Handmade Ruffle Tote Bag - Another Sewing Project

Another bag that I like from www.makeit-loveit.com is the tote bag. I liked the design a lot and I thought it would be a great art-n-craft bag for my girls (hers was torn already phewww). Again, I copied the design however I didn’t follow her instruction. I used mine instead (for me…it was easier). For this project, I used my girl’s old cloth which the material and colour were still in good condition.

Pardon the mix-matching, i used any old clothes available on hand

How to (if you are confused, pls kindly refer to the detailed explanation on the above site:

Step 3 - 5

1.      I draw the design first, the outer look and the inner side. Since my girls have lots of stuff, so I want to have small pockets inside the bag

2.      I make the prototype patterns. For this bag, I need:

a.      1 zipper

b.      2 rectangles for outer and inner part with dimension of 25cm x 60cm

c.       Another 1 rectangle for inside pocket with dimension of 20cm x 60cm

d.      1 rectangle for the top part with dimension of 10cm x 60cm

e.      1 rectangle for ruffle with dimension of 10cm x 100cm

f.        2 rectangles for handle with dimension of 8cm x 40cm (you could make the length longer or shorter, depends on your design)

Step 6 - 8

3.      Then I draw on the cloth and cut it out

4.      I sew the ruffle onto the top of the outer rectangle

5.      I sew the inside pocket onto the inner rectangle

6.      Then sew the sides of inner and outer rectangles altogether

7.      Sew the bottom part properly

8.      Sew the top part onto the ruffle (to tidy up the ruffle part)

9.      Sew the zip onto the top part

10.  Sew the handle rectangle sides (the length ones) together. Do it for another rectangle. Then turn inside out

11.  Sew the handle onto the top part of the bag

TADA…now my girls have this lovely art-n-craft bag J

The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann

Synopsis

Part murder mystery, part gothic fantasy, part steampunk adventure, The Peculiar is Stefan Bachmann's rivetting, inventive, and unforgettable debut novel.

Don't get yourself noticed and you won't get yourself hanged. Bartholomew Kettle and his sister, Hettie, live by these words. Bartholomew and Hettie are changelings - Peculiars - and neither faeries nor humans want anything to do with them.

One day a lady in a plum - colored dress comes gliding down Old Crow Alley. Who is she? What does she want? When Bartholomew witnesses the lady whisking away - in a whirling ring of feathers - the boy who lives across the alley. Bartholomew gets himself noticed. First by the lady in plum herself, then by something darkly magical and mysterious, by Jack Box and the Raggedy Man, by the powerful Mr Lickerish...and by Arthur Jelliby, a young man trying to slip through the world unnoticed, too, and who, against all odds, offers Bartholomew friendship and a way to belong.

I say ...

I Ŀ♡√Ɛ the book...physically. I Ŀ♡√Ɛ the smooth front cover with eye-catching drawing/picture and the sandy back cover. The mechanical owl(?) with strange metal attachment all over its body and feathers on the cover is awesome. Cool! Re to the author, since this was his first book...well I couldn't say much bout it then. Let's just dig in :-)

And it was confusing...new terms...weird things...strange environment...really peculiar. But I loved how the author writes, like he put some charms into each weaving words, like reading an English poems. Though the way he described Bath of few decades ago in such a gloomy way, I still could sense the beauty in it. Thumbs up!

I guess...another book is coming soon since the ending of this one is a bit hanging. I just hope the author finishes it at the soonest (unlike this one which he wrote since he was 15yo...‎​=.=! pheω...‎​⊙﹏⊙ ...I couldn't wait for that long) LOL.

My 1st Sewing project

I was supposed to publish this post first...but instead, i published the 2nd post. No problem though...but this one is about when I started to learn sewing using the sewing machine. I would like to make a car seat cover for the front seat…since I always put my girls’ trolley school bag there. And, most of the time, the wheels of the trolley leave dirt and dust on the seat. Since my car seat is not covered in leather (I hate the smell he he he) so it is quite difficult to clean it up. Therefore, I made this seat cover to protect it.

Now...driving under the scorching sun doesn't matter anymore

At first, I sew manually by turning the side wheel of sewing machine (it was such a labor work). I spent nearly 15mins only to sew about 15cm phewww…and seeing that I still had lots to sew…finally I braced myself and switched the machine on. It hums pretty loud (I didn’t know whether it is normal or not) and slowly I nudged the pedal using my toe only. It didn’t move...only the humming was getting louder. I gave up…I press lightly onto the pedal and it moved YAY….yippey….:-D

Slowly…an inch by an inch…I managed to sew the cover perfectly. Well, it was a bit messy but what the hell…it was my first time and I was so proud when I finished it (I kinda felt like a supermom who could take up any challenge LOL). And since I can sew, lots of ideas popped up in my mind..i wanna make this and that and many moreeee   :-D

The car-seat cover made from felt

So the first thing that I made after the seat cover was long sleeve gloves. I have mine, bought it from the Sox galleries... but since my skin is pretty sensitive...these sleeves feel uncomfortable and itchy. I rarely used it and now my arms have gotten some tan color compared to other parts unexposed to the sun. So, i made my mind to sew these long sleeves myself (scorching sun motivated me a lot LOL). I cut it out from my old bolster case and used simple design as well (well, an amateur couldn’t go into a complex design yet). Beside cloth, I used rubber band (for cloth – not hair).

How to:

1.      Measure the width and length of your arms (from upper arm to your fingers).

2.      Draw 2 rectangles onto the cloth (or you could make a pattern before). My dimension is 35cm x 55cm

3.      Cut the pattern

4.      Measure and cut the rubber as well. Mine is 15cm for wrist (2 pieces) and 25cm for upper arm (2 pieces)

5.      Sew the edges (the width) of both rectangles

6.      Sew the wrist rubbers onto the rectangles (about 10cm from the edge)

7.      Sew the upper arm rubbers onto the rectangles (about 5cm from the edge)

8.      Sew the edge (the length) of both rectangles

Now you have long gloves that are comfy for driving J

Skyfall movie

The latest movie of James Bond, the famous 007 agent of MI6 hit the cinemas last week and of course, I was one of those who was willing to stand on a long queue just for a ticket or two. Heard that this is the first 007 movie made for Imax screen, but after serious consideration, I opted for the normal one. I always have this dizzy-like-headache after watching an Imax...I could hardly enjoy the movie while trying so hard to contain my nauseous ‎​=.=! pheω...‎​⊙﹏⊙

Daniel Craig, as 007 (I always prefer Pierce Brosnan...he is manlier and sexier *winking*) opened the movie with an intense catch-me-kill-me action in Turky. Apparently MI6 lost a very sensitive information to someone called Patrice and 007, partnered up with female agent Eve, were sent to retrieve the data back. As usual, the chasing involved motorcycles on small and crowded alleys, ended up with 007 unintentionally was shot by Eve while 007 was wrestling with Patrice on the train.

While 007 (went awol - leisury spending his time in between of woman and liquor - we couldn't talk about Bond without his involvement with some sexy women and Martini - it is his trademark LOL) was assumed to be dead, MI6 continued to face terror and threat by someone, who apperently know the MI6 very well, plus internal conflict as well. Until the MI6's head office was blown into bits, then 007 made his return. His loyalty to M (Judi Dench) was put on the test, when the truth (of M' white lies?) were revealed one by one. However, 007 still put his trust wholeheartily on M and vice versa.

Given a clue, 007 killed Patrice in China and was lead to Silva (Javier Bardem), the person who hired Patrice. Silva was used to be the most trusted agent of M, until he was 'abandoned' by M due to several consideration. It turned out that Silva was the son of M, and he was on his personal vandetta agaisnt his mom. To protect M, 007 brought her to his childhood house @Skyfall, an old manor in Scotland which gave out the mysterious and gloomy atmosphere yet strikingly beautiful in an odd way. Somehow, seeing this manor reminded me of Wuthering Height, the famous literature of Emily Bronte. Here, @Skyfall, the last battle between Silva and 007, between the bad and the good guy...between what you choose to believe.

I like this Bond movie, especially the refreshing Ben Whishaw as Q, the snob, smart yet cute new superintendent of Q department. However, unlike the previous movies of Bond, here, there were no fancy fast cars, no explosive pen, no other advance gadget (๑'⌣'๑)づ A very humble version of Bond LOL
Anyway, I enjoyed this movie a lot and I hope you too. So...let's be like the Bond...who works hard...but plays hard too. Cheers

PS. Pic was taken from the www.skyfall-movie.com

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

A choice becomes a sacrifice
A sacrifice becomes a loss
A loss becomes a burden
A burden becomes a battle
One choice can destroy you

Synopsis

One choice can transform you - or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all aroind her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves - and herself - while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and Ŀ♡√Ɛ.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction, instead the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable - and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

I say...

Did you notice the surname of Tris...Tris Prior? I was a bit confused, I was sure whether it was Tris's surname so I thought it was a noun. However written in capital letter must means something else, isn't it? So I wrote Tris prior (not in capital letter) on the above synopsis and just like before I read a book, I skim through it from 1st till the last page. Then...there...on the last page of the story...I saw it...Edith Prior...I didn't know who she is (I haven't read it yet) but now it's clear to me that Prior is a surname. So I went back to the synopsis part and revised it again :-)

I was so hooked by the first book, Divergent...so when I finished it, I rushed to the book store to find it. However, it was quite difficult to find this book. Lucky for me, I got it at Times bookstore (now Books and Beyond) with a discounted price as well уααу!ヽ(▽￣　)乂(　￣▽)ﾉ уααу! I just hope that this book is as fast and as interesting as the first one *crossing fingers*

And it was...‎​‎​⊙.◎ ‎​‎​w(°ｏ°)w ⊙.◎ ...amazing. Unlike other trilogy or saga book, mostly the second series were a bit disappointment. Like New Moon, the 2nd book of Twilight saga which was the worst (imho)...it was boring though the plot was essential however, Stephenie Meyer could do better than this. So I was surprised to find this 2nd book of Veronica Roth...it was fast pacing and full of surprising elements from the first chapter until the end.

At the end, after reading this...seeing how I scored on the previous test (remember the free faction test given in the 1st book?)...I'm a divergent. Yeah...I guessed I would be a good divergent than an Amity. Be a divergent...why not?

*phew...I must be patient for the third book...another year to wait*