The patchwork and bag and stuff

I aimed for a self made patchwork blanket for my girl before her age is seven when Harris gifted me with a set of rotary cutter and self-heal cutting board for my 35th birthday last March.
Never I expected that it was achieved so much earlier and I did it in three weekends, I consider quite fast as it is my first time :

TADAAAAA : My first patchwork project!
Ya Allah, Yang Maha Pemurah, give me the strength to work hard for your halal rezeki and get rich, that one day I can afford to buy one of these kind of bungalow.... Selingan

The urge to doing (can I use ‘ing after to here ? How come it sounds right ? Kerabu Jantung, betul ke grammar ni?) this quilt is related to our decision in sending Nada to daycare nursery. Nada’s nanny returned to Medan is prolonged due to a road accident occurred to her sons. One deceased and another is in critical condition. Only her husband came back while she stays.

So after being a nomad for more than a week at my Aunty’s place in Kota Damansara in seeking her help to look after Nada, we decided to go for nursery.

It was Friday that Harris fetched Nada on the first day at nursery. He was told by the babysitter that we have to provide with a sleeping mat for daytime nap. Huh! Why wouldn’t I think about it earlier? I felt bad that I didn’t make available the necessary for my girl…. I told Nada – Mommy’s gonna make her a beautiful quilt. The most beautiful one would be at the nursery.

On Saturday afternoon of first weekend, I took out a craft book Harris bought for me some five years ago to learn about patchwork.

I firmed up to try the Log Cabin pattern due to it’s simplicity. At night before going to bed, I found myself cutting whatever fabric I have. That explains the non co-ordinated colors of the quilt. Even my koyak rabak caftan was sacrified too. :-)
Next day Sunday, I started with sewing after Subuh prayers and completed all 6 Log Cabins by the time my two loves woke up from sleep.

In the late afternoon then, we headed to Jalan TAR in search for quilt wadding and bought it at Bunga & Riben for 3m ready cut cost RM 45.

The second weekend, I proceeded with attaching all 6 Log Cabins with the polka-dot pattern fabric and the border. I also made back part of the quilt which was so much simpler. Once done with the front and back part of the quilt, it’s time for me to get it laid on the floor and assembling.
You see, the moment things were on the floor.. my speed was reduced tremendously. Big thanks to the tiny helper.

She did her catwalk on the quilt... she decided to play the shape sorter when it was long left out

She wanted to play elephant while I was basting (jelujor)

But, I would have to go with the flow. Because the more I say “NO NADA”… the more she would act against me by … “YES MOMMY!”
I just let her be.. that’s one tips for those of you whom are with a busy body toddler but insist on doing craft works. Let them ‘help’ you.

As you can see here, even though I am not on craft works she would also want to attract my attention, ain’t she? You really think she’s sleeping? That was pretending… siap buat bunyi berdengkur. So why bother to scold… bior je.

In making this quilt, I would say quilting is the most difficult part. I was cursing myself while quilting for not following the suggestion in the book that beginners should start with a simple project. Mine is simple too but the size is way to big for a beginner like me. The fact that I am using an old inherited SINGER sewing machine, I named her Lady Gaga from my mami without the machine foot press gives you the idea of how I had to struggle. My right hand rolling the machine roller start and left hand trying to push and control the thick quilt while both my feet peddling the machine. Not an easy task at all.

Anyway, I wouldn’t want to stop what I have started… it is just not me. I finished quilting on Saturday of the second week and got stuck. I didn’t have a suitable material to proceed for the edging and at the same time I was thinking of additional accessory I should include for the ease of storing the quilt, but I did not know what to do. To make some kind of a rope with velcro attach to the quilt? It is an idea that came across.

I asked Harris of what he thinks about the quilt thus far. Harris, though not having soft fingers for craft works, has very sharp eyes and mind. He hardly gives me good praises of what I do instead provide superb comments or suggestions – I like that it triggers my anxiety. He suggested for me to make a bag to put the quilt in for easy storage. I didn’t even tell him that I was thinking for an accessory for that purpose.

Bag ? .. That made us off to IKEA on Sunday of the second week for suitable fabrics. I bought these. and used the green stripes fabric for the quilt edging. The edging required hand stitch all around and I did it during weekdays night after I came back from work… bit by bit. The part took so long and only completed by Friday night. Again, ‘thanks’ to my baby.

When she could lay down anywhere within our tiny apartment, she insisted to opt for my lap the moment I picked up the quilt. Hmmmmm :-) Saja je dia nak kacau.

I didn’t really know how to make a bag and do not own a book that teach of such. There are a lot of bag making tutorials from the internet but I didn’t find any that teach to make a bag for quilt storing. So, I improvised the making and tried with a miniature which turned out to be a gadget for Dew’s pretend play.

As for the actual bag for the quilt, it looks like this.

Nothing so outstanding, I gave myself a pass onlylah. My mami would did it with one eye closed.

I really wanted to finish up the bag the fastest I could but daytime of the 3rd weekend was really meant to be full of events.

* We had to bring Nada for Hepatitis A jab in Seremban (yeah, yeah, yeah… I still visit the same Pediatrician for the last 2 and half years… walaupun alasan sebenarnya Mek nak pergi makan mee bandung kat Seremban),

Had her bath at LEKAS R&R on the way back...

Also stopped by at Nilai 3 for more fabrics... I bought Japanese cotton this time.

* I promised my boss to present a draft project report on Monday that I had to complete over the weekend, (ini memang kena buat siang hari… malam kalu… muka Mek tersembam atas lap top! zzzzzzzzzzz)

* attending to the part time job that I indulged myself in and hoping for the return soon,

* house errands, biasala….
* keeping promise to bring my girl to the park
* the first time visit to spa for a body massage (yelah…. Mek orang kampong… tak biasa spa-spa, facial-facial ni..)
* get a gift and attending friend’s wedding,

the bride is Harris's batch mate in uni.

the bride's sister is my batch mate in uni,.. they both are pretty ladies

* bringing my girl for swimming and bla-bla-bla

So, I had no choice. I stayed up on Saturday night from 12night till 5am… and the bag was finished just in time for Subuh prayers.

I love the effort that I have put in. I am very proud when the babysitter at nursery told me how Nada drag her quilt bag and asked the babysitter to spread it out when she sensed a baby crying wanting to sleep. I guess my baby is so proud of her quilt, she doesn’t mind to share with other babies.

P/s –
whoot-whhooott – though I love sewing, I am still an architect by profession ya!