Made Another Cat Quilt

I finally finished the cat quilt I've been working on. It was inspired from Pinterest and I used scraps to put it together. Making it took longer than I expected because I embroidered some parts of it. I also asked for advice from Miggy to make sure the measurements were correct.

Here's how I made it:

And the end result:

 

Nonetheless, I enjoyed making it. I'll use it as part of my new sewing machine cover. I haven't made one in more than 5 years. I hope it will turn out cute :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Black Cat Project Progress

When I started the project I thought it would be easy. I thought I'd finish it in a day or two. What I forgot to take in consideration was the time needed to add the eyes, nose and attaching the tail, haha. I also have chores and make time to play with our cats, so I work on it when I can. 

Working with different fabrics also took time since  I had to measure each one properly. Here's how it's going -

Of course, the tail -

I honestly still have a hard time sewing on the curves. I read though you can use hemostat scissors to help hold down and move the fabric while sewing. I'll dig up my Mom's pair to try that trick. I pinned my finger again while sewing the curved areas, haha. 

I can't wait to finish the project!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made a Cat Coaster

I had a hard time making the Yoda-inspired coasters and to reset I wanted to make something easy. I took a look at a cat coaster I got from Daiso and thought it would be a perfect pattern. 

I found some of my Mom's scraps (they're probably older than Miggy!) and I used it for this experiment. It was fairly easy after I got the size of the squares right. Here's how it turned out -

And how I made it :)

Maybe I should make more in other colors?

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Craft Books Collection

I'm so sad. The nearest Booksale branch to me is gone. I had asked them several times if they were staying and they said they had no plans of leaving. Hubby went to the mall last Saturday and was surprised to see Booksale gone. 

A mix of books from Booksale, Big Bad Wolf, Kinokuniya, Amazon and trips

I've been collecting craft books the past few years and I buy at least one or two monthly from Booksale. It's hard to find craft books at regular bookstores, plus they're expensive, so we go to Booksale monthly. 

I enjoy going through the books. I usually do it while waiting for Miggy when he's at the gym. I use the books mainly for inspiration and when I'm stuck figuring out something. I know there are a gazillion sewing videos I can watch. I do that too, but going through books is a different experience. Aside from seeing designs, it also pushes me to be better at what I do. 

More than 50% of my collection are probably from Booksale. Some I buy at PhP15 to 30 only! Some are a bit more expensive. Part of my collection came from Kinokuniya, a few from National Bookstore/Fully Booked, Big Bad Wolf (here and Singapore), and a few from trips (especially the magazines). The collection started when the Gaylas gave me a boat-load of craft books for my 40th birthday, I just continued it :)

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Made a Yoda-Inspired Coaster

Another sewing project inspired by cats and Pinterest! I finally finished the Yoda coaster I've been working on for two weeks now. I thought I could finish it in a day, but it took longer. I didn't expect that making a mini "Yoda" stuffed figure would be challenging. 

I finished my practice piece in 3 days. I had to adjust a few things since Miggy said the arms were too big and the Yoda head was too small. My mistake was using a Yoda keychain as a pattern. I made it a bit bigger and filled out the arms more. I must say, it's a very healthy Yoda, haha. 

I had to move the head also since it seemed awkward to put it on the side. Miggy said it worked for the cat sample because cats have four legs. Ahh, he made sense, so I decided to just put the head in the middle. The coaster though would only work for slimmer glasses (sorry na). 

Anyway, hard as it was to make, it turned out cute. It would be annoying to use for our small family room dining table, so I'll bust it out only when we use our "formal" dining table (the table we only use during Christmas and New Year, hahaha). 

Maybe I'll make a cat version, yes?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Work-in-Progress: Yoda Coaster

I saw a cute cat coaster project while doomscrooling. I wanted to do it, but I thought I'd make a Yoda inspired one.

Yoda because my Grogu fabric will just get dirty if used as a coaster and I don't think my green fabric won't match it. 

Anyway, I found a Yoda keychain which I could use as a pattern. I adjusted the size because the arms I made were too big.

It's harder than I thought, so it's still a work in progress 😁 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Yellow

Making myself something yellow.

What will it be?

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New Quilting Book

Sweetie surprised me with a quilting book he found at Booksale. It was surprisingly only PhP25! The past few times we went to Booksale, the craft books would usually cost Php65 to 130, so this was a treat!

The book features an interesting design which I've never tried. I'd probably skip making it if I just saw it online. I'm not so keen with designs with curves. It's hard. The only quilt I've made with curves are my cat bags. 

I think I'll try this out since it includes patterns I can trace. It also details how to put the quilt together. It will probably challenge my sewing skills. 

Have you tried this pattern?

#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

Sewing Suspended to Cook Salted Egg Chicken

My sewing time has been eroded by gardening activities. By the time I'm ready to sew I'm too tired, haha. 

It happened again yesterday since I had to rescue a plant and I had thawed some chicken to cook. I didn't want to disappoint Miggy, so I suspended sewing again.

Anyway, we ended up baking chicken and then cooked a portion of it as salted egg chicken and a smaller portion into buffalo chicken.

We got to use some produce from our garden. Fresh curry leaves and sili were picked from the garden. I'm happy we're able to do that with what we have in our garden.

Will post the recipe on Friday 🤗

#BeKind #StaySafe

New Cart for Sewing Activities

Sweetie surprised me last week with a new "toy". He originally planned it for Christmas, but the store went on a long break. It became a pre-Valentine gift.

A few months ago, I mentioned to him that I was thinking about getting a cart. I wanted one to make it easier for me to bring around gardening stuff.

Well... It's too pretty to get dirty! So I said I'll just use it to gather materials for my sewing projects. It piles up and sometimes I have to go back and forth to complete what need. I can also use it to keep the materials on standby since I only store the excess when I finish the project. 

Thank you Sweetie 🥰 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Ikea Trolley for My Sewing Stuff

I have a small sewing table and it's been littered with my sewing stuff. I need them close by since I reach out to them as I work on projects. It's been annoying though since I have to move things around when I need to use the sewing machine or when I need to measure fabric or when I need to iron. Yes, that's how small my space is for sewing. 

We went to Ikea a few weeks ago and I saw this circular trolley. It's about half of my old rectangular Ikea trolley. I intended the old one to hold my sewing stuff, but I found it too bulky, plus I could barely see the items on the second level. The trolley is PhP699 and I got one since I felt it would solve the clutter on my sewing table.

I built it myself. It was so easy to build since it didn't have any screws. Just plug and twist to screw it in. I thought it would take a long time to put together. I finished in a few minutes and had enough energy to clear my table. 

I moved the items based on frequency of use. I put the needles and pins on top with the pencils.

Safety pins and clips for binding and thread and bobbins on the second row.

The bottom houses my bobbin gadget and other stuff (I'm still fixing it).

I'm planning to re-organize my old trolley. I got a top cover for it since I plan to use it for ironing. I can just easily park it nearby and pull it out as needed. I love Ikea trolleys! I also got a utility cart for a bathroom. It makes it easier to pull out when the bathroom is cleaned, plus I used the old shelf to house my newer craft books from Booksale (shelf is now back inside my maker room). 

Happy sewing!

#BeKind #StaySafe

February Project: Quilted Piano Cover

I only have one top cover for my piano and it's Christmas themed. I got distracted and wasn't able to make one last year. 

My first project for the year would be a new cover for the top of my piano. I'm going to make it funnily redundant and use piano keys for the design, haha. 

I've started making measurements and should start cutting fabric this week. I'm still deciding whether I'll just do the top like last time or make a bigger one to cover the sides and back.

It's that dilly dallying that's delaying the project, haha. I answer to myself and it will get going when I'm done with my other stuff.

Happy creative Tuesday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Quilted Christmas Blender Cover

I finally finished the Christmas blender cover I've been working on the past few weeks! I told myself to finish a project before working on another one. 

I chose to make a tree. I thought it would be easier than the snowman. It wasn't, haha. Anyway, despite making a lot of adjustments, I had fun adding embellishments. I used some old beads and got a cute star online (I was lazy to make one).

Very early for Christmas this year, heh.

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Binding My New Blender Cover

I was hoping to finish the blender cover last weekend, but I got busy. I decided to attach the sides of the cover to the base by hand sewing it. It's easier than immediately machine sewing it.

I'm now working on binding it, then I'll be done. Yay!

#BeKind #StaySafe

My 2025 Quilting Projects

I wasn't as productive as I wanted to be, but I still managed to finish some useful projects. I didn't make any homemade gifts this year. My theme was to make items from Mom's unfinished projects.

The biggest set I made was throw pillow covers for our couch. I made them from Mom's unfinished projects and leftover fabric. I didn't even make a dent (she has more craft stuff than me). 

From the throw pillow covers, I made a pouch for my powerbank and embarked on other scrap fabric projects. And then I made a bag out of squares Mom pieces together. I use it everytime we go out.

I wasn't able to make a lot of projects since we were very busy with other stuff. I also had an accident which prevented me from using my sewing machine for a few months. I focused my time on PT.

When my leg was a bit better, I embarked on my Christmas project. I always wanted to make new covers for my kitchen gadgets. I finished two and I'm still working on another one. I hope to finish it before the season ends!

#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

Made Cat Toys Using Old Socks

Our cats love rubbing their heads on our feet which I read is quite common. While decluttering I set aside some pairs of socks that have seen better days. They were no longer useful since the garter was loose already. A lot of cat owners give their cats stuffed toys or small pillows, so I thought I'd make some for our  cats using some of my retired socks. 

It was fairly straight forward and easy to make. My cats won't judge me, lol. I also used leftover batting which were cuttings from other projects. Here's how I made them:

I sprayed the toy with catnip before giving it to our cats. Meredith (above) immediately inspected the toys. I eventually paced them in their beds/boxes and they've been cozying up to it eversince I placed them there. Woohoo! I'll make more for them once I have enough batting again. 

#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

Year End Sewing Projects

I honestly haven't been able to sew for awhile now. I found an unfinished blanket Mom was working on. It was included in a bunch of linens we had laundered. It needs a lot of work, so I started by ripping the backing. I think Mom ran out of fabric and abandoned the project.

I thought about what I want to sew for the rest of the year. I won't be making any for gift giving since I don't have the energy for it. I'll focus on things that's been in my list for years and doable.

Here's a list of what I want to make:

Finish Mom's blanket 

Christmas runner for our dining table

Christmas kitchen appliance cover

Christmas curtains 

Christmas potholders

Yes, it's going to be Christmas themed since I only finished throw pillow covers and a piano cover last year. 

Crossing my fingers the next few months will be productive!

#BeKind #StaySafe