my favourite room.

As usual, it has been ages since I posted. Strangely, in my last post, there were these funny colour "patches" which I cannot remove nor replace. I even tried deleting the entire post & re-doing it but still, the patches remain.

My sewing room here in Dubai, expands with more contents so it is even more cramped than it was in the previous post (over 2 years ago!!!).

A kind friend, Sabine, bought a new serger and gave me her old Viking Huskylock serger so that was really, really nice. That collection of large-cones you see here, has since doubled.

Now, there is also a dressform which makes this room complete.

A dress form which I have not fully used to assist in making clothes but which makes me happy when I look at it.
It is covered with a matt linen-like material but I have yet to remove the original clear plastic protection. 

This is my inspirational view when I sew. My favourite room. 

where I sew ...

A couple months back, one of our big windows shattered. It didn't crash down to the floor but there was a loud cracking noise & it was the biggest window in my studio. Later, we learnt that this can happen with sudden changes in temperatures, I had visions of millions itsy bits of glass coming down & all over my fabrics & so began the tedious task of emptying almost half the room.

After it was replaced, I had to move everything back again. The good thing is that I could re-organise as the sewing mess was multiplying in the night! I also re-upholstered my swivel chair which I have had for a very long time. From its original blue to a fun combo of purple "cheater" patchwork & purple dots. I love it when I come across other blogs with pics of their studios & fabrics so this post is about my space.

My sewing table is an Ikea desk, covered with a piece of much-loved yellow/ lime green,Japanese brand "Echino" oilcloth beneath my machine so I can wipe off fabric dust easily.

The wonderful acrylic extension table was a gift from my Bernina dealer in Tokyo when I bought this QE 440 model, after seeing it at the Tokyo Quilt Show. I think I am a very good customer at a number of Tokyo shops :)

I do love & missed the cherry blossoms hence the sakura decals all over my machine. The skirting below my sewing table, consists of 3 seperate panels so I can still reach underneath easily, for a few boxes of fabrics. Also hides some electrical wires.

To the left of this sewing table is my ironing space & that newly replaced big window. When I am at the sewing table, behind me is my cutting table. This is a larger Ikea table, covered entirely with a blue polka-dotted oilcloth. And yes, with few boxes of fabrics underneath. These 3 sections are in a U-shaped arrangement so I just swivel around. The other areas are too messy for any pics now though.

Around this U-shaped arrangement, there is space to walk around for my fabric collections, which are stored mostly on open shelves along the walls or in big clear plastic boxes.

The fabrics are folded or in bolts, organised mainly by colours, sometimes by theme (eg. checks, sewing motifs, sakura, rice bowls, dragonflies, Christmas, ...). There is also my sewing notions section & then, my books/magazines on 2 shelves in a corner.

As I have glass along one whole side of the room, there are various curtains hanging at partial height so I can sew in privacy yet still see the trees & sky. Also, these help to hide the mess when we have guests in the garden.

When it gets too hot (50 C / 120 F in summer), I can still draw another set of curtains (set higher up) so that the whole room is closed off. I like my room as it is pretty comfortable. There is a recycled cosy chair in it & my kids love to visit.

I am constantly in the process of re-organising my scraps stash. I used to sort by sizes so I am re-doing the whole lot by colours.

I have a great admiration for Catherine from New Zealand, who sews/quilts most creatively & also have the most healthy, energetic lifestyle of any mother I have come across. Via emails & through her posts on The Sewing Attic, Catherine described her sewing space (yes, a real cosy sewing attic space) & her fabric stash.

How do you keep yours then?

Partying, sewing & sneaks of my studio ...

It was a hectic week. After we got back from our Easter break in Singapore, it was more unpacking in a frenzy & more spring cleaning to get the house ready for some guests. Here's a glimpse of our new home, here in Dubai. Behind these 3 metre high curtains, is the garden with a pool, something which we never had before & which is really, really useful now with the present temperatures of 40s C / 100s F .

A couple of last minute cushions made with my favourite fabrics. 

 Whipped up a special dress for our special girl. 

Thank you all, who sent her bloggy birthday wishes in the last post - you made her very happy!

Had a little pool party to celebrate Annika turning 11. 

The pool was a real scary, yukky, mess the first time we saw it. 

That's why this pic is smaller so you won't get too put off. 

And the house used to be very empty & clean. This was my spacious (to me!) & empty studio. 

It was meant to be a family room with wooden sliding doors leading into it, from the kitchen (which I absolutely love!). I have placed my laptop to the left corner of this room so that when I type, I can still see the pool if my kids are in there. 

 The studio is fast filling up with stuff. Here is some (yes, some!) of my fabric.

Organised by colours & also by themes.

I try to be neat but I think these multiply at night !!!

In front of me is a curtain suspension rod, with various projects all patiently waiting to be finished...

Among this mess, I sewed this wristlet pouch for a good friend. Hope you like it, Linda !

Fabrics all around & a teenager too !

A friend asked what fabrics do I have & how much.  

So, here's a part of my ever-growing stash. 

Some are folded.

Some are lying around, 

patiently waiting to be sorted out, by colours, theme or by designers. 

The hardest part of my projects, is always selecting the fabrics, 

which seem to be oozing out from every corner of my small & crowded studio. 

...and a new quilt top...    

Today, our Niklas, is 13 years old. He sure loves to read.

He has been waiting a long time for this day, to be a teenager.

And we waited a long time for Niklas to be in our lives. 

Whenever I pick him up in school, he hugs & kisses me which really means a lot to me.

I am happy that he does that, whenever he sees me or his sister. 

He holds his sister's hand when she is frightened. And removes her shoes for her, 

when her hands are full with schoolbag & ice cream. 

生日快乐，权权! Shen ri kuai le, Quan Quan !

You are finally a teenager. Have fun with your new Kindle.

A mini sewing room in a messy sewing room.

This week, for the first time, both my children are away in the countryside. Annika (3rd Grade) is with her class for "roughing it out" at a YMCA, near the base of Mt. Fuji. She's coming home late afternoon today - yippee!!


Niklas (5th Grade) & his Japanese-speaking classmate, Raimon, are at a Japanese child's home in the countryside. This is an exchange program where children from the German school stays with families from the Japanese school, & vice-versa. We will see him & hug him to bits, tomorrow!


While missing my kids, I have these to cheer me up whenever I look up from my sewing machine : A pair of lovely Kokeshi dolls carrying satchels, a pretty red porcelain container for pins. This was a present from my kids - the red pinbox, not the pins! I do love the little handbag on the lid. The green thimble of pins help shows the size of these dolls.


Next to these dolls are my very adorable Owls which can be used as pincushions, ornaments or just simply "I-got-to-have-this!" kind of thing. Keeping out the glare are these beige curtains with tiny scissors print.


My favourite is this mini "sewing room" in my sewing room! The little drawers & cabinet doors open like the real things. The cabinet was from Annika's doll-house. See the mini iron & sewing machine?!!! Kawaii !

And here's part of my fabric collection. Yes, part. The rest of my studio is not fit for sight now, since I'm in a frenzy sewing up stuff for a sale this Sunday - just imagine the mess!

I use a hanger for men's ties, to organise ironed fabric straps. Cheap, functional & keeps the straps wrinkle-free while waiting for their turns to be sewed onto aprons.

This is where we sew & get crafty

My sewing studio is a corner room with a big bay window on one side & glass sliding doors on the other. You can't sit on the bay window as it is now a "shelf" for lots of fabrics.

When the "organised" mess-piles grow too fast & get too overwhelming , I can just close the door to this room ! There are colourful mobiles & traditional Chinese lanterns hanging here & there.

My completed bags hang from the slats of an antique slatted Chinese cupboard that used to be a pantry cupboard but now stores craft & jewelry supplies. Have to tidy that before I can post a pic of it!

My kids like to hang out in here too, amidst the piles of sewing projects. There are 2 tables - one for sewing, one for cutting & ironing. The pic here, shows the laptop in its former position, on the lazy susan & on my cutting table. It is now on a small corner table by itself.

In summer, I had a little Kenmore sewing machine, which came all the way from the Sears centre in Phoenix, Arizona.

With the increased workload, I then moved on to this machine, a slightly more advanced Brother model. This was first, just on loan from my friends, Alison & Andrea. With some negotiations & pleading, & trading, it is now mine...yippee! forever & forever! (Update : From February 2010, I started sewing on my dream Bernina QE440 & now this Brother machine, belongs to my daughter, Annika.)

You can also see my "strap-handles that I pre-made to go with the bags.

My wonderful collection of fabric is growing. These are some of the pretty fabrics that you can go crazy over, in Japan. Some are costly but truly beautiful to look at.

The good part about sewing is that when you have to wait for the children to finish their activities, you can bring along stuff that needs hand-stitching, to be completed!
And here's some of the Japanese fabrics that I am so crazy about :

First buds, first bloom!

You never get tired of seeing these - our "ume" (plum) tree slowly coming into bloom.

Today, this tiny bud bloomed.

Soon, (bottom last pic) it will bloom more & this is what I will see when I look out of my sewing studio, which is right behind those glass doors.

Soon, it will be spring!

Sew far, Sew good . . .

Over the weekend, I was busy trying to take pics of the bags that I made!!!

Also made fabric covered buttons & buttons ponytail holders (which was my Annika's idea as she loves them). She said "Mama, make more...other mamas will buy these". I hope so! She thinks everything I make is wonderful. If only others think the same as my little #1 fan!!

I told my computer-savvy husband that I want my bags on a slide show, on my side bar so here they are (see left). Thank God for him!

Among these bags is one which I custom made for me! "Dragonflies over Lotus" reminds me daily of a good friend who loves lotus.

The interior of this bag has
- pockets for my slim mobile & carpark coupons.
- sectioned pocket for my sketch book & pencils.
- hooks for car & house keys.

That's the nice thing about making my own bag - it can be any size & anything I want! But I forgot to sew any lining...ooops! I am lucky to be living in Tokyo as Japanese fabrics are simply the best!