Showing posts with label sewing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sewing. Show all posts

Must-Have Crafting Tools Countdown #8



#8 - Sewing Machine

My mom and I got this little Kenmore Mini Ultra 3/4 Size sewing machine several years ago when it was on sale during Black Friday.  I think it must've been $50 or something ridiculous like that.  It only has 6 stitches, but honestly, I don't even use all of them!  

This little guy has been faithful all these years, helping me make things like my first quilt, stuffed fabric birdies, paper garlands, scarves, and all sorts of baby stuff.

A sewing machine is perfect for whipping up handmade gifts in a few hours' time, especially when you're working with felt, as it requires no finished seams.  Stitching on paper is also a nice touch for homemade cards or invitations with a cozy, DIY feel.

I don't think I could live without my sewing machine....I'm still trying to convince Dean to let me take it to the Caribbean with us. :P 





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Welcome, Elijah Eliot Wan!

Today is my little nephew's one month birthday! Isn't he just a darling? I never thought that I could love someone so tiny so very, very much. My sister has been sending me pictures almost daily so I can keep up to date with all of little E's developments and all his little faces and expressions.

Of course, before Elijah arrived, I set to work sewing and making all sorts of thing to prepare for his arrival. Here are some little tote bags I made for my sis and Billy to make it easier for them to go out with their little one, similar to the ones found here.

A receiving blanket for baby

And some baby boys bibs.
And for mom, a nursing cover for feeding on the go.

Happy birthday, little guy! Auntie can't wait to meet you soon.

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Boys on the mind

Ever since I found out my sister would be having a baby boy, I've been keeping an eye out for boy-friendly fabrics to add to my stash. Here's a few I've collected so far.

I'm particularly fond of these little guys.

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A Quilt for Baby Emelia

As promised, here are some pics of the quilt I was working on last month for baby Emelia! :) Emelia's mommy Nancy chose a delightful rainbow of bold colors for her quilt: raspberry, emerald, purple, teal, and strawberry. I especially like how the subdued brown backing brings everything together and adds some seriousness to it all. Here's to sweet dreams, late afternoon naps, and sleeping in!

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DIY Felt Flower Hair Barrettes


My cousin Dan and his family (along with my aunt and uncle too!) were in town from Canada this past week for a wedding. I was so happy to get a chance to hang out and catch up with them. I was lucky enough to see them all earlier this year, but this time, they brought the kids too! :) Abby and Joie are such sweet, sweet girls and hold a very special place in my heart. If you remember, Joie was the flower girl at my wedding (and Abby was my sister's!).

For these two special girls, I decided to make felt barrettes for them to put into their hair. I followed the tutorial I found here.







On the way back home in the car after dinner, Dean turned to me and said, "If we have girls in the future, I wouldn't mind if they were exactly like Abby and Joie!" I wouldn't mind one bit either. :)



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Happy Weekend!

Happy weekend, everybody! I'm spending this Memorial long weekend hanging out with family at the park, grilling some delicious food, and working on this quilt for a good friend.

This is my third quilt I've made, so I'm feeling pretty good about it! Here's a quick peek at the back of the quilt. I love how all the seams lay flat and line up so perfectly. :) The repetitiveness, precision, and patience that go into making a quilt remind me so much of architectural model-making...

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Happy Mother's Day!

For Mother's Day this year, I decided to make an apron for my mom because she loves to cook for her family and friends. Her specialties include pots of slow-simmered Chinese soup, antioxidant-rich "smoothies" that usually include questionable things like bitter melon and tomatoes (she used to offer these to Dean when we were dating and he'd have to down them with a straight face...poor guy!), and an assortment of Cantonese and Vietnamese dishes that my sister and I have since tried to learn.

I used a pattern out of the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts to sew the apron out of some linen I had on hand. I shortened and scaled it down a bit since my mom is pretty petite.

Then, I used my Silhouette SD cutter to cut out the images of a soup pot, blender, and wok on freezer paper. I ironed the freezer paper directly onto the apron, which created a seal so the paint wouldn't seep through. At this point, I realized I didn't have a single paintbrush in the house! Fittingly, I ended up using a kitchen sponge to dab the paint over the stenciled images, which surprisingly worked out okay. I let it sit overnight and then peeled the stencil off the next morning, put it in an envelope, and shipped it off to Portland for my mom!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

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Grace + Trevor's Baby Shower Part 3


Photobooths are always so much fun at parties, and this party was no different! Since Grace + Trevor's baby shower was safari-themed, I tried to work in safari-related props and animal masks to liven up the party. :)

The photobooth was basically just some green polka dot fabric attached with clothespins to string that we tied between the park ramada and some playground equipment. I know, so glamorous. I added some leaf garland for some extra color and jungle-ness. It was also crazy windy that day, so we had to tie it down from all four corners.


I sewed these animal masks out of felt for the photobooth. I was inspired by the lion mask I saw here. I hope baby Cece can play with these when she gets a little older!



I think I might have sewed the elephant ears upside down. Or so I'm told by elephant experts. This also resulted in several people wearing the mask upside down. Haha.


Other props: safari hat, binoculars, magnifying glass, speech bubble chalkboards (made from black foam core and chalkboard contact paper - best invention ever, I might add)

A few more pics!




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Grace + Trevor's Baby Shower Part 1

We drove back to Arizona two weekends ago for my friends Grace and Trevor's jungle-themed baby shower. Ever since I saw this bib pattern on Purl Bee, I've been dying to try it out. I searched through my fabric stash for some fun, coordinating patterns, picked up some ultra-soft terry cloth from the store, and whipped out these bibs for baby Cecelia. Hope this makes cleaning up super easy for mom and dad!

I also helped out with the decorations and stationery for the shower, so stay tuned for more pics and details!

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LA Fabric Shopping

LA is one of the greatest places to go fabric shopping. We made a trek this past weekend to downtown LA where I stocked up on fabric for all my Christmas projects!

Our first stop was the FIDM Scholarship Store, a store run by and benefiting students at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. All of merchandise at the store is donated by retailers, and the proceeds go toward funding scholarships for students. They have tons of inexpensive clothing and accessories for sale, but my favorite part of the store is the back area where they sell fabric! Most of the fabrics are only $1/yard! We also picked up some new ties for Dean for only $2/piece. Score!

Our next stop was in the Fashion District at the Michael Levine Loft, where all of the fabric is $2/pound! Ridiculous. They have all sorts of fabrics here - chiffon, lining, jersey, knit, and plenty of fancier fabrics too. The one thing they don't have are cute cotton prints....

But you can find plenty of those at the main Michael Levine store, right across the street! The fabrics here tend to be more like regular retail prices (think: Joann's), but they have a huuuge selection. They do have some good bargains for trim, thread, and sewing notions though.

My loot from the day:


And since we were downtown, we took the opportunity to visit one of our favorite restaurants in LA - Bottega Louie. Eating at this place is always such a treat. Aside from their mouth-watering pizzas and infamous portobello fries, the big stand-out about this place is the impeccable service. From the moment you walk in the door until the moment you leave, you get the feeling that you are well-taken care of. The waiters are attentive, but not smothering; friendly, but not overly chatty, and overall, just super professional and not to mention, good-looking. Seriously, when my brother-in-law visited, he even made the comment that it seemed like one of those places where all the aspiring Hollywood actors work when they're not busy doing auditions.

Speaking of Hollywood actors, we had the pleasant surprise of being seated at Bottega Louie right next to The Office's Oscar Nunez. He was literally sitting two feet away from me on the same booth/bench. His jacket was in my seat and had to be moved for me to get into my booth! It was pretty hilarious. He was so close to us that Dean and I couldn't talk about sitting next to him without him overhearing us, so we spent half of our lunch writing notes to each other and texting back and forth. Haha! Well, our LA experience is now complete - we have seen our first celebrity!

Some photos:

amazing portobello fries with aioli

desserts and candies

pizza!

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