More felt cupcakes from moi September 2, 2010
Posted by judegrrl in handicraft.Tags: craft, felt cupcake
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I made some cupcakes for my girls from the youth cell. It was meant to tell them that I was thinking of them and would miss them over the weekend I was going away to BKK. Turned out that the 2 girls I had entrusted them to didn’t go to church, hence the rest of the cell were unable to get them
Something to laugh over August 30, 2010
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Having just been back from my Bangkok weekend (we were away for a friend’s wedding), I’ve just done a bit of surfing on dress-making. Which, from the looks of it, is going to be my next project for the coming months.
Just last week I was all in a flurry trying to get the right dress that would be appropriate for a traditional Thai wedding. However I found it hard-going with my minimal budget and the limited choices in this city of Khon Kaen.
A friend of mine suggested over FB to make my own- a suggestion which I dismissed and brushed away. Until I went dress-shopping in BKK and realised that decent eveningwear cost approx THBT5,000 upwards.
So this is where I am right now- gearing up for yet another Thai wedding in a few months and deciding to get into dressmaking
Read this funny post and identified with the truth behind it.
People do think you can mend all things the moment you own a sewing machine. I myself have had 3 weird suggestions thrown at me!
Excerpt from the Selfish Seamstress blog:
Dear Selfish Seamstress,
First of all, I love your blog.
Second, the real reason I’m emailing you – I had a “what would selfish
seamstress do?” moment and had to share it.
I work in a restaurant and my next-door neighbor happens to be a co-worker. He thinks we’re friends while I view him as simply someone I work with. He works the opposite shift I do so I rarely ever see him (I work early AM and he works afternoon/evenings) but one morning I come in to work and he is still there. He makes some awkward chit-chat and then brings up how his chef pants are too long for him. I’m in the zone and trying to plan out my day, which has had a wrench thrown into it by someone still being in the kitchen when I’m supposed to have it to myself. I say something like “That sucks,” and go about my business. (Side note: whenever my chef pants are a little too long I simply roll the waistband over once and ta da, problem solved. Why this option has never occurred to him, I have no idea…)
Then the following exchange took place.
Lame-o guy: “So, you have a sewing machine, right?”
Me: “Yes.”
LG: “Can you hem pants?”
Me: “Yes, but I don’t like to do it.”
LG: “Oh, well would you hem my pants?”
(At this point he’s been all up in my business for about an hour and I
desperately want him to leave me in peace. Which route to take? Say yes in
hopes that he’ll leave or say no and be a complete bitch and hope that he’ll get
the hint and leave?
Me: (WWSSD?) ”What’s in it for me?”
LG: “I dunno, whatever you want I guess.” (Said with a slight sexual induendo)
Me: “Oh well when you put it that way, no I will not hem your pants.”
LG: “What!? Why not?”
Me: “You have nothing I want and I already said that I don’t like hemming
pants. Now please go home and leave me to work in peace.”
LG: “Why do you hate me?”
Me: “Find someone else to do your hemming.”
-end of conversation-
So in conclusion I would like to thank you for teaching me your selfish ways.
Seriously, without your blog on my mind I probably would have just said yes and done it begrudgingly. Now I have the power of selfishness on my side and I can spend my time sewing stuff for me and don’t have to dread hemming LG’s pants.
Thanks again!
-Rachel
Dolli-craft May 20, 2010
Posted by judegrrl in handicraft.1 comment so far
Recently I promised my next door neighbor a dress.
Nana, a most adorable doll of a girl, had a Candy doll and she even told me that it was not the real Barbie (instead her cousin Fa Mai had one!).
Since my machine was up and running and I was beginning to wander into the land of handicrafts, I thought I would give it a try.
In truth, I’ve never had a harder task.
I scanned the Net for samples of Barbie dresses and found really obscure/ crochet/ knitting patterns. I even downloaded a pattern of one that used “fabric paper”!
Other patterns were mostly for sale, starting from around US$12 for a simple pattern.
In frustration I went to the shops and found that the cheapest Barbie dress was retailing at 180 THBT (approx. S$8). Which was also the average day wages of an odd job laborer here *gulp*
Then again the details on the Barbie dress were fantastic! Who do they have up in the Barbie factory in China stitching up these things anyway? Vera Wang? Donatello Versace?
No wonder they label dress-making as advanced sewing!!
Then I remembered my Mum used to stitch dresses for my Barbie doll, as well as the dolls belonging to my cousin.
Emailed her and she sent back instructions that must have been easy for her but still a daunting task for an amateur like me!
Decided to chuck it aside for a while and evade my neighbor whenever I heard her voice (coward)
So it was after my Phang Nga trip that I was finally able to set my mind on the task once more.
Thankfully it didn’t come out too bad..
Below is also a tiny bra I stitched for Candy. For something so small and delicate, it called for hours of work that just didn’t justify the results.
Firstfruits of Martha Stewart May 2, 2010
Posted by judegrrl in Animal kingdom, handicraft.add a comment
New Bookshelf Raves April 26, 2010
Posted by judegrrl in Books, handicraft.2 comments
Bought my first English magazine & book right here in Khon Kaen (whoo hoo!).
I stumbled upon the magazine while looking for books on pregnancy. Since it was the closest thing I could find, I grabbed it and have been diligently perusing it.
It’s funny how reading a maz like this shatters your illusions about parenting, expecting etc. Daydreams of babyslings, problem-free nursing are destroyed by stories of babies who sleep erratic hours (solution: train bubs to sleep at night, not daytime!), swollen nipples (solution: nip off the frenulum of the baby’s tongue that’s preventing correct latching!) etc.
I also bought my first encyclopedia- Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing & Fabric Crafts!
Finally! And in all places BUT SG!
First, I need to explain the need to buy this book. I received a sewing machine from my beloved hubby for Chrissy last year. And in the last few times when I’ve tried to use the machine, I’ve realised that my Home Econs knowledge was insufficient for fully maximizing the machine.
So my search began for a simple & fairly easy to read book that would coach me in the basics as well as provide some projects for me to do.Unfortunately my searches in SG bookshops were futile- the books were either overpriced or not very practical.
Then just last week, I found The Book in the 1 English bookshop in Khon Kaen. And it was on a special too- slashed down from its original price of 1,150 BT. While it’s still not an exact bargain (I’ll have to tighten my belt for the rest of the month!), I still bought it.
In the book, it’s got everything from Basic techniques, Projects and Glossaries on Fabrics, Threads etc.
And hey, it’s Martha Stewart herself!! Who’s to say it’s not a good buy? Thank God…
Wall mural design March 24, 2010
Posted by judegrrl in Culture Vulture, Days of our lives, General, Girlfriends, handicraft.Tags: wall mural design
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It all started with this book given by Choops.
Somewhere along its reportoire of “doodle, scribble & play”, it gave me the idea of decorating my outdoor wall. That is, draw a wall mural…
Which looks something like this:
I put the idea out of my head for a long time as I gave myself the excuse of being busy, not being able to find chalk (!)
Still the idea of my wall stayed close to my heart.
Its vision even followed me all the way to Singapore:
And so I finally found chalk some two weeks ago. And today I finally searched for inspiration on the net.
Guess what I found:
Bargains at the market March 13, 2010
Posted by judegrrl in Days of our lives, handicraft.Tags: 2nd hand shopping, Khon Kaen
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Ever since I started out on craftwork & sewing, I’ve been collecting bits & pieces of cloth, assorted beads & buttons. At first I started out buying them at proper fabric stores & spent quite a fortune too! Back in Spore I was also buying up odd pieces here and there from Daiso & even Spotlight (I spent a real bomb there).
Then this week I spotted bargain fabrics at the local wet market going at 15 baht per piece! I must have shocked even the seller herself when I emerged from digging thru the bargain bin, with almost 9 pieces in hand. Heck and it only cost me 135 baht (approx S$6).
With my newly acquired fabrics, I hope to be making curtains for my kitchen. Oh yes and more coasters too
Making new coasters February 25, 2010
Posted by judegrrl in Father Heart of God, handicraft.Tags: coasters, craft
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Spending an indeterminable number of hours, I managed to follow the instructions to a DIY kit for coasters. While the results don’t look too much like the advertised product, I learnt a precious lesson.
As in the words of the following refrain, “so when the storms and trials assail me and earthly friendships fail me I’m gonna sing and shout over every mile till I reach my heavenly home”, I tried to sing and thank God each time the sewing process stretched beyond yet another hour.
My 2010 New Year resolutions January 11, 2010
Posted by judegrrl in Days of our lives, Finding my way around, handicraft.Tags: new year resolutions, unmet goals
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Before the end of 2009, I already had in mind the resolutions I was going to make in the new year: up my tithes, exercise at least 1x a week, be more people-oriented and pray for my sister’s salvation.
And among the unspoken resolutions was this: to finish up my half undone goals & objectives left over from the last year. These include prayer walking my neighbourhood, following up & teaching Am in basic Christian disciplines, sewing up my textile wall art. By God’s grace, my short story was done (whew!). Haha, now onto the rest…
Props for Kids Camp 21-23 Oct October 21, 2009
Posted by judegrrl in Days of our lives, handicraft, Kids ministry, Mission.Tags: camp, Khon Kaen, Kids ministry, World Harvest Foundation
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Flags for Friday prayerwalk

Dance flags to be used for Fri's prayerwalk

Backdrop for stage

Giggantic map of Thailand

Giggantic map of the world

Mew working hard on the ribbons

Very Keith Haring-nesque banner

Balloons for the stage

DIY flags

Finally... the fruit of my labor. Reads Jesus Loves Thailand

Kingdom of God flag

































