Blooming Flower.... how-to!

As I was doing the flower, act as a fastener for the bucket bag recently, I managed to snap few pics for my reference (so sorry for the blurred images). I would like to share here, simple steps of how-to. Maybe this will give an idea of this easy to make and beautiful flower to add to any parts of our bags, dress, hair clips/hairband or as a rosette.

Here goes......

Cut 5 petals measured 3" x 3" square.Thread in needle with about 24" length of thread and knot the tail. Fold one piece of fabric becomes a triangle shape, and do running-stitch on both raw edges. Pull tight until it forms a single petal.

Do not cut the tread.... just continue doing the same to the next square. Add in all five petals, forming into a flower and tie the tread several time to secure, and still keep the threaded needle to continue. I happened to have some wrapped button from Naiz sometimes ago (thanks Naiz) to match. Centre the button and stitch several times to keep it in place.

Position the brooch or safety pin (mine is a bit tiny) at the back of the flower and stitch several times and tie and cut off thread. Well, all done and the flower is blooming beautifully..... :D

This one is for the sew along - bucket bag,.

Storage Jar and Pincushion....

Yesterday when I was doing some cutting for the SAL project, I have little stash came handy for the jam jar that I had cleaned and dried. The lid was soft for cutting out with the can opener. Be careful with the rough cut edges, though!!!

The fabric used was about 5" diameter. Just stitch out 3/8th" around the edge, fill up with fibre, covered with the round cut lid in and tied up. I used a matching lace to add some essence to it. Placed it on top of the jar cover and the base was covered with a matching thick gold paper and glued them together.Here it is......to store my buttons/sweets.

Organizing your stash

I have promissed on this to few but I am sharing with all......... though, it might not be the best way of keeping fabrics nicely fold and snugly fits your shelves..... but this is how I organize my fabrics after each has been pre-washed or rather a few spin and dried up.


I used a recycle plastic file as a template. But first remove the spiral binder and the plate. Cut it according to your needs and measurements. Mine are 8 inches and 5 inches. Round the edges so it would not catch your precious fabby.

Fold fabric by placing the selvage edges together and put the plastic board on top and start rolling till the end. Just smooth fabric evenly so to save on ironing...Mine are all kept folded inside-out since my sewing area are lighted up naturally from the top ventilator and a bit hot and dry there ...... :D


Let your fabric loose down from your cutting table on the floor... the fabby gives a weight to itself and roll up easily and neatly.

Pull out the plastic board and fold the bundle into two or more and there you have..... a nicely folded stash and stack them up proudly on your shelves...... Fold back the two sized boards and keep them in between your files or cutting ruler organizer for the next folds......


Have a good try and a nice day crafting... everyone!

TABLECLOTH TUTORIALS

Kain seperah is derived from Turkish word sofra, a piece of cloth spread on dining table. Here in Malaysia or rather for Malay traditional feast practiced sometimes ago, the food was served on seperah laid on the floor where we usually sit to have our meals for four people. Or they had the seperah laid from wall to wall and guests will sit along side them. This will also serve as to catch drips and crumbs from staining the polished wooden floor.These seperah were usually neatly embroidered and beautifully embellished by the ladies, and each one holds the pride of the owner.

The one that I made is quite simple and embroidered by machine even though sometimes I do make free motion machine embroidery using the traditional method. I have some classes for enthusiast youngsters ..... which were thinning in numbers now.....

Okay, I received few request on how I make my seperah itself before the embroidery things get into it. I prefer mine as a square tablecloth measuring 3'0" squares and here are some guides:

Hemming a Square Tablecloth:

1. Measure 36" + 1.5" on all sides for hemming. Total we have 39"x 39" square cloth.

2.To mitre the corners. Measure 3" on each corner and mark a line across on wrong side of fabrics. (Here I make my own corner template and pencil mark the diagonal line)




3. Fold from one edge meets the other then sew along pencil line, leaving 1/4" and reverse stitch.









4. Cut off the corners about 1/4" away from stitching line









5. Open and finger-pressed the seam. Turn right side out and making sure the corner-edge are well pushed out. Do the same to all four corners.

6. Fold in 1/4" seam and pin up. After turning under we have
1 1/4" hemming left. Sew all four sides.

7. Done with the hemming. Some decorative stitches are recommended for added value. Embroider as you wish. Iron and fold, ready as a gift....!

P/S This method has been applied to my custom made seperah because it lays on neatly and gives weight after embroidering.

HEXAGON TEMPLATE - MAKE YOUR OWN

Salam semua.

KakDee minta maaf kerana lambat reply dan buat entry tentang template hexagon seperti yang dijanjikan.

Kita ambil ukuran seperti digambar tertera. Yang nak buat sendiri master copy untuk hexy template bolih refer di sini, sangat mudah..... Penting ketepatan dan guna template (master copy) ni dan terap banyak2 keatas kertas..... mesti tepat.


Yang gambar di atas tu pun KakDee buat sendiri dengan alat 'COMPASS' tu.

>Ukur 1.15" dan buat bulatan atas kertas yang agak tebal supaya tidak mudah koyak.
>Guna ukuran yang sama (1.15") bahagi 6 ikut bulatan.
>Garis dari bucu ke bucu.
>Potong.
>Terap banyak2 guna template mastercopy atas kertas sederhana tebal, gunting.
>Siap template kita.

HEXIE PINCUSHION

Just divert to something cute and fast to boost the next quilt project.

Anything hexagon came across I will grab.... and here are few tiny-tots pincushions completed within few hours of leisure time on my sewing table while chatting with FIDA

The tutorials are found here in PDF files.



P/S As requested by those participating in Balkhis's HexyGame, I am personally will include one cutie-hexy-pincushion to all players...... in one conditions..... everyone must say YES! or nak, nak, nak like Shima did!

BASKET OF THOUGHTS

Last night I was so restless and just can't close my eyes...... But I know I have to wake up early to drive HUBBY to the bus station about 6.30am the next morning! Alone and lonely....................... and I was thinking of my DEAR FATHER and my CHILDREN at BK3.

Just can't DO, DOING NOTHING...... THINK AND DOING NOTHING, I was at my sewing place....... I was surfing the net and found this some where way down my bookmark, listed about 2 months now.......It was the PINK PENGUIN'S

Switched off @ 3.02am..........................................................and I have THIS

P/S July 3rd 09 - My this blue basket now belongs to Atin to load in her 'kitchen utensils and dining sets'. She got hold of it the moment I gave her and never let it down, not even a sec.!

PEAR PINCUSHION

Early morning today, I had set my mind and effort to finish off Nia's quilt top. After full preparation for backing (she changed fabric backing again for the third time) and smoothly laid out on my prep-table, I found out that I did not have enough batting for that queen size.......Oh my, so frustrated! It rained outside, it made me so reluctant to go out to buy one today.

Divert my mind setting on something that I wanted to sew for quite sometimes now. Here it goes......

I have bookmarked this for months now. It is a beautiful creations of DAWN of UK Lass in US and have seen this on others. At first I thought it was tough, but with minor adjustments I managed to endure with which the tutorial says it all. Anyone interested please visit Dawn and could post your creations over her place.

P/S To Jaja of Jajakraf, this is only the tiny bit of the felt from you. See what more I can do..... but I know, you are the queen of felt.... love all your craftworks on felt.

BAG ORGANIZER

What lurks in your handbag? But most importantly is how many handbags do we have.


With this organizer we can just.........
pick up the bag organizer, shove it in a new handbag and off we go .....


I have sewn mine quite sometimes ago, but some friends asked me to make for them. Well, it is not that tough and I assure you, you can do it. Lets give us a try!





With permission I have this site for you to refer for the tutorials in pdf file. Thanks to Lolly of The Giving Flower for letting us share her creative and wonderful design.

Please have the courtesy to say something on her page and I am sure she will be happy.....at least for visiting.

LOVELY AND CUTE

Really love pincushions.

I have made this quite sometimes but recently came across the original design.

If anyone feels like doing this, it is from ABYQUILT and has made the tutorial for this lovely pincushion. Thanks for sharing, May Britt!