Crafting : Martha Stewart's Christmas Stockings

Martha Stewart sent me an email. Oh-kay. Martha Stewart DOT com sent me an email, with a tutorial on how to make Christmas stockings. And just in time too, because this is Scuffy's first Christmas, I wanted to make stockings for our little Russell family.


This is the tutorial for her Christmas stockings. But I decided that I didn't want to make mine out of felt, so I hopped over to the craft store to get some pretty Christmas fabric and trimmings, and they were on 50% sale!!



I also added batting to my stockings, just because i like soft squishy ones.

And some pom-pom trimming to make it fun!



Ok, so the stockings didn't turn out to be too spacious, i think we can only stuff it with candy canes and perhaps gift cards. But, they look pretty neat on my hat rack!

Yay for quick and easy Christmas crafts!

Crafting : Scrapbuster Pinwheel Quilt

Today I'm going to share my next December craft - a square lap quilt for cosy nights, hot chocolate and reading by the fire!

In this quilt:

1. I tried out the traditional pinwheel quilt pattern.
2. I made my own binding (2nd to date!)
3. Attempted mitered corners!
4. I refined my quilting techniques such as minimizing bunching up as I laid out my quilt sandwich.
5. This project is a good scrap buster! I used up a good bit of my scrap fabric lying around.




Assembling the pinwheel squares:

1. I cut out 72 pieces of 3 7/8" squares of plain fabric and 72 pieces of 3 7/8" squares of printed fabric.

2. Take one plain square and one printed square and align them with right sides facing.

3. Draw a diagonal line on one of the wrong sides of this pair of fabric.

4. Sew 1/4" away on both sides of this diagonal, and then cut the fabric down the diagonal.

You should get 144 squares made up of one plain and one printed fabric. This is your basic block. Now arrange them to your taste by putting 4 blocks together to create a pinwheel block, like the ones pictured above. You should end up with 36 pinwheel blocks.




Now to assemble the quilt top (all with 1/4" seam allowance):

1. Stitch 6 pinwheel blocks in a row. You will have 6 rows.

2. Then stitch the rows together. You will end up with a square quilt top, 6 blocks by 6 blocks.


And then assemble the quilt by laying the batting between the quilt top and the quilt backing, like a sandwich. The quilt top and quilt backing should have their right sides facing out.

I've learnt from past experiences to safety pin my quilt sandwich at regular intervals, all over the quilt, to prevent the batting from bunching up on the inside.

When you are sure you got your quilt sandwich laid out as flat as you possibly can, you can proceed with stitching the sandwich together to secure the batting in place.



I have chosen to stitch-in-the-ditch by sewing over the existing stitches of my blocks, so it looks like this on the back.





Align and pin the binding so the raw edges meet the edges of the top of the quilt. Start the binding on one side of the quilt, but in the middle. Leave a tail of about 5" to 8" on both ends, but leave about a 3" gap between the binding tails. Like in the picture above.


Here I'm going to attempt to explain how I miter my corners. Remember this is my first attempt:



When pinning the binding to the quilt top, leave an excess triangle when you come to a corner. This will give you enough binding to work with when you flip the binding over to the back of the quilt. Pretend you are pinching a triangular corner.

Once the pinning is done, sew the binding to the quilt top with a 1/4" seam allowance. When you reach the end, lay the two tails flat on the quilt and mark where the two ends meet. Sew the binding together (not on the quilt) at the mark, and trim off excess. Then sew the binding onto the quilt, like before, with a 1/4" seam allowance.

Trim excess batting bulk before turning the binding to the other side. I find pressing the seams as I flip the binding helps a lot!




Here's how I attack the corners. Attempt one side of the quilt at a time!
Press and fold one side of the binding down first.




Then press and fold the other side down. It should fall in place nicely!




Secure with binding clips ( or in my case, hair clips!) Then carefully hand sew, with slip-stitching, the binding to the back of the quilt!




Ta-daa! I'm ready for the cold winter nights!



Linking up to some crafty fun here!

Crafting: Elmer the patchwork elephant Inspired Quilt

Sorry for the long absence!

I have been focusing on my upcoming vacation, and all the projects I was supposed to have done, but procrastinated.

Here's one such project: my friend S ordered a twin-sized quilt from me about four months ago, and one week before I leave for Singapore, I get my ass down to doing it. She wants to gift this quilt to a friend who loves elephants like I do! S told me to design the quilt with Elmer the elephant in mind. I didn't want to make it too childish as it is a quilt for an adult. But Elmer is a patchwork elephant, I have to make a patchwork quilt! The more colors the merrier!! I just hope it's not going to be too heavy. I have to pack it into my luggage.





Day 1 of the Labor Day weekend:
Frantically cutting squares into triangles, only to piece them back into squares again.
I have a vague sense of futility...





Day 2: First quadrant. And then 5 more.





Day 3 : Quilt top is finally done. I have to go get some batting tomorrow, and some more fabric for the back of the quilt before this is completed.

I used Michael Miller's Fairy Frost Collection of 50 different colors. No, I didn't go out and buy 50 bolts of different colors. Thank goodness for Etsy, I bought 4 packs of quilting squares, all nicely cut up for me to use!



But for now, time for some well deserved rest. I need to get back to reading my very exciting Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

This has been one intensive Labor Day (pun totally intended, *guffaws*)


What did you do this Labor Day weekend folks?

Crafting: Reconstructed pillow case dress / top

So i bought a set of two striped pillow cases from Goodwill one day, because I was going to attempt the Little Dresses for Africa charity, after procrastinating for such a long time. I first read it on Nana Glo's blog, Glo Sews and it seemed like such a simple project to attempt.

When i finally sat myself down to make the dress, i realized i didn't get any bias tape and I so wasn't in a mood to make them...

So I did a little free hand reconstruction on the pillow case to make myself a top instead!

I used a pattern for a ladies apron to cut out the neckline and armholes. When I cut the pieces out, they looked pretty promising as a mini dress, especially when I loved the stripes so!



Alas, when i sewed the shoulder and side seams together, and tentatively tried it on, I looked like I was wearing a feed sack! I was so amused I had to take a picture of myself in it!



So i took in some fabric at the armholes (too big!) and sewed three darts on the back and trimmed off the bottom to make it a long top, instead of a short dress. Much more presentable.



Here is another way I would somehow wear it.



And so, I present yet another one of my ghetto snip-and-sew RTW piece.




And oh yes! Only four more days left in the Spreading Good Cheer Giveaway for a turquoise necklace! So if you haven't checked it out, do so now! You might just be the lucky winner!

Day trip: International Collectibles & Antiques Show

Yay! Flea market time!

This weekend we headed down to the monthly Collectibles & Antiques Show held at the Metrolina Tradeshow Expo in Charlotte. I haven't been to a flea market in a while, and I had a few things to get on my list:

1) Floor lamp
2) Sewing supplies
3) Fabric

and anything else that may tickle our fancy.


We are FOREVER searching for the right floor lamp for our living room. Given that our furniture is more old-world charm, we refused to get one of those utilitarian ones from IKEA and the likes.

There were lamps aplenty at the expo, but none caught my eye. But i did luck out on these fabulous binding strips and decorative ribbon, and a sizeable stack of gingham fabric! I think I might make a gingham quilt with them!









And then we found some lovely whiskey glasses and beer mugs at a dollar apiece! Fun!


The next one is at the end of the month. If you're in the area, swing by the Metrolina Tradeshow Expo at:

7100 Statesville Road ~ Charlotte, North Carolina 28269

Crafting: Now THIS is a PROPER quilt!

My ex-boss had a baby girl on Leap Year Day! So she deserves something special!!

This is my third baby blanket, but the first with quilting as well as binding. And can you believe I made my own binding??? I couldn't believe it either, but I was surprised to find it wasn't rocket science.






I know it's not the traditional baby girl pink, but who can resist those cute Matryoshka dolls??

Crafting: Quilting adventures

Here is my quilting story.


My friend S is having her baby shower next week. She is an awesome co-worker and a dear friend whom I've grow close to. She once mentioned that she really loves and appreciates handmade gifts. I felt bad when I gave her a store bought maternity wrap-around sweater for Christmas, even though it was a lovely one. I had planned on making her a Christmas gift, but who knew time flew by so quickly. I wasn't able to make anything for her in time.

I swore I would present her with at least one handmade item by me. So as the date for the baby shower drew near, I decided to try making a baby quilt for her little boy.

I went on the Fat Quarter Shop to pick out a set of cute fabrics for the quilt. There were so many to choose from, before I knew it, I had at least a dozen picks on my wish list. But I finally settled on this set.

The British Are Coming Fat Quarter Bundle, Michael Miller Fabrics

Then I cut them into 5" x 5" squares and spent the rest of the afternoon piecing the quilt puzzle together. This was the most frustrating part - trying to figure which configuration looks the best. After a while I went cross-eyed and had to step away for awhile before returning to the project.


Then came the sewing, which I thought was going to be painful. Turns out, it went quite smoothly. And I don't know what I did right, but all the rows were properly aligned! That was my worst nightmare. I was afraid after I put all the rows together, the squares wouldn't align. I think I really took special care to measure and cut as accurately as I can, and to draw out the seam lines before sewing. Sure, it took more effort, but it was worth it in the end, no frustrating out-of-line-pieces!

I added a border, then put the quilt top, batting and backing all together. That was the easy part. It's like making a coaster only 50 times bigger. :)

This is the front...

And that's the back - gingham!


I love the end result. Now I want to attempt an adult sized quilt, seeing how I ruined our quilt in the dryer (left it in too long, burned the insides, long story.... sigh).

And my awesome friend from Singapore has placed an order for a quilt already! This was even before she'd seen my first finished quilt! She just wants it to be ready by Christmas. CHRISTMAS?? Thank you for giving so much time to prepare and practise. How some people have so much faith in me I will never understand, but I really appreciate!! Love you, Shobs!


I can't wait to present this quilt. It makes me feel all fuzzy inside when I think that her baby boy is going to grow up with my blanket in hand, like this:

Thank you Nana Glo for the inspiration, and to Kim from the Fat Quarter Shop, I love your stuff!


I'm officially addicted.

'Tis the season...

Merry Christmas dear friends!

Hope you're all having a wonderful time with your loved ones! We're going up to the mountains to visit J's grandparents, have tons of homecooked food, and sit around the bonfire. I hope it gets colder (I can't believe I'm actually saying this), but 60 deg F is NOT feeling like Christmas.
We had SNOW last year. Today, I was prancing around in a short dress and leggings.

Definitely not feeling like Christmas.




I had been busy the last coupla' days sitting around and making accessories for my girlfriends for Christmas.

On my trip back to Singapore, I bought a yo-yo maker and OMG i couldn't stop making them. They're SO EASY to make! and such a great fabric stash buster idea.

If you have no idea what a yo-yo maker is, click here, or get one and have yourself hours of fun!!!

I actually brought my hoarded stash collection of buttons from Singapore and was glad they were put into good use! I made some hair ties, brooches and head bands.



This one is my favorite. I made it for my friend's daughter and I can totally picture her wearing a white dress with that on her head! Best of all, she's a little redhead so it'll totally stand out!

Sorry, not the best pictures, i know. But i did get many appreciative oohs and aahs over the accessories! Yay!

Have a wonderful Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

Crafting: Scraps bustin' Fabric Beach Ball

At our museum, a pair of mother-daughter volunteer, T & C, come in faithfully every other Tuesday and Thursday to help us out. They bring in tons of recyclable materials such as paper rolls, cardboard boxes and scrap fabric for the craft room; they help clean and tidy the museum as the day wears on; they genuinely love interacting and being around the guests, especially the children. We nominated T & C as volunteers of the year at the recent company event.

I found out from T that her daughter C, collects balls. She has a collection of all different shapes and sizes in her home and enjoys playing with them and rolling them around her room. C is in her 20s this year, but she is physically and mentally challenged. I never directly asked what her condition is, and to this day, still feel it is inappropriate to ask. But T & C are very much loved by us all at the museum. We decided, one day, that we should make a ball for C to add to her collection. I volunteered to help out and looked online for some tutorials.

Here is a very good one at Purlbee and it's the one I eventually used. I like it because the instructions are clear and there are accompanying photos.



This is my trial beach ball. Stuffing the ball was the hardest bit. I had fiberfill on the table, on the floor, on my clothes. I had fiberfill in my hair and spilling out of my ears! And they stick to you!!! You know that static cling? Well, it drove me insane trying to lose the fiberfill.

Anyway, I intend to collect fabric scraps from everyone at work to include a bit of everybody in the beach ball. I was also thinking of getting fabric markers so we can write a little message on our own fabric scraps. I don't know... Do you have any other ideas how each of us can contribute to make it a little more personal?

Meanwhile, excuse me while I pick some more fiberfill off the floor. I don't want the poochies to think it's a new treat.

Thrifting: Martha's Vineyard Community Yard Sale

In case we decided to go on a shopping spree, we limited our yard sale budget to $20.

We spent every dime of it, but in return we got


Another fabric stash! *YAY*


Hitachi Rice cooker!

And a juicer that i forgot to take a picture of.
Oh! And the Chime-o-Matic Rice Cooker makes a sound *diiing!* when it's ready! Too cute! I love it!

Butwe both got everything we needed, so money well spent!

Penny Saver Tip #4: Save your jam jars!

I love Mason jars! They're useful, aesthetically pleasing, and ever so versatile!





So i found one laying around the house, looking very sad and empty, and decided i shall find some way to use it as part of my crafting assemblage.



I would love to store buttons except i don't have a very impressive collection. Then,

*diiiinngg*

I decided to transform it into a pincushion / sewing thread storage thingy!




So I took the lid off the jar, traced the outer lid on a scrap piece of fabric, then cut out the circle with a 1" allowance all around. It doesn't really have to be a perfect circle. You'll see why.



Next I grabbed a handful of polyester fiberfill i had lying around the house, placed it on the wrong side of the fabric, and prepared to stuff it through the lid.



Like so.



Then, when you feel that your pincushion has been sufficiently stuffed, replace the inner circular backing and pop it into place.



Next, take a needle and thread, and sew a running stitch through the edges of the fabric. Pull the thread taut to gather the fabric shut. Sew a few more stitches, criss-crossing in any way you want to make sure the fabric is tightly stitched shut. (Which is why in the beginning you didn't really need a perfect circle)



Replace your ready made pincushion through the lid, fill your jar before screwing the lid shut! Ta-daaa!


So easy to make! Will make great gifts for family and friends who craft too!

Thrifting: Goodwill Hunting 2 (Fabric Hoarding)

This post is long overdue, but i never found the time to sit down and take pictures of my finds. But now, here they are:




Airplane fabric! A great fabric for making a kid's backpack (ha! as if i know how) or cute zippered pencil cases! I bought this fabric because i have something similar


I bought this off Etsy. Someday, i will know what to do with them... You clever people got any suggestions?


The label says 100% polyester, and i'm thinking it was a shower curtain before. It has a slight coat of water proofing texture to it. Very tricky to cut, took me insane number of minutes trying to cut a square 20" by 20" for my gardening apron project. But it turned out so lovely.


My favourite! *nostalgic* So excited when i spotted this. Maybe i can make another apron with this material, this time for kids, like a painting smock. What do you think?