Hand Quilting the Baby Yoda Project

I ironed the Baby Yoda project with fusible interfacing and then I sandwiched it in batting and backing fabric. I want to see if the interfacing will make a difference in the end quality.

The hard part has begun. I've decided to hand quilt it like the Pikachu project I did 2 years ago. I'll just stitch on the ditch for now, but will play with some of the colors since my Guttermann thread colors is limited. 

It will be hard, but quilting is my favorite part. I get impatient cutting and piecing fabric and absolutely dislike sandwiching, but quilting has always been the fun part for me. 

What are you working on now?

#BeKind #StaySafe

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

Gaga Over Mandalorian and Grogu Collectibles

I have been collecting Yoda figures and collectibles for many years now. It wasn't a conscious effort because my collection grew from gifts of friends all over! 

The same happened with Grogu/Baby Yoda. I honestly just wanted to stick to my Yoda collection, but the same thing happened. A friend gave me a huge Grogu Funko Pop. I knew there was no turning back, haha.

I started watching new offers of collectibles after watching the movie. I only watched the trailer to keep the suspense. Most of the clips featured Miniso and movie theater special popcorn tubs. I also checked Amazon and there are a lot of Funko Pop variants, other figures, shirts , mugs and, of course, Lego.

After Miggy's gym session we headed to Glorietta and SM Makati to check out toy stores and Miniso. We were not disappointed since there was a lot. It was honestly very hard to choose, but budgetary constraints led the way, haha.

#BeKind #StaySafe

May the Fourth

Be with you!

It's Star Wars day again! 

My stamina isn't back yet, but I managed to take photos of my Yoda and Grogu collection. Here it is -

I have a few new ones which I haven't put on display yet. Most recent one are the Grogu and Mandalorian mugs from Burger King. I'm so glad a friend told me about it and I managed to get it on the first day.

Hope y'all had a great Star Wars day!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Santa Yoda

Things surprisingly went back to normal on our area. I thought we'd have to postpone our appointments today. It proceeded like nothing happened. Praying for those who were severely affected and hope they'll be able to recover as soon as possible.

I fell asleep sitting after we had brunch. We woke up early, plus I feel I still need to rest after the very stressful few days due to the typhoon. The power nap helped and I started sewing after Miggy went to his appointment.

I finished piecing together Santa Yoda. It's based on a grid pattern I found on Pinterest. I know I should have asked advise from Miggy on what background fabric color I should have used, haha. I'll just embroider around Yoda to highlight him. 

Anyway, I'll use Santa Yoda for a kitchen cover I'm making. I'm integrating some of my Mom's unfinished pieces, so let's see where this goes.

#BeKind #StaySafe

May the Fourth Be With You and How My Yoda Collection Grew

It's "Star Wars Day" again and we'll definitely watch the new episodes of Andor. We always watch Star Wars related films as a family with Miggy as our guide (he's also read loads of books so understands a lot about it better than me). And maybe we can watcha movie or two as well since it's easily accessible on Disney+.

I was really thrilled a few years ago when we were able to visit the Yoda Fountain in San Francisco. There are only two in the world, SFO and Singapore. Of course, Sweetie brought me to see the one in Singapore as a surprise.

I have been fascinated with Yoda since I was a child. I got to watch the films in the theater with my siblings (I was their ticket to be able to go out, hahaha). And that's why I collect Yoda (and now Grogu) figures. 

It did start with just one. Hadi had a brilliant idea to join an office contest. We had to decorate our area. I was travelling and was just surprised my desk was decorated with Yoda figures and colors. The Yoda figures stayed and people started to give me anything Yoda. 

Majority of my Yoda and Grogu figures and toys are gifts. I've kept all of them since they are precious gifts of love. You just gotta love the little, big guy 😁

Have a nice, blessed day everyone.

#BeKind #StaySafe

More Baby Yoda!

I had a Baby Yoda overload on my birthday! Here's what I received as gifts for my birthday :)

See how it bops here:

I hope I could grow the cat grass!

I super love latch hook projects! It's now my motivation to finish a current project. Woohoo!

And Miggy built for me a Yoda figure :)

I also received a surprise Stormtrooper from Sweetie. My Yoda collection started as a gift from Hadi and the rest is history. I have a few Stormtrooper figures already, thinking whether I should collect it too?

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Star Wars Quilts

Happy Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you! 

I've been a fan of Star Wars since it first hit the big screen. I got to watch because my siblings would bring me with them whenever they watched it. I especially love Yoda and have a collection of his figures. I was hoping to share the new set-up for Star Wars Day, but the renovations are delayed and the display cabinets are still upstairs. 

I've been collecting Star Wars fabric. I've been using it sparingly because they're quite expensive. I've so far made a couple of quilt projects through the years. It's not that many since I want to use the fabric for special projects. Here are some of the quilt projects I've done:

Lightsaber blanket for Jet

Throw pillows

A bag

Bench cover (most recent project)

I want to make a quilt blanket. It's going to be a huge undertaking so I might do one more bench cover first before I dive into a project that's going to take months to make. 

"Do or do not. There is no try." - Master Yoda

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Yoda Collection (a Part of It)

It's been a while since I've tended my Yoda collection. I had a spur of the moment inspiration to organize my shelf last Friday. I thought it would be nice to fix it since it's just behind my sewing table. My collection started because of Hadi. We had a Halloween contest at work. The team with the best area decoration would win.

Hadi was so competitive and even if there were just three of us he said we should join. I had a trip scheduled so I told him to go ahead and plan it. When I came back our area was decked with Star Wars items and print outs. My desk represented Yoda complete with green fabric, Yoda toys and print outs. We did not win and I got to keep the toys. 

I placed the toys on top of my monitor and word got out I was collecting, haha. I started receiving Yoda themed items from my family, friends from all over the world and one of our tech persons even 3D printed me one! To be honest, I only started buying a few years later because I always received them as gifts. The best ones I bought were from Hobby Off and some shops in Japan. 

Parts of my collection were in Singapore and some in Manila. I finally put them together when we moved to our current home. I was so surprised to see I have so many small Yoda figures I own, so that's what I put together first. My plan is to eventually take individual photos and do some research about them since I bought most of it pre-loved. I usually unbox the newer ones because I want to enjoy seeing them (I have some duplicates that are untouched). 

Can you identify which one was 3D printed?

I was organizing my Funko Pop Yoda collection when I discovered the leak, so that stopped me on my tracks. I'll probably organize the rest on another shelf or when I have an idea when the leak will be fixed (it's right behind Yoda!). Yoda probably used his Jedi powers on me! I wouldn't have discovered the leak if I hadn't re-organized my collection. Whew!

In time, I'll get everything fixed!

#KindBe #SafeStay

May the Fourth Be with You

It's Star Wars day once again! My Yoda collection is still in storage boxes.  Fixing our home is moving so slow. I want them to have a nice display case. I have loved Yoda since I first saw him on screen when Star Wars first came out. I liked his gentle nature and he's just so cute.

I like Yoda now because he's full of wisdom! Here's one quote that's so apt right now -

Election day is just a few days away. May we choose the best candidate that will serve the whole country and not just a few families. Knowledge and understanding our history is key. 

May the force be with all of us. 

#BeKind #StaySafe #VoteWisely

Singapore Star Wars Identities Exhibit

The first time I heard about the Star Wars Identities exhibit was in Sydney. I wasn’t able to go, but my friend Paola brought back a really nice Yoda t-shirt. The exhibit in Singapore opened last January 30. I saw the announcement while I was warded at the hospital. 

I used it as my motivation to improve my breathing and step count. It took three months before I was ready to go. Started the day with my regular check-up. My doctor was happy with the huge improvement I had with my breathing test. Even with the stamp of approval I knew I had to conserve my energy for the exhibit*. 

Here's my vlog of the exhibit -

The Singapore Star Wars Identities exhibit is at the famous ArtScience Museum. We booked a weekday ticket to avoid the crowds. We got in earlier than our appointed time and was greeted by the staff and we had to log-in using our band. We were ushered into a mini theater area where we watched the exhibit intro. After that we were asked to choose what kind of creature we wanted to be. It was a quest to develop your own Star Wars identity. Throughout the exhibit you’re asked to badge in to develop your Star Wars identity.

The exhibit featured how they developed the characters like Jarjar Binks, Luke and Leia (Did you know they originally thought about using a princess as the main protagonist? Eventually they decided on the twins). Yoda was originally developed as a small human, a dwarf, eventually he became the cute elf-like creature we love today. Chewbacca’s development was also shown, I’m glad he turned out cute, like a huge teddy bear.

It was a thrill to see the original costumes, regalia and models used in the movies. It was surreal to see C3PO, R2D2, Boba Fett, BB8, the mask of Ponda Baba, Stormtroopers in the flesh. They also showcased Chewbacca, Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker’s original costumes. Princess Leia’s bikini and Luke’s pilot attire was also on exhibit. The original Han Solo carbonite was also on exhibit. And, of course, Queen Amidala’s regal attire. 

Of course, the highlight of the exhibit for me was seeing Yoda in the flesh. I super love Yoda and my collection is still growing. I snapped up a Dagobah Yoda with Hut Funko Pop and shirt at the exhibit shop. 

It was an honor to see replicas of the starships. Too bad though the Death Star wasn’t present, but the lighting effects was cool. Of course, the most evil villain, Darth Vader had his own special area. He was a towering force over the Jedi robes. 

At the end of the exhibit you’re asked whether you accept or reject the offer of the emperor. Of course, I rejected the offer of the emperor since I chose to be a Jedi master pink wookie. Check out my Star Wars identity on this link. 

The exhibit was a great experience for me. I started my love for Star Wars when I was just 3 years old. Yup, my family brought me with them when they watched it in the cinema. And I have since been fond of Yoda (plus ET and Alf, much to my Mom’s consternation). Of course, I wore the Yoda shirt Paola gave me when I went to the exhibit. Yay!

May the force be with you!  

*Slept the entire day the day after to recover LOL.

Baby Yoda Used His Jedi Powers on Me

We went to the mall the other day and we were zipping from one store to another to complete our errands. I was avoiding going inside the toy shop because I didn't want to make a spontaneous toy purchase. 

But... The Child which was sitting on top of a shelf compelled me to check him out. I snapped a photo of it and went inside to check out what new toys they had. 

I soon realized that I wanted to bring it home with me and quickly justified to myself that I should. Hahaha. 

As I was paying for the item Sweetie suddenly appeared beside me! I didn't know he was at the back of the shop taking photos of other Yoda toys for me. I didn't see his messages because I was enamored with Baby Yoda already hahaha. He was not surprised at all that I was there buying something. LOL. 

After getting Baby Yoda I happily went to the order of the day which was to get a new pair of eyeglasses. Baby Yoda is now sitting on top of my shelf. I guess he wanted to go home with me. Haha. 

CB//189 #StuckAtHomeDay/219 #WFH128 #StayHome #BeKind

The Yoda Quilted Bag

I learned how to quilt the summer before I started high school. It was my Mom who taught me and I started with just simple squares. I was really proud of my handiwork and used my homemade lunch bag and school bag throughout high school. Surprisingly those two bags are still useful until today.

When I started to spend more time in Singapore I thought of going back to an old hobby. Thought about doing bead work, but it was going to be a pain to transport my collection of beads from Manila to Singapore. Crochet would have been okay, but the projects would have been limited. So I started quilting again late last year. I began with creating small items - a small wallet, laptop sleeves and Jet's Star Wars blanket which took 10 months for me to finish.

Now that I have had more practice I find more fulfillment in making smaller projects that I could complete in 2 weeks. This started when I decided to make a small bag for my friend's daughter which I finished in less than a week.

It would have been better though if I had Minnie Mouse fabric, but I only had Winnie the Pooh available so I just used that. I remember the very first bag I had when I was a child (it had a butterfly on it) and I have since loved using quirky bags. 

I have been collecting Yoda figures for sometime now and my dear friends Shirni and Marcus gave me some Yoda fabric on my birthday. So I made it into a cute Yoda bag.

It's the first big bag I made so I consider this still a prototype and I have to plan cutting the fabric a bit better. I started using it only in the last few days so I hope all the stitches will hold up. I made the bag a bit smaller than the original design since I don't carry around a lot of stuff anyway. It took me almost 3 weeks to work on this since I had to rest my arms for a few days as advised by the doctor.

After the Yoda quilted bag I realized my Mom was coming over for a visit so I decided to make her a small bag. I realized that it gets easier with more practice! It just took me over a week to finish this bag. I also experimented a big and added some lace (my Mom used to add lace to my bag projects) and found a better alternative for the strap from Daiso. 

It's been a year since I started quilting again and I think I'm more confident now with my projects. I've been working on using other shapes too (working on a pinwheel cheddar cheese blanket which will probably take a million years to finish). Some friends have suggested I get a sewing machine already, but then I usually quilt just before going to sleep so I will lose the location flexibility if I use a machine for sewing. I've just been using very basic materials, but I think it's time for me to buy a mini quilting iron to help me with creating the bias. 

If you want to try quilting you just need the following basic materials: needle, thread (ordinary and quilting thread), pins, scissors, ruler, plastic folder (for making templates), pencil, wadding (I've been using the fluffy ones, but it's easier to work with thin wadding), fabric and lining fabric. 

This is my tiny bring it everywhere sewing kit.

*The lady bug is a tiny scissors.

Darth Vader, the Most Evil Villain in the Universe

Did you ever wonder who the actor behind Darth Vader was? I must admit that I always thought that the actor whose face was shown when Darth Vader died in "Return of the Jedi" was the same actor who played Darth Vader throughout the series. He wasn't. The real Darth Vader is David Prowse, an English actor who's also a body-builder and weightlifter. Darth Vader's voice was done by James Earl Jones (who guested on Big Bang Theory).

I learned this from watching the documentary "I am Your Father". It was a film made by a director who is a huge fan of David Prowse. He wanted to show the real man behind the mask. The documentary detailed the life of David Prowse who became known from being a weight lifter and an Olympiad. Eventually because of his physique he became an actor and portrayed characters like Frankenstein and other monsters. It was because of his physique that he was cast as Darth Vader.

The feature showed the other side of "Darth Vader". He's really kind and a family man in real life. It's quite sad to see though that he hasn't been given the recognition he deserves being the most evil villain in the whole wide universe (well in film). After all Star Wars won't be what it is without "Darth Vader". Apparently there has been a standing 35+ year old misunderstanding between Mr. Prowse and Lucas Film. Because of this he hasn't enjoyed the same recognition that other original Star Wars actors get. Mr. Prowse is the same age of my Mom so I wish that they could just bury the hatchet and revel with the success of the film as one big happy family because I'm a big Star Wars fan!

*Sorry I don't have an Darth Vader photos as I've always been scared of him since I was a child and that's one of the reasons I collect Yoda figurines hehe.