Gives new meaning

Giving new meaning to zippered pouches are these two pencil cases. Each were made from 8 different shades of 8” zips sewn to each other in the alternate direction using a zig-zag stitch.

These are unlined, of course, so each zip is a functional opening to access the stationery inside. Imagine 8 openings, 4 on each side.

Make your own this Christmas for friends and family :-).

Have a blessed day!

All covered up

Three quilted book covers for this Friday’s bookbinding class.

Princess print is from Timeless Treasures, doggy one from Makower. I can’t find the selvedge for the kitty in the cinema print :-(.

Thing is, the first thing I do when I get a piece of fabric is to cut off the selvedge. Be it a fat quarter or few yards long. I salvage selvedges to make one-of-a-kind items. :-)

Anyway, this is a quick post ‘cos I have other covers to rush out for this Friday’s class.

Have a blessed evening!

 

Update: another 4 covers almost done. Will do the metal snaps tomorrow….off to play Spiral Knights with DS and DD now.

Good evening!

It’s a cover-up!

Made these 2 covers for a bookbinding class for a mother-daughter duo tomorrow.

The blue cover is a OOAK (one of a kind) ‘cos there’s absolutely no way I can make another just like this, or even similar to this. Am running out of blue selvedges :-(.

I hope she likes it though :-).

The black and white one has a floral exterior and polka dot lining. Both fabrics from Korea. I can’t remember if this is 6oz or 7oz batting though.

Class was originally for coptic stitch bound books but changed to criss-cross longstitch. IMHO, The criss-cross longstitch is an easier stitch to pick up. Easiest is the saddle stitch. I have a tutorial in an earlier entry…go find :-).

Have a blessed day!

How green can you go?

I have this fondness for notebooks. Not that I journal a lot or doodle a lot but somehow the feel of the paper or a cute cover catch my eye and make me stop and have a look.

I buy less notebooks now. Just bought some recently, but not for myself…phew! Now we have fun creating our own, using materials we can find at home or those in the mail. Waiting for mail is different now…LOL!

These 2 are A5 notebooks. Five signatures of 7 white and 1 green cover sheets bound using the coptic stitch. This is for someone who likes green :-). Green fabric cover, green thread, green cover sheets, sustainable forest paper. Circus print is made from linen and floral one from oxford cotton. 220gsm endpapers are green too :-)

Have a blessed day!

Christmas mood

I like Christmas. It’s a time for family and friends, fun and laughter, lots of food. It’s a time to reflect on the year, to be thankful for everything that has happened. It’s also a time to prepare for the new year.

DD’s looking forward to honey baked ham. I think we’ll have glazed honey pork ribs too. DS would prefer the ribs. I used to like roast beef but it wasn’t easy getting the meat just right.

Maybe we’ll catch the lights at Orchard road this year on the front seat of a double deck, like we planned for years. We’ll go kettling, for sure. DS’ looking forward to the free flow sugared and carbonated drinks with his hot dog.

Made this on a whim. It’s pretty simple and you can make it too. Have fun!

Sew 2 triangles with interfacing on the inside. I used the thickest interfacing I had so this is sturdy and can stand on its own. Place 1 triangle on top of the other, flat sides together and sew down the middle. That way, it’ll become a 4-part tree. Sew on some buttons and thread some beads for the garland. I added a string at the top so I can hang this. DD has claimed this though.

Have a blessed Christmas :-)!

Perseverance

On this day, 11.11.11, Love Singapore churches are praying for Singapore. Details here. What happens when we persevere united in prayer?

On another note, I faced another form of perseverance. The elapsed time for this took about 4 months. I’m not sure ‘cos I stopped checking after a month. I don’t even know if the person who requested for this will still want this.

This is a coptic-bound A5 journal. Nine signatures, nine holes. The thread alone was almost 3m long and I was hoping and praying that it wouldn’t tangle else I’d have to restart. Printed verses based on the fruits of the spirit.

I bless the owner of this journal that His Word will be a lamp onto your feet and while you abide in His Word, may your eyes be opened to the many wonders that He has prepared for you. May you also delight in the Lord and that His joy will be your strength. May you persevere in whatever you do, that the fruits of the spirit bear fruit in your life.

Have a blessed day!

Waste not, want not

Do you recognise the covers of these notebooks?

The X card is DS’ birthday card from church. Found it on his desk and took it to saddle-stitched a single signature of plain white pages.

The Christmas card is from Maybank. It’s actually a Christmas catalogue. I removed the internal pages and tore them in 2 for DD’s origami and kept the cover to also saddle-stitch a single signature of green and blue pages.

We look out for ‘condo cards’ now that arrive in the mail but there aren’t many launches it seems. You can use these as notebook covers too :-).

Have a blessed day!

Why Pray?

Extracted from www.parentingbydesign.com

James 4:2: ... you do not have because you do not ask (NKJV).

The number one tool in parenting is prayer. It should be your go-to response whenever you feel angry, frustrated, tense, confused, or you aren't quite sure what to do. But, have you ever wondered why? If God already knows what we need, why doesn't He just provide it and let us move on with our day?

Obviously, one reason for prayer is because God has commanded it; "you do not have because you do not ask". In addition, it is a unique opportunity to sort through life's issues with the Author of life. Prayer reminds us that God is in control and helps put our parental role in the proper perspective. When we pray that our will be aligned with His, He can work in our hearts to give us a clearer understanding of what His will is. Prayer is not just a theological exercise; it is an opportunity to talk directly to our Heavenly Father. What a privilege and blessing!

Take advantage of your opportunity to talk to your Father in prayer.

364 days ago…

A year ago, I sold my first bag. It was a sling bag requested by a church friend who saw what DD was carrying and wanted a similar one. Since then, I’ve made

• totes – reversible, A4, diaper bags, library bags, lunch bags, CNY mandarin orange carriers
• pouches – with zips/snaps, large enough for computer notebook, small enough for earphones, pencil cases, coin purses, flat / boxy / triangular, almost waterproof or otherwise
• pet beds and doggy bowtie
• kisslock purses
• handphone sleeves
• baby tummy wraps, coasters, tablecloths, cot bedsheets and key pouch
• tissue cases – vanilla ones or with zips
• slings – mini ones for toddlers, larger ones for adults
• backpacks – mini ones for toddlers, largest one for travel
• drawstrings bags – mini ones for toddlers, largest one for travel
• notebook covers, card case covers
• books – hardcovers, quilted covers, cahiers, journals

I’d also raised funds through your efforts for Japan Earthquake and Thailand floods. Something that I never thought I could do.

Thank you, God, for making all these possible.

Thank you, my family, friends and supporters.

Have a blessed day!

ps: I wanted to put up almost the whole year in pics but that would be heavy-duty download and besides, I got a bit tired of formatting each pic, LOL! Check out the rest of the blog or facebook for more pics.