Vively Online

Layering Curtains for Little Girls' Room

2010-07-10T10:32:00.004-04:00

One of the first things I made for this house, are curtains for my girls' bedroom.

Hmm.... I wonder why I would do such a thing? It wouldn't have anything to do with wishful thinking, would it? That perhaps with a darkened room, my little girls will sleep in a little longer in the mornings? Nah.....

This is the fabric I chose:

I love the stripes and the little tufts of pompoms. It's a very sturdy fabric, but I lined it with some white fabric so that it will last a little longer and it has a little more of a room darkening effect. (We're all about practicalities here)

Here's how it looks like with full sunlight shining through.

I struggled to get good pictures, but my camera was unable to handle the sunlight.

With the curtains drawn aside:
The room is a little bare right now. Honestly, though, I'm not in a hurry to decorate or fill it up with things. I'm quite happy with the plain right now.

Do you like the curtain rods? They are the Umbra double rods that I bought using points, so they are "free". I love the double rods because they allow me to layer the curtains. Sheers underneath for privacy and heavier drapes in the forefront. In fact, I love these rods so much that I'm going to install them throughout most of the house.

As for the sheers, I bought a whole role of voile fabric from a local manufacturer about a few months ago. I knew that I wanted sheer fabric on my windows, but I was not willing to pay the $15/meter that they sell at the fabric store. Erm, I'm cheap, I guess, but it did save me about $13 a meter.

Not one to waste, I eked out every last piece of the stripy fabric to make pillow covers. So cute!

I haven't quite figured out what to do for the rest of the house yet. They are all being covered by my sheer fabric right now. I hoping to be able to source some vintage fabric or bedsheets. At least I can take my time with the rest of the house!

Strawberry Daze

2010-07-09T09:05:00.009-04:00

Some days it is as though I am in a daze, forgetting how it is to blog. I used to spend some time on Tuesday mornings and part of Friday or the weekend "working" away on this blog. It was my thing, my time to spend a little bit of time on something for me.

However, a few things have happened to throw my schedule off-kilter. As in WAY off kilter. Well, for one thing, the move happened. I know this for sure, I won't be planning another move for oh... about 10 years or so. At least, until the pain from this move have subsided. Of course, the kids are off school as well and that means more time playing. It's fun, but it's definitely more about the kids than anything else. Finally, and this is the best reason, my parents are visiting! I love that my parents are in town. They travel long distances to be with us, and so it made sense for them to stay a while. They will be with us for another few weeks, and it has been the BEST! I love that they get to spend time with their grandkids, and that they get to see the new house.

Last week, we got our act together, and carted every out for strawberry picking. My parents have never been, and I think they really enjoyed it.

Mr. Su demonstrating his superb berry picking panache.

My mum was well-thought out enough to bring some water to wash those berries for the kids to munch on. Left to my own devices, I think I may have just let them eat the berries off the vine. My mum, she thinks ahead.

My dad, showing some serious flexibility for a "senior citizen" (his words, not mine). Hey, are mum and dad wearing color-coordinated tops? Cute!

The little girl spent more time eating than picking.

The bigger girl spent most of her time avoiding bugs. She wasn't feeling well that day, and later, we found out that she had a viral infection that aggravated her asthma. The heatwave that we've been experiencing did not help.

Both kids enjoyed visiting the bunnies, though!

My friends like to tease me about living in the "country" now. In that case, I must certainly seek out more of these "country" adventures!

Quick Hello!

2010-06-30T23:07:00.002-04:00

Just a quick pop in to say hi, and that I'm still here.
If you are wondering why I'm so scarce in my blogging, it is because I have been moving into a new home. Needless to say, it has been busy around here!

It looks as though I'm pretty much moved into my new house today. The kitchen's packed and most of the major things have been put away. I still have some things in boxes, but I'm hoping to chip away at it the entire week. I feel as though I have been moving non-stop for the past 4 days, with only breaks for sleep and food. I must say having wonderful friends and great parents help with childcare and unpacking really lessened the load.

Moving IS hard work. Someone wise once told me that "Change is Good, Transition is Hell", is so right. I love my new house and the neighbourhood is just great, so I'd say that it has been all worth the while.

Thank you, Teachers.

2010-06-17T10:33:00.006-04:00

What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of the man who instructs the rising generation. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Huh... I wouldn't quite have put it that way, but I get ya, Cicero.

Hi friends (waves shyly). I'm still here. :)

In case the title did not give it away, it's graduation time. My family have been busy attending school concerts, plays and graduations. Today, my youngest daughter attends her last day of nursery school. There were laughs, hugs, lots of tears and many pictures and videos taken. My daughter loves her teachers, and we really wanted to show our appreciation to them. This year, our gift-giving budget is a little smaller than usual, but we still wanted to give them something.

We put some chocolate covered almonds into beautiful jar containers, wrap them up with some pretty fabric and ribbons, and some lavender sprigs from our garden to pretty them up.

We also included some Homemade Skor Bars (that's what we call them here).

You have to make these bars, if you haven't tried it yet. It takes about 15 minutes and it is quite kid friendly to make.

Yummy "Skor Bars", only better

We added the treats into some homemade gift bags (don't forget the handmade cards):

Finally, we delivered the gifts to the teachers with lots of hugs and thanks.

That's one child. Next week, my older daughter will want to do something similar for her teachers. No wonder I have no time for reading and writing blogs these days... :)

Spray Paint Action: Mirror Transformation

2010-06-09T09:09:00.006-04:00

I've been clearing out some items in the house. Over the last 10 years, I've seem to have accumulated quite a bit of paint. By a lot, I mean, over 30 cans of paint, numerous cans of spray paint, and a whole box full of painting accoutrement. It's embarrassing.

I did find a can of black spray paint, which started to distract me from cleaning and packing.

Bad, Su! Bad, bad Su!

I decided to give this mirror a little transformation. The mirror was rescued from my friend's house, back in 2001 (gulp!). She was about to throw it out, and even then, my mind rebelled at that idea. This mirror had fit in nicely in my house, even though I never really liked the garish brass and greenish hue to the frame. Once it got hung up though, I never really thought about it again.

That's cheeky Mr. Su in the reflection, teasing me about my need to document everything.

However, with my old spray can in hand, (Does spray paint have an expiry date? Things to ponder!) I gave this mirror a little face lift.

Look at her, all sleek, gorgeous and very modern!

And A Dress for the Girls

2010-06-03T16:01:00.004-04:00

In this dress, I was trying a few new things. It's always easier and faster for me to try out new ideas on a smaller scale. Hence, this is why I ended up making a dress for my daughter instead of myself.

I wanted to see if I could used elastic in the bobbin of my sewing machine to gather the layers for the skirt. It sort of works, but I don't think that it hangs very nicely. My girl in the picture is just excited to wear a new dress, and she has not complained to me about anything being uncomfortable. This is the daughter who makes me cut off all labels on store bought clothes. So, the elastic gathering method passed muster for comfort, just not as well for the way the skirt hangs. I won't be using this method again for gathering.
I wanted to try out flutter sleeves:I thought that this one turned out really nicely.
I also wanted to try out a new collar. It is sort of a sailor's neckline, if you will. I took a strip of fabric, folded it lengthwise, and sewed it onto the collar seam of the dress, and then I tied the ends together in a knot to create the look above. I'm not sure if this one passed, only because the knot drags down the collar and exposes the collar seam inside. It doesn't look bad on this dress, but it will look sloppy on a grown-up top.

In other news, I have 3 weeks to get ready for my move. I am looking at all my sewing supplies and I have been trying to put off packing. To my credit, I put away all my fabric, except for one box. However, I can't bring myself to put away my sewing machine yet. My friend (who doesn't sew, btw) thinks that I should be packing them away already, because I keep getting distracted by sewing. However, I can't bear the thought of not sewing for the next few weeks. So, I think I will wait a little longer. You're with me on this, right? :)

Ten Hut! Introducing the 'Military' Tunic

2010-05-28T09:16:00.007-04:00

This top makes me think of a few things:

1) A military uniform (as the title suggests)

2) An air hostess

3) Star Trek (*snicker*)

4) A nurse

I made this top from Simplicity 2927

When I cut out the fabric for this top, I did not bother to grade the size. Sometimes, I have to cut out the top part of the body in a different size. However, for the most part, I have no problem with Simplicity sizing.

Funny thing is, I had cut out the pattern in the beginning of May. I forgot to account for the May Effect. My friends, the May Effect in my household, is caused by Mother's Day, 2 Birthday weekends, a long weekend party and way too much cake. The May Effect causes an extra 5 to 10 pounds and definitely a few extra inches all over. :)

Oops! When fitting the tunic, I realized that it would be way too tight across my hips. I actually managed to eke out an extra inch around the hips portion of the top, thanks to the usually extravagant 5/8" seam allowances of the Simplicity patterns.

I love the pocket, and the lining peeking out.

I don't love the way there is a little bit of raw edge of the pocket exposed. I think I will reinforce that with some hand sewing.

I really like the sleeves:

And..... once again, I forgot to take a picture of the back. So, here's the top from another view.

Well, I really do like this top, and here's hoping that it will fit a little better around the hips soon... hahahaha.....

I will post a link to my pattern review at patternreview.com as soon as I've completed that review.

Rocking Chair is Done!

2010-05-25T13:53:00.005-04:00

I'm actually writing to let you know that I'm still alive and kicking!

We had a long weekend in my part of the world, and we decided to host a dinner party on Sunday. The weather cooperated with us, and we had an outdoors party, enjoying our lovely deck and patio. It was fabulous! The best part was that my husband did the cooking, and he made some really delicious food.

Thank you so much for those of you who voted on the fabric for the rocking chair. I used the white bubbles fabric, but put the red bubbles fabric on the bottom so that I can switch it up when I feel like it.

I had started cutting up my next sewing project. It is going to be Simplicity 2927

I'm going to make the pink one you see in the picture above, but I will make it in classic grey.

There is a tendency for me to rush my sewing projects, but I am actually taking my time to make this one. Hopefully, it will turn out!

The Painted Ladder

2010-05-21T09:12:00.011-04:00

"The Painted Ladder" sounds nice. I like that.

I hope you have had a good week, my friends. I am so glad Friday is here. I have been trying to get over a cold the whole week. My doctor tells me that when one has young kids, expect to get between 6-10 colds a year. It is ridiculous, but unfortunately, quite accurate. It is not as though I can take a sick day off and I am sure most moms can sympathize with me on this point.

I have been sewing, but in the most boring ways. Mending, making shorts for my kids. It is all good, but makes for extremely boring blogging :)

On a very positive note, we have had the most amazing weather the whole week long. My kids were able to play in the backyard while I doze off on the patio. I am just kidding. It is just wishful thinking.

I had been convinced that I would not be gardening this year because of my impending move. However, truth be told, I couldn't keep myself away.

So there will be potted tomatoes this year:

Just a few plants. OK, OK, a lot more than a few....

Sigh, and I just can't keep still. My kids are happy playing by themselves, so I decided to rescue my father-in-law's ladder.

He gave this to me a long time ago. It was no longer safe to use, so I kept it in the garden for the cucumbers to climb up on. As you can see, it was a little worse for wear:

Hmm, perhaps you can't see, but it was awfully paint-splattered. Honestly, it was a little bit of an eyesore. I was actually going to break it down to use for firewood when we go camping. Luckily, I got bored hanging out in the backyard and not being able to do ANYthing.

(At this point, my neighbor rolled her eyes at me and said, "Um, why not sit down, read a good book and drink some margarita?". I don't know, good neighbor! I don't know, I have a problem, OK.)

With some light sanding, and using some leftover paint I found in the basement, it is looking a lot better:

Paint! I love paint! :)

Have a wonderful weekend,

You Can Do It: Drill a Drainage Hole for your Ceramic Pot

2010-05-19T08:00:00.002-04:00

How many times have you had to pass up beautiful potsbecause they have no drainage holes?

Pots without drainage holes will more often than not kill off your plants. This is especially true if you intend to leave these pots outdoors.

The solution sounds simple. Drill a hole.

How hard can it be, right? Well, if you are like me, you would be afraid of just shattering the pot.

Nevertheless, after a quick search of the internet, I realized that it won't be much different from drilling a hole in ceramic tile. Duh..... it's not going to be hard if I have the right tools.

You will need:

Safety Glasses

A nail, or something hard and sharp

Drill

Ceramic Drill Bit

Something to cushion your pot (a towel, blanket, or just use a cardbox board like me)

This is the ceramic drill bit:

It has a tapered shape, that allows it to burrow into the ceramic. You should be able to get this at any hardware store. Mine was a little old, and a little blunt, making the hole a lot harder to drill. However, it still did the job.

Turn your pot upside down, resting it on your blanket or cardboard box, and use the nail to score and mark where you are going to drill. You should be able to make a pretty good dent with the nail. This will prevent your drill bit from slipping and bouncing all over the place.

Here is the hole that I managed to drill:
The hole is a little small, which is OK for this pot, but I think I may need to get a bigger drill for my bigger pots. Pretty neat, huh?

My lemon thyme has a home now....

Hide your Wood Furniture. She comes armed with a Paint Brush!

2010-05-17T09:42:00.009-04:00

Sorry for being so scarce lately! I had thought that I wouldn't be doing much gardening this year, because I will be moving into a new house in about a month or so. However, I just couldn't bring myself to let the weeds grow. So, like a good gardener, I have been working the garden like it is still my own. Besides, there is something about spring that makes me want to be outside all the time!

Back to the topic at hand, I'm a little addicted to the power of paint. This tired rocking chair was a gift from my father-in-law. It's very old and even though you can't see it in the picture above, quite a bit of the finish is scuffed off.

A lot of elbow grease went into sanding the chair down, but after three coats of paint, I ended up with a delightful chair.

Isn't she gorgeous? It is amazing what a little paint can do!

Anyway, there is a little seat cushion that comes with the chair, and I am going to make a little cover for it.

I got some leftover fabric from a secret project*, and decided to remember the project by using one of the fabric for the seat. However, I can't make up my mind. Which is your favorite?

Thanks for helping me out!

*Not really a secret. I'll tell you about it if you email me :)

"Never Use Box Mix Again" One Bowl Chocolate Cake

2010-05-11T09:00:00.001-04:00

Adapted from this Allcipe.com chocolate cake recipe.

It is also similar to the recipe on the back of the Hershey Cocoa can.

Nom-nom-nom... the right side of the cake is gone. Gone!

If you like dark and moist chocolate cake, this is the recipe for you!
What I like about this recipe is that you will most likely have most of this ingredient on hand.

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) In a mixing bowl, stir together:

1 3/4 cups white sugar (2 cups if you are not going to frost)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

3) Add the following and beat on medium for 2-3 minutes:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4) Stir in:
1 cup boiling water

warning: the batter will be thin.

5)Pour it into a Bundt Cake Pan, a round pan, or a 13"x9" baking pan. Baking time is between 40-50 minutes, when the cake passes the toothpick test. Move to a rack to cool completely.

This is the Maple Frosting I used. Easy!

Whip together:

1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 Tbs of softened butter
1/2 tps vanilla
1/4 cup of maple syrup
add 1 Tbs of milk at a time while whipping until you get the right consistency.

Spread on cake and enjoy!

Distressed Side Table

2010-05-10T09:20:00.007-04:00

I hope you had a good weekend. It was my man's birthday over the weekend, and we escaped for a little break. We over-indulged on rich French food and even met up with friends. Of course, we rushed home on Mother's Day so that my girls could spoil me rotten!

Anyway, I finally finished a project worth posting about. The side tables you see in the photo below have been with me for over a decade. They are in decent shape, but I wanted them lighter.

So, here they are in my garage, being prepped for a good sanding. Now, I wasn't too sure if I could paint laminated furniture (yup, they are not even "real wood" furniture).

A good sanding, three coats of paint, some sanding of the edges with a sanding block yielded this:

I spray painted the handles with some hammered bronze that I have from previous projects. I really wanted to get new handles for the tables, but could not justify spending $10.50/handle. Of all the handles that I saw at the hardware store, I had to love the most expensive ones. Of course, Of Course!

Fine - waste not, want not - I reused the old handles. It's cute after having changed colours.

Tools used:

various different grades of sanding paper

sanding block

paint brush

leftover custom off-white paint

leftover Rustoleum Hammered Bronze spray paint

screwdriver to remove hardware

(Project is "Free", gotta love it!)

One more time...

Before:
After:

They are so cute now. I just need some wicker baskets to stuff under the drawers. Hey, anyone want to teach me how to weave baskets? Anyone? I'll feed you in exchange! Hahahaha...

I'm linking up at:

Vote Today! Spring Top Week

2010-05-06T08:30:00.000-04:00

Well, my humble Blooming Peasant Top spring top week submission got shortlisted to the Top 60 of the Spring Top Week! Woo hoo!

Yes, so please vote for my top, if you think it's deserving. No pressure, 'cos that's the way I rolllll... ;)

In other news, it looks as though I haven't disappeared of the face of this earth! I just got really distracted with all my projects. I'm happy to say most of them are out of the way now.

One of those "projects" was this:

That's my 'Dorothy'. Notice our approximation of the Dorothy costume.

Her choir performed Follow The Yellow Brick Road, If I only had a Brain, and Hi Ho Hi Ho (the seven dwarfs song, it was a little out of theme) at the start of the concert. There were a lot of other cute performances. However, to close off the concert, my little 6-year-old stood in front of half the school and sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The teachers' tell me that she brought tears to their eyes. Sigh! Me too, me too...

Final Spring Top Week Entry - Lacey Haze

2010-04-30T12:30:00.004-04:00

I was hoping to enter more than 3 tops into the Spring Top Week Flickr Pool, but it looks as though that's all I've managed this round.

So here's the last one I've entered. It is made out of thrifted stretch lace-like fabric. It is not a fabric I'm used to working with, but it is actually not too different from the knit fabrics I love so much.

I drafted the top to fit my body and I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out.

The only thing I'm not too sure about is the sleeves. I may still alter it to butterfly sleeves.
Don't you think that would look better?

Umm... this is how my hair look towards the end of the day. Sigh...

Blooming Peasant Blouse

2010-04-27T10:33:00.007-04:00

Here's my next submission into Spring Top Week.

It is nothing mind-blowing, but it's a new top. Three cheers for new tops.
Hey, I never said I was entering the contest to win! Hehehe...

I had bought this knit fabric a while ago, but never was really inspired to use it before. It is a little busy, with all those flowers, so I thought that a simple top that shows off the fabric will be most appropriate.

I've made some peasant tops for my kids, and even made one for myself off a pattern.
However, this top was actually drafted to fit my body type. I did not want a peasant top that was too voluminous, only because the pattern on the fabric has so much going on for it.
The result was a comfortable spring top that I can toss on to run my daily errands:
I'm trying my best to give you different poses so that you can get better views of the top. However, I always end up with this pose.
It's the same in every picture! Sigh!!!
So, I thought, how about I raise this arm:

Propped against a sofa? You can tell by my expression that I am getting tired of all this picture taking. I make a very impatient model.

Well, there it is!

Skewed Sailor Top

2010-04-23T12:22:00.010-04:00

I thought I had missed this year's Spring Top Week hosted by Made By Rae.
Last year, I had joined in the fun and made four cute tops for spring. This year, because I've been busy getting the house ready for sale, I thought I would skip this year's event. However, as luck would have it, there is still time to join.
My goal here is to join in the fun, make some cute tops, and get inspired by other peoples' creations.
I don't know how many tops I will end up making, but this will be my first official entry.

To make this top, I took a t-shirt that fits me comfortably, and used as a basis for this top. Don't you love this blue? This blue knit was bought at a thrift store. Lucky me...
To create the collar, I used remnant knit from my dress making episode. Making use of my dressform, I pinned the collar onto the top and sewed it on.
To make the collar asymmetrical, I made a buttonhole (reinforced in the back), and threaded a 'tie' through that buttonhole.

Hey, if you have a t-shirt that you are willing to sacrifice, adding a skewed sailor neckline to that t-shirt would be a great refashion project!

edit: Have you seen the Spring Top Week Flickr Pool? Definitely inspiring!

Crochet Bead and Wire Necklaces

2010-04-21T23:44:00.008-04:00

So, this one comes out of nowhere.
I was brainstorming to make something for my friend's birthday. In the end I decided that I would crochet her a bead and wire necklace and bracelet set. I've always wanted to try doing this and there is something light and airy about wired crochet that I've always loved.

I have crochet on and off for about 10 years, but I have never made jewellery. Unless you count the numerous kiddy necklaces I've had to make over the years.

Anyway, thank goodness for the internet and to the many crafters who take the time to post tutorials!

There are quite a few tutorials out there on how to crochet with wire, but I really recommend reading this one. It is posted by Diane Gilleland on CraftStylish, and it is a really good tutorial, with great pictures.

I used a 28 gauge jewellery wire, a 5mm crochet hook, a small nose pliers, jewellery closures and pretty beads.

Here's what I made for her:

One day, I will get a camera that will produce better quality pictures. (Oh, or perhaps the problem lies with the user). I really like how the set turned out. The stones are a beautiful turquoise, and while I could have neaten the wire, I like the 'random' twisting and turning.

And this what I made for me... tee hee:

I actually prefer the one I made for my friend, because I think the symmetry of the square beads used to make this necklace, is a little 'off' with the delicate crocheted wire.

The only thing I'm worry about is the wire I used. I really wanted to get silver wire, but I did not have time to go out and purchase it. Besides, I was not willing to plop down big bucks for silver wire, when I did not know if this project would work. Good thing I can make my friend promise to return it to me if it rusts. That way, I can rework the set with silver wire. She's a good enough friend that she can put up with my quirks.

You may be seeing more of these. What can I say, it's addictive!

Don't Give it Away, Mum (or Mom)

2010-04-19T09:08:00.004-04:00

I hope you had a good weekend.
I spent my weekend being quite content with not doing a whole lot. We hung out with some good pals, watched some hockey playoff games(which I very seldom do) and just enjoyed the weekend.

With regards to sewing, I decided to deal with some of my kids' old clothes.
I was sorting out some of the out of season clothes, and bringing out some of the stuff from last spring. Some things, I had to put aside for donation.

More often than not, I hear, "Mum, please don't give this away. Please, please, please!".
(I spell mum M-U-M, but my husband claims it is M-O-M. To-may-toes, To-mah-toes)

So, while watching an episode of Bones, I tried to extend the use of some of my daughters' favourite items of clothing.

This was my daughter's favourite dress last spring. It was so snug across the shoulder that I could not make it into a shirt:

A few snips got it ready to be made into shorts:

Here's the result. (If you have trouble figuring how to put pants together, check out my cheat sheet).
I'm trying to find where I dropped the little pocket. That was a cute pocket. I hope I did not toss it out!

This top was from two favourite (bestest, mum, bestest) shirts:

I had to cut off the sleeves to enlarge the armholes. The binding of the sleeves with fabric from the white shirt made all the difference.

Finally, a dress that frankly, looks a lot better ON than off. ;)

Well, that was as far as I got before I was pulled aside to participate in a family Rock Band Extravaganza! I am a Rock Star (not).

Grey and White Striped Dress

2010-04-15T14:42:00.006-04:00

I'm back. My house is sold, I have a little girl on my lap, and my house is still clean. Bonus!

As part of trying to sell the house, I had put away almost all of my sewing stuff. I don't know about you, but when I sew, I make a Huge Mess. Pieces of fabric, thread, maybe some pattern pieces.... it is not a pretty sight. No matter how clean I try to be, it still ends up being less than showroom perfect. So, for about two weeks there, I was on a sewing break.

Yesterday, I was brave enough to set up my sewing machines again. I really did not feel like unpacking my fabric and my box of sewing patterns. I was about to do so, when I notice that I had failed to pack up this pattern piece.
I had just stuffed it into my sewing dress drawer. Hmm.... was it some kind of sign?
I pulled out one of the boxes of fabric, opened it, and the first fabric I pulled out was a grey and white knit.
Huh... it was definitely a sign!!

I picked this pattern up during a sale. It is one of those highly-rated patterns on PatternReview.com, and I can see why. It is quite flattering on most body types, even with my rectangular shape. We work with what we've been given.
Did you roll your eyes when I tell you that I have a boxy figure? My friend Nie does that to me all the time. I just tell her to shut up, because I'm jealous of her curves. Hey, if you can't be honest with your good friends...

Anyway, I really like this dress. I can even overlook my bad overlock job at the hem. Hahaha..... I'm so judgmental with my own work!

When I've done a proper review of this pattern I will link it. I'm so happy to be sewing again!

edit: As promised, here's the review for this pattern.

Reverse Stencilling with Kids ( Do at your own Risk)

2010-04-06T08:43:00.008-04:00

The girls and I made some time to do get a little messy with paint.

I got the idea when I was pruning my plants.
We fixed some leaves, using double sided tape:

Starting dabbing paint around the edges of the leaves:
We used green and gold paint.
After a LOT of mess (and fun).....

My girls got really excited each time we lifted the leaves to see the outline taking shape!

On a more personal note, I have been occupied with cleaning and decluttering the house. This is because we are going to put the house up for sale. It will be in the market some time tomorrow or the day after.
We are hoping to sell this house so that we can move into a new house. It is in the same city, but it will be a new house, in a new area. While I love this house , it is time to move on. After all, we have spent over 10 years in this same house. Sometimes I'm uncomfortable and a little nervous about selling and moving. Luckily, most of the time, it feels like a really good decision.

As you can imagine, all these things have been keeping me very busy. I do think about blogging a lot, but I spend most of my free time reading other peoples' blogs instead :)
I hope you'll bear with me through this personal transition period!

Gifts in the Mail

2010-03-30T23:12:00.003-04:00

From Me to Me. :)

So, I had to take a sewing hiatus, and I had been feeling a tad bit glum about it.
However, the mailman delivered a couple of packages just in time to cheer me up.

To the right, is my very own stamp. I bought it custom made, off an eBay seller for about US$8.50. It took a little longer to arrive since it was delivered from Malaysia (shout out to my native country!), but I'm very pleased with it. It's sturdy and well-made, just as I imagined it would be.

My sewing buddy, Claudia gave me the idea to use a stamp and fabric ink to label clothing instead of tags. What a fabulous idea! Sometimes, it is hard for my kids to tell which side is the front with handmade clothing. Also, I have a daughter who hates tags, and I always end up cutting the labels off store-bought clothing, anyway. (See here for proof).
I can't wait to get my hands on some fabric stamp ink!

On the left of that picture is my brand new free motion sewing foot.
After seeing the amazing stuff that Care (Obsessively Stitching) churns out with this foot (see here and here.), and my bloggy buddy Aunt LoLo's (LoLo Craft) free-motion sewing (see here), I decided to "splurge" on my own. Considering that my 12-year-old sewing machine cost me $100, a $15 sewing foot is splurging!
(Well, OK, about a month ago, I also bought a $30 walking foot off Claudia - which reminds me, I should pay her the next time we meet)

I cannot wait to try out this new sewing foot. I will probably not be making quilts, but I will use it for sewing on knit embellishments, similar to the stuff I did with my chakra pants and the twist cardigan.

The Decluttering Monster's been through!

2010-03-27T21:51:00.004-04:00

My dear friends,

There are some work being done to the house right now, and *gasp*, I had to pack away the things in my beloved sewing area so that the handyman can fix up the walls. This meant that I had to put away the sewing machine, the serger, and most of my fabric. How am I supposed to keep sane?

Well, if you are strange like me, you would go through a de-cluttering rampage. In the past week, I have stopped by my local salvation army four times to unload bags of items. I have sent baby items into consignments stores, freecycled many, many items, and threw out accumulated junk. And I ask myself, how does one end up with so many things?
I mean, if I haven't used something for over a year, chances are, that I don't really need said item. Someone else could probably benefit from it, right?
Well, here are a few reasons I find myself keeping things that I don't really use:

The item was expensive, and I feel bad letting it go, even though I don't use it. "But this totally-not-my-style tealight holder cost me $45! I must have been hallucinating when I bought it". Freecycle!

I get emotionally attached to an item, even though I don't use it. This is a tough one..."Oh, it's the hand-squeezy-thingamajic from the Blues Festival that I had so much fun at. Awww.... Lauryn Hill was performing....". Out!

I keep stuff that people give me, because I don't want to offend them. "I better hang on to this framed cross-stitch work, in case she visits". Honestly, I kept it.

I keep things 'just in case'. "But, what if I suddenly feel like putting up Winnie the Pooh decals all over the girls' bedroom?". Salvation Army!

Well, I did succumb into keeping a few items, but for the most part, I've been ruthless with my purging. Let us just say, it feels good! It feels really, really good! It is a positive thing, a lifting of the spirit... AND it is zen!

Circles on Water by baroda003

So, I am on a sewing hiatus (sob sob), and crafting is pretty much out of the question because I can't get a hold of my things. That leaves me with very little to blog about, seeing as this is mostly a sewing/crafty blog :) So, if I stop blogging for a week or two, you know why!

Hugs,
Su

Curtains, Take Two

2010-03-24T08:46:00.006-04:00

Almost two months ago, I made some curtains for the guest bedrooms (blogged here). My husband assured me that they looked good. Some of you told me that you liked it. I had my doubts. However, I left them up there, just to give them a chance. However, every time I walked into that room, I got a jolt of uncertainty.
It's not bad, but I was so uncomfortable with it....

I have a good friend who reads home decorating and architectural magazines. She is a whiz at interior decorating. Me? I am quite clueless. I know what I don't like when I see it. I guess, I finally figured out that I don't like those curtains. Strange, I really like the fabric. Why do they not work as curtains.

Anyway, $10 on fabric and 45 minutes of work yielded this:
It's very plain, but I like it so much better, because it is so light. Did you notice that I reused the fabric from the curtains?
Well, I did Love the fabric, especially the green sparkly one!
Here's a better picture of the room:
So, I do feel much better about the room.
Here's what I plan to do next.

I'm going to redo those side tables. I'm thinking an off-white, and changing those drawer handles. (Um... ignore the toys. My daughter uses that side table as a house for her baby.)
What do you think? Do you think a lighter color will be better?

I may also dye the duvet color. The white seems so stark. I'm thinking a more pale beige.
Yeah, I'm so unsure about the whole thing. Should I bother to dye it? Or just leave it as is?

And finally, I really like the decal, but now, I'm not so sure. Here's a better picture:
Should those decals just be scrapped?

Anyway, I would really appreciated some input, because I am so clueless!

Thanks,
Su

Ruffle My Dress

2010-03-21T11:42:00.005-04:00

Me: Quick, take a photo of me before I change my mind.

Husband: What...?

Me: Take it, it's my "Before Photo". I should be frowning and looking sad. Here, let me try it. Oh, it's so not working. Cheese, take the photo! Take it! Cheese...

Husband: As you wish...

Height of fashion, baby! Pale face, check! Frumpy dress, check! Sexy socks, check!
I'm a total fashion plate :D

Anyway, I hardly ever wore this dress (except when I was really pregnant) because it was ill-fitting around the waist and bust. It was also too long for me, cutting me off at the most awkward length.

After bringing in the sides, it is a little more flattering. The hemline is also brought up, and... I added Ruffles with the extra fabric I had cut off!
It's hard to photograph a black dress, so I to overexpose this photo to show you the ruffle details:

Cute, eh? It looks a little bit like a butterfly.

I may enter this dress into the Ruffle Your Stuff contest:

I've seen some of those contest entries, and they are fabulous. I pretty much don't stand a chance, but I will enter, just to say that I took part in the contest:)