Finally made it!-Rustic Vintage Family Name Sign

          And so the story goes that my bothersome pain around my my ribs and right scapula wasn't a sprain after all, and the hurtful fact that the money spent on my massage last week wouldn't have helped a bit. Its shingles that has attacked my thoracic nerve. A 3 days mc followed by an extended week since my rashes has yet to dry up. I wouldnt be able to work anyway because of the pain, but that didnt bother me as much. As i worry about how many days mc i have left and as to whether it would last me till the end of the year, another part of my brain was thinking, this would be the perfect time to stop thinking and start trying- yes, all the things that i have yet to 'practice'. Its weird that the only painkiller they could give me, which is paracetamol, couldn't take the pain away but doing this did :p

          I dont know what is it with me, but i always seem to fall for things that aren't available here in Singapore, or perhaps i just dont know about them even if they do exist. When i first started to move into my long awaited flat, i stumbled upon (well erm i kinda searched for it actually) an etsy seller based in US, who makes gorgeous vintage handmade signs. I looked high and low for such sellers based locally but i couldnt, and i certainly feel for those who wish for the same thing- IF there are any that is (or am i really the only one?) ;p . I was truly inspired to have a go at it, after receiving it.

          I go weak at 2 things (my husband will tell you there are actually more): first- sweet vintage and second: rustic vintage, farmhouse stuffs. So these are the 2 designs im starting my hands at. I owe my big sister for a lot of things, mainly her advices and listening ear (read:whatsapp messages). So I wanted to 'dedicate' my first, so called perfected (in my definition of course hehe..) handmade sign. I did a sweet shabby chic style for her and this was how it turned out to be inititally.

          I should have just distressed it a bit and waxed it, but my hands were itching to make it better and i ended up ruining it instead. So i decided to make another one, a rustic farmhouse look and this was how it turned out.

           

 

 

           Im not sure if my sister likes this look, but im happy with how it turned out heh... I have a few planks of wood to play around with, so do let me know if you would like to have one for yourself ;)

Too many things, too little time... and a new found love-French typography

          Its been a few months since the last post, but i cant blame it more on the fact that i have been busy doing so many things. Ive been pretty distracted with sewing kids clothes, which btw i so really love doing, but since my twin needle broke while i was sewing recently and i have yet to receive my new one, i thought i might as well update my long abandoned blog.

          There are seriously too many agenda on my mind but i have to say time is running out since June will be THE month that every project will be put in pause mode, since i hope by then i'll be too absorbed with my new bundle of joy (not to mention endless nursing and sleepless nights all over again, aah... well the joys of motherhood heheh...still looking forward to it nonetheless..)
  
          While 'upcycling' my husband's Dockers shirt into my son's tunic top recently, ive also found a new 'toy'- a bias tape maker. Ive just got to share this since i was so amazed at how much difference it made to a homemade top.

          It really made it look more 'professional', even my mom doubted that i sewed it myself.  Well anyway, for sewers out there, this thing is really easy to use and it costs just about 10 dollars so go try it!

From an old DOCKERS shirt which the dad has erm outgrown



To a tunic top-finally something formal for Auzaie to wear

 















      

From an old pyjamas pants



To a new top for Niloufar

 

 

Decided on a new label for kids top since some may have sensitive skin and the back label may not work for all especially infants

My mak nenek 'modelled' the first top with the new label

 

All this while waiting to work on some new fabric which a friend has bought from Bandung, which i specially sewed for our bestie's newborn and her 3yr old daughter.

 

 



Im still trying to work on finishing a top for a friend's niece, my own niece, as well as some really pretty knits which i just bought for a great deal.. so look out for that! ;) But since knits (stretchy material) are pretty different from woven fabric, im waiting for my special stretch needles to arrive before i start working on them again.



 

In the meantime, my hands were itching to make something so i went back to my first love- home decor :p I played around with doing some cushion cover prints and i think im really falling in love with French typography as part of home decor- rustic yet pretty!- well at least for me hehe..

 

 

Grainsack print

                 

'Cafes & Legumes' print

   

   
         

          I had a prenatal massage done over the weekend (because i couldnt take the right scapula sprain i had when i tried to control a cough ive been having for 2 months) and when the lady came to massage me, i realised that the ironing board was such an eye sore (ok maybe only to me hahah-but it was slightly burnt and i couldnt even feel the sponge anymore). So basically, i didnt know where to hide it. So yesterday, i finally took out the fabric and some battling which i bought yonks ago when i first started my hands on sewing, and made an ironing board cover. I shouldnt have waited this long because it was really simple, quick and the result was really pretty (i still dont get it how my husband fail to even notice it-lol so apparently its just pretty to me, but i dont care). Anyway, now i really dont mind it standing against the wall even when not in use (so bimbo i know! lol... :p)

 

To chase my ironing blues away...

 

 

Yeah ironing board, you can stay right where you are now :)

 

Im not sure how long it will take before the next post, but in practising my sewing skills, i do intend to sew some pretty knits-really comfy for toddlers. And because Niloufar cant possibly have too many tops, they definitely need an owner. Hoping some mummies will be willing to 'adopt' them then ;). Have a fruitful Sunday everyone!



A distraction and major addiction-sewing kids clothes!

 

           When i first bought a sewing machine, all i thought i would ever sew is home furnishing stuffs. Why? Because i know i will never have the patience for sewing a garment- a garment is tough job to me because it not only needs to look good, but it has to feel good. A tablecloth or a slipcover on the other hand, need to only look good, but i dont have to care if the chair dont feel comfortable i suppose heh. ;)

         But somewhere around last month, i bought a second hand book by Tanya Wheelan, a fabric designer (the fabric in my kitchen is one of her designs), whose designs i so totally love. The book Sew What You Love had a lot of really pretty projects but i was somehow drawn to the 'Lila shirred dress' tutorial. It looked really easy and this 'shirring' thing is such a genious idea. So i decided to embark on my first garment sewing project, and im so addicted, i ended up sewing 4 over 3 weekends. The internet, by the way, is such an amazing source of both inspiration and information- i couldnt believe there were so many online tutorials by so many creative women out there. Here's the lastest i sewed, using an old unused shawl.

 

 

          The first one was supposed to be an iron board cover but well, it turned out to be this instead :)-

 

 

My 'model' just woke up but eager to try it on

Im not sure how comfortable it is for her, but from the look of her face, i think she's fine with it ;p

Looks vintage here, i like hehe...



 

 

 

 

This red tunic top is from a leftover saree material given by my mom and i sewed it following an online tutorial, but i adjusted the length hoping she can wear it longer

 

 

I love the braided cord look but i couldnt find any so i made it myself using knitting wool from daiso.

 

Its a bit tight at the armpit it seems so i think i better add on a bit more allowance for that in other tops in the future.

 



 

 

The latest one was actually inspired by an online tutorial too, although the tutorial was on upcycling an adult shirt into a kids top. But i like the look a lot so i made everything from scratch and tried my hands on sewing button holes-something i totally have no idea about.. The second one i sewed is actually for my niece, Iklil, but i have yet to try it on her and im not sure if it fits ok so i didnt include it in this post, maybe the next one. But i hope i can make other nicer ones for her ;). Im not sure if i will ever try sewing adult clothing, since we are not as 'straight' as kids, hehe but i wouldnt reject the idea. For now, i shall just practise on kids....... :) Enjoy the rest the weekend!



                                                                                                                                             





 

 

Emilie- My very first self-sewed tablecloth

          Its really been quite a while since i  last embarked on a 'project'. I have to blame it on the lack of material, financial and most importantly, energy. Plus with all the sad news happening around the world, i have to say my mood aint that high too. But nonetheless i pushed myself to finish up the tablecloth which i started about three weeks ago.

          I totally heart the tablecloth which i bought from Christiana, owner of Etsy shop, Ruffled Linens. She is a really wonderful, talented seamtress and she's really nice too. The combination of linen and ruffles gives such a dreamy, romantic look and i immediately fell in love with it when i first saw it. But i needed an extra tablecloth, especially with 2 toddlers around. This time i dont have linen and neither do i have enough fabric to make ruffles, so i looked into the idea of the next two things that i love-swags and ribbons. Might be pretty, sweet and vintage-looking right? There was only one way to find out-DO IT! ;)

          I sewed the tablecloth on one of the sundays, but i put off sewing ribbons to the corners till today. Here's introducing 'Emilie' :)- the finished tablecloth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           My husband thinks itsway too girly and 'trying too hard to be sweet' LOL.... ok fine he's a guy guy after all. Anyway to each, its own. I think its pretty enough for a first try and i hope there will be more to come, im already imagining burlap and lace (oooh....). Oh by the way, see that woven tag? i got it from Its Mine Labels. Im such a dreamer i know, lol...  i haven even sewed alot and i got myself my own label?? Well, it makes me happy, that's all that matters- quote from my elder sis :). I was inspired by Martha Stewart's community of 'Dreamers Into Doers', a group of talented and creative women who turns their dreams into careers they love. Im not exactly dreaming, im actually just doing something i like for now, but nothing wrong with being inspired right? ;)