Hand quilting vs. Free motion machine quilting

There is always this fear of treading into new horizons. I'm very at home with hand quilting because you can do it anywhere and you are in full control of your stitching. Then I told myself I have to overcome the fear of machine quilting which actually looks very formidable and signed up for Anna's class last year when I went back to Malaysia. Forever ambitious, I thought I'd try it out on the borders of my hand quilted single comforter.

As with anything new, practice makes perfect. I'm rather fastidious and won't settle for anything less. So it was first try, unpick, second try, unpick, third try.....you get the picture. 

I bought some basic equipment to make the free-motion quilting easier.

(1) A wide table for my sewing machine

(2) A quilting foot

With the leftover material, I came up with 2 cushions

Having completed the quilt, I still wanted to do more free motion quilting, so I made a plastic bag dispenser. I stuff all the plastic bags into this bolster looking thing and hang it up. The bottom is scrunched together by elastic. Plastic bags can be pulled from the bottom when needed.

Let's make a dollhouse!

This is a dollhouse that I put together...something that I've wanted to do for a long time.

So to furnish it I collected furniture from here and there. Two good  online sources are The Dollhouse Emporium (http://www.dollshouseemporium.co.uk/) and Maplestreet (http://maplestreet.co.uk/). There used to be a Teddybear and Dollhouse Shop in Dublin but not anymore. Flea markets are also great sources. You'll never know what you can pick up from the myriad of stalls.

I wallpapered and carpeted it and tried to put in as many details as possible. My friend Sarita helped me with the wiring, which was most intimidating to me. Sarita has exhibited her dollhouses in Canada and the States.

To give it a personal touch, I made the mattresses, cushions, pillows and bed covers. I'm also making miniature pots and pans and decorative items which are not quite finished yet. To me building a dollhouse is just like making a home. You add bits and pieces to it all the time.

And now a closer look at all the rooms.........

1) The sitting room. The carpet on the staircase and the brickwork around the arch are remnants from the floor carpet. The plants are made from paper and wire and the pots are recycled timbles. The magazines on the side table and in the magazine rack are made from pictures cut out of newspapers and actual magazines.

2. The master bed room. Sarita made the girl doll for me. There's even a picture of Michael and I on the wall

                                  A close-up of the mattress, comforter and pillow cases that I made

3. The nursery - made the seat cushions

The cot - I added little details like butterflies and miniature buttons.

The wicker set - Sarita made the frames and I made the cushions

4. The rest room. Slippers are a must for any Asian rest room.

5. The music and study room

6. The kitchen

7. The attic

                                                         From the outside looking in

So, now that I've finished this...I'm going to start on another more complicated Tudor style dollhouse!

This is addictive!

The Cross and Exploding boxes

Today is Good Friday, the day my Saviour died for me. I cannot say how much this means to me because He died so I can live. I have made 3 exploding boxes because the beautiful thing about an exploding box is when it explodes you can see the very structure of a cross that supports all the beautiful things on it.

                                                                      A cross of love

A cross of tenderness

A cross of triumph

Matchbox Mania

As a child, I had a big box where I kept lots of used stuff for handicraft - pegs, ice-cream sticks and matchboxes etc. I created a whole convoy of trucks and cars out of matchboxes. Now that I'm using matches again to light the fireplace, I've decided to turn these boxes into keepsakes for friends.

                                                           A Vintage Dresser

A small cameo trinket box

A cup of tea for a friend

And finally, with Easter just round the corner, there are lots of eggs-iting and eggs- traordinary things to create from matchboxes as well.

A vintage Easter bunny with his fine collection of Reese's peanut butter chocolate eggs

Alice in Wonderland Easter bunny and Reese's peanut butter chocolate eggs

A bear dozing in his bunny onesie with 2 eggs for himself

Gingerbread banner and farewells

I don't like good-byes and another of my friends is leaving for the UK. I've only known Dorina since I came to Ireland and she is pretty charming. We are all members of the International Women's Organisation in Limerick - Americans, Brits, Scots, Irish, Iranians, Italians, South Africans, Hungarians and one Malaysian. So I decided to make a banner for her. I painted and embellished some chippies with an assortment of flags to represent the countries that we come from.

With Dorina

We've got a lovely lunch planned out for her and I must remember to bring a box of tissues with me. This is the card that all of us can write down our best wishes for Dorina.

While I was decorating the gingerbread chippies, I decided to embellish these 2 chippy ducks as well.

Mixed Media Man and Mask

Love mixed media ... as there are no rules, anything goes as long as I am happy. With the monkey and lush tropical background, I thought I'll complement it with something bright and fun, and throw in some keys and locks as well.

While still in the mood for exuberance and life, I gave a plain mask a 'mask-over' and now it is ready for the masquerade ball in Venice...

On a gondola with a fellow participant of the conference

St Mark's Square

Rhapsody in blue

Blue calms the soul. A combination of blues and creams brings out a certain ambience of peace and tranquility. I made these cards from Do-craft papers and ribbons, Gorjuss toppers and lace.