Conquering 32 counties

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” 
― Ernest Hemingway. 

So we managed to travel to all 32 counties in Ireland and I've put that together on a 80cm x 80cm canvas - a giant keepsake! I bought a map of Ireland, cut it out and mounted it on an existing picture canvas (recycling?) that I do not care much for. Then Audrey helped me paint the water surrounding it with acrylics and gave it a coat of varnish.

I had to label all the photos according to the counties to remember where they are supposed to go. Then I embellished it with objects that are significant to that particular county and did some journalling as well. 

Finally, Michael and I put our signatures at the bottom right corner to authenticate it. I'm quite happy looking at it on the wall! 

On another note, since Autumn is around the corner, I've decided to make 2 new cushion covers.

The Lecturer and her Magnetic Chalk Wall

I made my first magnetic board when I was 23 and had just started teaching. Those were the days without the OHP or the LCD projector so it was a cool teaching aid - a smallish portable board covered with flannel on one side and magnetic paint on the other. Thus I could hold cut-outs with button magnets  or I could use felt backed pictures (I wonder if anyone still remembers such wonders!) on the other side.

Many years on and I managed to convince Michael to paint a part of the staircase wall black. Black? Yes.

As I spent a good many hours doodling on it ...way past midnight, I felt really good and happy. It is all about organising. Those little cards and momentos that mean something to me. Nostalgic: Photographs of my home in Malaysia and Oreo, the basset that went missing.

When my good friend was here, I've turned it into a chalk board as well.

And a lovely visitor decided to put her name on the wall too!

While still in the mood I decided to organise my ribbon collection as well by turning a box into a ribbon holder.

The Bag Lady

Who can resist beautiful bags? Satchels, totes, duffle bags...you name them, I need them! I cannot resist gorgeous fabrics either and that includes oil cloth. These days oil cloths come in so many different shades and patterns, surely they must have more than the usual purpose of covering a table top?

I've had a long week, so I went to buy some oil cloth and ordered a beautiful vintage panel online as well. Then I followed my doctor's orders ...

And made a number of bags of different sizes..........

A big bag for a week of groceries

A smaller bag when I run out of bread, butter or eggs...

I received orders for 2 bags - one for the mum and one for the daughter

The following bag is for my friend

Then I made another fully lined bag for my camera or other knick knacks. This bag comes with a zip.

Finally with all the leftover fabric, I made two cushion covers and a mug caddy.

And more cushions

I still have some lovely oil cloth so I'll be sewing more bags. Meanwhile...

A beary happy family

When we visited Kilkenny recently, we went to a picturesque town called Inistioge where Michael had lovely childhood memories of the 'town that he once passed by in the family car'...Upon reaching Inistioge, what caught my attention was this giant bear made of straw sitting right smack in the middle of an open field. I couldn't resist rushing up to the bear and snuggled close to it.

Hey bear, you're a hay bear!

So upon coming home I decided to make some bears in remembrance of the great bear that I fell in love with.

Mumsie bear in an oriental vest with frog button

Baby blue bear. She'll never have to worry about shoes.

Mumsie bear and baby blue bear

Baby Carte Postale bear (made from Paul Costelloe's print). 

Baby Carte Postale bear will be going places as I'm giving him away to one very deserving baby who will travel much. So I thought the Carte Postale print would be most appropriate. Papa bear is still in the pipeline, so he'll be joining the family pretty soon....

Zohre's farewell

It's not everyday that you meet a nice person who then becomes your friend. Then before you know it, she has to leave for another city. I met Zohre at the International Women's Organisation in Limerick. Hailing from Iran, together with her husband Ali, Zohre was with us for a while before Trinity College offered Ali a post doc scholarship.

So we decided to have a little farewell coffee morning for her at Valerie's house.

No gathering is complete without a lovely cake. The Iranian flag made all the difference!

It is in the details that warmth is spelt.

So I made her a memory box because she is so very loved by Ali and by all of us....

And a card so we could all sign and wish her all the best for her future...that everything she dreams of will come true many times over...

I will surely miss Zohre because she is such a lovely person...so talented and artistic but most of all she has a good heart.

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!