Wednesday 30 April 2008

The first order

This is the box made to order.
Fabric was chosen by the client, and she fell in love with this Laura Ashley interior fabric.
The request was to have her initial "M" to be cross stitched on the lid, and have edging as well.
The initial is my favourite one from Sajou.

This is the inside of the box, and have used the Laura Ashley all over it.


This is the bin, and have covered inside with the fabric as well.

It has a cross stitched flower on the front, and so does the pin cushion.

This is the scissor case made for her scissor. It is 15cm in length and so is bigger than the one I normally make.

I have used the edge of the Laura Ashley fabric with the writing on it to add character to it.

The cross stitch pattern on its front pocket is the same one as the edging of the lid.

Tuesday 29 April 2008

Sewing box with red cross stitch


I have finished this sewing box today, and it looks beautiful with the edging!
The fabric used to match the cross stitch is an old Laura Ashley and it goes really well with my embroidery.

The cross stitch patterns are all from Sajou.

This is the inside of the sewing box.

There is the removable bin, pin cushion, and scissor pouch on the lid, and 2 small movable boxes are fitted in the box.

This is the mini-embroidery book, and I have cross stitched on it as well.

This is the inside of the embroidery book, and it has two pockets to put your embroidery threads, and your mini scissors.

The centre is the pincushion, and there is a small felt pocket on one of the pocket which you can put rubbish in.

This will be on Japanese Yahoo Auction after their long holidays.

Wednesday 23 April 2008

feed sack sewing box kit is completed!

The box has been completed!
It took quite a long time to finish it because of the patchwork.
It was fan doing it though.
I have changed the lid part a little.
Instead of having a pocket for scissors, I put a long pocket at the top, and brought pin cushion and the bin to the bottom.
It is handier to have pin cushion and the bin at the bottom part of the lid.
But I realised that it is hard to put things into the top pocket, so I may change it a bit again next time.

These are an accessories I made for this box.

The top one , I call "Shi-shu book", is a mini mobile booklet for embroidery tools.

In one pocket you put your mini scissors, and in the other you put your embroidery thread.

There is a bin made of felt on one of the pocket, and the pin cushion is at the middle.

The bottom one is the scissor holder.

They are both made by using cartonnage techunique.

They are all in auction until Saturday.

Wednesday 16 April 2008

feed sack patchwork

My first patchwork with feed sacks.
They are becoming quite expensive to buy now a days, but I somehow managed to get hold of few.
It seemed difficult to patch them up, but once you cut them and join them together, they actually match very well.
I now understand why so many Japanese crafters love using feed sacks.
I am going to use this panel on the sewing box lid.

Sunday 13 April 2008

sewing box with red cross stitch panel

I am almost finished with this panel.
I like using French on my Cartonnage, so I have stitched "Couture boite" on top.
I am guessing that it means "Sewing Box".
If not, please let me know!
I am thinking of putting a button at the centre, and chose these two.
This one,

or this

I am not really sure which one to use..

thinking pig.

Friday 11 April 2008

sewing box with red cross stitch

This is another one of my sewing box I made last week.
The auction ends tomorrow night at Yahoo Japan.
It already has one bidder, so I expect it to be sold at the starting price.
I have got bored with this same patterns on the lid, so I think I will do a panel only of cross stitches next time.
Here are some of my water colour paintings done this week.

I am trying to paint children, but am not successful yet..

Sewing box made with antique linen

I made this sewing box today.
The fabric I used to cover the box is an antique linen from USA.
I only had a small portion of it, so after I used it on this box, there is not much left to use.
So, this is the only box in the world to have this antique linen and my cross stitch on it.
I just love this fabric, and was hesitant to put it into Auction...
But, I have decided to put it into Auction with a higher starting price.
I actually hope it won't sell... : )


Wednesday 9 April 2008

This is my next project.
The fabric used for cross stitching is my favourite European linen.
Pattern is obviously from Sajou, again!
The matching fabric is the antique linen I got from England.
I just loved this fabric and couldn't think of cutting it, so was left in the shelf for a year.
Now, I think it is time to use it!

water colour painted by sen 09/04/08

Tuesday 8 April 2008





This is a small pouch which you can attach to your bag
to hold your mobile phone, ipod, or digital camera.
It's 12cm long and 9cm wide.

I have used the antique Hungarian linen and embroidered
E from Sajou alphabet charts.
The fabric used for the lid is Liberty.














This is the other pouch with the same fabric, but with
a different embroidery pattern.
This is the bird and the border.

















This is the portable spectacle stand.
I have cross stitched the rose lace pattern on to the European
linen.
The stand is in a shape of tear drop, and the shape is just perfect
to stand the spectacle.
The inside is covered with quilting cotton sheet to protect the lenses.
You lift the flap up when you want to go out with it
This is made using the Cartonnage technique, but this shape is originally designed by me.




I have made this in a Japanese fabric as a gift for my husband's grandmother.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of it, but am thinking of making some in another Japanese fabric, just to see how much attention I get in the auction.

Wednesday 2 April 2008

cross stitch works

This is the alphabet panel which I have cross stitched by hand in 2 colours.
The fabric I used is the antique Hungarian linen.
This fabric is quite hard to use for the counted cross stitch
as the thickness of the yarn varies in places.
Once you get used to it, it becomes enjoyable though.

This is the counted cross stitch done on the same fabric.

The stitch above is on 2x2, but this one is on 1x1, and so the pattern came out smaller.

It was really hard to pick 1x1, and I will never do it again!


This is the stitches I've just finished, and I will make a small pouch with it
using the Liberty fabric to match the colour.
See the size is larger compared to the above pouch as this one is 2x2.


This is the small bag made by English Interior Cotton fabric.

I'm selling it with 3 fabric sanitary napkins.

When I was making this bag, I wasn't enjoying it much.

I think that's because the fabric wasn't my original.

I think I actually love making things using the fabric which I have embroidered.