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Sewing tutorial how to sew a boxy pouch
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Boxy Pouch Tutorial

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Small projects make the best practice pieces for free motion quilting. In this post I have a tutorial on how to make a boxy pouch and get you to practice free motion quilting!

This project will not only allow you to make use of your practice sandwich but also allows you to have the option of hiding those stitches, should you feel like they’re not that pretty yet. Everyone was there before they get better. It is a practice piece after all.  

If you are interested to learn more about free motion quilting, make sure you check these related posts too:

Also check out to learn how to free motion quilt confidently

I remembered in the early times of my free motion quilting days, I used to get so frustrated with my stitches and was certainly not happy with how they turned out. But I also know that practice is necessary, so I keep making these ‘ugly’ practice sandwiches.

Practice will make it better.

That is what I keep chanting as I move along practice piece after practice piece.

I don’t feel like wasting those practice pieces, so I usually turn them into hotpads and placemats. And that makes me feel a lot better. At least even if the stitches were not as great at that time, I actually get to use the piece. 

And in this post I am sharing an even better idea!

A pouch. One can never have enough pouches, And this one is a really useful roomy one, suitable for many of your necessities and perfect for gifting too!

Boxy Pouch tutorial. How to sew zipper pouch boxy

You can also make one following the tutorial in the video below. 

Free Motion Quilting Boxy Pouch Tutorial

Start out by free motion quilting a fat quarter size quilt sandwich.

Divide them into two to make two pouches with 2 pieces of fat quarter fabrics.

The size of the rectangle to start with for each pouch is 16.5″ x 10″ and the boxy pouch will end up to be 3″x5″x9″. 


 

Watch the tutorial below on how to make the boxy pouch.

 

Let me know what you think. Want to keep on practicing now?? Let’s do this. 

If you haven’t checked out Free Motion Quilting Bootcamp, I would love to invite you to join in. I teach you how to master various designs and the exact steps on how you can free-motion quilt any design with your regular sewing machine. 

We have gotten great reviews of the program and I am sure you will be on your way to great success with free motion quilting if you joined in too!

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Quilting on instagram
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Top 9 of the 2019 Quilting Instagram

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I ran the top 2019 over here for my quilting Instagram feed and though I have been a little quiet there as compared to the blog and newsletters, I think Instagram did catch some of my best make in the year of 2019.
 
So here it is: 
My Quilting Instagram page is Amira_littlemushroomcap
 
Quilting on instagram
There are affiliate links within this post that may earn me little commission to help cover the cost of the blog and other expenses. Please find the disclosure policy here. 
 
 

From the top nine of my quilting Instagram account,

 

what I first notice is,  

The hotpad took 3 squares out of 9 which was pretty obvious as I tried (yup, tried) to complete 52 hotpads in a year. Although I failed to follow through, I was pretty happy with the amount of hotpads I got done this year and it was such a pleasure sharing the process and tutorials with you on this blog. 
 
Currently it is at 22 hotpads and I am continuing this project in the year 2020 and hopefully, we’ll get to that 52 hotpads.
 
You can check all the tutorials for the hotpad so far in the latest post here>
 
 
 

I believe in no failures, only lessons. 

 
So what have I learned?
  • a challenge always pushes me to expand my creativity, and allow me to work my skill
  • A challenge that is pursued is always better than none. I did end up with 22 hotpads this year which could have easily been none if I did not challenge myself to do this challenge
I may have overestimated what I can do in a week. With a full-time job, two little kids, a home to care for and other ‘behind the scene of a blog’ tasks… I sometimes get exhausted and just want to chill. I love being busy, productive but there are times that I just simply need to chill a little. Do a little more gardening, a little more NetFlix and just simply enjoy the free time. 
 
Regardless, a challenge is always fun but I should want to be careful not to stress out too much if I could not get to it. 
 
 

Secondly,  

Two scrappy quilts also got the place in there in which one is fully completed (the scrappy trip is blogged here) and the other (the scrap vomit) is still lying in my unfinished object (UFO) pile. Too little as a quilt – that’s what I say to myself. 
 
 
I find it hard to finish up small quilts, I just feel like they need to be bigger before I continue to baste. I feel like I need to add a border to the quilt. But we’ll see.
 
 

Thirdly,

A glimpse of my sewing room is also there, and a photo of me. These two photos were when I joined in Quilter’s Planner photo a day in January. I feel like I want to do this again in 2020. If you are on Instagram, come and join over too. 
 
have a virtual sewing retreat in your own space.
 
My sewing setup today is still very similar, I think it is the best as of now until we get a room just for my sewing space. Right now, I share the space with my kid’s bedroom. We are planning to be renovating soon for another two or three-bedrooms extended to our current house. 
 

Lastly,

The other two photos are of the Rocket Star Quilt in which I joined a quilt along hosted by Fat Quarter Shop.
 
quilting make a quilt
 
 
Quilt-along like this is fun and always gets more engagement as compared to other posts. I also love visiting other people during the quilt-along. There’ll be many quilt-along in the coming 2020. 
 
 

What’s coming in 2020 as for my quilting plan?

While I have lots of quilting plans for 2020, I will try to focus on tying up some ends to the UFO pile before starting new quilts. 
 
I am so excited for 2020 and the crafty endeavors it will bring.
 

What are your plans?? Share them with me by commenting below. 

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In Quilt

Baby Clothes Quilt

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This was surely a fun project. Cutting onesies and shirts and making it into a quilt was surely different. I have never made a baby clothes quilt before, but I decided to take this custom quilt request as I wanted to challenge myself and learn new things along the way. Now, I rarely EVER take quilt orders, but this one was something that I could gain from too.

I knew that it wasn’t going to be hard as I have watched how to make a T-shirt quilt before. It was not much different working with the baby clothes other than having to deal with smaller pieces. I also appliquéd the socks and hat on the quilt for extra fun.

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Black Friday SALE for Fabrics & Quilting and other related things

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NOTE : I no longer promote Craftsy as I used to due to the way the subscription is currently being carried out. I had the issue of cancelling my subscription when the company changed hand and I find that cancelling through calls is inconvenient. However, I do still stand behind these classes I promote and if you are subscribed, you can surely check these classes I recommend on the platform. If you are looking for another online platform to learn craft such as quilting, do check out CreativeBug. It is much cheaper in subscription (subscribe now 3 months for only $5). Thank you.

 

Hi there, just popping in with some current list on some of the things that you may want to check out going on sale at this moment till Black Friday. Basically, it is a list of Black Friday 2019 Fabric and Quilting SALE.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’ll update from time to time, and maybe for Cyber Monday too. so come, check it out on the day itself too. You can also pop in the comment some of your favourite SALE this year.

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In Quilt

10 Things That Surprisingly will help you Quilt!

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I thought today in this post, we’ll shift our gear a little bit towards non-quilty items that I love and help me quilt more! We are always looking for more time to sew and as a busy working mother who loves to have some extra time to sew, here are some items that I find help me get there:

There are affiliate links within this post, please find the full disclosure here.

1. Pressure Cooker / Insta Pot

Yup. This is one of those life-changing items that I love and has made my life so much easier. I can simply put in dinner last minute – even from frozen (sometimes I forget that I have to put dinner on the table especially when I get so into sewing. LOL) or I can prep simply before leaving it to cook and go sew! I love that we can have an awesome dinner and I can have more time to sew. If you have not yet owned one –> check out this one with over 37000 awesome review! 

2. Air Fryer

Another item similar to the above. This one is definitely is a time-saver for me in the kitchen. A time-saver in the kitchen means I have more time in the sewing room. Checked Yes. I have this particular one in my kitchen and I love that it is able to stir the thing I’m cooking which means I do not even have to stop by to check mid-way to turn the food. I cook all sorts of things in this fryer, but it has helped me cook easy meals and quick bites for sure.

3. Wireless Vacuum

A sewing room can get dusty pretty quickly and a clean sewing room is always a great motivation to get more sewing done! I have not yet owned a and I am not sure whether that would be a great thing to have for a sewing room with lots of things on the floor (we will when we work right? ) But a is surely one of the best investments for easy cleaning. Not only it helps in the sewing room, but also elsewhere, especially when you have small kids. Saves time and so easy to use!

Products from Amazon.com

4. Echo Dots, Alexa

I love my Alexa!!! I have the Echo Dot behind my sewing machine and I use it all the time. This one is a great companion to have while sewing. I usually just use it for music and Audible but I do love the idea of having someone/thing to talk to in my sewing room other than myself. LOL. Besides, listening to Echo dot reading my Audible book allows me to do both of my favourite things at once, reading and quilting. You can also make amazon orders through Alexa and so much more. Check it out –>

5. TV – entertainment in the sewing room

Talk about some entertainment with the Alexa, A TV in the sewing room would allow you to quilt more too.  During those time you don’t want to miss out on a show or you think you just want to watch TV.. you can do so in the sewing room and while you’re there, there could be a couple of seams to sew for sure. I usually watch form the Ipad, but a TV is definitely something I’d like to have someday in my sewing room. Do you have a TV set in your sewing room?

6. Colour Printer/ Print Service

Well, this one is helpful for printing out patterns, blogpost or tutorials easily. I love this refillable printer in particular as the ink can be refilled! Which means it is very cost-effective.

7. Fun Educational Toys

If you have kids, invest in some good toys –> educational ones are great too. Like these. I love making homemade playdough and they can play for hours! Which frees mama up for lots more sewing! Both are having fun in a creative way.

8. Planner

I am a planner girl and I make sure I plan for my sewing time! When I write it down, I usually will make it happen. I have been using this paper planner for a couple of years now and I love it. As a full scheduled mum, this one is a must for me. There is also a planner specifically made for quilters right here –> There have lots of layout choices too which means you can also pick ones that you can doodle/ plan a quilt more than those daily to-dos boxes. Check out Quilter’s Planner today. patchwork quilt block pouch Here was last year’s planner , but this year’s is even more amazing and improved.

9. Online Groceries

Save up more time by not going out for groceries. I love groceries though they can use up so much of my time and energy. Therefore, I appreciate online grocery shopping.

 

10. Cricut Maker or other cool gadgets in the sewing room

Although it is so much fun to watch this machine cut, I can easily be at my sewing machine sewing away while it does the rest of the cutting. I find that it really saves so much time. Other than that, I also love cool gadgets that really just make it a lot more fun to sew and get me excited to be in the sewing room.

Supplies are available below: Steam a steam Cricut Maker Fabrics 

Now it’s your turn, let me know of any items that have helped you gain more time or get you inspired to sew and quilt more. Tell me in the comments below!

make more quilts

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english paper piecing hexagon flower free template
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Three of 3 on A Tuesday | 32|

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Welcome to another “Three of 3 on A Tuesday”. I will have THREE things or links of 3 topics for you to visit/read on Tuesday to either showcase tutorials, inspirations, random daily thoughts or it could be any fabric/notion sales running that particular week. So for today, here are the THREE of 3 things:

It has been a while since I last posted three of 3, but you can always visit the archives HERE>

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quilt cabinet How to store quilts
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Quilt Cabinet : How I store my Quilts

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I think it is about time I got a real home for my quilts. It has been a while since I started quilting, and a quilt collection is inevitable. 
 
I have been storing my quilts on an open regular shelves and basically everywhere before this: on the sofa, layers of them on the bed and stacked here and there. 
 

Quilt cabinet 

A quilt cabinet sounds like a very good idea to me. Something that can display the quilt and yet keep it clean from dust.
 
A couple of month back I went to my local used furniture store and found a cabinet that I feel was perfect for the job. 
 
I have always loved the idea of repainting an old cabinet. It is always fun to see the transformation and the fun colour choices on Pinterest.
 
Little did I know about refurbishing and old cabinet, I did a little research and off I go to the paint shop. I have previously painted a drawer with a chalk paint which was super easy to do with very minimal sanding required.
 
is one of those magical paint that I have found to work really easy on cabinets and I love the matte look provided by the paint. 
 
However, this time I couldn’t find a chalk paint (I live in quite a rural area) and since I couldn’t wait to just get started, I went ahead and decided to sand it, put a undercoat and go ahead with shiny wooden paint. 
 
repainting a cabinet
 
Oh boy, little did I know that the sanding process was tedious and I didn’t enjoy it at all. It was quite a struggle trying to complete the project, but the result was okay. 
 
I then painted the cabinet in dark teal colour. I was aiming for dark navy blue, but there weren’t many choices at my local store. 
 
quilt cabinet
 
O well, thankfully, I love the colour anyway and still love the shape of the cabinet despite how I regretted the project. 
 
The design of the furniture is probably sort of Mid Century Modern. I have seen many new cabinets are designed this way too.
 
I love how the design of furniture are making a comeback. It made me think about how fashion always made their comeback to with years passing. Quilts too. There is basically nothing new under the sun. We replicate, improvise or simple choose latest fabric designs and typically replicate what has been done years ago. 
 
quilt cabinet How to store quilts
 

Displaying Quilts

The pop of dark teal painted cabinet was the perfect addition to my sewing space. I love it! It sit in front of my machine and I can see the quilts stack from where I sew.
 
There are also quilts to be quilted in there and it is just calling me to get them quilted soon. One of them on top there is my aviatrix medallion quilt. It has been a while already since it was basted. 
 
O, if only there’s more time in a day. 🙂
 
I was pretty happy with the result, not perfect but was great. I learned that I did not like to do a painting job and would not attempt to do one any time soon. 
 
quilt cabinet How to store quilts
 

How to store quilts

If you don’t have a quilt cabinet just yet, there are other ways you can store your quilts such as:
  • layering them on guest beds (when the beds are not in used)
  • like this is a fun addition to the bedroom too

How do you store your quilts?

Let me know how you store your quilts in the comment below! It is always great to hear your ideas.

 

how to store quilts quilt cabinet

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In 52weekshotpads

Scrappy Leaf Quilted Hot Pad

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 This week we’re making Another Leaf, this time from scrappy strips. You’re going to love this one, we’re making two at a time too!

Here is the list of past week’s posts in this 52 Weeks of Hot Pads Challenge:

 

I thought it would be a great challenge for me to do a pot holder a.k.a hot pads every single week of 2019. (but I am currently falling way behind, maybe I’ll catch up but if not, it will just be 52 weeks but not in a single year)

I am planning on having it displayed in my kitchen. They make great decor, don’t they?

While I am at it, I am going to be sharing with you a simple tutorial on the process.

You can join in the challenge and make the same hot pads I make every week with the same design or any of your own choice.

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Three of 3 on A Tuesday | 31 |

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Welcome to another “Three of 3 on A Tuesday”. I will have THREE things or links of 3 topics for you to visit/read on Tuesday to either showcase tutorials, inspirations, random daily thoughts or it could be any fabric/notion sales running that particular week. So for today, here are the THREE of 3 things:

It has been a while since I last posted three of 3, but you can always visit the archives HERE>

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