Welcome to the 3rd week post of the 52 weeks of hot pads / quilted pot holders.
Here are 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.
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.
Welcome to the 3rd week post of the 52 weeks of hot pads / quilted pot holders.
Here are 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.
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.
Welcome to the second week post of the 52 weeks of hot pads / quilted pot holders.
Click HERE to my first post.
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.
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.
[Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I did however was given to try the custom Labels and am so excited about it!]
Hey there….
I know you love to make handmade gifts.
I also know that you sometime make them last minute.
And you rush through it and didn’t just complete it just the way it should be.
O, that’s not you? Sorry, I guess I’m talking to myself then.
Cause THAT just describes ME.
I wish I am more particular about those thing. And I believe that a LABEL on your handmade would make the impression last a little longer.
Not that they won’t remember you, but you know it makes it a little more professional looking. Or at least more handmade looking. Professionally handmade.
Someone could also pass your website or your little blog. I’m pretty sure The Little Mushroom Cap isn’t going to be as easy to remember.
Someone might just remember the quirky mushroom bit.
Right? Would you agree?
Oh, I’m still talking to myself. Weird. LOL. But you get the point right?
And, a CARE LABEL would be perfect too! The thought of care labels reminds me of those big IKEA labels on their things.
I never really read them though, (erks, I only read the care labels for delicate things and handmade items). I am sure someone who really wants to care for the things you made them would love to have a care label to go with your handmade item.
Then, they know how to treat them right.
How to wash them in case they need to.
I think if we have it in stock, it would be so much easier wouldn’t?
Well, I had the opportunity to try out Dutch Labels and was happy with the labels I got.
I love that this one has glittery looks to it.
I am sure to use this onto my handmade items now. So easy to sew it on and they are simple yet effective.
I don’t promote people to buy from me, cause I rarely make to sell but having that label on the things I made just made it more special. And receivers appreciate it too. Funnily. But they do.
Yes, you can have those custom printed too.
Easy, now you can just those too and voila, a perfect Care Label for the your handmade item.
If you do own a small handmade business or sometime sell at craft stalls, DO NOT SKIP THE LABEL.
I have had many handmade things that I wish I could remember who made it so I could buy more of or pass the name to a friend, but there’s no label. Or probably there was a removable label. I don’t remember it when time passes.
If you love it then you want to PUT A LABEL ON IT! [*Insert Beyonce’s Put A Ring On it Song]
And with items that are sewn, it is much easier to sew the label on where it would not disturb the function of the item and yet distinctive enough to see. I hand-sewed mine in these examples, just because the pouches were already made and done. Otherwise, I would have machine sewn it when it was still easy to do so.
Use CODE littlemushroomcap15 to get 15% off your order. Click HERE> to start making your own custom label.
Um, before I go, here is another flat lay I’m trying to practice after learning a little bit about it in this class.
Just for the fun of this new technique I’m learning.
Now, I have every reason to collect little props. Right?
If you want to make the pouches : check out how I made mine out of an “oopsy” block HERE.
Welcome to my first post of the 52 weeks of hot pads / quilted pot holders.
I am a little late for kicking this off as the first week of 2019 has already just flown by.
But… I did make this hot pad in the first week. Was just a little late on posting it out on the blog as I am currently having a little bit of technical difficulties behind the scene. Forgive me then if you are going to see me posting two hot pads in a week sometimes.
Anyway,
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.
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.
A new year has come,
and while it is always great to plan for a new year, new projects, it is great to start with winding down, reflecting and looking back at what have we achieved in 2018 before really diving down what is planned for 2019.
I personally love reflection session. In the last few years, I have been reflecting more often than once a year especially in specific goals and other parts of life. And it has been amazing keeping me on track.
With quilting, I don’t necessarily go through a deep reflection, as it is only a craft I enjoy doing which happens to make me happy when I do it.
So, I don’t really want it to be stressing out too much when I don’t accomplish a certain thing or complete a certain project.
Personally, I hate due dates. I seem to run away from due dates, and they often freeze me up rather than get me going. Especially when it is quilting and creative related thing.
But I do believe that some due dates and target are good. Especially when I have bigger goals with this blog. So, I do need to find that balance.
Besides, it is always good to purge and get things done out of the sewing room. I often look around the sewing room, organize and get things sorted just to make sure, my creative zone is not lost.
Last year, I started many projects without worrying too much whether I’ll finish it. And although I do still need to work on that “no-guilt feeling” of starting a new project, I am pretty happy with what I have been working on in 2018, completed or not.
This year 2019 I am planning to continue that, as I really love the idea of just purely immersing myself into the creative zone, learning stuff (especially on Bluprint) and sometimes just to enjoy making a block or two instead of a whole quilt.
Next time I do a block or two, I can just simply having hung up on the wall. No finishing necessary.
[I had fun making 2 block from foot hill quilt HERE>, I may continue a few more blocks, maybe not. No guilt. They are on my sewing wall, and I love them the way they are for now]
If I do feel the itch to finish things up, just for fun-not out of guilt, maybe I can turn these blocks into a small project like these pouch I made recently. [related post HERE>]
In saying that, having things completed is always a great joy and something to really be proud of. So here goes, some of my finishes in 2018:
My biggest project this year was the double wedding ring quilt. The quilting began from the year 2017, then I stalled for very long before picking it up again sometimes in February. And that stall DID come with guilt though. I know I shouldn’t feel so, but I said, I am still working on that no-guilt feeling.
I love the quilt, and the quilting was mostly fun. There was time, I did regret a little that I was being too ambitious at first to have each blocks quilted differently. In the end, I surrendered and just repeated some of my favourite designs. It was done, and that was far more important at the time.
I learned that if my creativity was going to stress me out, then I should not be pushing too much. I am at the moment just taking this as a hobby, releasing stresses of our daily life. At the time, having my quilt completed was going to bring me more joy than having to think too much and complicate stuff.
It is sometimes hard for me to simplify, but I do try to when things get way complicated.
I loved this one, the sew along was fun. I love working with all Art Gallery Fabrics for this one. It screams me with all the bright colours and florals.
This one was one on the list of my UFOs last year, and I am happy that I’ve not only manage to make a progress on this one, but also to finish it. I enjoyed quilting this one, and I am glad I went with the Navy background.
It was a gift for a new baby my friend just had at the time and as usual, I left it to the last minute to get it done. Not that I want to, but times seems to fly.
This one was started and completed in a few days.
This is one of the reason I am grateful that I can quilt on my own domestic machine, it is totally worth learning to do so, as you can have more control of the finish. Not to mention save a little bit of money.
If you want to learn free motion quilting with your sewing machine, I have a free Email Course you can take right HERE>
I love heart shapes. This one was done with a pattern too. You can find the pattern HERE and make one too.
Used a lot of scraps. It was a lot of fun and I just love the look of little scraps mixed together.
If you love paper piecing, you can try this Pattern.
Well, I guess that is it for the wrap of 2018. May this year be as great or even better for all of us!
Thank you for your support !!
I love shopping for fabrics. Online or offline.
There are advantages and disadvantages of both world, but since I’m going to be talking about online fabric shopping: let’s look at the pros and cons of ONLINE FABRIC SHOPPING:
[This post is a part of the series of online fabric store reviews and spotlights]
Hello.
I am so ready to get started in 2019. Can’t help it, I love, love love the energy new years bring to my life. I get excited planning, and day dreaming about what to come in the near future.
I guess it’s my personality type.
Do you love planners and the whole idea about planning and putting things on paper, list making etc?
If anyone ask me, how I can squeeze in time for sewing and my blog in between my full time job and being a mom, I’d say it’s because, I make the time for it.
I schedule it, and make sure I do have time for me, to feed my soul. I find joy in creativity, in making, and when I do all this, I bring back more energy into my life – making me a better mom, a better person in general.
Everyone may have different things that they do that they call self-care. And for me, meditative sewing and blogging is on the list of my self-care routine.
To kick start 2019 with more intention, and to fill it more with creative juices, I bought the Quilter’s Planner 2019.
I record a short video to show you what I think about it in the first glance. Check the video down below to see some of the contents of the planner and the quilter’s planner magazine.
If you are interested to purchase the quilter’s planner, CHECK it out HERE.
As you can see, I am still using my Erin Condren Planner too. Check Erin Condren Planner HERE>. If you want to try EC planner – use this link to sign up and get $10 off. They are currently running End of Year Sales. Lots of fun accessories to go with it.
I wanted a quick project.
I have a quilt waiting to be quilted. But I think there’s always room for a quick project.
Say procrastination. 😛
Anyway, I have three patchwork blocks which were just a tad bit smaller than the other blocks I made for the Patchwork Barn Quilt I’m making.
I thought I was going to keep it for the quilt back, you know, trying to kind of fit in these blocks at the back like some of the quilt back ideas I’ve mentioned here.
But, I decided that’s not going to happen.
Because I have a new Idea for the patchwork blocks.
I was inspired by on the reader’s email, where she mentioned that she has a box full of gifts ready for gifting.
And I said to myself,
“yup. I wanna grow up to be like her. :P”
True, I really do. I do wish to be more organized that way. Cause I love giving handmade gifts.
There are affiliate links within this post where I make small commision at NO cost to you at all to help the blog running. Please read my full disclosure here.
Since pouches seem like my favourite quick project,
I decided to make pouches out of these three mistakes (they were three blocks that turned out a little smaller than required).
Simply by adding a border to the patchwork block using some left-over jelly rolls from some of Bonnie and Camille‘s Line,
I got myself a large enough piece to work into a pouch that suits the zipper I have in hand too.
This little project is a great small project to practice your free motion quilting skill or just to have fun quilting.
I didn’t use a backing fabric for all of this pouch as I make separate linings to the pouch.
For more quick projects to practice free motion quilting, check out this post HERE>.
For this three pouches, I decided to vary the quilting design.
One with a simple loops design.
One with a sharp pointy design.
Both different in terms of how you flow the quilt under the machine. One with a sway smooth motion, the other with little tugs of pushing and pulling.
The last pouch with just a simple straight line quilting. I do love minimal characteristic of this one too.
If you have a 9″ zipper, you want to make your piece a little larger than that so you can easily sew the sides without much bulk.
Besides, the metal zippers are harder to sew through. So, you want to avoid having to go over them.
Metal zippers do make a lot of difference. If you have never tried them before, I recommend you do.
I fell in love with metal zippers when I started making pouches from THIS CLASS. I made a few with metal zippers, then some with the plastic zippers. Um, let’s just say, whenever possible, I’d go with a metal zipper as my first choice.
They add a little more to the simple pouch and makes them look more professionally finished.
I even added a tassel as a zipper pull which I find very cute.
You can find similar zipper tassel pull HERE>
Other zipper pulls such as 
Or have you seen any of these cute zipper pulls?? Adorable.
Having put all those together, they turn out just gorgeous and I feel like keeping all three to myself 😛
Pouches are always useful for lots of things.
Keeping makeup together. Organized for a quick travel.
Keeping stationeries together. I do love a good planner pouch. Talk about planner, I am loving my quilter’s planner.
This was a perfect match since some of the fabrics used for the patchwork pouch is also from Bonnie and Camille‘s line. The new 2019 Quilter’s Planner covers are designed by Camille. Check both of the design HERE>
I bought the navy floral one. It suits me who loves floral fabrics and the colour Navy.
Or even to keep English Paper piecing projects together for travels. Talk about EPP projects, this particular project of mine which I previously blogged here and here is taking a slow toll, but it is moving.
Honestly, it is hard to keep up with hand sewing when you have a toddler climbing on you every now and then. :p
Someday, I might be able to hand quilt more, hand stitch more, but for now, being at my machine seems to be the best.
Anyway, this is going to be the first three gifts I’ll put in the box of gifts, if that box ever grows (Let’s hope it will). We’ll see.
I am interested to grow this box of gifts, but I am hoping it grows faster than the gifts coming out of the box. I tend to give a lot more when I have stocks of gifts at home.
Lucky visitors, lucky birthdays.
Cause although with my very best intention to make handmade gifts for all of my friend’s and family’s birthday, they RARELY come true. I thought I have plenty enough time beforehand, but time seems to always be ahead of me. Should really be more organized about that.
Anyway,
Other Sewing Projects On the Blog you might be interested in:
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 2018 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.
There are affiliate links within this post where I can make a small commission at NO cost to you at all. Thank you for the support. Read full disclosure here.
