Trash to Treasure

I went op shop (or as many of you might call it, thrift/charity shop) hopping today. I used to visit these shops regularly but haven't done so in a while. I am so glad I thought of doing it today. Now I know what I've been missing all this time. Here are my good finds...

A double bed-sized flat sheet with large, bright yellow and orange flowers, in like-new condition. Very sturdy material. Don't know if it's vintage though. I am thinking of using this to line new bags or might just sew up some fold and zip shopping bags.

A gorgeous and delicate (but heavy) mint green trinket box. Perfect case for my family's rosaries...

Two Japanese-made small platters, with no chips or cracks...

And lastly, the finds of the day! Two crochet Granny squares in excellent condition.

One huge square with approximately 1.3 m sides...the colours are even more vibrant in person!

And this one, 6x6 squares joined together to form 1 meter sides. Not the best of patterns but, who cares? It'll keep me warm just the same!

As of this writing, these have already been washed and they're already dry and ready to snuggle into!

I had a good day thrift shopping, didn't I? Truly, one man's trash is another man's treasure!

PS. Kerry, I am still waiting for you to contact me. You won my wristlet giveaway. Time to claim your prize!

As picked by the Random Integer Generator...

The winner is...

Congratulations to you, Kerry! Please get in touch with me as soon as you can (view my complete profile on the side bar, then choose 'Email'). I need your full name and postal address. I do hope you'll be able to use the wristlet.

I've been trying to perfect that zipper thingy on this pattern. It's quite tricky...not as simple as it seems. I am even tempted to go back to my old method...

I stitched up a smaller version but lessened the recommended seam allowances so in the end, the new wristlet was still a bit big than what I wanted. That's what I get for not following instructions!

Tried a third time...this time I followed the pattern to the letter. That's how I made this wonderfully constructed, 'just the right size for me' wristlet.

Recognize the fabrics from a previous project?

Oh well, that's it for now. Thank you very much to all who participated in the giveaway. I appreciate your joining! And congratulations again to you, Kerry!

Wristlet GIVEAWAY!

I made this Oh Fransson wristlet two days ago.

(click to view clearer image)

I was so excited to try out the pattern and was even more excited to use that adorable pink Minny Muu Japanese fabric. You may wonder why on earth did I have to purchase the pattern when in fact, I very well know how to sew up a wristlet. The answer is simply this...


I so wanted to know the secret to those neat zipper ends. Yes, I was willing to spend $10 just to find that out. Happily, I learned much more than just that. It is always good to acquire new techniques, isn't it? Having said that, the expense was well worth it.

The wristlet I made is a large one with round, darted corners (the opening being 9", height about 5" and the widest part about 10 1/2"). It turned out bigger than I had imagined. Sadly, because of its size, it is not something I would normally use....and so....

I thought of giving this wristlet away! It is not without sewing imperfections but yeah, it is kinda cute.

To be in the running to win, all you need to do is leave a comment in this post. Don't forget to include your name and email address so I can contact you in case you win. Competition ends on Friday, 7th of August, 11:59 pm, Australian Eastern Standard Time. Lucky winner to be determined by random number generator and announced on Saturday, the 8th. Competition extended till 11:59pm, Sunday, 9th of August, to allow more participants on the weekend. Winner to be announced the following day, Monday.

Please spread the word. The more entries, the better!

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED. WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY.

Of Cakes and Piñatas

I love making birthday cakes for my children. Although I am a really terrible cake decorator, I am a fairly good baker...and so I am assuming the great taste overshadows the not so great appearance! For my daughter Missy's birthday yesterday (28th), I made something clean and simple using a tried and tested moist chocolate cake recipe with white mountain frosting.

(The inside view...after being served...)

Missy didn't really have a party, but after getting the idea from a magazine, she decided she wanted a piñata. She patiently worked on it herself for a few days prior to her birthday. (I helped out only a little bit...just to make sure it would turn out nice and sturdy.) And then yesterday, filled with lollies and some packs of chips, we hung the piñata from the basketball ring in our backyard. My two nieces came after school to join in some quick fun!

Now that Missy's 12, giving her a toy seemed no longer an option. My husband and I gave her a lovely Billabong wrist watch which we luckily found on sale. She loved it!

Before I head on to bed, here's the chocolate cake and frosting recipes. You might want to try them out. These are easy and guaranteed to please!

CHOCOLATE CAKE

1. Prepare two 9" round baking pans. Grease and line bottoms.

2. In a large bowl, combine:

2 1/2 cups plain flour

3 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder

2 tsps baking soda

2 tsps baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

3/4 cup corn oil

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3. Beat at medium speed for about 3 minutes, then at high speed for another 2 minutes.

4. Add 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Blend well.

5. Pour onto prepared pans, dividing mixture equally between pans. Bake at preheated 180 degree C oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove pans from oven and cool a little bit before inverting onto cake racks. Cool cakes completely.

WHITE MOUNTAIN FROSTING

2 egg whites, unbeaten

1 1/2 cups white sugar

5 tbsps cold water

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Over a double boiler, beat all ingredients (except vanilla extract) until mixture holds a peak (about 7 minutes). Remove from heat. Add vanilla extract, then beat until cool and thick enough to spread.

Spread frosting in between two cakes layers, on top and sides. Decorate as desired.

How long has it been?

I don't even have a decent excuse. Except for the two weeks recently that I was overseas (where I had very little internet access), I had been nothing else but just too lazy to blog. I am still as lazy as can be but I am back today just to let you know that I am still alive!

I have not done anything crafty lately, so unfortunately, there is no new stuff to share. I did pick up a few things during my trip which I am happy to show you.

Pretty handmade bag...not that I need it...but nevertheless, had the impulse to buy.

Absolutely gorgeous pouches/wristlets...the top one has two zippered compartments, perfect for mobile phone and accessories. The bottom one comes with a mirror inside.

Overflowing with cuteness Japanese stuff... from left to right: pencil sharpener, rolling eraser, flat head pins, and my favourite, an auto-rewind tape measure.

There was just too much nice things to buy so I am mighty proud of how I was able to resist the temptation!

That's about it for now...I promise I won't be away for too long. My daughter's birthday is coming up and I am definitely planning to create something for her. But first, I have to get out of this weary disposition. That hectic holiday with my family took all the energy out of me! Cross your fingers!

All things cute and functional

A lot of effort really goes into everything I create. Many times, I see someone else's work and then I think about how I can improve and/or make changes so it will be more appropriate for my needs...for instance, the iPhone case in my previous post.

The sewing is actually the easiest part of the process. I start by drawing my idea, then redrawing...then redrawing...before I actually visualize how the thing could be sewn up. Sometimes I get lucky with the first try, sometimes not.

I went through this thinking process with my latest project. The idea was something I saw from here a while back. I created something similar but the way I constructed it is entirely different and I have added a couple of new features.

Close-up of drawstring closure

View of inside

Circle bottom

For one, I made the strap adjustable. Secondly, I added a drawstring with cord lock to keep the bottle from accidentally falling out. It's insulated as well (yey!) just like Pink Chalk Studio's. A first time for me to work with Insul-Brite.

This took only a short time to assemble (and in between steps, I was even watching the NBA Finals on tv!). As I had expected, the only tricky part was sewing up the circle bottom.

Isn't cute, functional stuff great? I am so pleased with this I could kiss it!

I am going on a trip with my family very soon and this water bottle carrier is definitely coming with me...

iPhone case version 3.0

Before I go into talking about the iPhone case, let me tell you first about how I got the iPhone.

Well, my husband brought it home one day recently as a surprise for me. No, he did not make an outright purchase (we certainly do not buy expensive stuff like this!), but the phone came with those "0 upfront, 24-month mobile phone plans". Why he made the seemingly impulsive decision to change my perfectly good old phone and switch to a different post-paid plan, he only knows. I wouldn't say the generous gesture came as a surprise...rather, it was a shock. Honestly, I hardly get any presents even when there is an occasion...

The iPhone, as cool as it is, is not really something I need. I am rarely on the phone, I am not a text messaging addict, I only listen to music while I'm ironing clothes, and I have internet access from a desktop computer that's on nearly all day. I don't want to sound unappreciative, but yeah, the iPhone seems too much of a luxury for me.

But I must say, it is one magnificent phone...I am lucky to be the owner of one...and my kids are having fun with it as well.

And so, such magnificence only deserves the coolest of carry cases.

iPhone case version 3.0

That is what my son calls my carry case. I've spent countless hours figuring out how I was going to go about sewing up one that will meet all my requirements. It needed to be padded to give the phone extra protection. It had to have a secure and big enough storage space for the headset and stylus. I should be able to easily access the headset jack. And I should be able to carry it around hands-free. Plus, it needs to be pretty!

Three tries later, this is what I ended up with. (I showed the first version on my previous post.)

Front view (button loop closure, swivel hook attachment, detachable neck strap)

Padded interior ensures a safe and perfect fit

Pleated back pocket

Velcro pocket closure

Phone accessories stored securely

Open top with headset plugged in

It was quite difficult to sew up considering the small size and the thickness, but the case does meet my criteria. I am really happy with it. What do you think?

UPDATE (6/6/09): PDF Sewing Instructions for this iPhone Carry Case now available in my Etsy shop!