Becoming a bookworm

Usually, I bind books in stages, preparing a few books rather than complete one then start making another. Maybe I might do that some day but not now, not when I'm rushing to complete as many before Term 2 starts. 

Stage 1: cut up the board into smaller sizes, usually slightly larger than A5 or A6. I used to use 900gsm greyboards but now I've started using 1000gsm whiteboards. These white boards are easier when the fabric is light coloured and the background of the backing board matters.

Stage 2: prepare the parts of the book - the covers for the covers (LOL!), the pages, signature covers, charms etc. The covers (fabric or paper) also needs to be cut and glued onto the boards.

Stage 3: While the glue dries, I fold and cut paper into the right size, print lines if I need to. This part is quite monotonous and sometimes I do this while watching Criminal Minds or some other show to distract me.

Stage 4: The outside of the cover done, I'll need to do the insides of the cover. This is either a fly page or patterned paper covering the board on the other side. Glue goes on and I wait again.

Stage 5: Sometimes I press the boards after they're dry.

Stage 6: Decide on stitching pattern, draft if necessary.

Stage 7: Find thread and wax it. I've used polyester, cotton and linen. I like linen for it's strength, cotton for the colours. I don't think I'll use polyester anymore, now that I've found linen and cotton threads.

Stage 8: Poke holes in the cover (and flypage, if there is) and pages.

Stage 9: Sew. Attach charm, perhaps?

Stage 10: Press. Sometimes I press for a few days.

Well, there you have it. Bookbinding in a nutshell.

I'm toying with a series of bookbinding classes for the June holidays but let's see how things go in term 2 first. 

Covers: Wilmington's Bunny's Day Out fabric (front), faux suede (back), 1000gsm whiteboard
Pages: 80gsm, 2 shades of green, acid-free, 8 signatures of 10 folios, 320 sides. Unlined
Stitch: 7-hole coptic
Thread: waxed cotton, variegated green
Size: A5

Covers: Lecien's Happy Chihuahua fabric, 900gsm greyboard, 120gsm endpapers
Pages: 80gsm, 2 shades of blue, acid-free, 7 signatures of 10 folios, 280 sides. Unlined
Stitch: woven longstitch, kettle
Thread: waxed cotton, variegated blue
Size: A5

Covers: Wilmington's Bunny's Day Out fabric (front), faux suede (back), 1000gsm whiteboard
Pages: 80gsm, 2 shades of green, acid-free, 7 signatures of 10 folios, 280 sides. Unlined
Stitch: 7-hole coptic
Thread: waxed cotton, variegated green
Size: A5

Covers: Pattern paper, 900gsm greyboard, 120gsm fly pages
Pages: 80gsm, white, acid-free, 7 signatures of 10 folios with signature covers, 280 sides. Unlined
Stitch: 7-hole single needle coptic
Thread: waxed linen, 4-ply, Robin's egg blue
Size: A5

Covers: Korean quilting cotton, 1000gsm whiteboard, 160gsm flypages
Pages: 80gsm, 2 shades of green, acid-free, 8 signatures of 10 folios, 320 sides. Unlined
Stitch: criss-cross kettle/Coptic
Thread: waxed cotton, variegated green
Size: A5

Covers: Laminated pattern print, 900gsm greyeboard
Pages: 80gsm, white (one book) / rose (other book), acid-free, 8 signatures of 10 folios with signature covers, 320 sides. Unlined
Stitch: Coptic, Roman links
Thread: waxed linen, dark chocolate
Size: A6

Covers: Laminated pattern print, 900gsm greyeboard
Pages: 80gsm, white, acid-free, 8 signatures of 10 folios with signature covers, 320 sides. Unlined
Stitch: Coptic, Roman links
Thread: waxed cotton, variegated brown
Size: A5

Have a blessed evening!

Rainy days

It's been raining the whole afternoon but it has stopped now and the sun's out.

What do you do on a rainy Sunday afternoon?

Made this 7-strand braided bracelet. Actually, I like the toggle. It's super shiny and I like the clean simple lines. It's rather heavy, definitely not aluminium. I initially braided 4 strands of suede but it was too big for the toggle's hole. I switched to 4 strands of Chinese knotting string and it was too small. I tried 7 strands and it's just nice :-)

I have a bunch of these snappy clips and decided to try the fabric button on them. I think I like these better than the paper clips. Hmm, I've not taken a pic of those, it seems. Soon?

Have a blessed day.

ps: I wonder if there'll be a rainbow later :-)

Happy friends

I like Lecien's prints, especially this one from the Happy Chihuahuas range. These come in the 'right' size for 27mm cover buttons or even 18mm where you get the animal up close. These are dual loop elastic hair ties. Packaged as a set of 4 so I don't have to bother about inventorising how many cats, dogs, piyos or hams there are, LOL!

Have a blessed day!

Make your own : fabric-covered hair tie kit

This kit contains almost everything you'll need to make your own fabric-covered button hair ties. It's just short of needle and thread to help you get the elastic through the loop at the back of the button. You can try to squeeze the elastic through if you don't have needle nor thread.

There's a fabric cover button kit. You can get this from Daiso. This one comes with its button-making kit. There's also the refill kit at Daiso. Daiso has both the green and blue pushers but I prefer the green 'cos the mould that comes with it is transparent and you can see if the picture is centred. The blue pusher has an opaque mould.

I also included 15 elastic hair ties. Extra for just in case. Besides, it came in packs of 5, LOL!

I cut 11 pink hexagons. All different, all cotton-linen blend. There are also 4 circles from Lecien's Happy Chihuahua.

All you'll need is just the tutorial here.

Have fun!

ps: I'll be coming up with a scrunchie kit later. Very useful for classes or get-togethers, but DD doesn't seem to like my idea of a pendant making party, LOL!

Super sub

I know some of you realised that I’ve been sewing stuff using fabrics that are not available on the Fabrics page. I’ve grown weary of updating that page ‘cos my stash just keeps growing and growing and it’s rather tiresome to update what’s available and how much there is. SO, if you like some themes, eg. polka dots, dogs, bunnies, contemporary prints, black/white etc, do let me know and I’ll go hunt.

The thing is, I took in an order recently without checking how much fabric I had left and took the liberty to substitute with what I thought looks prettier. [MT, I’ll be contacting you soon!]

I can’t remember the last time I substituted, yet I don’t think this is the first time. Oh well, I hope she likes it anyway :-).

Have a blessed day!

In a flurry

I'm still here.
Listening to the Chipmunks and Chipettes on youtube while I type this out. Lots of distractions so I've not been consistent recently in blog updates. These are some behind the scenes pics.

Bought this brown suede-like fabric from Arab Street because I like the texture. Used this as the prototype for DS' mouse pouch. Wonder if he'll prefer this instead. Fits my digital camera as well. DS wanted one for his mouse so that the tail won't be tangled up when he dumps it in his bag. Maybe I should make a larger one with 3 compartments, for the mouse, charger and earphones. Lots of wires running all over the place.

 Made these about a fortnight ago but didn't post pics. These are the WIPs. There are some more that have been completed and given away. Yup, it's fun to give away stuff...sometimes :-)
Can't decide whether to sell these at the KKH Bazaar in Oct. I should be working on clearing orders.

Found my Cascade yarn (50% superfine alpaca, 50% wool). The colour looks so washed out 'cos it's actually a rich grape colour. This will be another garter-stitched throw that will hopefully be completed by the time it gets colder towards the end of the year. I only have 10 skeins of this so it won't be as big as the orange one.
Have a blessed weekend!

Hand vs Machine

I used to hand-quilt the Keiko Goke fabric but I thought I'd machine-quilt for a change. Which do you prefer?

RESERVED

Keiko Goke exterior with Lecien basics interior. I like the bright cheery colours of Lecien basic. Fully interfaced and lined. Secured with lockable zip.

As for me, I don't have a preference. Sometimes I prefer to hand-quilt, sometimes machine. Guess it depends on mood and requested method for any order. At lease this is easy to machine quilt 'cos it's criss-cross lines. See the other Keiko Goke below that I tried to machine-quilt. Had to start and stop and knot and start and stop and knot. Well, you get the picture :-)

What is a pouch?

The Free Dictionary had this definition for 'pouch'

1. A small bag often closing with a drawstring and used especially for carrying loose items in one's pocket.
2. A bag or sack used to carry mail or diplomatic dispatches.
3. A leather bag or case for carrying powder or small-arms ammunition.
4. A sealed plastic or foil container used in packaging frozen or dehydrated food.
5. Something resembling a bag in shape: one's pouches under one's eyes.
6. Zoology A saclike structure, such as the cheek pockets of the gopher or the external abdominal pocket in which marsupials carry their young.
7. Anatomy A pocketlike space in the body: the pharyngeal pouch.
8. Scots A pocket.
9. Archaic A purse for small coins.

RESERVED

What do you use a pouch for?

• DS puts his handphone
• DS also uses one as his pencil case. He prefers the flat zippered type with zip on the side. He has also requested for another using a fighter jet fabric. I'll put this up when it's ready.
• DD puts her DS along with the earpieces but she's been asking me to make another one which has a separate compartment to put the earpieces
• DD has a round one for her shuffle with the earpiece coming out from a small slot just where the zip ends. This is one of the few that I sew totally by hand.
• I put my keys in one that's shaped like a quadrant. It has a key ring attached to a short internal strap that lets me swing the keys out when I need to use them or back in and zipped up when I don't. It also has a D-ring and strap so it's easy to carry when we go out for a bit. I prefer keys to be enclosed so that it doesn't snag on stuff in my bag.
• I'm currently using a Noah Ark's wristlet with a centre divider that has 3 pockets for cards. Some of the stuff I put inside are: pen, stirrer (DS gave me), about 20 cards, cash, coins, receipts, vouchers etc. I can pack lots inside one wristlet :-)
• I also use a strap as a keychain.

What do you use it for?

Wristlet Spree

Look what the straps are attached to now? Yup, still missing a few pouches so watch this space...

SOLD

All fully lined with 2 pockets for your cards (EZlink, credit/debit, discount) secured by the heart zip. Can you spot which is fabric is by Yuwa and Lecien?

Sneak preview - straps

Leftmost and Rightmost - SOLD
Middle one - available

Went fabric shopping on Saturday and look what I found - Lecien dots. I can't decide if I prefer Lecien or Yuwa (that's the fabric in the middle), or plain 1mm dots (that's Korean imported fabric). I choose fabric if the print catches my eye but sometimes I buy simply 'cos the fabric feels so soothing to touch. But I digress.
These are 3 straps meant for wristlets. I decided to make the straps first before the zipper pouch for a change. Which do you prefer?
Have a blessed evening!

Mini Totes

2 mini totes for a few essentials of purse, phone, keys, paperback? Purple one is 'Flowers on the Hill' by Keiko Goke for Yuwa (which DS liked 'cos he thought they look like stickmen without the arms and legs). Green one's from Lecien (I like Lecien fabric so much!)