a bag for my sister - a doctor, busy caring for her patients while getting a masters degree

my sister asked me to make her a bag.  this is what she said.... "kakyang nak bag yg boleh bwak g keje isi buku, n file n net book, at the same time nampak chic n professional.......dimension netbook sama cam kakyung nye netbook, file is A 4 size, book same size as net book...boleh tak nak dapat by january?........and kakyang nak kain yang keras macam canvas, n taknak banyak corak, i just want plain cloth, lebih kurang 2-3 colors yang macam stripes... kakyang rasa letak kat kakyung find colors tht suit me, color yg suit g conference, klinik....."

i looked at my fabric collection.  i just couldn't find any that would really suit her at this moment.  so, i went shopping for fabric.  these are what i found.

  

apart from shades of blue and purple, i am always attracted to dark charcoal grey (it's understated yet elegant).

so kakyang, what do you think?

can't wait to work on this project.  but it gonna be tight for me coz school is starting soon.

cheers,

YunY

handmade bag - ida & i are working on this bag

ida and i are working on this bag.  we gave it a slightly different treatment.  and i am already smitten by it.  this is one of the front panels.  i think it is so gorgeous and so sweet.

status:  completed, now available at the kopai boutique.

till then.

cheers,
YunY

handmade bag - status @ today - 9 dec 2011, 8:45pm

ok. now both the side straps and the long strap have been installed. two more steps to go.

the name of this bag is "vintage rustic 1".

status: completed, TAKEN

cheers,

YunY

handmade bag - finally, my mom's bag

this is the final trimming i added on to the bag. i know maybe some of you guys won't like the look of this bag. my cousin ida said she couldn't believe that i actually made the bag because it was so unlike me. well, like i said it is not easy to choose the combo for my mom. my mom's taste in colour is unique and somewhat weird in a cute kinda way. i always find that even though i dislike them at first, over time i find them fascinating and intriguing. i would say if my mom were a fashion designer, she would create something like those created by vivienne westwood.  so, this is how the bag looks like, front view.

and this how the bag look from the side (nampak macam angry bird kan?). honestly, i am already so intrigued by this combo. i couldn't believed that i could make something like this. my daughter said "it is so like uwan". yes, i think so too.

hope mak will like this bag.

status: completed, TAKEN

cheers,

YunY

i am making more ayu bags and a skirt too

i'm back from ipoh. i am down with sore throat and i have been quiet since my last post. but, my fingers are busy, busy, busy.....cutting leathers and organising the cut leather pieces for my next ayu bags. as mentioned earlier, i'll be making one for my mom. the challenge now is to choose the fabric that is perfect for my mom. i am also cutting the leather pieces to make 3 more ayu bags. isn't that too ambitious of me? we'll see.

next, i want to work on a few new designs. again.....isn't that too ambitious? anyways, i have received a request from a friend of my sister. she would like me to make her a long skirt....like the one featured in my earlier post. since i have not uploaded the "how to take your measurement", i will need to bring her to my place and get her measurement myself. since she is going to be my first customer, i am going to give her a promotional discount.

cheers,

YunY

handmade bag - tarra! my second ayu bag...woohooo

nearly finished. still have to install the snap button and stitch closed the bottom of the lining.

but, not bad eh?

hope mak will be happy to have this bag and can "tayang pi kenduri kawin" marathon cuti sekolah ni.

status: completed, TAKEN

cheers,

YunY

i took my new bag for a spin yesterday

the inside of the bag is uncomplicated and has just the right depth. you can fish out whatever you have thrown inside the bag in a hurry.

i really love the way the bag slung over my shoulder. it gave an appealing slimming effect. and the slim width of the long strap does not exert excessive friction. your shirt will not get tucked backwards as the bag moves while you walk.

the short double handles snug nicely and comfortably inside the relaxed grip of your palm when you decide to "jenjeng" (did i spell it right?) the bag. and i can just drop the long sling strap off my shoulder and grab the short handles with one swift move.

in short, this bag knows what i want it to do. it deciphers my cue instantly. i love, love, love this bag.

cikgu hanim said, it has the colour of raspberry and cream and vanilla. maybe i will name this bag, raspberry cream. and it is almost impossible to recreate the same raspberry cream. if i were to make another bag like this, it will not be the same. sama tapi tak serupa :)

ada yang nak tempah bag ini? silalah email....thesewingroomdiva@gmail.com

cheers,

YunY

handmade bag - tarra! this is the bag that i've made with hanim

this is the side of the bag that was featured in my earlier post.

status: compeleted, TAKEN

cheers,
YunY

bag making class: final day (sunday, 30 oct, 2011)

yeay!!! that is the end of the 3-day marathon. we have graduated. mine is on top. ida's slung over the back of the chair. and the brown concoction is salwa's. aren't they just gorgeous.

i am too tired to stay blogging. today we had an 11-hour marathon and cikgu hanim stayed till almost 10pm.

hanim is a wonderful, wonderful teacher. such dedication and yet she is so funny. we enjoyed every moment of it. thank you cikgu hanim for having us as your student.

cheers!

YunY

bag making class: day 2 (wednesday, 26 oct, 2011)

cikgu hanim came again yesterday for our bag making class. we started at about 10am and cikgu hanim stayed until 5pm. of course, cikgu hanim gave us more homework.

for day 2, we learned how to assemble bag lining and continued to work on the leather trimmings. we are quite used to working with fabrics. we found that working with leather is not as easy. nonetheless, cikgu hanim is happy with our progress.

we planned to have day 3 this sunday. hopefully cikgu hanim can make it.

we enjoyed cikgu hanim's class. it was conducted at the right pace. not too slow, not too fast. cikgu hanim kept saying that her methods are primitive. but i have to say, despite her primitive methods, her bags are so well made. and i honestly believe that her primitive methods prove that leather works are doable. we don't need expensive and sophisticated tools to create leather goodies. BUT we do need patience, lots of it.......and the saying "practice makes perfect" couldn't have been more right. and of course, having an industrial sewing machine does help. it speed things up. but if if you love to hand sew, go ahead....we find it therapeutic and calming to jumpy nerves:)

have a great day everyone.

cikgu hanim, na and salwa. see you this sunday.

cheers!

YunY

bag making class: day 1 (saturday, 22 oct, 2011)

hanim arrived at about 10:30am and we started at around 11am. we called it a day around 3pm and cikgu hanim gave us homework before she left.

we are trying to make one of hanim's creations. she brought us some of her fabric stash. the very same fabric she used for all her creations. we came to realise that it is not that easy to come up the combination that has the WOW factor. i noticed that hanim patched more than 10 different fabric to make a single bag and yet she is able to achieve a really, really pleasing effect. while i felt almost suffocated when i tried to add the 5th pattern into my combination. it took me 2 days to finally settle with the combination.

today, wednesday, 26 october 2011, will be day 2 of our bag making class. i will upload the photo of my bag if it turns out great, ok?

happy deepavali to our hindu friends.

cheers,

YunY

calling all pfaff users

i have two portable sewing machines and both are pfaff (select 1530 and quiltstyle or tiptronic 2040). i love them very much because they have never failed me.

i have once owned a singer portable sewing machine. it was my 1st sewing machine. we didn't have that many adventure together. it drained all my energy and creativity because each time i tried to sew it misbehaved. i gave it up after about two years and replaced it with a jenome machine.

i was thrilled with the variety of presser feet that i could opt to use with this jenome machine. i bought a couple of presser feet but i didn't get much done. the machine was not sturdy enough to handle heavy fabrics. it choked whenever it encoutered bulky seams. i was further disheartened when i tried quilting. it couldn't feed all the layers evenly (even when i used the walking foot). i gave it up too and bought myself the pfaff select 1530 in 2003. it was love at first sight. i has been there for me ever since. i love this machine so much that i wanted another one, for back up. in 2007 my darling hubby bought me my second pfaff machine, the quiltstyle. it was a bit pricey but it was one of my best investment.

i love the IDT system because it feeds all layers of fabric evenly. i am exited about the many presser feet that pfaff offers. i bought a couple and they make sewing less laborious. these pfaff machines are sturdy too. they handle heavy fabric well. they cruise through bulky seam without hesitation. they make sewing a pleasure and i look forward to have the next sewing adventure with them, everyday. my only regret is that pfaff doesn't have any appointed dealers in malaysia.

what is your pfaff experience? would love to hear from you guys.

cheers!

YunY

i am making my own skirt

work-in-progress. i am making my own skirt. i drafted the skirt pattern from scratch. i've finished hemming. next is the waistband.

my daughter said the skirt looks just like the one i bought from m&s. i think so too.

it is a 6-gored skirt made from a medium weight fabric. so, i did not line it.

if you like it let me know. boleh tempah.

status: completed.  for photo of completed skirt, pls click here.

cheers!

YunY

handmade bag - i made this tote bag last year

i made this bag last year before i found hanim's blog. i wanted a bag that is fuss free and light. i wanted side pockets where i can keep loose change and those small pieces of paper. so, i made this bag. i had this bag fully lined and now it is with my cousin, ida.

after i found hanim's blog, i told myself i must learn how to make those gems that hanim is making. so, i went to penang to meet her.

hanim is such a wonderful and talented person. she is such an inspiration.

cheers,

YunY

my sewing adventure in penang with hanim of brown garden dream

i went to visit hanim at her beautiful house in penang.  and she is so sweet, kind, generous and talented.  seeing her bags there.... live!, just gave me goosebumps.  they are so fabulous!  i want to take them all.  better still hanim agreed to teach me how to make them.  i am so, so, so happy.

hanim and her fabulous creations

cheers!

YunY

i made this skirt for my daughter.

I drafted this skirt pattern from scratch and it turned out great!

cheers!

YunY

my wish list

1. good pair of pinking shear (don't need this anymore. i just use a small pruner to clip notches or to trim edges in bag making.  i bought the pruner for rm26 from a hardware store nearby.  and it worked just great.)
2. wing needle

3. crew punch (got it for rm35)

4. nylon thread in variety of colours
5. pfaff bi level topstitch foot (tried ordering one from ebay, but it never arrive.  luckily, i got the refund) - (sal ismail got me two of these!!)
6. eyelet and tools

cheers,
YunY