Alternative Card slot on Matryoshka Travel Wallet

Hello,

It's June already and I'm always looking forward for my summer break to Indonesia!

Did I mention that I am working on the pattern of this passport cover? It's now on the testing stage and I'm so grateful for my amazing testers who not only they're giving me their honest feedbacks and suggestions, but also they're also working hard making beautiful wallets,which I am sure will make you inspired!! I will be sharing their posts once the pattern is released next week! so stay tuned or subscribe to my blog so you won't miss the date!

In the meantime, I finished this matryoshka travel wallet. 

I tried a different flap this time and happy with the result. I also tried using a different combination for the card slot. If you already purchase the pattern, here what you can do: 

From the main card slot pattern, reduce the height (or the length) by 3". Then cut an exterior or contrast fabric 8"W x 4" H and sew it to the main Card slot panel with 1/4" seam allowance.

Once they are sewn together, mark the lines from the bottom to the top referring to the diagram given on the pattern. The first mark line should be on the stitching line (see diagram  above). 

Once done, continues as per the pattern's instructions and here how it will look like! 

Let me know what do you think in the comment below or your can join the discussion on my Facebook Pattern Group. 

I hope you like the tutorial. And if there's any tutorial you'd like to see in my blog, feel free to comment or email me :). 

Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow. Anthony J. D'Angelo

Thank you for stopping by ~ Have a nice day!

This post is linked to these amazing blogs

Cute elephant Passport Holder and Travel Wallet

Hello again,

I hope you had a great weekends! It's getting warmer in here and new leaves are coming out and with a few spell of rains the trees look fresh!

The boys are having session break holidays and they plan to have a few boys over for the day. 

Elephant Passport Holder

In the meantime, I finished a couple of family passport holders. A custom order from my Etsy shop. I really love this colorful ellie print. I made a basic passport cover earlier with the same print. 

This model is the most popular one in my shop. I published the pattern last year and it's really a humbling experience to see how others made and interpreted the pattern. Thank you so much for you who tagged me on Facebook and Instagram! 

Another one I finished was this Passport Wallet in African Women Print. 

This passport holder model can hold 4 passports and a few cards. It even has long zipper pocket and 2 slip pockets. 

It's perfect to keep all your frequent flyer membership cards and documents even when you're not traveling. I am using a single version of this model when I travel alone. 

That's all the news from my sewing room. I still have a few wallets and quilts to finish this week. Hopefully I can complete a few things on my to do list! What about you? Have you tried anything new this week? 

Until then,

Happy Sewing

Linky Party:
Handmade Monday
Show Off Saturday
Finish it up Friday

Mission Accomplished Part 1 - Meeting Suzuko Koseki

Hello,

Last month, I went to see Tokyo Quilt Festival in Tokyo Japan again with a couple of friends from Indonesia. It was rather sudden decision. My dear hubby asked me if I'd like to go again and I grabbed the opportunity with both hands! ha! I traveled with mbak Belly last year too, so this was our second Japan trip together!

I had 2 missions this time! First, I want to meet Suzuko Koseki again and show my passport wallet I made with her fabrics!! I was so excited (despite having cough and cold).  Suzuko Koseki has a distinct quilt style. Or maybe it's just me. I could recognize her work even before I saw the information written on the special booth.

This year's Theme was Little Women. You can read the details about it in HERE

I love how simple yet attractive her quilts are. 

Thank you mbak Belly for taking this photo for me!

I love how the Japanese make everything so intricately beautiful and beautifully displayed. The quilts displayed are mostly hand quilted and hand applique with uniformly spaced stitches and not a single thread shown on the appliques. One must see closely to see that the leaves are stitched and not glued. 

I then made my way to La Clochette, Suzuko Koseki booth, and I bought quite a few of her fabrics. I did not see her in the booth, so I asked the lady there if she will come back. She could not speak English and tried her best to explain to me where she's gone. 

I showed her my wallet and there was another Japanese lady, who speak quite good English,  told me, that Ms. Koseki was giving lectures in her special booth. Then she sweetly told me to wait, she will take me and introduce me to her, since she's the student of Koseki Sensei. 

I wish I could understand Japanese

We went and listened to her lectures and this generous lady, translated (in general) of what was being said. Generally, Ms. Koseki was explaining the making process of the quilts being displayed in the booth. The most difficult part was to draw the face of the 4 women who each has a distinct character. It certainly took a lot of hard work to be able to capture that in a quilt. 

Thank you!!

Afterwards, I was introduced and interacted for a while with Ms. Koseki. I felt so humbled when she took my wallet and inspected it,  she gave me a thumbs-up and told me to come again next year (I hope hubby will take the hint!!) . I felt like a kindergarten kid who got her first 100 mark LOL. 

The sweet Japanese Lady

I love the hospitality of Japan and how down to earth and humble they are. All the extraordinaire quilters I met in the show this and last year, left me speechless. We can certainly learn one or ten things from them! 

Another best thing was I get to meet Vatsala Kamat of Tsala Studio. A quilt shop owner in Bangelore. I always admired her Japanese style works. I hope to see you soon in India! 

I hope to be able to go back again next year! Maybe I can join a workshop or two or even visit La Clochette store! That would be awesome, right? 

 If you want to see the quilts photos (and some of my weird photos), you can see them HERE. 

Until then,

Happy Sewing,

Quilted travel Wallet

Hello,

Last week was quite productive self sewing for me. I made 2 travel wallet for my self and my friend in Japan, Sari who owns this cute shop selling Japanese Kanzashi in Etsy .

She loved this tree print fabric which I used to make this passport cover. 

I only have one fat quarter which is just enough to make this wallet. It's amazing what 2 fat quarter can do, right?

For my self, I made this wallet using Suzuko Koseki fabrics I got from my last  year's trip to Japan Quilt Festival

I really love the quilted version of this. I used stiff fleece batting which I got from Tina of the Square Inch a few months ago. I added the thin fusible interfacing to give a little stiffness for the exterior fabric. While on the interior, I used as per the pattern instructions. You can get the pattern HERE.

For the interior, I added the flap. This is a fab idea from Maria when she did the testing for me. It's very useful,  especially if you're going to use it for everyday wallet. Very handy to use it as a smartphone wallet too. 

I'm so excited to take this wallet. I hope I get to meet Suzuko Koseki again this week at the quilt show!!

So, who will there in Tokyo Dome this week? 

I better get going now. It's a long trip from North East India to Tokyo but I am all excited to see my friends, the dreamy quilts and of course the fabric shops --err...shopping!

Until then,

Happy Sewing

Fun Floral Flat Pouch

Hello,

This is another late post. I made these pretty large pouches  for my SIL who was going for get together with her school friends last December. She picked up a few from my stocks and I made a few more for her.

She wanted in florals. I picked up few fabrics from my pre-cut stocks and started making. 

These pouches are pretty quick to whip up. If you ever need to make a quick gift, this is the one. 

The size is perfect to carry it as a clutch or use it as a travel pouch. 

These two are my favorite. Love the printed jute / burlap fabric. The photos here just don't do justice. I was in a hurry and took the pictures at night. 

I also completed this gadget organizer for a friend's son. I used sew sweetness pattern. I learned a couple of things here. The round zipper always scared me but after  making 2 of this, I think I get the hang of it.

I kinda love this black and teal combo. I got the batman fabric from Rohini. You know, when you have (only)boys, you tend to pick up any boys print and then I realized my sons are no longer into superheroes, well, except doraemon! 

These two family passport wallets I finished in December too. I really love the prints and still have them in Red and Green. 

So, what are you doing? Any sewing target or resolutions that you've started or even completed? 

Whatever it is, always remember to enjoy the journey. You don't have to compete with the world. 

Until then,

Happy Sewing

Wallet Pouch Story

Hello,

I have not done any sewing since I came back from my trip to Delhi last week. I have not been well these last few days due to my usual winter rash problem and had a diarrhea for a few days. My friend, mbak Sari in Japan who owned the pretty Kanzashi shop in Etsy, told me that during winter it's better to consume food that grow under the ground. Well, I am not a fan of potato, but upon reading her suggestion, suddenly I was craving for boiled potato and have been eating potato for the last few days. I feel much better today and hopefully tomorrow I can finish my custom order due on Monday.

Anyway, I think have not shared this wallet pouch I made in October. I needed a pouch-cum-wallet which can fit it my phone, a couple of cards and a zipper compartments for cash/change.

This is my 5th wallet that turned out perfectly. There was a few ideas I tried with the previous wallets for the card slots but didn't work out as I would like it to be. Esp. the card slots. 

But I love the flower print. It's so feminine :)

My first idea is to use wristlet that the picture above. But on second thought, the detachable one would be better.

Then decided how many cards should I incorporated. Some people carry a few cards but some carry many. So, I thought 6 cards should be good enough. I am quite minimalist, I carry 2 cards and 4 cards when I travel. We don't have so many shops which offer membership cards here, and if they do, it is enough to tell them my phone number to avail the points. 

Anchor Wallet Pouch 

The blue anchor and the orange patchwork one are made slightly bigger than the floral one. As I was working on these wallets, I thought this will be a good travel wallet too. Especially for those who loves practicality and often going for solo trip.

 and if one want to go for a quick coffee with friends, a detachable medium short strap can always be added. 

Patchwork Wallet Pouch

 I am making the pattern for this Wallet Pouch, but still finalizing for a few details and need to make a couple more to try out which material combination and technique that will work best/easiest even for beginner sewist. I love wallet that is light and sturdy but easy to make.  What about you?

Until then,

Happy Sewing!

Small Passport and Card Holder

Hello,

Just a quick post. I've been busy writing the instructions for my next wallet pattern and able to finish these 3 wallets in 2 days! That was a record. What's the secret? Uninstall Facebook app from my phone! Yes, that is the secret! I found I spent too much time just browsing, most of the time aimlessly, on Facebook and less sewing. The "just 5 minutes" can stretch to 2 hours or more. I feel I need to be more focus on getting works done then just admiring other people works!

Anyway, the pattern is coming along very nicely, thank you for my dear friends who came forward to ask about my next pattern. I feel so blessed. Sometimes, I think it's a way of God to nudge me, to remind me that I have more important things to do then just snooping around on Facebook LOL. I do need that big nudge. So thank you once again! #hugs (you know who you are)!

So here are my wallets, now they are available on ETSY and CHEZVIES WEBSITE.

I have quite a few cute cats print fabrics and I took out two of them. First one is this blue cat wallet. Arent's they cute? I really love the black and white chevron too. The chevron I got from  Indonesia last year. 

The wallet is pretty quick to make and it's fun to make. I think that's the fabric effect. Ha! 

 The next one is this orange cat Wallet. My fave! Look at those naughty smiles. 

I even hesitated for a while before installing the metal tag. Just didn't want to cover the smiles with my tag. 

I also made this retro type black and white wallet with bright pink and red combo. It's just perfect for those who love a little splash in life. 

And I felt so happy when I found the flap matched perfectly. Well, life is full of surprises. Sometimes, even the best plan doesn't work out! 

About the pattern, I hope to release it next Tuesday! So watch this space for more pictures from my friends. 

Thank you for stopping by today! 

Happy Sewing,