A new bag in the making

I started on a new bag pattern on Saturday and actually managed to complete 80% of the bag!

Here's a sneak peek!



What's left is the bag handle, to put in all the closures (I am still trying to decide what type of closures to use) and the sew on my labels.

I am thinking of getting some new labels for my bags. Looking for the metal type. I thought I saw them on FB but can't recall who was selling them.

This bag is a cross between a tote bag and a handbag.

After almost completing it last night, it is bigger than the normal handbag size, but smaller than the usual tote bags.

I can put in a mini laptop, or iPad in the bag, I think.

I'll put up photos when I have fully completed the bag.

Keep a look out for this page!

A box of gifts all the way from the US!

This posting is long overdue. In fact, very long overdue! 

I hope Diane doesn’t think that I am not appreciative of the things she sent me.

How can I not be appreciative, I love everything she sent me! I just could not find the time to blog on it. When I had some spare time, which is usually at night in a hotel room when I am outstation, and not able to sleep, I am without a laptop! LOL!

Today I am once again outstation. But this time, I am on holiday while hubby has to work! *grin* 

This time I came prepared with my ever so cute Samsung Ativ Tablet PC (no, I am not getting commission for promoting the tablet PC, but I think I should. *grin*) and before leaving for the trip, I finally remembered to take a photo of the box of gifts!

The box is filled almost to the brim with all things crafts.

Diane had sent a box of variegated DMC threads for NNC’s Anniversary Meet goodie bags. 

Also in the box is Diane’s very lovely neck roll done in hardanger. The work is so fine that when Mel, the lucky recipient of Diane’s AGE, opened the packaging, everyone was going ooohhs and aahhhs over the lovely piece. See posting on the Anniversary Meet.

I don’t think Mel would ever put her neck on that oh so lovely hardanger piece! LOL! 

Looks like it is gonna be a showpiece kept in a showcase in Mel’s home! LOL!

The rest of the things in the box are for me, and for me alone! LOL! ….well, OK, there are things Diane sent for me to make her a Circle Tote and there is the Block Swap that I am supposed to pass on to Zarina.

Sorry, Zarina, I forgot to bring them to the Meet. I only remembered about it when I was taking photos to update my blog.

I shall bring it to the next Bee. Do remind me about it. Very sorry!

Diane sent me materials to make 2 totes. I am still reading up the instructions here and hope to start working on the totes in a couple of weeks.

In the box is also a pack of ziplock bags in a huge size.

I had asked Diane if she could send me some as I could not find that particular size here in Malaysia. They are a good size to put in quilt block for Works-in-Progress (WIP). 

Diane also sent a length of quilted fabric which she thought I’d find a way to use it. I do but so “sayang” to use it because it is so lovely!

She sent 3 books on bag making and other than going through them really quickly upon receiving the box, I have yet to really go through the books gain.

I do notice some bag patterns which I think I am keen on making.

One thing really lovely in the box is a box of very lovely variegated threads which Diane said is meant for my quilting projects. All the colours of the threads are so lovely.

Yes! Yes! I love them all! I know I am going to find reasons to use up the threads in my quilting projects. LOL!

In fact, I love every single thing inside the box!

Thank you so much, Diane, for all the lovely things you sent me.

I will get down to making the tote soon.

I will keep you posted on my progress at the NNC board and at FB.

A clutch, a purse or a bag? Neither! It’s a pouch for my .......... *grin*

Since buying Sam, my Samsung Tab, as a birthday present to myself last year, he has been my constant companion on my travels for work whenever I travel for only one night as he is small enough to be carried into my handbag or backpack, instead of having to carry Pinky, my laptop.

Poor Pinky! But, I do bring Pinky along when I have to travel for more than 2 days as it is faster to do my work on Pinky than on Sam.

Whenever I have Sam with me, I get to check my emails, both from the office and my personal email account, no matter where I am, and my staff can easily get in touch with me in case they need me to check through letters or schedule a meeting.

As I travel more and more often these days, my emails tend to stack up, and trying to reply to emails on a visual keyboard can get very frustrating at times. So, recently, I went out and got myself an actual keyboard that connects via Bluetooth. It is actually a keyboard meant to be used with the iPad, but when I tried it out the shop, Sam was able to connect to it and so, I decided to get it.

I had actually wanted to get one that comes with a folder that acts as a protector for the keyboard and the Tab, but, for some reason, Sam could not detect the keyboard as it was made to be used with the Samsung Tab 10.1.

Hmm......funny that Sam can speak with the keyboard meant for the iPad but could not communicate with the keyboard meant for the Sam’s younger brother, the 10.1. LOL!

Anyway, as this keyboard came ‘naked’, so to speak *grin*, I was afraid that it might end up being damaged when I pack it up inside my backpack or carry-on luggage, so I decided to make a pouch for it. And the result......

Doesn’t it look more like a clutch or a purse that I can bring to work or smart casual functions?

I just love this pouch, though I wished that I had added a pocket inside it to put in some spare batteries for the keyboard. Now, each time I open the pouch to take out the keyboard, the spare batteries fall out. *sigh* Oh well!

But, I am proud of this pouch, It is a first for me making a pouch of this design, and one that I designed myself too!

If anyone of you out there is interested to order one for your portable keyboard, do let me know and we can work something out. In the mean time, I am off to work outstation again with Sam and his new companion, the keyboard, whom I have yet to name. *grin*

Like magic!

My mum bought a video camera recently when she was here in Kuala Lumpur. She came over to my house to spend the night, and while here, my brother asked if I could make a small pouch for the new video camera for mum as the camera bag that came with it was too big, and he can’t imagine having mum to carry it around.

When my brother first asked me to make the pouch, I drew a blank but in my head, I was trying to figure out what kind of pouch would best suit the cute little camera.

I had to stop the design process and imagining in my head when we went out for dinner to celebrate my son’s 12th birthday, but the minute we walked back into the house after dinner, and my brother asked again about the pouch, I thought I saw a light bulb in my head! LOL! I was like doing a magic trick of sorts by pulling a rabbit out of a hat, only it wasn’t a rabbit that I pulled out, but a pouch out of my bag of pouches which I had recently made for the NNC Anniversary Meet.

As if like the pouch was meant to be made for the camera, the pouch I had in hand fitted the video camera perfectly like a glove!

How cool is that? LOL!

The pouch measures approximately 6 ½ x 4 ½ inches. I think the size is just nice to fit into a handbag, and can also be used as a mini purse or handphone wallet.

The pouch is available for order at my blogshop , but you can also order them here too. It can be customized to include a monogram or with your name or the name of the person you want to gift the pouch to at an additional cost, as can be seen in the picture below with Usha's name.

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?

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*

Going Bananas!

It's finally done! I finally completed the Banana Bag for Mel!

I started on this bag in April 2011, but I could not complete the bag because I could not get a strap that comes with a leather tab like the one in the original design on the bag I learnt from Corine in Penang in November last year.

Mel ordered this bag during the NNC Anniversary Meet in March 2011. I told her that I would get it done in two months time. I did, but minus the strap.

I had bought my strap with the leather tab from Corine, but when I wanted to order the strap from Corine for Mel's bag, Corine no longer had stock of it and wasn't planning to order anymore so soon. So I tried contacting this lady in Penang who does leather things if she would be willing to custom make me the leather tab. I could buy the strap myself and put them together on my own.

Unfortunately, she was no longer willing to take custom orders because she was tied up lots of orders for custom made leather bags, her core business.

Corine offered to show me how to make my own tab but using PU instead. I was supposed to drop by her house during one of my many trips to Penang for work. Unfortunately, I was always short for time as I rush from meetings to meetings when in Penang. By the time work is done, it's time for me to catch a flight back to KL.

I was beginning to get a little bit embarrassed that I am taking longer than 2 months before I could deliver Mel's order. That's not good when you are in the business line. I had to find a way to buy the leather tab somewhere or try making my own from PU like what Corine suggested.

I was going online almost every spare evening I have in search of the tab, but all in vain. I could either be searching at the wrong place or I am not keying in the right key words. I only know that it is called a tab. For all I know, it could be going by another name.

I eventually ordered 2 pieces of PU on eBay in two different tones of browns in an attempt to make my own tab. It didn't work. It just did not look right for the bag.

I spent several nights trying out different ways to attach the PU tab to the bag, but nothing seems to look like how I imagined it to be. I went to bed on many nights feeling frustrated.

I was about to give up when suddenly an idea popped out of my head one day.

I imagined the idea that I had in mind, when done, would look sweet and cute. Now it is a matter of whether Mel would like it, it being lacy and all. Not many people like laces, so I can only hope that Mel wouldn't be one of them.

The result of my idea? Here it is, lace and all....

 

What do you think?

Why the need for the lace, you might say? Why couldn't I just have the handle sewn directly onto the bag? Well, I did try but I didn't like the look where the strap meets the bag. It did not look right, neither did it look nice. It looked like an after thought and not much thought and time was given to the detailing of the bag. It's just not me to make something that looks like an after thought.

 

If you don't mind my saying so myself, I like the way I have managed to resolve this tab issue which has been "haunting" and bothering me for the last 4 months since completing the bag body.

Here's a peek inside the bag to show off the Uniquely Aznique label. *wink*

 

I can now finally hand over the bag to Mel and hope that she likes what she sees. I hope that this bag will be Mel's constant companion each time she goes out with friends and family.

Thanks, Mel, for the opportunity to do business with you. I hope there will be more to come in the future. *wink*

Going all Dotty......

A few weeks back when I was diagnosed with having low blood pressure and vertigo, I was given a 2 day MC and told to go back home and sleep. The doctor suspected that the vertigo was due to my extreme lack of sleep.

On the first day of my MC, I slept after having breakfast with my hubby and son before they both left for work and school. In fact, I slept almost all day. I only woke up to make myself and hubby a bowl of Maggi Mee each as my hubby decided to come back home lunch time to see if I was OK. Thanks, Dia!

I slept again after he left for work. I did not wake up until 5.00pm. I got up feeling restless and with a need to do something. I was bored of watching TV. I don’t watch much TV even when I am well.

As I was not able to be on my feet due to the vertigo, I decided that I might be able to do some simple sewing as then I would be sitting down most of the time. I ended up doing a simple bag that took me only about 3 days to make.

When I showed it to my hubby, he commented that I must be really sick and seeing circles when I made the bag. He said that it showed on the bag what I was experiencing when I made it! LOL! How right he was! I didn’t realise that! LOL! I was, in fact, seeing circles and the room spiralled whenever I get up too fast or stood too long during the time that I was experiencing vertigo and hypotension. LOL!

I think the bag has a retro feel to it!

I think if I make this bag from a flowery fabric, it might give the bag a different feel to it. I might just try!

Anyway, I kind of like the look of this bag. It’s simple and not too fancy, and it’s a quick bag to make. It’s big and roomy. It measures 16in at its width and 10in in height not including the handles. It is 3in thick. It is padded, by the way, unlike most of my other bags that have the normal interfacing. It gives the bag more body, yet it is light.

Here's a look at how the inside looks like. I made the pocket to have an edging made from the front fabric of the bag.

The original design calls for a short handle to be placed, but as I could not find a suitable short handle to go with it, and so decided to add the wooden rings instead and make the handles from the same fabric I made the bag from.

I might be putting this bag up for custom order too, but, again, it will have to wait until after I finish my certification program in January 2012.

Bagged another one!

Remember the green and orange bag I blogged about a few weeks back which I made from a Japanese book I bought when in Penang?

Well, as it turned out, the book isn’t Japanese, but Chinese. My brother, Azan and friends at NNC pointed it point to me. My brother who knows a little bit of mandarin wondered how I managed to make my bags without knowing a word of what was written inside the book. *grin* Nothing is impossible when it comes to my crafts! LOL!

Anyway, my brother Azan, suggested that I ask my son, Aiman, who actually has had formal lessons in mandarin since he was 5, to help me to read the intructions. But, boys being boys, or, is that just Aiman, he’d rather be playing Angry Bird than help Mummy translate a Chinese craft book into English. *sigh*

Oh well, I managed to make a bag the last time with no help from him at all, and I think I did pretty OK. *grin*

Anyway, back to the present time, last weekend, I managed to complete another bag which I got the basic pattern from the same chinese book. I actually started on this bag first before I did the green and orange bag, but I had to stop when I could not find a suitable handle and also, I needed to find time to visit Kelvin to get a set of clasp for the front pocket – something I have never tried before.

Here’s the front of the bag with the pocket with the clasp I mentioned earlier.

Kelvin helped me to put the clasp on since I have never made a bag with this type of clasp before. It did not look too difficult to make, but it gave the bag that added value.

Here’s the side of the bag. I really like the design of this bag with this strip around the zippers, and it being brown in colour, Kelvin and some of his tudents who were attending classes there when I brought the bag in to put on the clasp thought that the brown fabric was made out of leather. It isn’t. It’s 100% American cotton. Cool, huh?

A view of the back showing the zippered pocket. .

It’s got another one inside the bag

By the way, the handles are from Sally. I bought them when I bought the handles for the green and orange bag. The handles suited the bag perfectly!

I initially thought that it would not suit the bag due to different brown tone to the strip around the zippers, but, when I put them together, I think it gave the bag another added value by adding more tones to the bag.

This bag measures 14in long by 9in high by 4in wide and is very roomy. I think it can even fit in an iPad. I know for sure it fits in my Sam (Samsung Galaxy Tab) comfortably.

If everything goes well, I hope to have this bag up for custom order at a price in the range of RM240.00 to RM280.00 depending on the fabric and handle design at my blogshop, Uniquely Aznique, by the end of year. I am sorry I can’t take in any orders earlier than December 2011 as I am currently taking up a certification program which will only complete in Janaury 2012. Only then will I be able to find time to make any bags. I will make an announcement here and at my blogshop when I am ready. Look out for it then.

In the mean time, look out for future postings too of future bag projects which I made from time to time when I can find the time in between my busy schedule (it’s like taking a break from the hectic work schedule and, as always, my crafts are very therapeutic. It calms me down, and helps lower my blood pressure and unpredictable temperaments. *smile*).

I have another bag already in the making as I write this which I started when I was experiencing vertigo and hypotension and not being able to stand up for long. I spent time sitting down and working on a simple bag instead. I will blog about that in another posting. Keep a look out for it! *wink*

When crafts transcends all languages

On my recent trip to Penang for work, I came across this Japanese book on bags.

In the last two years or so since I started making bags, I have been buying quite a number of Japanese craft books, but I have yet to make anything from any of the books. I always end up getting intimidated by the Japanese instructions. I still am, but, for some reason, when I bought this book, I saw something I really like and want to give it a try.

I forced myself to get over feeling intimidated, and try to figure things out from the photos instead. That's one thing good about Japanese book - they come with good photo instructions, and our crafts transcends all languages.

I took about 2 days to figure out the instructions and on the 3rd day, I started tracing out the templates.

I had another problem though. Not being able to understand Japanese, I could not figure out the instructions printed on the templates. I couldn't make out the dimensions where dimensions are written and not drawn.

That's when I had to get creative and luckily, with the basic knowledge on bag making that I have, I made some educated guess and with some adjustments along the way, this lime green and orange bag was born.

I think I shall call it the Box Pleated Bag.

The original design calls for the handles to be made of 1 1/2 in tape sewn in the way I would always attach handles to the totes I make.

But when I had a visit from Sally last week, I had asked her to bring along some of her lovely bag handles. I wanted to get a brown one for another bag that I was in the midst of making.

But when I saw this lovely lime green bag handle, I knew it would be perfect for the Box Pleated Bag that I was going to do.

I think I was right in choosing this handle. It gave the bag some class.

The bag is quite small actually, measuring only 11 inches wide at its broadest, 9 1/2 inches high and 3 1/2 inches at its side, but it could comfortably fit in Sam, my Samsung Galaxy Tab, with still plenty of room for my purse and make-up pouch.

The side pockets are perfect for my two handphones!

I also added an internal  pocket which was not part of the original design.

I had also omitted the buttons as I could not find a button in my stash that would go with the bag.

I did not want to wait till I could get to Kelvin to get some buttons as I want to try to finish the bag when I still have some free time.

Besides the language barrier in trying to understand the instructions in making the bag, my only other problem was that of thickness or bulkiness due to the layering when doing the box pleats because the fabrics had already been ironed with interfacing.

If ever I make this bag again, I think I will make the pleats first, only then will I iron on the interfacing so that I won't end up with bulk at the seams.

Overall, I enjoyed making this bag, and might even consider taking orders to make a few more! *wink*

I have another bag I am making from the same book that I got the pattern for this bag, and again, I had to make some adjustments and some educated guess to try to figure out the instructions. That bag is also nearing completion. I just have the accessories to add.

I will post photos of that bag too when it is fully completed. Stay tuned!

Let’s do yoga!

This is another overdue posting, but I want to put it up anyway because I want to share with friends here who are into yoga or my crafting friends, a mat bag I made for my cousin, Ima, sometime early this year. Yup! EARLY this year! To be exact, in early March 2011. That long ago! LOL!

My cousin Ima had asked me if I would make a yoga mat bag for her to replace the one she bought a long time ago but was no longer big enough to carry around her yoga mat. She had innovatively expanded the bag to suit the size of her yoga mat by adding some length of stretchable band, but, over time, the band was getting out of shape.

I was more than happy to make the mat bag for her. It gave me the opportunity to try out something I have never done before.

Using her old mat bag as a basis to make a template for the new bag but almost twice the size, I worked on it over 3 weekends. Ima had chosen the fabric from the stash of fabric I already have in stock.

I must say that I am quite pleased with the results though I must say that it was quite a challenge to make the pockets for the bag as Ima wanted it to be roomy enough to put in her car keys whenever she carries the bag to go for her yoga classes. I can’t quite explain how the pocket is and I also forgot to snap a photo of the said pocket. *sigh*

Maybe Ima can do it for me, pretty please?

I also had to make the flap long enough to be able to securely hold the yoga mat in place so that it will not slip.

What do you all think? Nice? *wink*

All in all, it was an interesting project and that I wouldn’t mind doing it again should anyone else be interested to order one. *grin*

Thanks, Ima, for modelling it for me.

Gosh! Must go look for the notes I made when I was constructing the bag! LOL!

A Birthday Gift from Carla!

This is a post long overdue. In fact way way long overdue! Carla must think I am not appreciative for her gift to me for not blogging about it. But, the truth is, I have been exceptionally busy these last few months. I have loads of work, and I have been travelling more often than usual. In fact, I have been travelling weekly, when before this, I only travel every 2 weeks.

This coming week will probably be one of those few weeks that I will actually be in the office, or, rather, I am not outstation. I am hardly in the office even if I am not outstation as I can sometimes be chairing project meetings back to back.

A driver asked me the other day how do I remember everything about each and every project that I manage as he is usually the one that takes me from meetings to meetings. I currently have about 30 odd number of projects to handle.

Now, I can’t be telling my ‘trade secret’, can I, when I know I have a few readers of my blogs here who are people I know from work. *wink*

Anyway, back to the current matter in hand, this year, once again, I participated in the Birthday Exchange at NNC and for this time around, my partner is Carla from the United States. Her birthday isn’t until November though I am about ¾ done already on her present. I don’t want to suddenly end up rushing to do her present like what happened last year when I had Diane as my partner. I kept it to almost the very end before finally deciding on what I wanted to do.

At the end of the day, I ended up sending Diane’s present 2 weeks late. *blush* Headmistress Margaret wasn’t too pleased. *head held low in shame*

I can’t show what I did for Carla until after she receives it in November, but, in the mean time, here is what I got from her.....

I got from Carla a box of variegated silk ribbons in 2 lengths of different width, a bag handle in black and white and a pink pincushion with my name stitched on it.

Here’s a closer look of the very sweet pincushion.

I don’t know what bag would suit the handle just yet. It is so lovely; I think I might just keep it in its packaging so that I can keep on admiring it. *grin*

Thanks, Carla, for all the lovely things. Sorry it took me so long before I blogged about it. Do know though that I did not forget, but time was simply not on my side. Thanks again and hugs!