Counting down to Valentine’s Day, more Valentine’s crafts sharing in Craft Passion!!! I am so excited to make a round up 20 sewing Valentine projects I picked and pinned in Pinterest.

1. Valentine Throw Pillow at U-Create.
2. Quilted Valentine Hearts Pillow at Craft Sew Create.
3. Gathered Heart Pillow at V and Co.
4. Chenille Heart Pillow at Craft Passion.
5. Cross My Heart Pillow at The Polkadot Chair.
6. Chocolate Heart Pillow at Sew 4 Home.
7. Ring Bearer Pillow at Craft Passion.
8. Valentine Voodoo Pincushion at Indie Spotting.
9. Love Sachets at Moorea Seal.
10. Heart Felt Cookies at Ikat Bag.
11. Shaggy Heart Dress With Knee Pad at Make It And Love It.
12. Ruffled Heart Valentine Dress at Make It And Love It.
13. Ruffly Heart Shirt at Craftiness Is Not Optional.
14. Happy Heart Skirt at Infarrantly Creative.
15. Scented Heart Sachet at Craft Passion.
16. Heart Shaped Zippered Pouches at Purl Bee.
17. Heart Gift Bag at Momtastic.
18. Macaron Coin Purse at Craft Passion.
19. Felt Heart Bookmark at Simple Serendipities.
20. Heart Note Book Cover at Craft Passion.

If you haven’t set up an account with Pinterest, please add one soon, I am sure you will love this site as you are able to pin your favorites in an organized way. Please feel free to follow me at Pinterest.

Watch out for other valentine’s crafts coming soon.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Sew Valentine Pillow

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Who? who is tapping my shoulder and shaking me? No, wait……. poof… all those sweet dreams just gone. Sigh…. I am back to my real world.

Why wait till February 14th, we can make everyday as romantic as Valentine’s Day. I designed and sewed a heart Chenille Valentine Pillow for my living room and couch. I can hug the pillow with love, just like hugging my loved one everyday!!! Sipping a cup of coffee with some sweet heart sugar cubes or dropping a cafe mocha truffle into a glass of hot milk and enjoy my day off.

This heart chenille valentine pillow is soft and fluffy, nice to touch and warm to hug…. the photo is self explanatory. Make one today and let the 365/year be valentine’s day everyday! Remember, love yourself like loving everyone in your life.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!

Heart Chenille Valentine Pillow
Make: 1
Heart Pattern: Download pattern here.

Materials:
1. Flannel [20" x 20"] – pink = 2 pcs., white = 2 pcs.
2. Flannel [9" x 9"] – red = 2 pcs.
3. Muslin or cotton [20" x 20"] – white = 1 pc.
4. Fabric [10 1/2" x 10 1/2"] – printed = 2 pcs.
5. Zipper [15"] – 1
6. Plain white paper [US letter size] – 1
7. 18″ square pillow form

Tools:
1. Sewing machine
2. Overlock machine [optional]
3. Cheniller cutter or slash cutter [come with 1/4" guide for curved slash cutting]
4. Sewing needle and pins
5. Erasable fabric marker
6. Printer
7. Sharp point scissors

Seam Allowance: 1/2″
Finished Dimension: 18″ (W) x 18″ (H)

Get all materials ready and cut into the correct shape and sizes.
Fold the paper heart into quarters to mark both vertical and horizontal center lines.

Mark center lines on the muslin base by folding into quarters then press to make the crease lines.

Place the heart on the muslin base, align the center lines, pin and trace with fabric marker.
Remove paper heart.
Draw 45° lines on the muslin 1/4″ apart, invert the direction on the heart portion. [scroll down to view photos below for the visible lines.]

Place a red flannel below the muslin base, make sure it covers the heart.
Place a pink flannel below the two, align the corners.
Pin to secure the layers.
Sew along the heart line.

Turn to the flannel side and trim off the pink flannel from the center part of the heart. Cut close to the stitching line.

Trim off the outer portion of the heart from the red flannel underneath the pink flannel. Cut close to the stitching line.

Place a layer of white flannel on top of the trimmed pink/red heart, follow by a red flannel then a pink flannel.
Repeat the sewing on the heart, trimming the pink and red flannel around the heart line.

Place your final layer of white on them, sew the heart.

Turn to the base and sew the diagonal lines. Skip those lines which are too near to the boundary of the heart, i.e which has less that 1/4″.
This may take you a while to finish.

Turn the work to the flannel side, cut an opening with a pair of sharp point scissors.
Cut only the flannels and not the muslin base.
You may use slasher or chenille cutter to slash the flannel.
If you are using the slash cutter that comes with only long straight guide like what I am using, you will need to use scissor to cut those unreachable area.

Upon finishing the heart portion, continue slashing the rest of the lines outside the heart.

Finished chenille making of a heart shape.
Turn to the wrong side (muslin base side), mark 18″ square seam lines with 1/2″ seam allowance [total is 19" at each side].
Trim the access.

Prepare the materials of the zipper side of the pillow.
I layered a muslin to the not-so-thick back fabric to make it thicker, sew a them together within the seam allowance.
Sew the zipper side of the pillow our preferred way or by following the below tutorial.

Place the back fabric together with right side facing each other.
Make a stitch about 1″ from top and 2 1/2″ from the side edge. Repeat to the other side.
Use the longest stitch length, sew the line between the 2 1/2″ you have just made. This is a temporary zipper closure to make zipper installation easier and neater.

Open up and press. Fold the raw edges into the seam and press.

Place the zipper on top, with right side facing down. Align the zipper teeth along the temporary closure you have made with the long stitch length. Pin.

Turn to the right side, sew around about 1/4″ from the closure line.
Remove the stitches from the temporary closure and the zipper is ready to function.

Place the zipper piece and chenille heart piece together with right side facing each other.
Sew along the seam line for the 4 edges.
Overlock stitch the raw edges to neaten the seam allowance.

Turn to the right side, photo shown is the chenille hear valentine pillow cover before washing.
Throw the pillow case into your washing machine and wash with cold water, rinse, and dry. The chenille effect with pop up immediately upon the wash. Or, you can brush the pillow with a soft brush to create the chenille effect in stead of washing it.
Insert the pillow from into the cover and your Valentine pillow is ready to serve it’s purpose for the most romantic day/night of the year.

Today is the first day of Chinese New Year, I would like to wish all my Chinese readers and visitors a very Happy Chinese New Year and Gong Xi Fa Ca! 新年快乐，万事如意， 龙马精神，身体健康, 恭喜发财！

During the 15 days of Chinese New Year celebration, the most common traditional event you will get to see is Lion and Dragon Dance. I can’t make those big real size dragon costumes but I found a kid craft tutorial of making a Chinese Dragon Puppet at Family Fun, hope you like it.

This year, Chinese New Year comes a little early than usual, normally it falls between end of Jan to mid of Feb. According to Chinese / Lunar Calendar, the year change to Dragon on 4th of February, the official day of Spring [立春]. Baby born after the day of spring [立春] is called dragon baby, whilst who born before 4th Feb 2012 is still a Rabbit baby.

[The Chinese dragon (simplified Chinese: 龙; traditional Chinese: 龍; pinyin: lóng) is the highest-ranking animal in the Chinese animal hierarchy, strongly associated at one time with the emperor and hence power and majesty (the mythical bird fenghuang was the symbol of the Chinese empress), still recognized and revered. Its origins are vague, but its "ancestors can be found on Neolithic pottery as well as Bronze Age ritual vessels."[17] Tradition has it composed of nine different animals, with nine sons, each with its own imagery and affiliations. It is the only mythological animal of the 12 animals that represent the Chinese calendar. 2012 is the Chinese year of the Water Dragon.
Source: Wikipedia]

I will be back with more crafts after this short break to celebrate Chinese New Year with friends and family. Watch out for an upcoming giveaway after I come back in a few days time.

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Sew Macaron Coin Purse

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Just can’t help for not making these sweet little macaron coin purses when one of Craft Passion’s Facebook fans showed them to me. Thanks to XYZZhandmade for her inspiring handmade and some tutorial links in Japanese, this, this, this and this. No, I can’t read Japanese but I can guess from the pictures on how to sew it. Here is the English version of tutorial on how to sew this macaron coin purse where I add more details in the sewing.

The space inside the coin purse is quite limited but good enough to place some small jewelries like ear rings, rings; may be to keep some small coins, folded money; a place to keep small piece of note that wrote your shopping list and reminder etc. Or, simply use it as a key chain or hanging ornament. Or, turn it into something enormously cute, like this.

I have tried both nylon and metal zipper, each gave different feel and effect on the macaron coin purse. Nylon zipper is easy to sew since you can just cut the zipper to the correct length. Zipping and unzipping is easier on nylon zipper too. Aesthetic wise, I like metal zipper though it requires more works to do. If you find zipping on metal zipper is craggy due to small circular shape, rub the zipper’s teeth with some wax or candle, then zip and unzip a few times, you will find zipping is smoother after the waxing.

Sew Macaron Coin Purse

To make: 1
Materials:
1. Cover Button, diameter 1 1/2″ (38mm) – 2 pairs
2. Fabric – Polka-dot, 5 1/2″ x 3″
3. Fabric – lining, 5 1/2″ x 3″
4. Fabric – zipper seam binder, 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″
5. Batting – 4″ x 2″
6. Zipper – 5″ ( I used 6″ metal zipper and shortened in to 5″ by using this tutorial)
7. Card stock (for tracing) – 2 3/4″ circle and 2″ circle
8. Ribbon – 3/8″ x 2″

Tools:
1. Sewing kits
2. Pencil and/or fabric marker
3. Wire cutter
4. Scissors
5. Tacky Glue / Mod Podge / Fabric glue

Finished Dimension:
1 3/4″ (Dia.) x 1 1/4″ (H)

Get ready all the materials and tools needed to sew a macaron coin purse.

Sew to join the zipper tape together above the top stops.
Fold the ribbon into half and sew it on the bottom stop with ends facing zipper end.

Fold the zipper right side together and sew to join it into a ring.

Trim the zipper ends to 1/2″ seam allowance from the stops.
Fold the 1 1/2″ square fabric into half then fold a seam allowance of 1/4″.

Encase the seam allowance and bind it by sewing the fabric onto it.

Bend the binder to the bottom stop side and sew it on the zipper.

Turn to the right side and this is how your zipper is going to look like.

Make small running stitches along the edges of the zipper. Pull to gather.
Repeat on the other side.
Set aside.

Cut away the button studs from the back plates. Be careful and point the stud away from you and /or anyone while cutting it. This little tiny metal can really shoot far.
Set aside.

Trace circles to the fabrics with pencil or fabric marker.
2 3/4″ circle on main polka-dot fabric and lining fabric, cut 2 from each fabric.
2″ circle on batting, cut 2.

Apply a thin layer of glue on the cover and attach it to the batting.
Make 2.
Let dry or until safe to work on it.

Make small running stitches along the edge of the fabric. Place the cover onto the fabric.

Pull the thread and gather the fabric onto the cover snugly. Knot the thread.

Repeat the same to another cover and 2 back plates.

Use an erasable fabric marker to plot a circle along the back of the cover. The line should be on top of the metal edge of the cover.

Slip stitch the cover to the zipper, about 3/8″ from the center line of the zipper.
The further you sew from the zipper, the bigger the coin purse space is.

Completed 1 cover, repeat the same to the other side.

Turn to the inside, place the back plate on and slip stitch it to the zipper.
Repeat the same on the other plate.

A completed macaron coin purse. The storage space is quite small, good for keeping ring, and bracelet. Or, merely use it as a key chain or hanging ornament.
If you can find a small circle mirror of about 1″ to 1 1/4″, glue it on the back plate and turn this macaron coin purse into a small cosmetic mirror.

View from the bottom stop of the macaron coin purse.

Another view when the coin purse is placed vertically.
Have a nice day & happy sewing

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Sew An Angel

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Christmas is just around the corner, this angel pattern and tutorial arrives just in time for this year end festive season. Three days ago, a sneak preview of this angel was posted in Craft Passion’s Facebook page. If you have been a fan of Craft Passion’s Facebook page, and wanted to sew this, I hope you already get all the materials needed to sew her. Please “Like” Craft Passion’s Facebook Page to get some updates of what’s coming next in the craft’s pattern and tutorial.

You can always adapt the pattern to make the angel into other form that suits you:
1. As an angle for the Christmas tree top: just change the stuffing of the skirt to a paper cone and glue it to the skirt.
Or,
2. Attach a string on her head to be an ornament.
Or,
3. Fill the skirt with some beads to make her stand better for table decoration.
Or,
4. Enlarge the pattern to make a softie doll for your little one

Sew An Angel
Make: 1
Pattern: Download pattern here.

Materials:
1. Fabric – skin color or tea-dye fabric 6″ x 4″
2. Fabric – red or any festive color, 5″ x 12″
3. Fur or Felt – white color, 5″ x 8″
4. Lace, ric rac, & ribbon
5. Fur yarn or doll hair
6. Halo
7. Poly-fill for stuffing
8. Black fabric paint
9. White fabric paint
10. Blusher or pink fabric stamp pad
11. Plain white paper in letter size

Tools:
1. Sewing machine
2. Sewing needle and pins
3. Pencil
4. Erasable fabric marker
5. Iron
6. Fine tip paint brush
7. Flat tip brush
8. Printer
9. Scissors
10. Tweezers

Seam Allowance: 1/4″
Finished Dimension: 4 1/2″ (W) x 6″ (H)

Download the Angel pattern in pdf document and print it with your printer.
Feed the letter size paper into your printer and print the patten without setting any scale on the printing.
{the pdf download will either open in new tab or open a small window asking you to save it as file. If you can’t find the saved file in your computer, the default folder usually is in “/downloads”}
{If you can’t download the pdf pattern, probably you don’t have acrobat reader, download the latest version for free, here.}

Get ready all the materials require to sew an angel.
If you can’t find a ready made halo, you can always wind one yourself by using gold color aluminium wire.
Cut the paper pattern out after you have printed it out.

Fold the skin color fabric into half with right side facing each other.
Trace the head pattern on it.

Sew along the trace line except the bottom line. Cut out the head pattern from the fabric with 1/4″ seam allowance.
Clip curve on seam allowance.

Turn the fabric right side out by using a pair of tweezers since the opening is quite small.
Smooth out the seam.
Press with iron so that the fabric is straight and smooth.
Draw the facial on the head with fine tip brush. Practice on stash fabric before the actual work on the angel face.
Be it a big eye timid angel like mine, sleeping angel, caroling angel, smiling angel… give each angel a different expression to personalize their character.

Fill the eyeball with black and add some white sports to make the eyes “sparkle”.
Dab the cheeks with blusher or pink stamp pad ink.
Set it aside to let the paint dry.
Heat set the paint with warm iron or as per fabric paint instruction.

Cut the skirt and base pattern out from the fabric with 1/4″ seam allowance.

Add ric rac or lace by top-stitching them on the skirt. You may add more if the skirt fabric is plain.

Add lace trim on the skirt hem, fold the lace end in on the seam line. Top stitch to the folded hem.

Baste the lace to the top so it won’t get stitch-up when you sew the base at the bottom of the skirt.

Sew base to the bottom, be careful not to catch the lace on the sewing.
Turn the skirt right-side out from the top opening with a pair of tweezers.
Remove the baste stitch on the lace.

Turn the skirt right-side out from the top opening with a pair of tweezers.
Remove the baste stitch on the lace.

Stuff the head and skirt with poly-fill by using a pair of tweezers.

Insert the neck of the angel head into the skirt’s top opening.
Sew then together with slip stitch.

Roll 2 bunches of fur yarn with fingers to make hair for the angel.
The back part of the head is shorter, roll a smaller bunch.
The side part of the hair is longer, measure from side to side.

Sew the back bunch of hair to the back center-top of the angel head.

Sew the center of the side bunch of hair to the center top of the angel head.
Make a few stitches around the head to catch the hair securely.
Trim hair if needed.

Tie a ribbon bow on the neck of the angel, make a few stitches to secure it.

Fold the white fur into half. You can use felt if you can’t find white fur.
Trace the wing pattern in the wrong side of the fur.
Sew along the seam line except the opening. Allow a wider opening if using fur.

Cut wing out with 1/4″ seam allowance, clip curve.
Turn the wing right-side out from the opening by using tweezers.
Stitch-up the opening.

Sew to join both wings together at the middle.
Sew to attach the wings to the back of the angel.

Attach halo to the angel either by sewing it on or gluing it with permanent adhesive.
Sew a string loop to the head if you plan to hang the angel on your Christmas tree.

A complete angel for your Christmas…… May She brings love, joy and peace to you and your family.

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Make Fabric Poinsettia

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These fabric poinsettia flowers can be made into a flower bouquet for table decoration during Christmas, or as ornaments for your Christmas tree and other decorations like wreath etc… You may add some glitters to the flower by applying glue along the petals’ edges and veins, the spread some glitters on them and set them aside for drying.

Happy making this fabric poinsettia and Merry Christmas……

Fabric Poinsettia

Make: 4

Materials:
1. Red fabric – Fat Quarter
2. Green fabric – Fat Eighth
3. Red floral tape – 1 roll
4. Green floral tape – 1 roll
5. Floral wire – #22 wire gauge, 60 pcs. (15 per flower)
6. Artificial stamens

Tools:
1. Sewing machine or hand sew
2. Strong thread, green
3. Tacky glue, or fabric glue
4. Jar, approx. 2″ diameter
5. Tea light candle
6. Scissors, for fabric and wire
7. Iron

Finished Dimension:
Approx. 6″ wide

[Note: As many of you may know, the "petal" is actually the bract of poinsettia which has the shape of a leaf. The following tutorial will use bract for the "red petals".]

To make the leaf shaped wire for the flower, prepare a 2″ diameter glass jar, a tea light candle, floral wire, and red floral tape. A wire cutter is needed only if you are using long wire.

1. Wrap the floral wire with the red floral tape. 1 floral wire make 1 bract.
2. Roll the wire onto the jar, twist the end
3. Wire formed into a circle shape after taking out from the jar
4. Turn the circle into a leaf’s shape by pressing the wire with your fingers to form a bract.

Repeat the same to the smaller bract with tea light candle.
For each flower, make 5 small bracts & 7 big bracts with red wire, 3 big leaves with green wire.
Bend the end so that it points upward.

Cut a fabric strip slightly wider than the bract’s wire.
Lightly ruffled it at the middle by either using sewing machine or hand-stitch.
Press with iron to form a vein look. You may starch it lightly if you want.

1. Apply tacky glue or fabric glue at the bottom part of the bract wire.
2. Bond it to the ruffled fabric. Smooth out the fabric at the contact point and make sure the wire is properly glued down.
3. Repeat the bonding for all the bracts and leaves, set them aside for the glue to dry. Preferable over night for a thorough dry.
4. Cut the excessive fabric along the wire.

Tie 8 artificial stamens together with a strong thread to form a cyathia.

First round, add 5 small bracts to the cyathia.
You can either tie each bract to the cyathia before adding another one, or arrange all 5 bracts and tie them together at once.

Add 7 big bracts and 3 leaves to the flower. Bind with thread and tie.

Wrap all the wires together with the green floral tape.
Shape the bracts and leaves by making some bending here and there so that they look natural.

The translucent effect of the fabric poinsettia with lighting from the back of the flower.
Wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Happy celebration with beautiful decoration!!!

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Organizer insert transforms a tote / hobo bag into camera bag cum traveling bag.

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This is a last minute sewing project just before my departure to Taiwan, a purse organizer insert with adjustable divider for my camera and belongings during the traveling.

Actually, I can just buy a ready-made camera bag from the store, but I find them a little bulky. Well, because they give better protection with all the padded sponge which is good, the drawback of being excessively padded is that it can only offer limited storage space with it size. If I am going to put my camera, lenses & accessories, maps, passport, water tumbler, purse, scarf, cardigan and other necessities for a day-trip out, I will need quite a big camera bag to cater. After thinking thoroughly, I need to design something good for a bag to keep everything in place, organized, yet light-weight and with some degree of protection during the traveling.

Due to the photography equipment I need to carry through-out my 6-day trip, a lighter bag is a must so that it won’t add more burden to my shoulder. I found a perfect one on sale at Esprit, this oversize tote / hobo bag is light, soft and splash proof (faux leather) which is good for traveling. It has a large base, larger than my Canon 60D camera. The problem with a soft and light oversize bag is that it will slouch if heavy items are placed inside and everything goes chaos in it. So, a steady bag organizer insert is compulsory to keep the bag firm and everything in correct place. This is how and why I came out with the idea and design.

This organizer insert is not only good for camera, you can basically use it for any of your needs, just alter the divider position. Be it as a baby diaper bag, craft bag, even laptop bag, the usage is endless.

Adapt this tutorial to your preferred bag. Just take some measurements and do some maths, you will be able to build your own pattern. You may add some slip pockets to it to increase more compartments for teeny-tiny belongings.

Purse Organizer Insert With Adjustable Divider

Materials:
Quantities are in approximate value as they depend on your bag dimension.
Mine is an oversize tote / hobo bag (scroll down for the last photo to view how big is the bag).
1. Internal fabric and divider fabric – approx. 1/2 yard
2. External fabric – approx. fat quarter
3. Batting – approx. 3/4 yard (for 2 layers)
4. Woven Interfacing – 1/4 yard
5. Plastic card (or use double layer woven interfacing)
6. Velcro – approx. 1 yard
7. Binding tape – approx. 2 yards
8. Twill tape or ribbons – approx. 1 1/2 yard

Tools:
1. Sewing machine (with walking foot)
2. Iron
3. Scissors
4. Sewing kit
5. fabric marker
6. Ruler and measuring tape
7. Quilter’s safety pins or seamstress pins

Seam Allowance:
1/2″

Measure your bag dimension, Width (A), Depth (C) and your preferred insert height (B).
Choose lighter bag so that it won’t burden your shoulder too much and thus affect your traveling or photography outings.

Draft out the organizer insert pattern with some simple calculations.
Align velcro position at 1/2″ from top and bottom. The length don’t have to go all the way to the side margin but if you prefer it is fine. I made mine 2″ to 3″ lesser.

Cut fabric 2″ larger than the width and height of the organizer insert pattern.
Cut 1 or 2 layers battings slightly bigger than the fabric. The thicker the batting, the better the padded protection.
Cut another piece of muslin or cotton about the same size as the batting.

Stake layers with fabric on top, battings, then muslin as the bottom piece.
Secure the layers with pins or special quilting safety pins.
Draw a 45 line at the center and a another line right-angle of it.

Start quilting from the center with a walking foot and a guide. You can use normal foot if you don’t have a walking foot but I would advice to invest a walking foot as it “walks” better on a thick sewing.
Quilt at 5/8″ spacing.
Roll up any access fabrics during quilting will make the process easier to handle.
Note that 2 layers of batting is quite thick to handle.

Quilted piece is thick and will shrink a little from the original size. that’s why you need to have a bigger piece to begin with.

Draw the pattern on the quilted piece, add 1/2″ seam allowance.
Cut out the pattern with seam allowance.

Align 4 strips of velcro (loop side) at the correct positions.
Sew near to the edge, around.

Sew both sides with correct seam allowance (1/2″), then sew the base.
Repeat the same on the other side.
This complete the internal piece of the organizer insert.

Cut 2 pieces (1 piece is in inverted direction) of hard woven interfacing in a shape of “T” from the pattern.
Place the interfacing on the wrong side of the external fabric, with adhesive side facing down and overlap at the base.
Iron to adhere the interfacing to the fabric.

Turn to the right side, decorate with ribbon or twill tape.
You may add some slip pockets to increase storage to keep small belongings.

Sew both sides with correct seam allowance (1/2″), then sew the base.
This complete the external piece of the purse organizer insert.

Slot the internal piece into the external piece. Align the corners and side seams.
Trim the top edges with zero seam allowance.
Finish the edges with bias tape binding or twill header binding.

Again, do some maths for the divider’s pattern.
Note that the velcro doesn’t have to be the full height of the divider. Hook velcro length is the height from the top of the 1st loop velcro to the bottom of the 2nd velcro, enough to attach to the loop side on the insert.

Cut the fabric double the height, full width of the pattern and add at least 1/2″ for the seam allowances.
Batting, about the same size of the pattern but double in height too.
Muslin need to be slightly larger than the batting.
Place them in order.
Turn to right side and quilt as previous process.

Fold the quilted divider into half with right side facing each other. Sew sides and trim to 1/2″ seam allowance.
Turn the divider right side out, adjust the corners so that they look nice and square.
Sew 2 lines at the batting edges, then sew velcro (hook side) on the divider.
Insert a plastic card or double layer of hard woven interfacing with rounded corners into the pocket.
Trim the top edge to zero seam allowance.

Sew binding to the top edge. I am using twill / header tape as the binder, I sew directly on the right side of the divider and the tape with 1/2 width down the edge.
Leave at least 1/2″ allowance at both ends.

Fold the tape end with slightly taper then fold in the side.

Fold down the tape and hand stitch along the first stitching line.

Repeat the same process to make another 1 or 2 (depends how many you want to divide your bag organizer insert.

Bend and fold the velcro side of the divider and attach it into the organizer insert.
This complete the whole purse organizer insert with adjustable divider.

Put all your necessity belongings into the organizer insert for easy access, in and out of the bag. It is stable even if your bag is soft and slouchy, thus, it is good for heavier items such as camera and filled water tumbler.

Me holding the bag with the organizer insert in the tote hobo bag during a recent trip to Taiwan, soaking my feet in the hot spring water.
I used it to keep my precious DSLR camera, lens, some photography accessories, water tumbler, umbrella, maps, purse, scarf, etc….. I am happy that I sewed it and brought it there, it makes my traveling so convenient.
Thanks to my friend, Yenny, who took this pretty photo of me.

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Indigo Dial Trivet - Locker Hook

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If you remember my recent book review and introduction about Locking Loops, you should remember Theresa Pulido, the author of the book. I have been a big fan of Theresa Pulido’s locker hook crafts & projects, and her books “Locking Loops: Unique Locker Hooking Handcrafts to Wear and Give” and Hook, Loop ‘n’ Lock: Create Fun and Easy Locker Hooked Projects are really creative and inspiring. Theresa has brought me to the world of locker hook and I love this craft ever since.

I’m so glad for the opportunity to share one of my favorite locker hooked projects to make. When I first started teaching locker hooking, I wanted to create something easy to make that was fast, beautiful and useful in various ways. This is one of the easiest projects you can locker hook and it is featured in my new Locking Loops book. You can customize it to have your own colors and a favorite tile (you can find different tile designs at colorcrazy.com). You can also give it away as a beautiful hand crafted gift. This makes for a great trivet, mat or a wall hanging. I have several in different colors hanging on my office and studio wall. I hope you enjoy creating your own version of this lovely trivet.

Locker Hook: Indigo Dial Trivet
Make: 1
Pattern: Download here.

Materials:
1. 52 x 52 square piece of Locker hooking canvas 5-mesh
2. 22 yds. (20.1m) ½”W (1.5cm) Indigo color (or your own color choice) cotton strips
3. 12 yds. (11m) ½”W (1.5cm) Natural cotton muslin strips (or your own color choice)
4. 24 yds (21.9m) ½”W (1.5cm) Blue Rayon seam binding
5. 4” x 4” Ceramic Tile
6. Locking Medium: either a sturdy yarn or cotton twine that matches the fabric strips
7. Locker Hook
8. Tapestry needle
9. Permanent Adhesive
10. Scissors

Download pattern here. Print it if you prefer to have a hard-copy in hand.
{the pdf download will either open in new tab or open a small window asking you to save it as file. If you can’t find the saved file in your computer, the default folder usually is in “/downloads”}
{If you can’t download the pdf pattern, probably you don’t have acrobat reader, download the latest version for free, here.}
Prepare the Canvas: Cut and prepare the canvas by folding over 4 squares on each side. Crease the 4th row shown in gray on the pattern in half so you have three squares folded over. Transfer the pattern to the canvas with a permanent marker if desired.

Frame the Edges: Frame the edges of the canvas with blue seam binding by threading through tapestry needle (thread about 1 – 1/2yds at a time) and whip stitch to wrap the folded edges. Stitch around edge through each square. Corners may need two or even three stitches for proper coverage. Use fingers to adjust strip to cover edges properly.
Begin Locker Hooking: Locker hook the design starting at the outer edge and working in a spiral around the edge toward the middle. Change fabric strip colors or add more as needed to follow the pattern leaving a 2 inch tail with each new strip you use. Leave an unhooked area in the center for the tile as indicated by the pattern.
Thread the locking medium (use black or matching yarn) through the needle eye end of the locker hook. Push locker hook through the top of the canvas starting at the very edge where you whip stitched the frame. Pull up the 1^st loop and give it a tug. Loop should be about ½” high. Continue pulling up loops and making sure they match the height of the 1^st loop.
TIP: Give your loops a tug every time you pull them up to make sure they are the same height.

Secure Loops: Once you’ve pulled up 4 or 5 loops or more, pull locker hook through loops along with locking medium to lock loops in place. Leave a 2 inch tail of locking medium hanging. Secure locking medium by tying to canvas if necessary. Continue locker hooking pattern and securing loops on canvas until design is complete.

Finishing Techniques: Once pattern is locker hooked, begin finishing the design by sewing in tails. Trim all fabric tails to approximately 2 inches with ends cut diagonally. Take the needle eye end of locker hook and working from the top, push locker hook end through the top to the bottom where tail is located.

Thread tail through needle eye and pull through to the top.

Sew in each tail by taking the needle eye and threading through about five loops away from the tail.

Thread tail through needle eye again and pull through the loops to hide.

Use scissors to snip any visible end of tail close to the last loop. Repeat with all fabric tails and do the same with locking medium tails.

Glue On Inset Tile Piece: Protect your work surface and add permanent adhesive to the back of the tile and place in the center of the trivet.
Pull out any loops caught underneath the tile. Let the glue dry completely and enjoy your new trivet!

But, before I am allowed to go, I took one of the ghosts from the ghost lights and toss it in a glass jar. He has been naughty lately and not following the rules. This time he ain’t going with me, I hope he learned a good lesson and behave well when I am back.

Along with the ghost lights decoration, I found a bunch of mini mandarin oranges holiday lights in my store room which I have been decorating for my Chinese New year since years. Now, they become part of my Halloween light decorations. All I have to do is to draw the oranges with permanent marker, easy and quick!!!

Here is the round-up of Halloween crafts of 2009-2011:

1. Pom-Pom Jack ‘O Lantern
2. Pom-Pom Black Widow Spider
3. Sock Skeleton Couples
4. Skeleton Costume
5. Pumpkin Costume
6. Pumpkin Treat Basket
7. Ghost Lights
8. Mummy Holder
9. Candy Corn Memo Holder

Not enough Halloween crafts to inspire you? Here are some more from others which I think you might be interested:
That’s all for now… till then…. BOO!!!

Halloween Egg Carton Bats and Leaf Ghosts by Happy Clippings.

Pipe Cleaner Yarn Spiders by Make And Takes.

Pipe Cleaner Spider Ring by Crafts By Amanda.

DIY Spider Sacks by Modern Parents Messy Kids.

Orange Jack O’ Lantern by Momtastic.

Flexi Mummies by Family Chic.

Black Grape Vine Pumpkin With Lights by Jen Goode’s 100 Directions.

Halloween Candles by Fresh Home Ideas.

Ghost Jug Lights by Family Fun Crafts.

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Halloween Mummy Pencil Holder - "Oh no! The spider is getting to me..."

Picture 1 of 3 (Click "Next" for more pictures)

This mummify pencil holder is easy to make and kids can help in tearing the fabric into strips and wrapping it up. You can always adapt this method to wrap around a clean used food can or container. Or, turn it into napkin or serviette holder, or even utensil holder during the Halloween dinner with friend and family. And, may be as treats holder for Halloween lollypops, cake pops, stick bites etc….

Make a quick and easy Mummy Holder with an irritating spider climbing on it……

Mummy Pencil Holder
Make: 1

Materials:
1. Cardboard tube
2. Thick cardboard – size of the tube’s diameter
3. White felt – size of the tube’s diameter
3. White fabric
4. Googly eyes
5. Small piece of black paper or black-shaded paper
6. Craft Glue / PVA Glue / White Glue
7. Masking tape
8. Scissors
9. Spiders (for decorations)

Prepare the fundamental pencil holder by attaching a round base and felt to the cardboard tube. This tutorial shows how to do it.
Get the rest of the materials ready.

Glue the black backing paper to the pencil holder.
Put some glue at the back of the googly eyes and stick them on the black backing paper.

Snip the edge of the white fabric, about 1″ apart. Tear the strips of mummy wrapping fabric from your white fabrics.
About 3-4 strips of 1/2 yard length each should be sufficient.

Joint the strips by tying them in dead knots.
Dot some glue at the bottom of the pencil holder, bond the strip end to it and wrap the mummy all the way up.
Tear and tie to add additional fabric strip length if it is not sufficient.

Tag the end of the strip within the wrapping and glue it there.
Done!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!