not have that much time to spend finishing the bags if I don’t complete them during the class once I am back in Kuala Lumpur as I will be having my nose grinded into my Assignments right up until March next year, God willing.

I had made the purchase for the templates and gotten all the preliminary instructions from Corine during one of my earlier working trips to Penang about more than 2 months ago when I had some extra time after my meetings, before flying back to Kuala Lumpur.

By purchasing the templates and getting the instructions earlier, I would be able to make some early preparations before the class like have the templates all cut out, the interfacing all ironed onto the fabrics, and have them all cut out ready to be put together during the actual bag making class. This way, I get to complete making the bag faster, and completing the bags faster equates more bags that can be made in the same amount of time! LOL!

However, as it turned out, I didn’t get to have all the preparations ready before the class as I fell sick just days before the trip to Penang (talk about last minute preparations! LOL!) , and besides, I was busy working on my Assignments, which I think made me fall sick from all the stress of working on the paper. This bag making class would be just perfect as a stress buster.

But all was not lost though as I still managed to prepare at least one bag before the class, and I had planned to finish the preparations for the other 2 bags in the hotel room the day before the class. Talk about squeezing in time at the last minute! LOL!

Anyway, on the first day of class, I did not manage to finish even a single bag. Even my hubby found that odd. I blame it on my lack of efficiency as it had been quite some time since I last did any sewing or crafting due to heavy work load at the office. It took me some time to get back into rhythm of things.

Also, I had another new and exciting thing introduced to me by Corine on the 1st day of class. Corine let me use her latest addition to her family of sewing machines – a brand new Brother Innovis QC 1000!

It is one awesome machine, and I think I might have just fallen in love with it! LOL!

The Innovis QC 1000, to me, is a cross between the BERNINA and the JANOME, but at slightly more than half the cost of the BERNINA. That, to me, is affordable as it is almost the price of my JANOME. Eerr…..no, I am not buying it, BUT, if ever I want to get another sewing machine, it just might be the BROTHER. *grin*

One of the things I like about this machine is its large touch-screen LCD.

Also, I like that all the basic feet are all kept within the machine, even the bobbins too.

No more having to lug around the box of feet and bobbins to class, as, I have, at numerous occasions, ended up not able to do any sewing in class when I accidentally left behind my box of feet and accessories. No chance of that happening with this machine, except if you buy more extra foot. But then, they will be foot you won’t usually use all the time for the basic sewing.

Another thing I like about this machine is that I can make adjustments of the needle to every 0.5mm, and the needle threader is just awesome!

I thought that the needle threader on my Janome was awesome already, but this machine’s needle threader is even more awesome as the thread clicks very easily into the needle.

OK, enough about the machine. Yup! I am in love with this machine alright! LOL!

Back to my bags, I left Corine’s hut on the first day of class feeling a little bit incomplete when I had nothing to show of what I did the whole day, though I had fun playing with the Innovis.

I left with loads of homework though. I had to get some hand stitching done in order for me to move on to the next step. I did not want to spend time hand stitching in class as I could do that in the hotel room. I would rather spend my time in class doing all the machine sewing and the cutting where I would need Corine’s guidance to proceed.

I slept at midnight that first night, doing my homework – hand stitching and ironing the interfacing; and slept just as my hubby got up to get ready for his run.

Early the next morning, I took the cab with my son to Corine’s house, leaving my hubby to rest in the hotel room after his run to recuperate.

This time, I was the only student for the day (the day before, there were a hive of activities with about 4-5 students taking classes at the same time), thus allowing me to be able to work faster as Corine also helped me with some of the hand stitching that needed to be done.

When the class ended at 6.30pm, I was about ¾ done on the One Nighter or overnight travelling bag, ½ done on the Xora bag and with only the hand stitching and the bag handle to sew on the Omra bag.

Here’s a photo of the inside of the Xora bag which I am in the midst of hand stitching.

I just love these clips I bought from Corine. It takes away all the pricking from the pins which is almost certain I will get when I use pins to baste for hand stitching.

I completed the One Nighter bag in the hotel room the next day after breakfast.

 

What do you think?

When I first saw the sample bag at Corine’s, I thought it looked more like a diaper bag. But when I completed my own version, it no longer looks like a diaper bag. But definitely, it won’t be my One Nighter bag either, what with all my toiletries, make-up bag, telekung, and at least one change of clothes to pack, this bag certainly won’t be able to fit in all those! LOL!

Instead, I think this bag would make a very nice document bag. What do you think?

I will put up photos of the completed Omra Bag and the Xora bag when it is fully completed, which, for now, I wouldn’t know when that will be. Hopefully next year after March, or,maybe, just maybe, earlier! *wink*

All hung up!

One day after coming back from one of my meetings at Sultan Abdul Samad building, I came across a shop that looked like it was selling things that shop owners would usually buy to put up or organize their things in the shop. You know, those bars with hangers to hang clothes, bags etc?

I have been looking for some sort of organizer or hangers to hang up my handmade bags so that it will be easier for me to see what I have made, and so, easier for me to refer to it should I forget how to make it. It will also be easy for friends and future customers to see what bags I have in a more organised way.

So, yesterday, Friday, 9th December 2011, during my long lunch hour break, I decided to hop on the LRT from my office to the Masjid Jamek Station and check out the shop.

A whole new world opened up in front of me as soon as I stepped into the shop! Talk about being a frog under a coconut shell (Katak bawah Tempurung). LOL!

They have so many things which I have been wondering where to get if and when I open up a shop, and now I have the answers! Well, most of it, at least! LOL!

I don’t know how to describe the things they have and I was too shy to ask if I could snap a photo of the shop. But, knowing Malaysians, especially those that are ignorant of the power of IT and the blogging world, I am sure the shop owner would say No. So, to save myself the embarrassment, I said nothing, and just talked to myself silently and controlled my excitement from within. *grin*

Anyway, I came home with the handbag hanger like I had planned on buying. Imagine me carrying this on the LRT? LOL! It came dismantled but still it was long and quite troublesome, but, I carried it back anyway. *grin*

It is supposed to be used to hang my handmade bags, but, since I don’t have time to sort out my sewing area at the moment, I decided to temporarily use it to hang my handbags I bring to work. My bags looks more organised now rather than having them all stacked up in a box at the corner of the room.

I can see the bags I want to use immediately instead of having to rummage through my wicker basket looking for the right bag.

I think I will get another one instead of bringing this down to my sewing area for my handmade bags and leave this present one in the bedroom. It looks good at the corner of the room. I told my hubby we can even use it to hang the clothes we want to wear for work the next day – have everything all hung up ready to wear the next day! Neat, huh? LOL! *wink*