Made a New Quilted Bag

It took over a month to finish this project, but it's finally done! It's been over five years since I made myself a proper bag. I realized I've come a long way since I made this bag. The last one I made was mostly hand-stitched and back then I didn't know how to use fusible interfacing. 

I wanted a bag that would remind me of the sun and lemon flavors. I gathered yellow scraps and cut to make small squares. I decided to use them for huge pockets as additional storage. I matched it with denim fabric to bring out the happy color. 

Luckily, my Mom left a lot o zippers and I was able to use one for the bag. I just DIY'd the handles with interfacing. Using interfacing for the handles makes a huge difference. I didn't put any in my previous bag and I had to add a new handle to make it sturdier. 

I like the size of this bag (9" x 3" x 12") since it fits my prescription envelope. I thought it was too slim, but it fit my stuff perfectly. Now, I can't wait to bring it to town, LOL. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made a Bag for a Friend

When I heard my Malaysian friend was visiting, I immediately thought about replacing the bag I made for her years ago. It was one of my earlier projects and was hand sewn. It wasn't too sturdy.

I had only a few days to make it, so I made a small all-around bag which she can use as a lunch bag or shopping bag. I worked on it for a few nights and the coffee beans we got for them fit perfectly. 

I like making stuff for dear friends. I hope this bag lasts!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made Atsara

I quickly looked at what I could do with the papaya we harvested from our tree. There were two and one was still green. We also got two small bell peppers and have a number of ginger in pots. I did a quick search and found out that I could actually make atsara from our harvest. 

I liked Chef Tatung's recipe since you actually cook the atsara. The other recipes I watched only poured boiling vinegar on the veggies. I figured the result would be tastier if I cooked the veggies together. The recipe was also on one of the first Simpol cookbooks, so I got to work last weekend.

Using the food processor was really helpful. I'm a klutz when it comes to using knives. I just cut the veggies and fed them to the food processor. Preparing everything took longer because I took videos, haha. It was easy to make and I'm glad I had everything on hand. Maybe next time I'll make more when we have a bigger harvest and I'll share it with friends. 

Full recipe: https://recipesformyson.blogspot.com/2026/01/recipes-for-my-son-homemade-atsara.html

Here's how I made it:

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Made a Snowman Food Processor Quilt Cover

I'm so stoked! I finished another cover for my kitchen appliances. The design of inspired from a post on Pinterest. I just embellished it a bit more. 

I always add pockets to my kitchen covers. It's where I put the accessories of the gadget. I hate looking for them in drawers, so I prefer to keep them close.

It took me a few weeks to make it. I made a pattern first since I had to match it with the size of the food processor. One thing different I did for this batch of covers is I added fusible interfacing to make it sturdier.

I love how it turned out! Here's how I made it :)

https://youtu.be/d5lt7nNjGjc?si=raLaQZLwtvjTGYKl

#BeKind #StaySafe

Tried the Taco Bell Mix

We chanced upon a pack of Taco Bell taco mix at a grocery store and just had to try it. The nearest Taco Bell store is at least 45 minutes away, so this was a good opportunity to have it at home. 

It was very easy to make. Just saute some beef with minced onion and then add the Taco Bell mix. I let the boys do the slicing and grating of the other ingredients. To be honest, we found it easier to use the taco cups than the regular taco shells. Either way, you can just break it and eat it as a salad. 

Here's how we made it at home:

One thing we added to the taco is homemade pickled onions. My friend makes it, but she lives far from us and rarely delivers in our area, so we just made some. I even got some powdered red beets to complete the pickles. 

Now I want to have this again, soon!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Quilt Blanket Progress

I mentioned in my post last week that I'll finish one of Mom's unfinished quilt blankets. I thought about how I'll go about it for a few days. The easier way was to just extend it, add wadding and binding. After several inspections of the unfinished project, I realized it would be better to reap it, so I could make it even. I also don't know where Mom got the sashing fabric. She probably left it unfinished because she ran out of it. 

It took me over a week to take it apart. I consulted with Miggy on what fabric color I should use to replace the sashing. He chose pistachio. It only took two days before it arrived and then I sent it to the laundromat for washing (it'll be impossible to dry it at home because of the rains). 

Meanwhile, I've been working on organizing my sewing area. I'm also starting to putter around my sewing room. It's currently full of boxes from Mom's stuff. I might get help to organize it since I just don't have enough stamina right now. 

Stay dry and keep sewing!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Tried Making Pickled Onions

I learned to love pickled onions when it was served as part of taco Thursdays at work. You had to build your own taco and you could add whatever ingredient you like. I kept experimenting until I found the best mix for me. The only other place I'd get to eat pickled onions is when we dine out and it's part of the side dishes offered. 

I honestly haven't seen pickled onions sold in groceries. A friend sells it, but she lives far away and we're only able to order if she has delivery in our city. I figured I can just try making it at home. It's much like how my Dad would make pickled cucumber. To make it scarlet you just need to add beet root and that's what I did. 

Here's how I made it:

The day after making it we made taco at home and it turned out pretty great! Yum!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Quilted Bags I Made Through the Years

I haven't been able to sew the past few weeks, so I thought I'd take this chance to look back on the bags I've made through the years. 

I was in high school when my Mom taught me how to quilt. We started with piecing together squares. I got hooked because she said I could make bags out of it. One summer I made these three bags which I used as school bags.

It was two decades later when I started to quilt again. This was when I started to experiment and make different types of bags. All of these were hand sewn.

Made this for Audrey

2016

I also made bags when I started to collect Yoda figures.

2016

2017

Some I made as gifts.

For Carissa 

For Ate Joy

For Shirni

My "make a useful bag era" (still made by hand)

Huge tote, Google colors

Cat experiment 

For Mom

For me

My half-machine, half-handsewn transition era.

With embroidery 

Machine sewing era

For Ms. Myna

For Gab

For Anne

The bag that saved me

I used to just go into making bags blindly (haha), them I discovered books, magazines and YouTube videos. I still have a lot to learn. The last bag I made using Mom's unfinished project saved me from further injury. I'm still hopping around the house and hope I can get back to regular activities soon!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made 3.3 Kilos of Cat Food

I've been meaning to make cat food for our fur babies. I was supposed to make it when Grogu went home from the vet, but, alas, I've been unstable. Finally got to it early this week with Miggy's help. 

We boiled, chicken liver, gizzard, chicken breast and squash. Once it was cool, I broke it down with a good processor. Easy ready!

It was our biggest homemade cat food to date at 3.3 kilograms! Miggy always weighs and stores it in heatable containers. The broth is also set aside to help keep them hydrated.

The cats will all be happy. Here's how to make it 😁 

https://youtu.be/NeBHa2aPXEA?si=KksWDZbRDacxLrpH

#BeKind # StaySafe

Jaybucks Homemade Pizza

While I was watering the plants, the boys were busy making Jaybucks pizza! It's a simple pizza made with Del Monte pizza sauce, cheese, Purefoods ham and ready made crust. Easy peasy to make.

It's always a treat to have homemade pizza. It's filling and not too heavy for the tummy. One of these days we'll try to make it from scratch (when it's not too hot!).

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made a Pokemon "Pikachu" Quilt

I was really curious whether Pinterest grids of characters would work as a quilt. Since I had a lot of yellow fabric, I decided to make a Pikachu quilt. I originally intended to make it as a throw pillow case, but it was too cute. I decided to turn it into a wall hanging since we don't have anything on our walls. 

I started the project last August. I was busy with other things. I worked on it on and off and piecing together 400 1"x 1" squares wasn't easy. I had to take breaks in-between to rest. The hardest part was hand quilting across the project. I'm happy I now have a Pokemon wall decor-a homemade one!

Here's how I made it!

Will I do it again? Maybe. I definitely want to have a Yoda one and if I have more energy maybe I'll complete the Pokemon starters. 

Learned to Make Real Mac and Cheese

TBH, we always make ready to cook mac and cheese. I never tried making it with real cheese. A friend brought several pieces of cheese. Another friend explained what they were good for. One was gyuyere cheese which I learned was good for pasta. 

I watched a couple of videos to learn how to make mac and cheese. I chose to adapt Chef Tatung's Mac and cheese recipe. He used regular boxed cheese and mentioned you can add other cheeses. I used the food processor to grate the gyuyere cheese and found some leftover mozzarella cheese in the fridge. 

It was fairly easy to make and my boys absolutely loved it. Miggy said it tasted like mac and cheese from a restaurant we ate in once. I was so used to regular boxed mac and cheese and Kenny Rogers mac and cheese, it never occurred to me to try making it with real cheese. It mega leveled-up! Now I don't think I'll buy boxed mac and cheese anymore, LOL.

Here's how we made it at home:

Full recipe at: https://recipesformyson.blogspot.com/2024/09/recipes-for-my-son-mac-and-cheese-with.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Quilted Rainbow Heart Tote Bag

I made this quilted rainbow heart tote bag for my friend, Gab. I made a number of quilted hearts and was thinking about what projects to do with it. I was planning to make a throw pillow cover, but thought a tote bag might be useful for him. 

I had just set-up my sewing area last June when I worked on the piece. I was flying headless for a while since most of my sewing materials were still in boxes. I persisted and managed to finish the project in time for our get together. 

I heard he's using it to carry his gadgets. Good thing I stitched the strap twice to make it sturdier. Here's how I made the tote bag:

And here's my happy friend, Gab.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Homemade Thai Style Iced Tea

We found a bag of ChaTruMue at Daiso. Promptly bought a bag so we could make our own Thai milk tea at home. I watched a few videos to see which would work best for us. The idea of mixing milk and condensed milk seemed like the best option. 

I didn't have the usual materials used to steep the tea traditionally, so I just used Sweetie's tea pot. I steeped 30 grams of tea with 750 ml of hot water. I let it steep for a few minutes and then let it cool. While waiting for it to cool, I mixed 1:1 of milk and condensed milk. I put it in a milk pitcher so we could use the leftover for coffee the next day. 

I made 2 glasses of milk tea for me and Miggy, the rest Sweetie drank as tea. It's pretty potent at 10 grams for 250 ml. If you don't want the kabog just use 7 grams of tea. We liked though how sharper the taste was compared to buying ready-made from restos. Here's a short video of how I made it:

*Tip: it's a good idea to mix a small can of condensed milk plus an equal amount of milk into a small milk jug. You can store it in the fridge. Just make sure to cover it and finish it within a week. We used it with coffee and it tastes like Spanish latter/kopi. No need for sugar :)

Made a Cute Wonder Woman Tote Bag

Started this year's crafting activities by making a cute Wonder Woman tote bag. It was inspired from a jute bag a friend used to send a gift. I super liked the size of the jute bag. In fact, I use it everyday to transport my stuff from room to room. I carry a lot of stuff whenever I leave our bedroom, so it's worked perfectly for me. 

I've had the jute bag for awhile now, so thought I'd make a similar one, but with a twist. I still have some Wonder Woman fabric, so I thought I'd start strong this year with an iconic character. I also want to give the piece as a gift to a friend who loves Wonder Woman. 

I immediately cut the fabric after I figured out the sizes of the pieces. Piecing them together was easy. I learned a lot through the years and made sure to use fusible interfacing to stabilize the fabric. What I didn't count on was not finding my stash of bag handles. I brought home some from Singapore and was counting on using it for this project. 

Ahh, another learning moment for me. Did some research on how to make bag handles, so I just made a basic one. Next time I'll try making it rounded. I'm actually surprised I got some good views on my post on "how to make bag straps". I guess I was just on the same boat as many other people. (Go watch it yes?). 

I love how it turned out. Holding onto this until I finish two more for my food train crew. I'll make something different for the other two. I'm sure my friend will see this when I post this! Haha! No worries! It will be with you soon! 

More info about this project: https://www.needleadventures.com/2024/01/wonder-woman-tote-bag.html

Happy crafting everyone! 

Bottomless Salmon Baked Sushi for Us!

I'm delayed at everything, including making baked sushi at home! I've been meaning to make baked sushi since the lockdown! We've just been ordering via Grab, but we always end up bitin, plus it's expensive! I always have trouble also since most baked sushi being sold has kani in it. My allergies get triggered, so I thought it's time we learn to make it at home. 

I watched several videos. For this recipe I combined Chef RV and Panlasang Pinoy's way of making baked sushi. I couldn't find Kikkoman when we made it, so I used Lee Kum Kee first draw soy sauce. I discovered this soy sauce when we ordered North Park once. They give out free Lee Kum Kee soy sauce, so I thought I'd try it out. I think I'm hooked because it's very smooth. I'll try it on adobo next time. 

Anyway, baked to the baked sushi. I got some smoked salmon from Landers and thought I'd use the whole thing for the baked sushi. It was a lot and that meant bottomless baked sushi for us! What we forgot though was to get more nori packets! Doing grocery shopping during Christmas is hard!

Yes, we finished both pans, hahaha.

So, to remind us how to make it, I filmed it! Here's how we made it (first time!) -

Next time, we'll try tuna baked sushi. I'm excited!

Recipe at: https://recipesformyson.blogspot.com/2024/01/recipes-for-my-son-smoked-salmon-baked.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Easy to Make Holiday Potholder

I actually made this potholder last October for a friend and in preparation for Christmas. My plan was to make a series of holiday themed quilt projects. I haven't made anything else since the unexpected schedule interruption, haha. I'm also waiting for my hand to heal a bit more. Sweetie said the hematoma on my hand won't look good on vids, haha. 

My go-to block is the pinwheel. It's so easy to make especially if you use the half-square technique. I remember making a huge pinwheel yellow blanket for Mom. I didn't know yet the half-square technique back then, plus I hand sewed and quilted the whole blanket. It took me two years to make it! 

To cut time, I also used layer cake fabric (10" square pre-cut fabric). I rushed to finish this project since I was sending it to a friend who was visiting Manila for a short while. I wanted to surprise her with the Christmas potholder. I hope they're using it now in the convent. 

Here's how I made it:

Pattern and more info on my sewing blog: https://www.needleadventures.com/2023/12/holiday-pinwheel-potholder.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

DIY Pincushion from Scrap Fabric

I think I finally used up all the tiny triangle scrap fabric. I wanted to use all of it, but it was hard to make something cohesive with it because of the variety. After moving around the joined triangles, I eventually decided to make a pincushion. I have another large cube pincushion I made from scraps years ago. Since it's looking a bit forlorn already, I thought it was time to make a new one. 

It honestly took me a few days to figure out what to do with the scraps. I also wanted to use it all up already, so I could move on to my other scraps. I also realized I need to start working on my Christmas project soon. Took a shortcut and made the scraps into a pincushion. 

Here's how I made it -

What's next? Hmmm, I need to replace the tablet sleeve I made back in 2015. It was the first project I made after my 20+ hiatus from quilting. :)

Keep `em hands busy!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Homemade Pancakes!

When we were stuck in Singapore during the pandemic, one of the things we craved for was Maya pancakes! Tried other imported mixes, but only really liked the one by Maya. It's what I grew up with and we had it for breakfast often at home. 

 0

Researched and found this recipe. Unfortunately, I don't remember anymore if I found it online or in one of my recipe books. If I like something, I usually write it down with my adjustments on an index card. Then I mark it with stars so I remember it's the recipe I should re-use. Here's how we make it at home -

The secret to cooking it nicely? I let Sweetie take over the cooking part, haha. One thing I'd like to try is to use healthier ingredients. Maybe wheat? Or I saw some prepare them with banana. We'll get there, in time. 

More info and complete recipe at https://recipesformyson.blogspot.com/2023/10/recipes-for-my-son-homemade-pancakes.html 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Zipper Practice! Made a Quilted Pouch

Thought I'd match the quilted laptop sleeve I made for my friend with a small pouch. She could use it as a pencil case or for knick-knacks. It would fit the pocket of the laptop sleeve or she could put it in her bag. I originally wanted to make a pot holder or coaster, but she probably won't use it. My friends who I gave mug rugs ended up just displaying the project. They said it's too precious (hehe). I want to make items that are useful, so I thought a pouch/pencil case would be better to make. 

I also wanted to improve my skills. I have a friend who makes amazing bags in all shapes and sizes, with zippers! So this project was meant to test my zipper skills. It did not disappoint because I made a mistake adding the lining. I had to remove the stitches and that took at least 30 minutes, hahaha. 

The project just took one night to make. I made it while watching some YouTube videos. It was a great way to be productive and it required me to move between the family room (where I sew now) and my maker room (where all my stuff is). We were home bound the past week anyway because of the typhoon. This week I have to schedule my pulmo rehab. Hopefully no more typhoons for the time-being. 

Well, here's how I made the pouch with a zipper -

 

Special thanks to Sweetie for lending me his toy studio so I could take a nicer photo of the project, hehe. Here's how it looks under ispesyal lights -

More info on how to make this pouch at:

https://www.needleadventures.com/2023/09/quilted-pouch-with-sleeve.html

Happy Tuesday everyone!