Angry bird?

Guess who dropped by yesterday while DD was sunning her mango in the balcony?

It dropped by earlier but perched on the grilles and then flew off. Came back short while later and decided to venture nearer. After snapping a few quick shots, it flew away and I told DD to keep the mango.

I wonder how it managed to spot this when I live on the 13th storey of an HDB block?

Have a blessed day!

Expanding and Contracting Boundaries

Extracted from parentingbydesign.com

Matt. 25:23:  "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things'" (NIV).

Many parents feel compelled to give their kids access to television, video games, cell phones, and even cars before they have demonstrated responsible behavior. But holding our kids accountable helps them mature and avoids entitlement. This verse encourages us to require our kids to be faithful with the tasks they've been given before giving them more privileges and freedom.

As we give our kids responsibilities, they will make mistakes. This is part of the learning process. When this happens, we may have to temporarily restrict privileges. For instance, a child who is making poor grades may have his television or computer time restricted until his grades improve. Delivering reasonable consequences helps the child learn from his mistakes and become a better decision-maker in the future when his privileges are restored.

Recognize the difference between needs and privileges and be willing to lovingly hold your kids accountable.

Have a blessed weekend!

Happy Birthday, Bel!

Smallest backpack ever that DD said she would have wanted if she were younger. (I thought she doesn't like pink now?)

Bel's mum wanted

1.       Butterflies on white background - CHECK

2.       Drawstring bag, flap cover - CHECK

3.       D ring on both sides - CHECK

4.       2 pockets on inside - CHECK (additional 2)

5.       W20CM*D12CM*H23CM - CHECK

6.       Adjustable straps - CHECK

Wasn't easy making this 'cos of the size. Hope you like it!

Have a blessed day!

Touchy feely

I jumped at Little Statement's offer to sell some of my stuff along with theirs at KKWCH tomorrow morning. It's my first foray into direct selling, or actually, I might not even be there since I need to meet DD's teacher in the afternoon.
I'm not bringing much - 20 items is a lot, considering I will only be there for a few hours.
Do drop by and have a look and buy something if you like it.

Oh! You do remember that as a BunnyBags blog reader you get a special discount code when you shop at Little Statement, yup?

Bitten by the sewing bug

DD's largest sole project to date. We collaborated on smaller items before but this is the first time she's going solo. Since she likes greens, she picked these out from a cut fabric pile that I had (meant for sewing 5" zipper pouches). After a few false starts and re-sewing, this is the result ;-)
Made from oxfords, quilting cottons and linen from all over the world - JP, KR, US, AU.
More when she completes it.
Have a blessed day!

Sneeks: straps

4-ply adjustable straps made from oxford, twil and cotton/linen blends. All with metal sliders and O-ring (not shown). Know what these will be attached to pretty soon?

Here doggy, doggy

What sort of pencil case do you use?
I've made flat zippered ones (ranging from 8" to 11" long), toblerone-type ones, lunchbag types, snap button types and the rollover/foldover types, even boxy ones and a cylinder. Some have a few compartments, some have many zips. Some are plain while others have lace or embroidery. There are so many variables.

This is a flat zippered one made from doggy print oxford paired with linen. Fully lined with calico and interfaced with thin batting. Heart zip for closure. Added a patch pocket.

Base

Extracted from  parentingbydesign.com

Prov. 18:10: The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe (NIV). 

When you were playing hide-and-seek as a child, do you remember making a mad dash to reach the safety of "base"? As the adrenaline coursed through your veins, you became laser-focused on the safe haven in front of you. Once you reached base, you could breathe a sigh of relief and relax. This verse pictures the Lord as our heavenly "base"-a strong tower of security and protection.

Do you run to God when the trials of parenting overwhelm you? So often we say token prayers as we frantically try to fix problems on our own. Practically speaking, we trust in ourselves more than we trust in God. God gives us knowledge and ability, but it can never replace the act of surrendering our wisdom for His.

Instead of hiding behind a self-sufficient exterior, be honest with God about your doubts and fears. He already knows them anyway! True peace will never be found in our own efforts, but in trusting in the only One who can truly protect us.

When you are troubled, run to your heavenly base and relax.

Choices

Last week, DD brought this to me - a lock & lock container with just that amount of lobster crackers - and said that she left some for me. Many thoughts went through my mind at that moment - why so little, why ate so much, why give me now, is it 'cos she not want to wash up?

Then I decided, why don't I look at it differently - that she managed to stop herself from eating all, that she remembered me, that she brought to me, that she knew I would be happy and not angry if she brought it to me.

I decided that I'll be happy with all these and thank God for such moments, always.

Have a blessed day!

Going into hiding....sort of

I've been spring cleaning and spring cleaning my inventory.

It's tough when I buy in bulk as in yards and yards of various types of fabric just to be able to buy at a cheaper price. Even notions like D-rings or swivel hooks, I have these by the scores. While this may be beneficial to you as the consumer 'cos material cost is lower, it's backfiring on me at the moment 'cos of high inventory cost and storage area. What you see here is most of the fabrics I have and these are the ones DD and I managed to put on hangers.

I won't be taking anymore custom orders as I'm going on a short hiatus to concentrate on 2 things - clearing the current backlog as well as sewing readymade stock to clear these fabrics. Oddly, I will be on 2 fabric purchases before the end of the month 'cos I like a good bargain and I need to fulfill a committed order.

I'll continue to post pics of what I've made here as well as on facebook for your comments :-)

Have a blessed day!

High heels

DS says high heels look nice but are not practical. He was referring to this pencil case when he said that. While it's huge with a large opening to be able to see your stuff clearly and retrieve them, he considers the snaps too troublesome to manipulate. DD calls this the lunchbag pencil case.

Flap's made from Wilmington's Bunny's Day Out border with linen body. Interior is fully lined with Korean import white polka dots on lime green. Two resin snaps at the corners for closure. What do you think?
Have a blessed day!

United nations

Before I go fabric shopping again, I decided to do a quick stock take of what fabrics I have on hand. I buy in bulk to get the deep discounts but this has led to a huge mess inventory of odd-shaped pieces of fabric. I didn't know how much fabric I had but I decided to make a flat patchwork tote out of unique squares (4.5cm x 4.5cm).

112 squares later I decided to stop even though I have more fabric still that I didn't cut squares from. LOL! Fabrics were from Japan, Korea, US, Australia and I don't know where. Used the final gifted cotton webbing for this tote. Plain for the patchwork and printed cherries for the linen / cherry side. Included a patch pocket from cherry fabric as well as a cut-out zip compartment which has a pocket inside as well as a pen slip. DD chose the bear zipper pull. It's cute and double-sided so you get the bear front on both sides. And it's solid metal so it's heavier than usual.
Have a blessed day!

ps: I wonder how much fabric I really have...hmmmm.....
pps: sorry for the washed out look. Don't know why the pics are like that, maybe 'cos of the hazy overcast sky? The colours are much richer than they look :-)
ppps: I just realised that I put the same patchwork side in the pic though I took both sides. LOL! Maybe I'll retake and give you richer colours, ah?

Patchwork phase

It seems that there are phases in my sewing. I think I mentioned this before. At a point in time I'm sewing lots of pencil cases, at another it's totes. This time, it's patchwork. Lots of patchwork recently so I decided that this giveaway will be a patchwork one :-)

5" rainbow patchwork zippered pouch which is fully lined with calico and interfaced. Come with your choice of zipper pull - house, bear, ball, heart.
This giveaway will be on if there are 7 or more Likes on the facebook page. Draw by random.org will be on 20May at noon.
Have a blessed day!

Wristlet vs wallet

I started carrying wrislets few years back, seeing that they're so convenient as they can hold lots of stuff. I have one that has 3 card slots and a divider that could take in 20+ cards and receipts and cash and even a pen and a stirer. If you're a mum, you'll be carrying lots of stuff that your kids pick up / make, ya? However, if you're the type that still prefers a wallet....

Made this bi-fold wallet totally out of linen, printed and plain. The printed one is much smoother than the plain one which has more texture. There are 6 card slots on one side which can take 2-3 cards per slot. These are a snug fit so your cards won't fall out. On the other side, there is a zippered compartment for coins or other small items like stamps, as well as 2 larger slots for notes or vouchers or receipts. I attached a metal house zipper pull to the metal zip. Fully lined and interfaced.

Have a blessed day!

Doodling time

Made this from printed and plain linen with lace between. Added a 'Handmade' label for emphasis. Fully lined with calico and fits an A6 size notebook.

Linen, cotton, cotton/linen

Linen is one of the oldest woven fabrics in human history. Made of fibers from the flax plant, this material was once considered suitable only for royalty. Purple linen was the material for a king’s robe. The Bible mentions linen coverings used in the Tabernacle and the Temple, and references to “fine linen” are found throughout.

Linen is an expensive fabric to manufacture. Flax is a temperamental plant to grow, and the quality of the finished linen depends largely on the quality of the plant itself. The flax fibers are found in the stalk, which is picked by hand to preserve the fibers’ integrity — another reason flax is expensive. Separating the fibers is also a long and tedious process if performed correctly. Some flax is processed on cotton machines, but this results in a lower-quality finished fiber.

Linen flower pot exterior from Korea fully lined with calico. Since this is a side to side design (you see the bag, you'll know, LOL!) I couldn't do the usual panel of pockets so this has patch pockets instead. Squared off base and cotton webbing handles. Undecided yet whether to sew on a magnet or not.

What do you think?

Sneaks: macrame

I like macrame. I started macrame-ing when mum bought flower pot hangers made out of hemp and cotton from the Philippines years ago. I've used raffia and twine to make flower pot hangers. Tried making bags out of them but I can't seem to perfect the base. Maybe I'll try again. :-)

I started on this a few years ago and found it again last night. It's quite easy to pick up where I left off 'cos it's a regular pattern. Made from cotton twine and wooden beads. I made a similar before with cream coloured beads and gave it to my sis. If you ever spot it, you'll know who she is :-)
Have a blessed rainy morning!

Remind yourself again

Purple passion

Made this roomy tote for mum who likes purple and flowers (orchids, especially) out of 2 Yuwa prints. The purple floral one has a very soft hand and I paired it with the much sturdier herbs so that I don't need to use interfacing for bag structure. Included a panel of fully-lined pockets as usual and use printed cotton webbing for the handles. This tote can be used either with the purple flowers/printed handles or cream herbs/cream handles (with pockets on the outside).

Keying in

Managed to complete this before the GE2011 election results program on TV. I hope that all who get elected will deal with the key matters at hand without disparaging nor prejudice.

Made from linen and cotton and resin snaps for closure. Antique look metal key rings for 6 keys.
Have a blessed evening!

Sweets for my sweet

Circular candy tray with snaps at four corners to snap into a square. Put candy if you like. DD put Cherry inside. Linen exterior with resin snaps fully lined with calico.

Have a warm blessed day!

Jesus fish

Did you know this? Extracted from www.all4jesus.name

For Christians, the fish is one of their earliest symbols—used to profess their faith and to avoid persecution. Christians chose the fish because of its prominence in Jesus' teachings and because of a famous acrostic (the letters of a word forming the initial letters of a phrase). The Greek word fish—IXOYE—forms the acrostic "Iesous, Christos, Theou, Yios, Soter" or "Jesus, Christ, God's, Son, Savior." Besides serving as a brief profession of faith, the fish also helped Christians distinguish between friend and foe. When traveling, if a Christian met another person, the Christian would draw half the fish (half a crescent) in the sand. If the other person completed the fish, he or she was a Christian. Gal. 6:17 is a reference to St. Paul's letter to the Galatians. Paul writes, "From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand marks of Jesus."

Made this for a macho little boy who likes Thomas the tank engine a lot and his sister's pencil case. Now he'll have his own :-) Robert Kaufman's Gone Fishing fabric fully lined with calico. I used a ring zipper pull for tiny fingers.

Have a blessed day!

Remind yourself

20/20

Come take a magic adventure from July 15 to 24 at the Esplanade. Click here for more details.

Oatmeal

Didn't realize that working with linen is so much fun! It coordinates well with any colour and can be embroided easily. Now I understand a bit why it's the material of choice for many zakka items.

Made this single coaster out of oatmeal linen and pink quilting cotton. One one side there are 4 mini log cabins and plain stripes on the other. I think I'll go try other colours :-)

Have a blessed day!

Sneaks: Knitted throw

I've been focussing more attention on the pics lately and I hope you like the results. Took these today and which do you prefer?

TOP: taken with flash
MIDDLE: taken without flash
BOTTOM: taken without flash but using a macro studio

This is a work in progress using yarn that mum found and claimed it belongs to me. I didn't like it at first 'cos the label had synthetic fibres. I'm not a fan of synthetic fibres but after knitting rows and rows of these, the throw seems quite bouncy and squishy and I like it!
I've been knitting garter stitch throws on the bias recently 'cos to me, it's the fastest way to use up my yarn stash.

Pattern:
This is a rectangle and knitted on the bias (diagonally) in 3 sections.
A. Knitting the corner
Cast on 2 stitches, knit next row and increase 1 stitch at the end.
Repeat till happy with length of 1 side.
B. Knitting the body
Knit next row and decrease 1 stitch at the end.
Knit next row and increase 1 stitch at the end.
C. Knitting the end
Knit next row and decrease 1 stitch at the end.
Repeat till 1 stitch left and cast off.
You can add a fringe at this point.
Have a blessed day!

Playing catch-up

Forgot to post these two :-)

DS' lovin it

Enough said.

Chartreuse

is a color halfway between yellow and green that was named because of its resemblance to the green color of one of the French liqueurs called green chartreuse, introduced in 1764. (extracted from wikipedia)

I first learnt about this colour when I was buying yarn. It's a bit like lime green which I also like but more yellowish. Chartreuse background with 50-cent coin polka dots tote. I've been pulling out the 'vintage' fabrics that I have and found this and a baby pink version. The texture reminds me of linen but I think it's cotton. Maybe a blend? Your usual tote with reinforced handles and a panel of pockets inside.

Have a blessed day!

Yup, I know

I know this is not a bag, purse or anything to do with needlework but the sky was so blue this morning and I took a pic :-)

Sneaks: Crochet crossbody sling bag

I found the tonal pink one. Think I made it last year. Can't remember. There's also a tonal blue one somewhere. When I find it, I'll post it here. Made from pack of 12 colours of cotton yarn meant for a shawl. I don't use shawls so... :-)

Found this leather strap too. DD found it a bit narrow but I thought it's just nice for a sling. This strap came with 2 D-rings but I thought that since the hooks could hook into the many holes of a crochet item, it then makes the 'bases' changeable. 

What do you  think?

Merci

Do you like chocolates? I do. I like dark ones. Dark bitter ones with cacao percentange in the band 1 range. I don't really fancy milk chocolates 'cos I think they're too sweet. I like filled centres with nuts or fruits or Ferroro Rocher style. I like it on glico pocky. I like it on mashmallows. I like it in/on ice-cream and in cookies.

 

One side of this pencil case reminds me of the Merci chocolates. The bars. Made from AU fat quarters with linen exterior and calico interior. Daiso zip. Fully lined but not interfaced (again!). Two rows of handsewn running stitches on one side for that zakka feel.
Have a blessed day!
Afternote:
Made another one:

Before and after: scented sachet

DD made a scented sachet for me during one of her Girl Brigade sessions. I had it on my sewing table for a while and the itch came today to redo the plastic wrapper the potpourri is in. Which do you prefer?
Have a blessed day!

Is this nice?

I received this cotton webbing as a gift some time back. Didn't think any of you would be such a fan as I am of sewing so I'm claiming this for myself. LOL!

This tote was cut from shimmery denim that I found (err, can't remember how long it's been there, years, at least) based on 1 square tile in my living room. Added a panel of fully lined pockets and made a fishing line from scrap that I found. Length of cotton webbing was just nice for carrying this tote over the shoulder, yeah!
I asked DD if it's nice. Yes, she says.
I asked DS if it's nice. He asked, compared to what.
LOL!
Have a blessed day!

More pencil cases

It's odd sometimes when the requests come in, they come in batches. I'd get requests for similar items from different people about the same time. It's interesting to see how they pair the fabrics too. Sometimes what I think doesn't work turns out better than I imagined. So I learnt to hold back my comments on the prints of the fabric and only suggest when it comes to the weight of the fabric.

Two flat rectangular pencil cases. Both fully lined, personalised and not interfaced. Smaller one is made from linen and corduroy on the outside and lined with calico. Larger has US import super combed blue lifesavers cotton lined with Korean import blue canvas on the inside. Daiso star zip and D-ring extras.

This is my first plain linen creation and I like working with linen. There are so many types of linen out there (I bought 3 recently) and they have different textures, coarseness and colour. They match so well too. Must be why so many zakka items use them. Looking forward to more lace and embroidered items :-)

Have a blessed day!



Travelling light

When DS and DD were younger, they used to have their EZlink cards in a slip in plastic pouch with a lanyard that they carry round their neck. Most of the time it ended up being me who carried and tapped them on buses and trains. As they grew older, they started carrying more stuff like library cards, library receipts (good for Quest exchange!) and some cash.

While DS prefered a simple zippered pouch, unlined, un-interfaced (is this a boy thing?), DD likes this new purse I made for her. It has 2 slip in pockets and 1 zippered compartment for her coins. The flap seals with a resin snap. I don't like the colour of the snap but DD chose it. I think she's trying to be nice 'cos all I have are pastel colours and won't be buying anymore till I finish these snaps. So peach it is :-)
Made from AU fat quarters inside and out and bound with Korean import cotton. Lightly interfaced for that puffiness.
Have a blessed day!