From Bundle to Quilt

Hello,

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. On Saturday, my boys had a music competition in their school. It's a rock band competition. Both the boys performed with their own group and too bad parents were not allowed to see. So I had to rely on their information. The younger one was busy practicing with his friend for the last few days before the D-Day. He played guitar and just started to learn for the last few months. When I showed my mom  his practice video, she asked: "what song is that?" LOL.

The boys also got new pets - a pair of rabbits- my BIL brought back from the village. They were excited but I hope this is a short-term thing, though they are really cute.

And from my sewing room, I finally finished this mini quilt. The quilt sandwich was done one year ago or so. I meant to do hand quilting, but I used the wrong batting. I did few diagonal lines of hand quilting, but because the batting is thick and uneven cotton, it was too tough.

After chatting with Mbak Belly - my quilting friend, I decided to just go ahead and finish it by machine. After all, finish is always better than perfect, right?

I used Indian fabric for this quilt. IMHO, Indian fabric has gorgeous colors and prints that even a simple quilt will look attractive.

This quilt size is around 34' x 34" square. I quilted using straight line quilting 3/8" apart. I just kind of eyeballed it. I really love a dense line quilting. It sort of pop the quilt up easily.

Straight line quilting on my Usha Stitch Queen

Don't you love the backing? :D

 Many Indian quilters hesitate to use Indian mulmul fabric, like the one I use here. They are lightweight but have the coolest color shade and prints. The trick is to always starch it. Normally I will prewash the fabrics and dip in a starch solution water. Just like my MIL did with her sarees. That will give just enough stiffness. 

After cutting and after each piecing, whenever I iron the seam, I spray a little bit starch too. You can buy spray starch or make your own solution using starch powder. Nowadays we even get liquid starch! 

After finishing this quilt, I want to make a bigger version. May not be the same design but using the Indian Fabrics. Since I love Indian Kantha Quilt, I thought making my own quilt will be fun. Let me. If the batting is right I might do the hand quilting too. 

As usual, when I am not sure what binding to use, I always use black and white! The binding fabric, I got from Namrata. It was a diagonally print stripe fabric. Simply love it!! Just cross cut it and you get a bias-look binding!!

here are the rabbits

So, what are you working on this week? Whatever that is, I hope you enjoy working on it! 

Happy Sewing,

Linky Party:

Handmade Monday 

Moving it Forward

(Mini Tutorial) How I do my Foundation Piecing Quilted Pouch

Hello again,

I hope you all had a great weekend. Well, I did. Last Saturday the boys went to school picnic and would be back by evening. That means I have a whole day and afternoon free. Woohoo!

I was working on one custom order of mini sling bag, but my mind kept wandering to the bag under my computer table. The Pandora bag (not box) that hold my  Quilted Bag Kit from my bestie, Winda. She gave it to me 2 years ago when we met in Jakarta. The kit was a bag kit and she already started making 2 or 3 blocks. So I put away what I was working on and pulled out the bag, sorting out the pieces, interfacings, batting, etc. That was on Friday evening. The next day, after the boys were out of the house and a quick housework,  I started piecing the blocks and here's my pouch. 

At first, I thought of making a tote bag after I saw this Instagram Post. Then decided to do less ambitious one first.

Here's what I learned during the weekends. 

Many blogs wrote about using Freezer Paper for foundation piecing, which is not available here in North East India (or even India for that matter). The kit (it's Japanese Craft Kit) used a fusible stabilizer which is a thicker version of what we called "pasting" in here.  That is a thin lightweight nonwoven fusible interfacing. So I tried using our own desi interfacing and it worked like a charm. Yay! I remake the pattern on my computer based on the original size and print it on the interfacing. I cut the interfacing slightly smaller than the A4 size paper, fuse it lightly on the paper and run it through the printer, et voila! No more tracing pattern one by one !! (it's the same method I used for this DIY Printed Label)

 I didn't really follow the pattern instructions. What I did as cutting a strip of fabrics that will be used and do it like quilt as you go method. 

First, lay the 1st piece of fabrics on the glue side of the interfacing, right sigh up. 

Then place Fabric No. 2 on top of fabric No.1 right side together matching the seam. Make sure that when you flip the fabric (no.2), it will cover the triangle no. 2 plus around 1/4" seam allowance. 

Flip it to the reverse side, pin and sew on the line 

Like this

Now open fabric no. 2 away from the seam and finger press. 

Trim fabric No. 2 so that it has 1/4" seam allowance. 

Continue in the same manner until you cover the template. Don't be discouraged when it looks ugly ^v^.

Because after you trim the excess fabrics you will get this pretty little blocks.

Reverse Side After trimming

Aren't they cute?

Front View

I almost proud of my self (well, I do actually) to be able to complete this. Paper Piecing is something that I always feel it's difficult and a lot of work. Especially if I have to trace the pattern one by one. 

After an hour here what I got!

Blocks size : 3 1/4" x 3 1/4" after trimming

After lunch and a quick nap, I started working on the pouch. I decided to do hand quilting. Hand quilting is one thing that I always want to do. I realized with the right batting, hand quilting is so easy to do. And if you have your fave Korean drama on, it's the better. It's like killing 2 birds with one stone. LOL. 

Hand Quilting with Gutterman Cotton Thread

I didn't tear off the interfacing since I am making a pouch and I love a slightly structured pouch, so the interfacing will work out great. I just needed to add the batting. 

Front Side 

I used Sevenberry fabric for the back of the pouch. Isn't that lovely? I picked up the fabric during my visit to Indonesia last year. 

Sometimes, we have to face our fears and just do it. Sometimes things look difficult and complicated until you actually do it.

So, what are you making this week? 

Until then,

Happy Sewing, 

Linky Party:

Handmade Monday

Bagmaker Tuesday

Finish it up Friday

A lot of Passport Covers

Hello again,

I will show you what I made a couple of days ago! Yes, I am still in 'use-my-scrap' mode. But sometimes, I could not resist esp when cutting fabrics order.

First is this Indigo blue paisley Passport Case. Everybody love paisley and I must admit, whenever I see paisley fabrics in the market, I must buy it. My suppliers even know this weakness of mine.

Paisley Passport Cover

The second one is this  Black and Offwhite tree print which (I think) is just too cute to pass, right? It's good to gift to both man and woman. 

Off-white Black Tree Print Passport Cover

I simply love this green passport holder. The color, the print, the color combination, all of it. I still have quite a bit of this print, I might make a single passport wallet or a family version too.

Green Passport Cover

This Aqua Green fabric I keep for quite a while. Recently I started making fat quarter bundles for the both my Etsy and Chezvies Shop. While cutting this, I decided I must keep a little bit and voila! This print and color don't always available in the market. I hope next summer my supplier will bring more of this color and print.

Aqua Green Passport Cover

Then I continue making this black and white passport holder. I really love this fabric, that I used the same fabric for the lining. Afterall black and white is always timeless.

Black & White Passport Cover

And these 2 cute passport covers I completed last  Saturday. I was not sure what to make of the dog fabric one. I thought the dog print would be too big for the cover, but it turned out perfectly fine. Even the I woof you print just on the right spot!

Passport Cover for dog lovers

It turned out I still have this cute blue fabric from the quilt I made for Josephine, my friend Agnes' daughter, 2 years ago. 

Blue Cat Passport Cover

The color is so soft, it was a bit difficult to take photos to capture the real color. My fave photo session time is in the morning before 10 AM but most of the time I have to do it after 10 AM. Good thing I put up a sheer curtain on my enclosed balcony, so it worked out well as a diffuser. 

So, what are your fave pattern to make with your scraps? 

Please write your blog or SNS link in the comment, I'll be glad to check them out.

Until then,

Happy Sewing

Linky Party :

Bagmaker Tuesday with SOTAK Handmade

Handmade Monday with Sum of Their Stories

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Pre-cut Indian Cotton Fabrics

Hello again,

I am still destashing fabrics and make them into fun and unique fat quarter bundles. I cut quite a lot but have not got time to create all. I got a few bundles which are ready to list. 

Indian fabrics have such an interesting prints and unimaginable range of colors, that sometimes you don't need other colors or prints to compliment them.

Pink Purple Fat Quarter Bundle 

Although nowadays, many novelty prints also make an appearance in Indian block print fabric, I personally still prefer the classic timeless prints. 

Like this Indigo Fabric. 

Indigo Block Print Cotton 

Or these lavender pink fat quarter bundle. This kind of prints (with paisley design) usually will always be available. In India, during the summer month, people prefer white of or off-white based cotton fabric. 

Lavender Pink Paisley & Flower Prints

I am making a few pouches and passport sleeve from some of these pre-cut fabrics. They are just super fun and fast! 

Here is one of them. Isn't that cool? It's totally one of a kind!!

Aqua Green Passport Cover

Come to think of it, there are just so many things you can make from these pre-cut fabrics. I love buying pre-cuts whenever I go. With pre-cut fabrics, you can have more time to sew rather than to choose fabric combination, right? 

So, what are you making this week? 

Thank you for stopping by,

Until then, 

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small notes: 

I feel I bit off more than I could chew lately. For that, I will discontinue the newsletter. As much as I love to share news, tutorials, and tips with you all, I feel sharing on my blog and occasionally in my Facebook Group will give me more freedom to write extensively. I will do my best to share more tips on small business marketing and sewing ideas with you all. If you would like to keep receiving an update in your email, you can click the subscribe button at the top right of this blog or use the Bloglovin' below. Thank you so much for your support! 

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More DIY Block Print Pouches

Hello,

I completed 2 more pouches using the fabric I printed last month. This time I made a medium size zipper pouch and a kindle cover. 

I used indigo processed jute fabric for the combination. I really love the fabric and have been waiting for the perfect project. 

Indigo Bell Kindle Cover

The bells are quite cute, aren't they? I think I may make more in different colors, maybe orange, yellow or green. I already have a red one, which I have not found a perfect match for it. 

Kindle Paperwhite Sleeve

I used my own Kindle Cover pattern  and added a short strap, just long enough to carry it like a purse. The kindle size is the favorite of many, because the size is perfect, for a mini cross body bag, perfect for both adults and children. 

As for the zipper pouch, this time I attached the zipper with reference to Noodle Head Tutorial. I really love the method.

I used a metal zipper. It was a bit fiddly to do the zipper, but I found an effective way to do it. I didn't take any photo, but I promise I will share in my next blog post. 

Sailing Ship Zipper Pouch 

This sailing ship pouch is a bit different than the previous large pouches. In this one, I used batting which I ordered from Tina of The Square Inch. Tina was kind enough to send me samples of the battings that are available. I chose 3 different battings. This one I used the 150 gsm polyester fleece batting and I really love the result. It's firm and gives enough cushioning so that one can keep gadgets in it. 

It's been fun and productive week for me. What about you? What have you been working on?

Until then,

Happy Sewing