Almost Done!

I like how I'm making this bag project. I've learned a lot in the past few years in making quilted bags. I make them sparingly, but I improve everytime I make one.

One huge difference I did was to use fusible interfacing. It makes my projects cleaner and it doesn't bulge as much when you combine it with batting. I've also learned to appreciate thinner batting! I used to think thicker batting is better! 

I've been so busy with other things, so this project has spilled over to this month! I can't wait to finish it and use it when we go out :)

I should be done soon!

#BeKind #StaySafe

First Few Days Crocheting

I brought the crochet set I bought to the hospital. Once Miggy went to do his test, I hunkered down and started to work on the project. I told myself I should finish the project in a few days. The manual said to start with the head. 

The first hurdle was to understand how to make the magic ring. We were taught in school to make chain stitches to form a ring. Apparently, that has changed to allow you to pull the string to close the hole. Oh boy, it took me several tries to get it. A senior lady was watching me intently across the room. She was probably trying to see if I knew what I was doing, hahaha. 

I only managed to finish one row when Miggy suddenly showed up. He was done with his test. Both Sweetie and me were so surprised. Sweetie wasn't even able to finish the forward yet, haha. I kept my stuff and off we went.

I've been working on the project for a week now. I finished the head, the hands, the legs, and I'm now stuck with making the body because the legs are noticeably uneven and even with counting the body isn't adding up to the required stitches. Hahahaha. 

I rested during the weekend and have yet to pick up the hook again. I really had a hard time making the legs and I'm waiting to be brave again to finish the project. In the meantime, I've been distracted with organizing my sewing room. It's just hard to work on projects when things are all over the place. Haha.

Wish me luck!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Gonna Try Crocheting Again

It's been awhile since I did a crochet project. Last crochet project I made was a Yoda figure. It was hard and I planned to make more to use as Christmas tree decor. I never got around to making any since I got so busy at work.

Anyway, I saw boxes of crochet and felt projects yesterday at SM department store. Miggy parked me in front of it. There were four options for Christmas and a number of animal crochet projects (no cat option though!). I still have a Christmas felt project from Flying Tiger waiting to be done, so I got a crochet project.

I got a Santa crochet box and will try to make it today. I realized belatedly it's an intermediate level project, so let's see how I work this out. Hopefully, it will be easier than the Yoda crochet project I did years ago.

Happy crafting!

#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

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

Fourth Grade Embroidery Project

I found a couple of school projects I did when I was just 10 years old. Back when I was elementary school, we were taught different crafts, embroidery, crochet, building crafts using bamboo. This craft classes culminated with sewing machine classes in high school. (Also, pertinent to mention we had carpentry class which they discontinued after our batch because we kept blowing up the electrical system).

Anyway, I recently found some embroidery projects. Here's a small potholder I made -

I know I have a bigger project with the same design. Maybe I'll find it as I go through Mom's stuff. And here's the sampler I submitted. I got a good grade from it.

I still use some of the stitches and use them for current projects. I love it when I get to include embroidery in my projects. Mom and Titay also used to do embroidery and I found a few projects they did. Here's one, I'm not sure though if Mom, Titay or Ate made it (or maybe Mama Lola?).

The projects I found made me happy. It also reminded me of my Mama Lola. She helped me finish my last project. It was a pillow case with an embroidery of a duck which I traced from a coloring book.  watched her while she worked on closing the pillowcase on her sewing machine. 

I'm glad we were taught all these crafts in school. Mom also taught me other stuff whenever school was out. I've been quilting a lot, but sometimes I take breaks and do other things too. Crafting has been my therapy. It's been a great way to cope with all my medical conditions :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Organizing for 2025 Quilting Projects

I have been thinking about what to do for my quilting projects this year. I know I was quite slow last year since I had to rest my hands and wrist in-between projects (#signsofaging). I'm excited though for this new year since I'd like to move forward with the list I made a few years ago. 

My original plan was to make themed quilt projects. I started with the quilted cat covers for my kitchen gadgets. Productivity last year wasn't very high, but I was still able to make a few quilts for my friends, a bench cover, the Pikachu portrait quilt, the Christmas peppermint quilt collection (piano top and throw pillow covers), and a couple of curtains (I just like making curtains too, haha).

I realized there are items that need another set, i.e. bench cover, throw pillow covers, and kitchen covers. I need another set so I can wash them more frequently. I'll probably leave the throw pillow covers in the living room until Valentine's. I only finished the set on Christmas Eve (LOL). It will buy me time to make a new set of throw pillows. 

I also want to make myself a new bag. I recently improved on the handle of the bag I made when I was still in Singapore. Back then I didn't know how to make proper handles yet and finding material was a bit hard. I also need a couple of small quilted organizers for my bag (oil case, card case, power bank sleeve). I'll probably start with this since I need it already. 

Sometime in the year I want to make a quilted Yoda portrait. I was planning to do it last year, but I belatedly realized that piecing 400 1"x1" fabric is tedious! Maybe I'll do it in parts. If I have time, I'll also make a Squirtle portrait (good luck to my hands and wrist). I'm going to see an Ortho doctor soon, to figure out how I can make my body stronger. 

Of course, I'm still aiming to make seat covers for our dining room chairs. I have not done it since it's a huge job order. I have one lonely Santa cover and the rest of those covers are sitting inside a box waiting to be sewn (hehe). My Christmas project though would be a table runner with matching placemats and coasters. If I have more energy, I also hope to make Christmas themed covers for my kitchen appliances. 

Tall order! But that's how setting goals should be! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Creative Happy Tuesdays: My Dream Home Filled with My Crafts

Last year I made two sets of curtains for our living room. It wasn't perfect so I thought I'd have a set made professionally just for the living room. Oh boy, I was so shocked when I received the quotation on how much it would cost. The cost was 20 times of how much I spent per set of curtains I made. Of course, the one done professionally is much nicer and it has pleats (something I don't know how to do). 

We have a number of things we still need to fix in our house, so we shelved the idea of having proper curtains. That reminded me about my goal to make things we need at home. Looks like I need to re-order the craft to-do list I made last January. This way I can properly plan what I need and I can review if there are any new skills I need to acquire to make my projects.

Here's what I'll do for the next two quarters:

• Curtains - summer is coming, so I'll need new block curtains. Hope to find better looking fabric though, something that will make the living room look lighter and airy. 
• Kitchen curtains - we removed the kitchen curtains when we renovated. The one I made last year was too short, haha. I want the new kitchen curtain to be bright and cheerful. 
• Throw pillow covers - we don't have any sofas yet, haha. I made two pink throw pillow cases last year. The color of the year is viva magenta, but I've always wanted to make some items in teal. 
• Misc items
• Essential oil holders
• More pot holders
• Oven gloves
• Glass holders

I think this list is going to keep me busy for a couple of months. I hope to get things going soon!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Creative Happy Tuesdays: Experiments

Mom stayed with us for a few days. Showed her the seeds I was trying to germinate, the newly boiled eggshells, the quilt cover I've been working on and an array of projects I'm working on. She said, "Your Dad was the one who loved to experiment." 

Yes, I remember. My Dad used to do a lot of experiments. He tried fish farming, grew kuhol in our backyard, tried making VCO and at one time we had a gazillion quail eggs at home. He liked trying new things and moved on to the next project when things didn't work out. Mom's interests were very different though. She likes gardening and doing crafts. She's great at saving dying plants and making discarded items reusable. 

I guess I take from both of them. Mom laughed when she saw the seeds I was germinating with tissue paper. That was why she suddenly remembered Daddy. Well, seeds I germinated did not make it. I'll re-do the experiment at another location. Most of my crafts are experiments. I do them mostly to acquire new skills, learn new techniques and have fun (I'm stuck at home anyway).

This year's craft experiments include:

(1) A Christmas tree skirt which I started last year. I made this because I want to have a Santa-inspired tree skirt.

(2) Mask cases which I also started last year. I made this to learn how to attach snap-on buttons. 

(3) Oxygen concentrator quilt cover. It will probably end up looking like my food processor quilt cover.

(4) T-shirt memory quilt blanket. I finished this recently. It's a lot of work, so the next one has been postponed to next year. 

(5) Curtains, had to customize for our windows since there was a lockdown when we moved to our new home. 

(6) Pink vinta pillow cases. This was inspired by a beautiful photograph. 

I have other projects planned, but will discipline myself and finish what I started first. Craft time has been reduced since there's a lot of other things I'm doing right now, plus I still need to rest to recover.

#BeKind #StaySafe 

I'll Never Get Bored

When I was a child I didn't really like having birthday parties. I was always apprehensive about mingling. I remember peering through the window to see who arrived for my seventh birthday. My Mom had to push me out to welcome the arrival of my classmates. We continued to have those parties until I turned 13 and then they let me do what I wanted after that. 

I rarely had playdates because I was perfectly happy being alone. My favorite toys were Lego and Barbie. During summer my Mom would teach me different crafts. She taught me how to make Christmas cards which I sold during the parish fiesta. Then I learned how to make pincushions which I sold to my neighbor Titas. Then I learned how to quilt, make straw bags, and crochet. It was my Mama Lola who taught me how to use a sewing machine (on her vintage Singer sewing machine). 

Remnant from my pincushion production days (c.1987?). I still use it.

I just watched Janice de Belen's vlog featuring her craft room. I had one before in our old place. I couldn't help but laugh when she said she has this compulsion to buy everything she needs before she makes something. Yup, I think it's an addiction of crafter to buy so many materials. I used to have a shelf full of beads. It's now with my Mom and kept in Daddy's old tshirt cabinet. Now I have boxes of fabric and the collection is growing. And the other day I may have accidentally bought a boatload of buttons. Hahaha. 

I'll never get bored. Between chores, exercising, writing, reading and working on crafts there's just so much to do. I can't imagine now how I used to fit in work across all of that. 

Are you doing what makes you happy?

CB///*Yr2/47  #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/74 #StayHome #BeKind

Organizing My Chaotic Craft Materials

Ahhh, I finally organized my craft materials. I had everything in a cabinet in our old apartment. We hurriedly packed everything in just a week and I gave away the cabinets that housed my craft materials. I realized it's been hard for me to plan my Christmas project because my materials are all over the place. I also couldn't find the project I made at a free class at Spotlight which I want to use as a template (I still didn't hehe).

So today I decided to take the plunge and opened up all the boxes. It took the whole afternoon and I'm happy it's all organized now. I put the items in translucent plastic boxes and labelled what's inside each box. This will also prevent me from buying stuff I already have. I originally thought I was running out of thread, but found the bunch of thread I bought last year. I don't have enough velcro though, but will just buy if I make bags again.

I dream about having a craft room someday. A room that will hold all my fabric and craft materials. It should have a nice long table where I can easily cut fabric and lay out the quilt. Of course, it will have an area for my sewing machines (I hope to have more than one hehe). And a wall where I can hang my work so it's easy to take photos. Someday it will happen.

For now at least my stuff is now easily accessible and I know where everything is (more or less). This should make it easier for me to work on new projects. Now I just need to allot more time for my hobbies.

What about you? What are your hobbies? How do you organize your materials?


CB//159 #StuckAtHomeDay/189 #StayHome #BeKind