Quilts in Progress

Oh boy, I lost track of time and here I am cramming today post. LOL. I was going to post about something else, but it needs additional research, so thought I'd just share what I'm currently working on.

I've made progress with my Pokemon Pikachu quilt project. Since it's much bigger than I intended, I'm going to make it into a wall hanging. I have that on my quilt wish list. I always wanted to make art for our home and the size of this quilt is perfect. I just sandwiched it with batting today and I plan to hand quilt it. Ah, that's probably where I'll take time again. (Update: here's how I made the Pikachu Quilt)

My other project is a runner for my piano. I've been meaning to make one for it for a few months now. It's a peppermint inspired Christmas quilt. I'm having fun making it since I like making pinwheels.

Yay!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made a Quilted Gift for My Doctor

My doctors have been caring for me really well. They are all quite new since I moved back home and had to find new doctors. I always observe their clinics to find clues on what I could possibly gift them. I noticed not all my doctors have patient beds where they do physical checks. One did and had a pillow which I thought needed a new case.

I brought a tape measure and asked permission from my doctor if I could measure the pillow. I told her I wanted to make a throw pillow case for it. The last time I made one was for my cardiologist in Singapore. He was so stoked he actually put my work on a frame. It now hangs in his office (haha). 

I worked on the quilted throw pillow case between my vaccinations (haha). I wanted to make sure I'd be able to give it to her on my next appointment. I made a fairly easy design, but challenged myself by making small heart accents. That's where I got stuck for awhile. It wasn't perfect, but still looked like hearts (haha). I figured the patients who'd see it won't notice anyway since they'll be busy with the doctor. 

I handed it to my doctor and she was happy with the surprise. She immediately asked her assistant to put it on the pillow. Maybe I'll see it next time I come back for my next vaccination :)

Here's how I made the project:

Measurements and how to: https://www.needleadventures.com/2024/09/quilted-throw-pillow-case-for-doctor.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made a Quilted Monochromatic Tote Bag

I was on a roll making tote bags. This one is a belated birthday gift. I thought it would be easy, but it was challenging to find fabric to complete the look I wanted. I also had to get Miggy to help me lay out the fabric since I wasn't getting the gradient I wanted. I was stuck there for awhile, but eventually finished it. 

Here's how I made it:

And here's my friend, Anne. I made her pose against an artwork at a hotel which looked a bit similar to the bag (just a different color).

*Thanks for indulging me to pose, haha. 

More information about how to make this bag: https://www.needleadventures.com/2024/08/quilted-monochromatic-tote-bag.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made Multiple Hearts

I like making heart quilts. I saw this really cute heart quilt on Pinterest a few years ago. It took me awhile to figure out the measurements, but that's part of the fun whenever I make a quilt project. For this summer I thought I'd make different quilt projects using this design. 

The least thing I like doing whenever I make quilt projects is measuring and cutting fabric! I know it could be easier if I use a roller blade to cut fabric, but I'm scared of the roller blade (plus I'm a bleeder). I also noticed that roller blades get dull easily. I'm probably not using it correctly, so I just cut fabric the traditional way (ruler + scissors). It takes longer, but it's a safer way for me. 

So I got busy the past week measuring and making multiple hearts. Here's how I made it:

After I'm done making multiple hearts I'll work on several cute projects. There's going to be a disruption though since we need to vacate the basement again for some repairs. It means I need to empty my craft room again. Gah.

Measurements available on my sewing blog: https://www.needleadventures.com/2024/03/make-multiple-heart-quilts.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made a Star Wars Themed Quilted Cover

Finally got around to making a quilt cover for a bench at home. I originally had it made for my craft room, but we moved it to the family room where it fit better. I wanted to make a cover for it to prolong the lifespan of the pink cover. It would be expensive to have it cleaned often, so the best way to prolong it's life is to cover it. 

I wanted the cover to be colorful, so I matched the Star Wars fabric with orange, yellow, blue and green. I originally thought it would be too flashy, but Miggy said the accent went well with the theme. I thought I could finish the project in two to three weeks. It stretched to almost six weeks since I had other things to do at home, plus we had to work on our health. 

It turned out well, but I think I'll delay making another one later this year (we have two benches haha). I also want to make seat covers for the sofa set (that's going to be a super huge project). I'm still thinking about making it a modern quilt or a traditional one. I'll probably do a modern one since it's for our home anyway. 

Here's six weeks of work turned into a six minute tutorial video:

More info about this quilt project on my sewing blog: https://www.needleadventures.com/2024/03/star-wars-themed-quilt-cover-for-bench.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Creative Happy Goals for 2024

I've been busy enjoying my newfound stamina doing some gardening. It's become part of my exercise regime and I get a good workout watering plants and checking if they're healthy. The cats have also been extra sweet and have been a good distraction. This means though I've been inconsistent with my blogging duties. 

Anyway, I've been thinking about what creative projects I want to do this year. I have a tendency to procrastinate if I don't write things down. I've decided to include non-sewing projects since there's a few things I want to try. 

Here's what I plan to do this year:

1. Make covers for our benches and sofa set. I know this is a huge project, so I really need to plan this well. 

2. Seat covers for our dining chairs. I already have an idea what I want to do for this. 

3. Throw pillow covers for the sofa. 

4. New curtains. (I already have the fabric, just got busy last year!).

5. Experiment on using beads and loom bands as part of my quilting projects.

6. Work on Christmas projects earlier. 

7. Another retaso project season.

8. Covers for other kitchen appliances.

9. A t-shirt blanket.

10. A fun project, maybe a bag and wallet. 

Plus! Set-up my design wall! 

My list is ambitious, so let's see what I end up completing :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Picking Up Where I Left Off

It's hard for me not to work any quilt project. My day feels incomplete if I don't pick up a needle to sew something. I could spend hours working on my sewing projects, but my appendages don't agree with long hours. I haven't been able to see an ortho yet, so I started doing the arm PT exercises I learned a few years ago. I think it's helped and I'm also working on reversing my vitamin D insufficiency. 

I told myself I need to first finish projects I've started. I have a number I haven't finished. So yesterday i started working on the cat quilt cover for our blender. All it needs now is to be assembled. Decided though to add a pocket to the backside so I could put some stuff in it if needed. 

I timed myself so I didn't overwork. I just made the pocket and the backside. Started quilting on the pocket, but I started to feel some pain. I think the repetitive hand stitching isn't good for my arm. I immediately stopped and did some exercises. Pain subsided immediately and I rested after. 

Ending this post now because I'm excited to finish my cat quilt. :D

#BeKind #StaySaffe

Creative Happy Tuesdays: Huge Home Appliance Cover

My rainbow colored fabric always gives me good vibes. The color is just so happy so I thought it would be nice to use it to create a quilt cover for my oxygen concentrator. It's a huge medical device my doctor required me to have and I didn't realize it would be so big. It was parked beside my side of the bed. I use it when my O2 goes below 94. 

I haven't used it for awhile and it looked odd in our bedroom. I also don't like to be reminded I have a medical device. To relive myself of the constant reminder I quickly put together a cover for it. The cover was huge, so I simplified the process and just cut up squares to make up the whole project. 

I didn't have a pattern and made a mistake with my measurements. I made up for the size gap by adding a strip of fabric. I had fun piecing together the cut fabric, but assembling the whole piece got gnarly. Good thing I had a lot of clips to hold it together. I also did temporary stitches to make it easier to bind. 

Turned out pretty well. I realized just now I need a second one because I need to wash the cover every so often. I think I'll make a monochrome one next time so it doesn't clash with my new blinds. 

Tutorial and pattern at: https://www.needleadventures.com/2023/03/huge-appliance-quilt-cover.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Creative Happy Tuesdays: My Ambitious Santa Seat Cover

Finally finished one seat cover for our dining chairs. I thought I'd finish it in time for Christmas, but so many things happened since I started the project in October. I decided to make one because our dining chairs are too big. None of the covers being sold in the market would fit them. 

Originally thought of using my Christmas jelly fabric roll, but thought that would be too simple. While searching for seat covers I saw some cute Santa designed ones. I looked at Santa quilt patterns and they looked easy enough to do. 

The trouble started when I was trying to adjust the pattern to fit the size of the chair. The shape was odd and it was a bit difficult to visualize. It looked fairly easy to do on graphing paper. Went on to cut the fabric and I worked on piecing them together. The second issue cropped up when I sewed on Santa's face. It looked too small. I made several paper iterations before I settled on the bigger face. 

I wanted to use whatever I had available in my maker room. Then I realized that the mustache wasn't enough. Santa needed a huge beard. Good thing I still had some of the white vined fabric I originally used for his mustache. It took me a week to finish the beard because I fussed over the size a lot. I thought I was going to finally free from issues.

Nope, issue number four cropped up soon after. I didn't have the right materials to complete my project. I tried to make the items I didn't have, but they did not turn out well. Good thing  you can buy almost anything online and that's how I got the bigger buttons, the red flowers* and the hat pompom. 

Finally finished piecing together Santa after several iterations of the hat (I still think it's not perfect). I went ahead to cut the stretchy fabric**. I didn't realize that it would be so difficult to use stretchy fabric. I thought I cut the right size, but it came up short. Set it aside for a few days and realized I needed to use interfacing to keep it stable (gaaah). So that's what I did. 

It wasn't home free after that because it was still difficult to combine it with Santa. Finally finished one piece out of size just an hour ago. It's far from perfect and now I have to think about how to make it easier and cleaner. Well, I have five more to go through, so maybe I'll perfect it by then, haha. 

*originally wanted stars but none were available

**fabric for sofa covers

#BeKind #StaySafe

Creative Happy Tuesdays: Craft the Year Away!

I had fun developing new skills last year as I went through my sewing projects. I learned how to make curtains, finished my tshirt quilt project, a cover for my oxygen concentrator, and a Christmas tree skirt. I also made a couple of potholders and a Christmas placemat.  The only "artwork" I made was the pink vinta project. I wasn't able to finish my other Christmas projects and gave up on the planned handmade gifts, haha. 

What I learned though is to aim for the moon. Aim high so if you don't finish, you still get good results. I took so long finishing the tshirt quilt and I normally rest between major projects*. My craft room was also inaccessible for more than a month during renovation (it's not done yet). My overall plan for this year is to make more useful smaller projects. 

I created a long list of projects I want to make back in 2021. Good thing I wrote it in a notebook. The list kept growing because I'd get inspired from my craft books and Pinterest. There's so many cute stuff in it and I know I always learn when I create something. 

Here's what I'll prioritize this year:

1. New covers for my kitchen appliances and O2 concentrator.
2. Cover/blanket for the benches.
3. Finish the dining room seat cover and make a non-Christmas one.
4. Throw pillow covers for our currently non-existent sofa (lol)
5. Make more pot holders.
6. New curtains 
7. Make essential oil holders (been meaning to do this since 2020!)
8. Key holders 
9. Oven gloves (I got this huge roll of heat resistant wadding which needs to be used!)
10. Experimental projects, a wall hanging and something that requires a zipper. 

And note to self, if giving away handmade gifts, start making them in Q2! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

*Gotta prevent trigger finger and arm pain

Creative Happy Tuesdays: My Christmas Quilt Projects

Finally got around to planning my Christmas projects. I spent an entire week after I finished the quilt cover I made for the O2 concentrator thinking about what I should make for Christmas. I found my idea notebook and poured over the list I made. After selecting what I want to make, I also looked at Pinterest for ideas. 

Since I don't have any Christmas quilts, I thought I'd make some for use at home. I want to make some place mats, potholders, a table runner, coasters and maybe mug rugs. I hope to finish also the tree skirt I started last year and if I still have time make some throw pillows, a lap quilt and maybe a Christmas sock.

Pinwheel lap quilt

 

In previous years, I was able to make gifts for my friends. I'm still thinking about what I can make this year that won't break my fingers (haha). The previous gifts I made were all hand sewn. I made a few lap quilts last year for my friends in Singapore and my doctors. It was a race to finish it in-between packing for our trip home. 

Lap quilt for my respiratory doctor :)

To warm up, I'll probably start making some potholders and then I'll work my way up to the table runner. I'm still figuring out how to properly do the tree skirt. I didn't finish the one I made last year because I'm not too happy with how it looks. I'll probably finish it since we're planning to put up multiple trees again this year. 

Hope I'll be more productive for the rest of the year. I spent too much time already just trying to gain more energy. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

  

Creative Happy Tuesdays: Mug Rug

Pretty soon it's going to be Christmas again! Memes of Jose Mari Chan have been gracing the stream again. This tells me it's time to start thinking about Christmas. I really like making gifts instead of buying. I wasn't able to make any last year because we were so busy moving back and moving homes. 

I made mug rugs once and I think I sent cheese cupcakes with it. Most of my friends though used it for decor haha. They said it was too cute and precious to use to keep their mugs warm! Haha. 

Here's how I made it -

More information on how I made it is on m y craft blog: https://www.needleadventures.com/2021/02/how-to-make-quilted-mug-rug.html

I quilted and did some embroidery on the project. I like adding some embroidery to it for fun! I need to look through my list to figure out what to make this year :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Creative Happy Tuesdays: T-Shirt Memory Quilt Blanket is Done!

Woohoo! I finally finished my t-shirt memory quilt blanket! I started working on this on May 11, 2019! I worked on it on and off because the materials were in Manila. I eventually brought it to Singapore in January 2020. Thought I'd finish it there, but I didn't since I got busy with work and then was in and out of the hospital. 

Told myself I'll finish it this year. My deadline kept moving mainly because of my health. I just worked on it whenever I felt well. Worked on it slowly, but surely. I made bite-sized targets until I finally added the binding last weekend. The last stitch was added on August 20, 2022 (3 years 3 months and 9 days/831 days). 

Here's a tutorial on how I made it:

I also have a step by step guide here in case you want to try making one.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Craft Tuesdays: Uniqlo Outfits + My Quilted Bags = Marvelous

My quilting journey started with making bags. For practice Mom cut 1.5" x 1.5" squares for me to piece together. It eventually became my lunchbag. Then she cut larger squares and it became a totebag. I still have those bags somewhere. I'll share it when I find it.

I still enjoy making quilt bags and it's easier to learn nowadays because there are a lot of YouTube videos you can follow. We dropped by Uniqlo today and I was once again inspired to think about making a quilted bag. Here's a few nice pieces from Uniqlo that would match with some of the bags I've made.

Hope I'll have more time soon so I can work on making more quilted bags. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Craft Tuesdays: The Baby Quilt Blanket I Made for Miggy

I mentioned a few posts ago about the baby quilt blanket I made for Miggy. I sewed it by hand and Mom took care of binding it (I didn't know how to do binding at that time). The fabric I used were cuttings from Tita Maming's export business. She always gave my Mom cuttings that they were just going to dispose. They had really nice fabric because their primary market was Japan. All the quilts I made during that time were from the stash she gave to my Mom. 

We used pink and blue checked fabric. The design was simple and I embroidered cute shapes on some of the pieces. I'm actually surprised that the thread has held up even after almost 30 years. The last square I embroidered Miggy's name, birth date and time. 

I was so happy when Sweetie found the blanket when he pulled out the rest of our stuff from the condo. Got it washed this week. There are some stains on it which I think I will need to hand wash. It still feels really sturdy and I'm thinking of framing. It will probably be nice to hang in my sewing room. 

Well, one assignment for me is to find Miggy's baby photo with it. For now I only have grown-up Miggy with it haha. This is one thing I will cherish forever :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Quilt Blankets I Made for Friends

I finally found the first quilt blanket I made. It was a baby blanket I hand-sewed just before Miggy was born. It was my Mom though who finished the process since she was more knowledgeable in binding than me. When I took up quilting again I realized my knowledge was incomplete. 

I took up quilting again I think in 2014 or 2015. I told myself I had to learn how to finish a quilt. Every project I started had to have a learning goal. I also wanted to make friends happy. In 2019 one of my favorite colleagues was about to give birth to a miracle baby. Armed with my rainbow fabric collection, I embarked on making a baby quilt. I sewed everything by hand and I was still sewing it when I went to Syndey. Luckily, I was able to finish it before I left and I gave it to her in between the events we were hosting. She has since sent me many photos of her baby playing on the quilt. 

The quilt wasn't perfect, but was made with love. I was a few months into making the Harry Potter quilt blanket for friends who just got married. For this quilt I wanted to improve on my stitching and piecing corners. I also wanted to use a sewing machine for piecing the bigger parts of the quilt. The small parts of the quilt were all sewn in-flight. It reached Australia, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. It took me two years to finish it since I got so busy in 2020. I finally sent it to Canada last year. 

Before I went back home I had this great idea I could make multiple quilts by using short cuts. I wanted to learn the shortcut to making pinwheel quilts. I told myself, ahhh maybe I can make two blankets. I ended up making four and gifted it to my friends in Singapore. 

Another friend got a different version of the Harry Potter quilt blanket. For this I followed a design from a book. Miggy helped me with the colors. 

Of course, I made baby quilts for my favorite doctors. I made two versions of it. By this time I was  quite confident at machine sewing. I slowly moved to machine quilting while making the blankets. I had to because I was starting to get pains in my arm haha. I enjoyed making the blankets for my doctors. My cardiologist has been sending me cute photos of him using it. 

Oversized lap quilt blanket for my cardiologist.

Lap quilt for my respiratory doctor.

I can't believe I made 8 baby blankets last year and I haven't even finished any this year. Well, I hope to finish my t-shirt memory quilt soon! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Quilt Projects I'm Working On

I've been focused on finishing the t-shirt memory quilt blanket for a few months now. I told myself I have to finish it soon since I started it in 2019. I've already made a number of lap quilts for friends, but I haven't made one for myself! I was set on finishing it this month, but I had to prioritize nursing my boys back to health so I abandoned quilting for almost 3 weeks. The good news is I have finished sandwiching it and have started quilting. If I spend 4-6 hours a day on it I might be able to finish it by mid-July. Still a big IF, haha. 

Another project I've been working on is a case for masks. Got this cute fabric last year and thought it would be perfect as a storage case for masks. I've made a couple and it just needs to be binded. I made this project to learn how to attach snap-on buttons. I usually attach a learning goal to my projects so I could develop more skills. I think I cut enough fabric for 10 mask cases, so I could attaching buttons. I gave one to my respiratory doctor's nurse in SG. She was so surprised I made it, haha. 

I still haven't completed making covers for all my appliances. I thought I was already done and realized I missed making one for the steamer and my oxygen concentrator. I've started the one for the oxygen concentrator. I'm using my rainbow fabric for it to match the other covers. The rainbow fabric has come a long way and I learned a lot of sewing techniques from it. I used to hand sew everything, but now I'm machine sewing as well to make the process faster (and to save my hand from carpal tunnel!). I need to finish this project asap! 

I just realized I only finished one quilt project this year -- the pink vinta throw pillow quilt! I wanted to make more, but I'm disciplining myself to finish my big projects first (I still have another blanket project that I started five years ago heehee). I hope when I have these things out of the way, I start other fun projects. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Pink Vinta Inspiration

A few weeks ago I was inspired by VP Leni's photo when she was in Zamboanga. It was a sunset photo by the bay with several pink vintas in the background. I've been planning to make a sea collection this year and thought I'd start it off with the vintas. Started the project by making a drawing so I could get the right measurements. 

I did everything by hand since I missed hand quilting, plus my hand has been cooperative (vitamin D3 + wall pushups ftw!). I happy to discover I have amassed a good number of pink fabric, mostly fat quarters and charms. Sweetie also got me a bunch of pink layer cakes last Christmas so it worked out perfectly. 

It took me two weeks to finish since I just worked on it at night while watching TV. And here's the quilted Vinta inspired throw pillowcases I made. I didn't fully capture the sides of the sail so I'll improve on it when I make other items. I plan to make a cover for my sewing machine and blender. I'll probably stick to smaller items since I only have fat quarters. 

Good thing my boys don't mind that I'm making our home super pink! Well just the living room for now. I relented and made yellow curtains for the kitchen, but pink checkered curtains would look nice for the kitchen so we'll see if I could stop myself hahaha. 

#BeKind #StayHome #VoteWisely

Life's a Stitch

Today's #ootd is brought to you by Cathy and Mike! They said they thought the shirt was made for me! Woot! I waited for the best day to finally wear it. And today's the day because I finally gave in and committed to my sewing machine. 

Huhhh?

I hesitated to get myself a sewing machine because I was happy hand sewing all my projects. A few months ago I injured my hand by sewing too much. Yes, you can injure your hand if you sew too much. I had to rest my hand for almost two months before it got better. I was forced to use my sewing machine more. 

It was Sweetie who bought the sewing machine for me. I didn't want to get one because I was not sure if I was going to use it all the time. The good news is I use it much more than my Switch (LOL). I was having a hard time using it because I would just put it on whatever table was available at home. I would use it only for short periods of time because of the awkward height of the table. It caused some pain in my arms, back and neck. 

So last week I finally got a proper sewing table when Spotlight offered it at a huge discount. Woohoo! Sweetie set it up for me last night. We put it beside the balcony door where there's a lot of light. Started sewing after lunch today and I lost track of time (hehe). I realized I should've gotten it sooner! Here's the unboxing video -

And that's why I thought today is the best day to wear the shirt Cathy and Mike got for me. Life's a stitch! (Thanks again Mike and Cathy!)

Day 30 Gratitude Challenge, Something you're passionate about. Sewing and crafts. I'm really grateful my Mom taught me how to love sewing and doing crafts at a young age. My hands are always busy and it's something I could do anywhere I go. It's been my therapy the past few months. I also use it as motivation to get stronger because finishing quilt projects require energy too :D

Day 2 Minimalism Challenge, Clean your handbag. I actually clean my handbag every week. I do it often because I like changing my handbag every other week. What I did extra for today is fix my wallet too. Not much change since I rarely go out, the only things I usually clear out are receipts and used tissue paper hehe. 

CB///*Yr2/113 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/136 #NewG333 #Home91 #StayHome #BeKind   

2-Years in the Making Harry Potter Quilt Blanket

Since I picked up quilting again I thought it would be nice to make quilt blankets as a wedding gift. My friends Jomar and Celine were set to do their church in July 2019. I started the project a month before their wedding thinking I would finish the quilt project in time for their wedding. I was dead wrong. 

It took two years and a month, multiple trips across Taiwan, Japan, Australia, the Philippines, the US, South Korea and what-not before I finished it in Singapore. The culprit was the tiny triangle highlights which required painstaking precision by hand. Aunties would fawn over me whenever I would sew in-flight (hahaha). I think it took me a year to finish the triangle highlights of the blanket. Here's how I made it --

The funny thing is I also ran out of fabric! I still don't know how to estimate the amount of fabric needed and I was very busy at work. I ended up waiting to get enough fabric before I could finish the project. One thing I did not anticipate also was the blanket got quite heavy to work on. I had to work on my stamina and energy so I could finally finish it. Sweetie had to help me carry it around and fold the blanket (Miggy helped me with the Wonder Woman quilt blanket project).

I chose Harry Potter as a theme because Celine loves HP a lot. I love working on themed quilt projects too because it gives me a reason to buy licensed fabric (quite expensive though haha). Celine and Jomar have just celebrated their second church wedding anniversary. I have to figure out now how to send this baby to Canada. I hope it gets to them in time for autumn! 

Day 18, Gratitude Challenge, An item you use everyday. One thing I'm really grateful for at the moment are the medications I drink everyday. It's keeping me alive! So I'm really grateful to all the scientists who figured out how to make meds to help keep me well! Without the medications to help with blood clots and pulmonary embolism I would have probably been long gone by now. Thank you dear scientists! 

CB///*Yr2/101 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/126 #NewG345 #Home103 #StayHome #BeKind