Welcome back to my little corner of the internet. Today, I’m excited to invite you into my sewing room to talk about something that’s near and dear to my heart: the scrap life.

If you’re anything like me, you probably have a stash of fabric scraps that seems to multiply overnight. But fear not, because those seemingly insignificant pieces of fabric hold endless possibilities, waiting to be transformed into beautiful creations. Last year, I had the opportunity to share my love for scraps at the Scrap Summit event. It was such a joy connecting with fellow quilters and discussing our shared passion for making the most out of every last bit of fabric. If you missed it, don’t worry—I’ll be sharing more about the upcoming Scrap Summit in 2024 soon!

Since Summit 2023 has long past, I uploaded the video on my YouTube channel simply to share with you the life of scraps in my sewing room. 

While you have the option to hand quilt, machine quilting is my favorite way to finish a quilt. Specifically free motion quilting. Free motion quilting, in particular, opens up a world of possibilities, enabling you to create stunning designs and textures on your quilts. 

Free-motion quilting is a technique where you manually move the fabric under the needle of your sewing machine, rather than relying on the machine’s feed dogs to move the fabric forward. This technique gives you complete control over the direction and movement of your stitches, allowing for endless design possibilities. 

You can free-motion quilt using a domestic sewing machine with the right technique and finish your quilt with various designs. It is possible to quilt even large quilts on your home machine. Finishing your own quilts on your home sewing machine is satisfying and cost-effective. 

You can watch the video tutorial below on how to get started with quilting a large quilt on a home machine, but I also break it all down in the post below:

I wanted to share with you my start and progress on the 2023 Designer Mystery Block of The Month, and let me tell you, it’s been quite the journey already! I love it so much that I’m weighing heavily on reserving 2024 BOM too. The patterns in these kits are perfect with all the detailed illustrations making it so easy to cut and piece.

Starching Fabric

I must confess, that I had been stalling on starting this project because I had a strong feeling that I wanted to starch my fabric first. While I don’t always take this step, I firmly believe it makes a world of difference in the accuracy of my piecing. But this time, I decided to take things up a notch and try out something new: the electric sprayer. And oh my, what a game-changer it has been!

No longer do I have to endure the discomfort of pressing my fingers until they ache. This sprayer has made the process so incredibly fast and effortless. I even recorded a video to show you just how amazing it is. You can check it out below. I highly recommend giving it a try! You can find similar one HERE>

Now, I used my own handmade starch which I shared earlier HERE>, but if you’re looking for a convenient option, you can easily get a gallon of Mary Ellen’s Best Spray starching spray HERE>. It’s a time-saver and ensures you have plenty on hand for all your projects.

Cutting and Trimming

I was having a hard time with my rotary cutter, after having to do over or even give a little too much pressure, I realised that it was time to change the blade. As soon as I changed it, everything went so smooth that I just want to spend time cutting all the pieces. So if this is a reminder for you to change your blade, do it! It makes a whole lot of difference. I am using Olfa Endurance Blade and my favourite Ergonomic Olfa Cutter. 

I love that the pattern also allows me to trim the units! This allows me to fix anything wonky and allows the units to be more accurate in size. 

Piecing Quilt Blocks

But let’s talk about the real magic here—the making of the quilt blocks. There is something about making quilt blocks that is so satisfying. I love sampler quilts because of this, but here’s the thing, every time I finish a block, I’d say to myself, someday I’ll make a quilt with just this single block! And I almost do that for every single block made this time!

They are all pretty quilt blocks that would surely be gorgeous quilts if repeated over and over. Don’t you think so? 

If only I have all the time to just quilt. Anyway, I love using M3Pro for pressing out the seams of each small unit. The steam coming out from this mini iron is surely amazing. For a tiny iron, it is powerful. However, the water tank for the steam is pretty small, therefore, I do have to keep refilling the water tank. Nonetheless, since I make one quilt block in one sitting, it is just enough and gives the perfect crispy look that I love on quilt blocks.

I’ve just pieced the first four blocks, and I am already head over heels in love. The fabrics provided each month by the FQS shop are incredibly generous, just from these 4 blocks I have so much fabric unused yet like in the photo below. I’ve found myself with more than enough leftover fabric, and I’m already dreaming up a second quilt to make with them!

So satisfied with this BOM as with all the customer service FQS provides, I’m contemplating reserving a spot for the 2024 BOM, but I’m undecided about the colors. I am not a big fan of the pink and red. But I might just go ahead!

Are any of you joining any Block of the Month quilt-along this year, or perhaps considering one soon? I’d love to hear all about your quilting adventures and what projects you’re currently working on.

Please feel free to leave a comment below—I can’t wait to hear from you all and share in the excitement of our shared passion for quilting.

Happy stitching!

Links to quilting notions I used or mentioned:

• the electric water sprayer
• a gallon of Mary Ellen’s Best Spray starching spray
• Oliso M3Pro 
• Olfa Endurance Blade
• Ergonomic Olfa Cutter. 

An Idea as a Handmade Gift – Pillows!

Whenever I can, I try to gift someone I love and care with something I made. There’s just something more about making gifts that just brings me joy and I hope the recipient will also feel the same too. In this post, I will be taking you through the process of me makeing  patchwork pillow covers which hold a special significance – they’re not just another DIY project, but heartfelt gifts for my daughter’s day carer as she embarks on a new chapter in her journey, transitioning from day care to playschool. I wanted to express my gratitude and appreciation for the love and care she has provided to my daughter over the years, and what better way to do so than with something handmade?

While I could have easily picked up some pretty pillows from the store, I firmly believe that nothing beats the charm and warmth of handmade creations. So, armed with whatever is in my stash, I set out to create something truly unique and special. I did bought the pillow inserts from a local DIY store and with little plan in my head I know I was going to do some figuring out myself. 

Patchwork

Instead of opting for a straightforward sewing project, I decided to embrace the complexity of patchwork. Why? Well, partly because I have a penchant for complicating things, but mostly because I wanted to make the most of the fabrics I had on hand. I had a piece that was just enough for a single cover if I wasn’t going to do any patchwork. AND I wanted two of the exact same covers. So, with a bit of creative ingenuity and a willingness to patch fabrics together, I embarked on a journey that promised both challenges and rewards.

I used a charm pack for this project, I always love using precut fabrics as I love that we can have a variety of prints and cut time cutting! 

Here are some of my favourite online store where I get my fabrics:

• Fat Quarter Shop
• Missouri Star Quilt Company – Use this special link to get 15% off in your cart. 
• Green Fairy Quilts

I am also lucky to be an affiliate to these stores that I love and they’re supporting the content creation here on the blog. So thank you for using my link as it does help me in keeping up with sharing more free tutorials and inspirations here on the blog. 

Navigating Unexpected Twists

As with any creative endeavor, my project didn’t unfold exactly as planned. What was intended to be a quick and simple patchwork project with half-square triangles units turned into a slightly more involved process. My initial oversight in planning the size of the half-square triangles led to some adjustments along the way. However, I embraced these unexpected twists and turned them into opportunities for innovation and growth. You can see how I did all of that in the video HERE>. I recorded the process and it was surely a longer than expected project. What I thought was going to be a short quick afternoon project, needed more than just a couple of hours. Plus, recording the process also slowed me down. But I figured, it will be a fun one to share!

Despite the bumps in the road, the end result surpassed my expectations. The patchwork pillow covers turned out beautifully, each stitch infused with love and care. I couldn’t be happier with the final outcome, and I hope that they bring joy and warmth to my daughter’s day carer as she embarks on this new chapter. In the end, it’s not just about the finished product, but the love and thoughtfulness that went into creating it. Here’s to the power of handmade gifts and the joy they bring to both the giver and the recipient.

Here is a dedicated post to talk about my unfinished objects in quilting. Particularly the pile of the “yet to be quilted” quilts. 

I am taking the early year of 2024 to take notes on my UFO inventory. If you need help with tackling UFOs, you can read in details the steps to take in this previous post HERE>

Today, I am taking my own advice, starting with taking inventory of what I have in my UFO pile. I have several quilts that are near the finishing line, and I’m planning to spend time to get some progress on them. 

I took some of them out today to get a little breather, while I make notes on what I am planning to do and when. Some of these has been called for in 2023 but it may have gotten into another bump and has come back in this pile again for 2024. You check out my 2023 list HERE too. Well, some quilt just need that big boost of help to get progressed don’t they?

List of my Unfinished Quilt Tops

1. Scrappy Quilt – Technicolor Scrap Quilt

Let’s start with this one, every time I open it up, I say to myself, this should really just be done. But I really do wish it would be bigger. So I am planning to add in 2 more rows. Then I’ll finish it off. I love quilt that are totally scrappy like this, there are just so many things to look at.

2. Aviatrix Medallion

This one is in the progress of quilting. I am not a big fan of custom quilting as I used to be, but I do love the look how it is progressing so far. It is juts the thought of having to decide the quilting design that really bugs me down. I need more mental clarity if I’m picking this project up to quilt it. Lately, quilting has been more of a mindless activity for me, to take a way the stress of my day job or chores. So I’ve been really enjoying piecing and chain piecing or just an allover quilting design. That is way more relaxing.

But I’ll get this done, maybe at least a border will be progressed this year. That will be the target for this one.

Slowly but surely is my motto for this quilt.

3. 2022 Sewcialites Quilt 

This quilt top is a giant! I am yet to make the backing for this, then it is up for basting an a simple stippling would do. I already have someone in mind to gift it to, so it will get finished this year for sure. You can read more about this quilt and the free pattern link HERE> 

As much as I want to fill in the negative space with fun quilting, this quilt top is so big that I feel like it will be alright with simple all-over design. The quilt blocks with fun fussy cut features can do the talking. 

4. Together Quilt

This quilt top was also done in 2022. You can read about the quilt details HERE>. I just love quilts with hearts on them. I have progress this in 2023, but I am undoing it this year. I basted it to a store-bought minky blanket and I have fear that this milky was not going to last. It was such a low quality and I am not going to risk it. So I’m taking the basting pins out and re-baste it to a new quilt back. I’m also planning to do a simple all-over design quilting on this one. I’ll start quilting this in February just to get the inspiration kicking from the Love and all the pink and red that I’m seeing in this season. 

5. Simple Life Quilt

Here is another giant quilt. I am yet to find the backing for it. Something about really big quilts that just take longer time for me to move it along. Larger quilts does require a lot more effort, obviously but also need a lot more fabrics! So as I’m listing these out, I am also taking notes of what I need to purchase – which is NOT another fat quarter bundle! LOL.You can read more about this quilt and the link to the pattern HERE>

6. Simply Stars Quilt

Here is a square quilt I made in 2023 following a quilt-a-long. You can read more about that HERE>.  There’s something about small square quilts that really bugs me. I just don’t know how it will end up being used. Hence that is why I have a few in my pile of UFO quilt tops. I feel like it is still unfinished as a quilt top. So just as with the Scrappy Technicolor quilt above, I am adding rows an above and the bottom of this quilt, like a border to make it longer so that it’ll spread nicely on the bed. Then, I’m basting and quilting it.  

7. Liberty Courthouse Quilt

Another small square quilt. This one has been ages! I want to hand-quilt this and still want to. It will be someday. I do not wish to make it bigger knowing that I will take forever to hand-quilt anyway. But I still wish to hand-quilt it. This year, my target is at least to get hand quilting started.

8. 100 days 100 Blocks Quilt

This one is from the 2022 finish too. I absolutely love this quilt and I guess it is my fear of messing it up that really got me stuck. I know that custom quilting this would be a great idea as I love all the fussy cut details. But again the same issue with the Aviatrix Medallion, that will surely take a lot of mental capacity to do so and I’m not sure I have that right now with the busy life I have now with 3 kids, a husband and a full time job. So, I’m weighing in. 

What do you think? Slow custom quilting or just get it done already? You can read more about this quilt HERE>

Well, I guess that is it for the UFO pile of the “yet to be quilted”. Have you taken stock of your quilt tops inventory this year?

Linking to Friday Whoops Whoops

If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll know that I love a good quilt along. It is one of those things that keeps me excited and it is just a good amount of motivation and accountability. I love seeing other quilters’ versions and keeping up with it seems a little easier with a community working towards the same goals. 

For 2024, here are some of the fun quilt-alongs that I’ll potentially be joining in. Honestly, I would love to join them all! But I have to be realistic and pick my play. I would love to invite you along with me! Have you picked any quilt-along to join for this year?

As winter blankets the world in a serene hush, there’s something truly magical about bringing that seasonal charm indoors through the art of quilting. For me who is living in a tropical country, the thought of winter is mesmerizing. But I know, cold weather is not my favorite. But surely there’s something magical about winter that I love. 

I have just recently completed my table runner, inspired by the natural colors of winter hues.

Fabric Selection

This project is a partnership with Missouri Star Quilt Company, one of my favorite online stores! For this collaboration, they’re offering 15% off your cart using my LINK HERE> Valid once per customer per month.

Welcome to your creative haven—a space where vibrant fabrics, sewing supplies, and endless possibilities converge! Organizing your sewing room is the key to unlocking seamless creativity and productivity. Let’s explore the best ways to transform your sewing space into an organized oasis, making everything easily accessible and maximizing every inch of available space.

Organizing my sewing room for a fresh start to 2024

Revamping my sewing room has been an absolute delight, especially as we step into 2024! The feeling of organizing and transforming the space brings a fresh and inviting vibe to kickstart the new year. It’s incredible to see the room go from cluttered to meticulously arranged, with new storage solutions and dedicated work areas. Every corner feels rejuvenated, creating an atmosphere that’s both welcoming and inspiring. Walking into this revamped space brings a sense of renewal and excitement, setting the stage for a year filled with creative adventures. It’s like a brand-new canvas ready to be painted with endless sewing projects, and I can’t wait to dive into this organized haven of creativity! You can watch the video below to see my process of cleaning up and reorganising my sewing room. Who knows, you can also find some tips and creative ideas to start organizing your sewing space too!

Finally I have a proper design wall in my sewing room! I’d been putting it off for ages, procrastinating on the idea of putting the quilt batting onto a proper board so that it is not so flimsy and makes my quilt pieces falls off so easily. Since I am cleaning up my space to get a new refreshed seeing room to get ready for the new year, I said to myself —it was time to get it done.

A design wall is a staple for a quilting studio, it can serves as a pretty wall to see and a useful one as you make your quilt.