Around The World Blog Hop

Last week I got inbox from Madhu asking if I’d like to join the AROUND THE WORLD BLOG HOP. 

I was excited and readily agreed cos I've been reading postings from bloggers around the world.

it's fascinating to read their blogs and you can learn a thing or two from them.

{see, this is why I love blog more than micro blog } 

Madhu Mathur is one of the quilt artist in India if I may say so. Her works are one of a kind {OoAK} , very neat and her choice of color is superb. She’s meticulous in her work. Check out her BLOG to see her work or her facebook page for updates on her projects.

The rule for this blog hop is quite simple, you just have to answer these 4 questions. Well, it  looks simple but –for me- I am quite nervous =,= .

So, let’s start:

1.       What I am working on?

Hmmm..to tell you the truth, I always have dozen things going on.  Besides doing my custom orders for my Etsy shop, I have lots of other projects {mostly quilting} which keep be distracted busy *ahem*. One project too many!

so, here's what currently lying around across my dining table and sewing room 

#1  Sailor squares 

#2 Scrappy postage stamp QAL which going on in Instagram

#3 more wallet projects, all cut and ready to sew ;)

#4 HST baby quilt. I used Indian mulmul fabric here. Top is done just need to find a matching backing and quilting it

#5 MMDQ BOM - Dahlia by Madhu Mathur for Desi Quilters - Indian  Quilters Group on Facebook

#6 umbrella in a bottle 

# 7 my Desi Bee Double Star blocks. You can find my tutorial HERE

#8 My DQ Sunny Bees blocks

{I have more blocks but haven't taken the pics}

That's to name few. I still have more in my UFO bins. Arrghhh now I need to really take them out and put it up on the wall so that I can start finish them one by one. 

Out of sight out of mind 

That's really true, isn't it? *SIGH*

2.        How does my work differ from 
others of its genre?

Frankly speaking, I really don’t know how to answer this question. I think your work is an expression of who you are. I simply do what I love doing. You really cannot imitate someone, even if you’re doing the same work/pattern,  your personality will show in your work.

Personally, I like traditional quilt pattern more. Maybe I will give a modern twist on it. I am not very comfortable working with something abstract. I like something  with regularity.

My  color choice really depends on my mood, one day I’m in a bright color phase, sometimes I will be in a pastel color phase.

 But overall, I prefer something simple, sober and balanced  then ‘loud” ones. Even when I do scrappy project, I try to balance the colors and pattern.

Caterpillar

3.      Why do I create what I do?

As far as I remember, I always love sewing and crafting. I remembered I used to follow my mom around, when she gave craft classes in ladies club at my father’s workplace. When I was in college, I sewed my own dresses, making tote bags, decorating scarves, making cards, and what’s not. I even took sewing classes when my friends were taking computer classes. I guess it’s  my destiny. 

Crafting and sewing make me happy. Gifting handmade to people around me, give me immense pleasure 

Spring Swap

xmas gifts for a friend

And I always cherish all handmade gifts from my friends around the world

I love to use/wear handmade. 

fabric brooch

Why buy it, if you can make it ;)

4.      How does my creative process work?

Well, it usually starts with something  I see. Whether it’s a picture in a magazine/book, 

 a painting on the wall,  some movie I see, 

K-drama 

or fabrics. 

When I feel low and uninspired, I will start  tidying up my fabric piles, and I will immediately bursting with ideas. I’m a visual person. I need to write my ideas on a paper or computer to see how it is. 

no fancy app,a simple worksheet will do for me

Choosing the fabrics is very important for me. I will take days to decide which one will work best.  Then I will make few sample blocks, taking tons of photos, rearrange it on my design wall and try to visualize how it turn out.

This one?

or this?

I am making lots of notes as I go. Even as small as stitch length I use.

I like my work to be neat. I have many PhD {project half done} in my bin just because I'm not happy with how it turn out

36 patch qal

Matching points, an even stitch length, etc

Hand Applique table runner

one more thing, I like to tidy up my sewing table in the morning before I start sewing

tidy table and favorite songs in the background
and I'm ready to roll ;)

Ouch, that's quite a lot of pics

Well,that's more or less my story

So, now it’s my turn to tag my friends. It was rather difficult to tag cos lots of bloggers now prefer microblogging in twitter and instagram or share their work on Facebook.

 I personally enjoy writing and reading blogs. And sometimes, sharing tutorial too. So, here  are 2 talented Indian ladies who I want to hear their stories.

1. Anusha Krishnamurthy  who blogs at Petite Faerie. Her quilts are like painting. So lively and she writes well. She will take you to her creative journey and enjoy everything she writes. 

 2.  Diptee Raut who blogs here. She's another blogger who I recently follow. Met her through Desi Quilters and I enjoyed reading her witty stories. It's like reading those chic lit novel I love. She will make you laugh and giggles, while admiring her quilts. 

 3. My Indonesian friend living in KL mbak Hernik who blogs at Jari Jemari, one of few friend who inspired me to start quilting. 

So, let's hear their stories next Monday


Happy Blog Hopping

  

Elephant quilts

There was a little handmade shop in my town run by a very talented lady. She has a bakery and a handmade baby stuff  shop. The shop though small is very beautifully decorated. She made baby dresses, mostly for newborn to about 2-3 years old baby.

I often visited the shop but never met her. And in one evening when I dropped by to pick up some pastries, I went inside her little shop and met her. We talked and I showed her the pictures of what I've been doing. Well, long story short, she liked my handmade stuff and ordered few stuff for her daughter who's expecting a baby. Her daughter likes elephants and I happen to have this pretty elephant fabrics which will be perfect for her. I mixed and matched it with stripes and dots.

She wanted a summer quilt. We discuss all the possibilities and we decided to put a layer of solid cotton as a batting, instead of the usual batting and use mulmul cotton at the back.

this quilt is perfect for spring or summer. I quilted in the ditch around the squares.

I still have more fabrics and if you want the same quilt I'd be glad to make a custom order for you. Simply for to my shop in ETSY

For the fabrics you can get from the following shops:

Indian Mulmul/cotton fabrics : Chezvies Fabrics

Cute printed cottons : Moymoik Fabrics

Until then...Happy Sewing

First Post of 2014 - A very hungry Caterpillar quilt

Oh.my.God ...I haven't been blogging for a loooooong time! Well, I mostly post my work on my facebook page or my Instagram.

The last few months I've been busy with my Etsy shop, taking few orders for passport wallets, tunic, quilts etc. It's been quite a busy months for me.

Few months back, I was doing this very hungry caterpillar quilt for one customer. Panel quilt seems easy to do, but it's quite tricky if you don't plan properly. Or maybe it's just me ^^.

front side

I always need to draw the quilts I am going to make with detail measurements of the block's size.

There was few ripping moments while I was doing this one. It's really a learning experience for me. 

back side

It was really fun doing it and I'm happy that she liked the quilt too! 

Until Then...

Happy Sewing

B for Boy or Blue

This is another late post. 

I made this quilt last  September for my MIL's friend. She wanted something BLUE for her grandson. And you know there are a whole lot of shades of blues.

 See what I mean???

She simply said "I want something blue for my Grandson, he's 13 years old" . hmmm...As usual, deciding the block and pattern arrangements is the most difficult part for me. I made few fabric selections and few test blocks, laid them on the floor, clicking endless pictures. Picking another set of blues, cutting and repeating until I get that "AHA" feeling.

I saved you from viewing my "WIP" photos, and here what I came up with:

I wanted something simple that has a BLUE look about it. Using a square in square block, I put owl prints in the middle and blue and yellows oval dotted prints too. 

 of course a blue dots for the back! Lucky I found this still in stock in my fave fabric shop!

and as usual, decorative quilting ^^

It was a rush work, since she's leaving for the US and will take the quilt with her. I sent her just few days before she left, and she was very thrilled and placed another order, this time it's PINK. Now, that the color that I love ^_^. 

Until then,

Happy Sewing

Desi Quilters October Challenge

This simple strip cushion cover I made for Desi Quilters October Challenge. The rule is to make STRIP quilted items of any size. So, I decided to make this cushion cover:

I used my emboss batik fabric which I brought from Indonesia on my last visit last July. I love the vibrant colors of this batik.

I did FMQ too!!! This my second serious try. I just moved the fabric without following any design and realized I should PRACTICE more. I really want to do in a bigger quilt. 

Black n White Pinwheel Quilt

I've done my second custom order of big summer quilt. This one is 84" x 102". She asked for a black n white quilt for her son. So, since I love Pinwheel, I made this one for him. 

Done and delivered:

They were very happy with this one and the Pink and Lavender one. In the end, a happy customer is the biggest reward. They really made my day. 

More photos available in my Google + Album.

To see more about my quilt, visit my Facebook Page .

Thanks for stopping by...until then..

Happy Quilting