Summer

Giveaway Happiness is packing its bags and heading to Switzerland! Juanita is the proud winner! Congratulations--I emailed you for your address. Thank you to everyone who took part.


News highlight. Guess who started a blog. Ami! You can visit her at whimkit; if you stop by, please say hello. You can expect many creative escapades--and much quirkiness. Lovely, pretty, I cannot get more of, quirkiness.


Summer is here. So wonderful. It is 100 degrees today and hey can you hear me complaining. Summer is here, and just by coincidence, so is my brand new tote bag. When I was in India earlier this year, I began learning how to sew; after getting back to NYC, I signed up for a beginners sewing class at Purl Patchwork. I do believe I have a serious urge to sew--I think a lot of that has to do with the kind of sound/rhythm a machine in action makes. It is so---soothing.




Moving on. This is what I made in the class. It is a squarish tote bag with a lining and a small pouch with a zipper. I can now say that I now understand the science behind cutting fabric and seam allowances. And yes--I can now sew in a straight line. Finally, though I loved the old school machines, the automatic machines are a modern miracle. Smooth, with no acrobatic moves necessary.


Sewing is way different than knitting/ crochet. There is no looking back after you cut the fabric. No frogging, no ripping. Sewing (especially cutting fabric) creates anxiety in me--but I think that is because I am still figuring out things. I am not sure if I am going to remember many things from class. For instance, how to add a zip. I am hoping this stuff is just "going to come back to me."





Patterns: From the Purl Patchwork class manual for beginner sewing class
Fabric: From Purl Patchwork

"Perfect" Handkerchiefs: Birthday Gift for Grandma

There is always some celebration going on at home in India. Someone getting married, someone's birthday, someone just had a baby, someone is having a 7 course dinner because (s)he just felt like it. When I got here in the beginning of the year, I attended weddings like it was going out of style. My brothers have grown to have busy lives (you know how it is), so I got my sorry butt dragged around by my parents. I am not complaining. Apart from the consumerist foolishness that one might see at some weddings, I enjoy these gatherings. Over the past couple of months, they were the primary occasions where I got to meet most of my family and our family friends.

Now it is March. March is an important month in our family because two important people have their birthdays--my Dad and my Grandma (this is my Dad's mom). For both of them, birthdays are serious business. Actually, I am convinced that my Dad feels that the yearly calendar clocks on his birthday. Now you know why I am the way I am. It is all in the genes.

My Grandma's 85th (oh yes, 85th) birthday was last week. Her birthday requests were a hat and white handkerchiefs. As some of you might have already read, the hat worked out pretty quickly under her close supervision. It was an early grandma present which is currently undergoing ample use.

Coming to the white handkerchiefs. When Grandma means white, she means white. No frills or detours from the plan. This worked out perfect for me. I had no intention to make hand-knit handkerchiefs...and now that I can (somewhat) sew, why not some cotton kerchiefs?

Is sewing for the obsessive?

In the beginning, these kerchiefs drove me peanuts. I just had to get perfect squares, and all of them had to line up in the EXACT same way. Let me tell you that the kerchiefs did not go "perfectly as planned"--they are not perfect squares and the stitching is not in a straight line. I did not use grid boards, etc, but now I am convinced that they were made for people like ME.

PS: I now I have deep respect for all who sew--especially my tailor here in India who puts up with my obsessive way.

Ok, Grandma said white. But how could I?

I mean, I do like white, but just white? So I slipped in some bright orange for the stitching. When she received the gift, it seemed like she did not mind.

Fabric: White cotton fabric from Ravi's Craft Shop, Commercial Street, Bangalore
Pattern: Do not get me started about perfect squares and perfectly straight lines.

Coaster Joy

Firstly, thank you for all your wonderful comments on my Grandma and her new hat. She is one happy woman—if she could read and were Internet savvy, all of you would have received many virtual hugs and kisses.

***

We had some birthday fun this weekend. My Uncle Joe and Aunt Molly, who I have blogged about a couple of times, are visiting us from Kuwait. We had a small birthday party for Molly at their new Bangalore apartment.

The birthday girl with my two younger brothers. Rayan and Alan are such cake piggies.

I made a set of six coasters as a Birthday/ Housewarming gift. Five of them model here.

Each coaster is backed with fabric (wonderful Indian print fabric).

This fabric is first backed with freezer paper. Well, I suppose “freezer paper” is the right term—it is hard fabric where one side is waxy and when ironed onto a fabric, both the fabrics fuse together. Dont forget to zig-zag both the fabrics after fusing them together (oh, I love talking sewing). Then handsew this new fabric onto the crocheted round.

Proud Owners of some Coaster Joy

One more picture for the road?

Pattern for crocheted side: Crochet in a round; I used instructions from Crocheting School
Fabric from a local, street store off Commercial Street; Freezer fabric from Ravi's Craft Shop
Yarn: Odds and ends of stash yarn
Crochet Hook: 3.5mm

"First Class" Hairband

My first class in sewing school was learning to stitch a straight line. I first felt that I was doing some complicated dance move--holding the material, moving the circular motor, and pedaling at the same time. Once I got the hang of it, it was fun! After many lines--back and forth, back and forth--I had a tortured and tormented blue strip of fabric.

So now what. The sentimental fool that I am, I would like to keep this fabric.

I could wear it as a abstract, high-fashion scarf...orange hanging threads and all. Well...guess not.

What about a fancy chocker? Hmmm. I would need a serious lifestyle change to pull this one off.

Ok then. Maybe a hairband. I sewed (yes, sewed!) a snap button at the end, cut off all the excess threads, and here is my personalized creation. I suppose I could call it a FO.

Crafty Bangalore: Singer Showroom, Commercial Street

Guess who is learning how to machine sew! It is time I moved beyond hand sewing and figured machine action. I have been taking some classes since I got to India and one of my earliest projects was how to machine seam this polka dot fabric before hand sewing it onto the crochet piece.

Singer showroom on Commercial Street. This is where I am taking my beginner sewing classes. I know little about sewing and nothing about sewing machines...so this post must not be understood as endorsing Singer. I had to look around for classes quite a bit, and didn't even know that there was this option right under my nose! Therefore, thought this post might be useful for someone who is looking for sewing classes in Bangalore. Singer has beginner to advanced classes, and they are at a very reasonable rate. Also, Bindu, the teacher, is really good and fun to learn from.

Class in motion

I am learning on such really cool, old school, manual sewing machines. Though I am loving the sewing, the pedaling action getting to me. I tried an automatic machine the other day, and now I know what I have been missing out on. But I suppose there is something to be said about these super sturdy, back-in-the-day machines.

Granny Along Swap: "Polka Dot Surprise' Bag for Becky

I participated in the recent swap at Granny Along, and this is what I made for my partner, Becky. I can finally post pictures, since she told me she received my package yesterday! Yay to international mail.

I crocheted a granny square bag, which I call the "Polka Dot Surprise" Bag. You will soon see why.

The bag says: I am so fashionable!

Bag again, against bamboo blinds at my parents' home

Polka Dot Surprise!: Bright pink (almost red) polka dot fabric lining. I must admit that I am not a "polka dot person", but I really like its "fun-aspect" contribution to this project.

The bag is made out of cotton twine bought at our local hardware store in NYC. I enjoyed making this bag (my mom and grandma have put in a request too). However next time, I will remember to wear gloves while working with such "fiber". I originally began the bag with jute twine, but this fiber gave me the sneezes.

Becky also received the following gifts:

Lamb's Pride Cotton Fleece: My favorite yarn

A handmade, cross-stitch pouch (made out of "jute" fabric) from Jute Cottage, Bangalore

Indian print pillowcases