Thanks for your interest! There are only 2 books left from last posting. I have added a few more to the list

Book #7: Quilts and more: Winter 2011 $3.00 (Magazine) SGD$3.00- SOLD

Book #8: Quilts and more: Spring 2010 $3.00 (Magazine) SGD$3.00- SOLD

Book #9: Made with natural fabrics (in traditional Chinese) SGD$5.00- SOLD

Book #10: I love handmade zakka 8 (in traditional Chinese) SGD$5.00- SOLD

Book #11: I love handmade zakka 5 (in traditional Chinese) SGD$5.00 - SOLD

Book #12: I love handmade zakka 3 (in traditional Chinese) SGD$5.00 - SOLD

From previous post:

Book #1: Last-Minute Fabric Gifts: 30 Hand-Sew, Machine-Sew, and No-Sew Projects (Hardcover with Sleeve Jacket) SGD$15.00

Book #6: Stitchable Stationery (Sublime Stitching) (Stitchable stationery kit) SGD$15.00

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Book #7: Quilts and more: Winter 2011

It is a…

Quarterly magazine that I subscribe to. It has very clear instructions, basic sewing techniques (which I still refer to!), and also very good photos.

I like Quilts and more because it is exactly what it says in the title. It has more than just quilts, to bags, home dec etc…

Buy it because…

it is great regardless of your sewing skill. The magazines also features projects made with latest fabrics for all you fabric-holics out there!

I am selling because…

Making space in my bookshelves!

The condition…

is like brand new! No marks, no creases inside pages. All patterns are intact and never used.

I am asking for:

SGD$3 + SGD$3.50 (incl. local registered post). Local buyers can pay via local bank transfer or cash upon collection.

============================================

Book #8: Quilts and more: Spring 2010

It is a…

Quarterly magazine that I subscribe to. It has very clear instructions, basic sewing techniques (which I still refer to!), and also very good photos.

I like Quilts and more because it is exactly what it says in the title. It has more than just quilts, to bags, home dec etc…

Buy it because…

it is great regardless of your sewing skill. The magazines also features projects made with latest fabrics for all you fabric-holics out there!

I am selling because…

Making space in my bookshelves!

The condition…

is like brand new! No marks, no creases inside pages. All patterns are intact and never used.

I am asking for:

SGD$3 + SGD$3.50 (incl. local registered post). Local buyers can pay via local bank transfer or cash upon collection.

============================================

Book #9: Made with natural fabrics (in traditional Chinese)

It is a…

Taiwanese publication in Traditional Chinese, translated from a Japanese craft book/magazine. Includes full size pattern sheet (intact, never used). Great for zakka fans!

Buy it because…

It has many inspiring projects that you make you want to go out and buy tons of linen! It has step by step instructions, with pictures, so you can follow the steps rather easily if you are not good at reading Chinese like me!

I am selling because…

I have waaaayyy too many of similar books to this copy

The condition…

is like very good! Very gently browsed and there are no markings or creases.

I am asking for:

SGD$5 + SGD$4.00 (incl. local registered post). Local buyers can pay via local bank transfer or cash upon collection.

============================================

Book #10: I love handmade zakka 8

It is a…

Zakka publication originally in Japanese but translated by a Taiwanese publication house into traditional Chinese.

Buy it because…

Many many kawaii projects for you to try or be inspired by!

I am selling because…

Making space in my bookshelves!

The condition…

is like brand new! No marks, no creases inside pages. All patterns are intact and never used.

I am asking for:

SGD$5 + SGD$4 (incl. local registered post). Local buyers can pay via local bank transfer or cash upon collection.

============================================

Book #11: I love handmade zakka 5

It is a…

Zakka publication originally in Japanese but translated by a Taiwanese publication house into traditional Chinese.

Buy it because…

Many many kawaii projects for you to try or be inspired by!

I am selling because…

Making space in my bookshelves!

The condition…

is like brand new! No marks, no creases inside pages. All patterns are intact and never used.

I am asking for:

SGD$5 + SGD$4 (incl. local registered post). Local buyers can pay via local bank transfer or cash upon collection.

============================================

Book #12: I love handmade zakka 3

It is a…

Zakka publication originally in Japanese but translated by a Taiwanese publication house into traditional Chinese.

Buy it because…

Many many kawaii projects for you to try or be inspired by!

I am selling because…

Making space in my bookshelves!

The condition…

is like brand new! No marks, no creases inside pages. All patterns are intact and never used.

I am asking for:

SGD$5 + SGD$4 (incl. local registered post). Local buyers can pay via local bank transfer or cash upon collection.

============================================

Book #1: Last-Minute Fabric Gifts: 30 Hand-Sew, Machine-Sew, and No-Sew Projects (Hardcover with Sleeve Jacket) by Cynthia Treen

It is a…

a great craft book, regardless of sewing skills (or lack of).

From amazon.com: “This inspiring book comes with 30 easy projects for quick-to-make gifts ranging from fabric-covered notepads to a tea-dyed sequined scarf to a baby quilt. Arranged by how long it takes to complete each project, the book focuses on gifts that generally require less than three hours of time. What’s more, Treen clearly details the knowledge and skills you need to improvise on these projects, allowing you to customize the color, pattern, and texture to suit the occasion. Complete with 70 full-color photographs and a final chapter on innovative ways to wrap gifts with fabric, Last-Minute Fabric Gifts is brimming with creative ideas sure to appeal to novice and experienced sewers alike”

Buy it because…

loads of ideas of what and how to make gifts out of your fabric stash!

I am selling because…

Making space in my bookshelves!

The condition…

is great! No marks, no creases inside pages. I take very good care of my books. This book’s sleeve jacket is little creased at the front top.

I am asking for:

SGD$15 + SGD$4.00 (incl. local registered post). Local buyers can pay via local bank transfer or cash upon collection.

============================================

Book #6: Stitchable Stationery (Sublime Stitching) by Jenny Hart

It is a…

very very cool kit. Includes 6 ready-to-embroider folded cards, needles and embroidery floss.

Buy it because…

These become ‘mini work of art’ when stitched! The cards have simple and clear printed pattern lines for you to follow.

I am selling because…

While I had grand plans for these cards, but I think they will be great for someone who loves to give cards to friends or can frame these at home!

The condition…

is brand new! The book store has wrapped the kit up, although there’s a hole in the wrapper, everything is intact and in good condition.

I am asking for:

SGD$15 + SGD$4.00 (incl. local registered post). Local buyers can pay via local bank transfer or cash upon collection.

Posted in Sewing | No Comments »

The Hope Valley quilt is finally on my bed! It’s a full size bed quilt and I was happy to ship it off to be quilted on a long arm and save my sanity and achy back. I got it back in Dec 2011 and it kept us cozy on the many rainy nights we had in December/January.

The quilt top is made up of Denyse Schmidt’s Hope Valley fabrics and Kona Linen Cotton blend.

I started this project around May 2010. The block is really quite easy and quick to put together, but I slipped in my calculation and had to stop, cut more, sew more and went back & forth to the design wall. I wanted each row/column of blocks to be unique in print, so it was terribly fussy. The project stayed in my WIP drawer for a long long time before I pulled it out again (when I needed more space!). And I pinned the blocks when joining them so that all (well, most of them did!) points meet just right.

Nice and crinkly after the wash! I have to say that the Essex linen was a little tricky to work with, but after the quilt came out from the wash, the texture is amazing. But if you are looking for super smooth/soft texture, then go for 100% cotton or velveteen. The prints include many geometric designs so it has the ‘manly’ element in there too!

I’m on a quilt making roll right now. I have 1 toddler quilt and 1 faux chenille baby quilt waiting to be basted and another full bed sized quilt for myself cut and waiting to be pieced.

Even though I don’t have the chance to sew EVERYDAY, I just can’t stop thinking about the projects, the stash and what other projects I can start! I’m sure I’m not the only obsessive gal who goes through her day thinking: can’t wait to sew… can’t wait to sew!

Tags: Hope Valley, Hourglass block
Posted in Quilt, Sewing | 1 Comment »

I went to the bank to run a little errand and there was this nice customer service lady who offered me some packs of Red Packets (Hong Bao). I refused her with a smile - was recalling how the same bank were limiting the number of red packets to each customer just last year. Must be trying to make up for the service lapse during the recent ATM skimming fiasco.

And while waiting to be served, I saw that the boy & girl featured in the design are wearing PATCHWORK costumes! It reminded me of a display at the Peranakan museum some months back. And then I just gotta have this year’s designs! I took 2 packs (10 pcs each, with boy/girl designs in each pack).

There are gold embossing details - with the top stitching (quilting lines) in gold! And check out the little girl carrying a gold-framed purse with a stinking cute chinese knot string.

The 1/2 square triangles in the design really made my day

Tags: Chinese New Year, Red Packets, Singapore
Posted in Sewing | No Comments »

Happy New-ish Year!

While I’ve been away from the blog, the sewing machine was humming, fabrics were pulled off the shelves and more new fabrics were stuffed back into the cupboards over the past 6 weeks or so. And there were a lot of balls in the air - kids, work, house chores, sewing, appointments at the doctors, etc. With the Chinese New Year coming up soon, there are of course more shopping, cleaning and scheduling to do. But I’m finally able to see the light as work and family schedules are falling into their places.

The sewing has not stopped! I started on a faux chenille blanket for a friend’s upcoming new baby and completed that over the weekend. The main fabric is a quilting cotton Oliver & S fabric, layered with 1 x Kona cotton, 1 x cotton/linen blend and 1 x cotton flannel. Binding the blanket became an issue for me - I like to hand sew down binding for the neat/invisible look. But I was short of time and I was not sure I wanted to hand sew down through fiddly layers of cut fabrics.

I decided that I would machine sew the binding down and went with a store-bought bias binding this time. I tried to clip the binding down, but I didn’t feel confident that I would catch the bottom part of the bind when I top-stitch it down. I decided to invest a little more time so that I will get it right and perfect the 1st time. Out came the Japanese basting needle and threads and I took my time to fold the binding over the blanket.

This morning I completed the sewing at the machine and sent it off to the wash.

I cut the chenille part with my Clover slash cutter that I bought from Rosie’s store a few years ago. You can use a pair of regular scissors, but again, its good to spend a little for a nifty little tool that will give you great results and save you lots more time (and also reduce strain on your hands). This cutter comes with 2 guides - one for straight slash cutting (as pictured below) and for shorter guide for curved lines. Minimum width of the ‘channel’ is about 1/4″ (6mm), and for this blanket I sewed my lines about 1/2″ apart.

Can’t wait to see this blankey wrapped around its new owner soon!

 

Tags: faux chenille, slash cutter
Posted in Fabrics, Quilt, Sewing, Tools | No Comments »

It’s been a while since I have updated the store. Husband has been kind enough to take some shots of the items when playing around with his camera.

Christmas really comes early this year as we have already packed and given away our 1st gifts (teachers & classmates).

And to get you started on your christmas shopping, here’s a 10% off coupon code (Yes! Including Olfa items): xmas2011

Valid till 31 December 2011 and applicable for all items listed on Etsy.

// Zipper Pouches //

// Premium Grade Lavender Sachets //

Posted in Crayon Wallet, Gifting, Hand Quilting, Hexagons, Kitchen, Sewing | No Comments »

The new I Spy baby quilt is simply NOT working out for me. I bought this softbook panel a long time ago. But decided that it was too big and flimsy to be a good soft book, although it would probably make a great I Spy quilt instead.

I took a long time cutting and piecing the quilt, and another good few months before I sandwiched the quilt. I got the quilting done ONLY because I needed to free up some space in my WIP drawer. So, its a ‘difficult’ quilt for me since the start.

Benji loves the quilt and had a great time reading the text and ’spying’ the images. But he declared it as ‘TOO SMALL’ for his bed. My son loves big quilts that have generous overhang. Sigh…

The ultimate blow was when I realised that the binding was a real hot mess - fabric is from Sevenberry - and even after 5 rounds of Synthrapol treatment, the binding could not be saved (although I got the reds from the main quilt out).

Now, I’m wondering if I should simply rip out the binding or leave it as-is???

Posted in Gifting, Quilt, Sewing, Sewing Bloopers | 1 Comment »

I started this Lanarte pattern around April this year and just completed it earlier in September.

I chose to leave the season name in Dutch just for the fun of it. The project is actually quite small, stitched unto 100% evenweave, but its a fun and easy pattern. Looking forward to completed set (I’m working on Winter now!), though I have no idea if I should frame it individually or sew them together as 4 blocks… If you are interested in this kit, you can get it from Cross Stitch Joy here.

Tags: Cross Stitch
Posted in Sewing | No Comments »

And I said: ok! mummy will make you a cape. I started to dream about what fabrics, pattern, etc to use. But due to work & the sewing area still snowed under by fabrics/mess/projects, I did not manage to get that cape made for many weeks.

Last week, my son came home from my mom’s place with a vinyl mat taken from a toy set and asked me to clip it around him, so that it could be his ‘cape’. That kind of broke my heart to see him dragging that piece of material all over the room.

Cue 10-min shopping at Spotlight for satin fabrics and I got down to sewing it today. Drafted a quick pattern and involved Benji quite a bit (for measurements, customisation of insignia, etc). After a couple of hours, we got CAPE!

He grabbed his Lego Castle helmet and Star Wars light saber (aka Lance or Sword) and stood in front of my full length mirror for some practice moves. I had to sneak a couple of photos while he was in action

And once again, I’m really glad for my sewing stash - interfacing and BLACK velcro that I bought long ago without a project in mind (perfect for these ‘just in case’ situations).

Here we are: on the way for dinner and he made a beeline for the garden so that he could admire his reflections in the glass doors and running in the open to get wind under his cape.

At bedtime, he asked me for a super-hero cape, with a lightning bolt on it, please.

SURE!

Tags: cape, knight
Posted in Clothings, Kids, Sewing | No Comments »

Feeling a little peckish on this cool rainy afternoon. A sunny side up, perhaps?

Nah. What about grilled cheese sandwich instead? Yums!

Bleu cheese? But but but… they don’t have ‘eyes’, right?

I will just have some Singapore Noodles (whatever that is!) with extra chilli please? Oh, make it ’seafood’ noodles (that green thingy is a fish from a $2 fishing game we bought from Daiso)

Benji wants something posh! Green Eggs!

Do you like green eggs and ham?

I do so like

green eggs and ham!

Thank you!

Thank you,

Ben-I-am!

Green Ham with ‘rind’

Benji’s all-day breakfast special sandwich!

Special ingredients revealed

Last week, we bought Benji a set of Ikea kiddy cooking utensils (although he liked the kiddy kitchen set more!) and we have been cooking ‘ice-cream’, lego bricks and whatever that fits the pot. Yesterday, I popped into Daiso and picked up a small frying pan ($2!), and a pack of assorted felt fabrics.

Today, we spent a quiet afternoon indoors ‘cooking’ up a storm - Benji’s nursing a terrible cough. Cut up some easy shapes and the only ‘3-D’ effect was some wadding stuffed into the egg yolks. The ‘noodles’ yarn came from a ripped up old crochet project. Nothing fancy like the felt food that my friend made for her little girl, or even the $15 Ikea felt food toys. But it is fun to make food on boy’s request So who says you can’t sew for boys, eh?

Posted in Kids, Kitchen, Sewing | 1 Comment »

MamaG & Chris are very good friends of the family. And we were really happy for them when they told us they were getting married in July. Although we could not travel to France for their summer wedding celebrations, we are glad that we could be a part by helping with their wedding favours for the event.

The couple decided on personalised, double-sided napkins that the guests would use and bring home as keepsake at their wedding luncheon.

The napkins were professionally embroidered with the couple’s name and wedding date.

The napkins were made with my stash of Essex cotton-linen and Amy Butler’s Diasy Chain collection purchased from Needle and Thread.

I have enough fabrics left over to put together a table topper, though i wish I had more time to stitch down the binding by hand instead of machine.

I’m really glad to be part of the wedding with the construction of the favours. And I’m definitely looking forward to sewing for their little ones in the future too!

And closer to home, my sister got married earlier this year after months of preparation. As the wedding lunch was a cosy affair, the couple wanted to do something special for the guests. We made lovely lavender sachets filled with high grade french lavender buds, and sewn with custom-printed fabrics by Spoonflower and patches from my stash.

7 years ago, when we had our wedding celebrations, I was not sewing yet - so no such goodies for our own guests. But we tried to put our personal touch wherever we could like commissioning an illustration of both of us which we put on our custom-design/printed invite cards, church wedding programme booklet, dinner menu (we included a foreword explaining why we were not serving shark’s fin soup, since it is ALMOST a tradition to serve the dish at every Chinese wedding banquets), even stickers!

At the wedding dinner, we gave away candies that we ordered from Roc Candy in Australia. I realise that we didn’t have a good shot of the candy (all our wedding photos were shot on film!) but I found it on Roc’s website - although I remembered that the colour of the ‘rind’ was multi-colour, instead of green. I think.

I guess I will be sewing baby gifts next for my friends?

Posted in Gifting, Sewing | 1 Comment »