Shoulder Bag Tutorial - E.L.

I really should be sleeping but I've been meaning to post a clearer photo of this bag ages ago, so now here it is with a tutorial on how to sew one!

This is a fun piece as you can use your favourite cloth prints to create your own bag, I've picked out this fairy-tale-goth-like cloths in 2 different colours and a Japanese flowers print for my bag

For this simple shoulder bag, you will need:

2 Patterned cloths - 1m each [this is an estimate with extras in case of mistakes]

Interface lining 1m - I used felt as it is thicker and firmer so it gives the bag more shape

A big button [optional]

 I actually used 3 pattern cloths for mine, the outside patterns are different front and back, and the inside pattern is also different from the outer - to keep it simple you can just use 2 patterns with the outsides the same and only the inside different - or if you prefer you can just use the same pattern throughout, just try to label your pieces so you don't get mixed up!

So here is Step 1:

Cut out the following pattern, my drawing is not drawn to scale so just use the measurements and chalk it out on your 2 patterned cloths and felt interface - make 2 pieces for each cloth and felt. I usually overestimate my measurements so that I leave enough allowances for seams when I sew them together.

Step 2:

 When sewing together, try not to sew to far in or out, maybe about a 4cm margin from the edges.

Step 3:

The strap I made is slightly more complicated, where I used the all the different patterned cloths, but this is the simplified version where we use only the outer patterned cloth to make the strap.

Also I did a piping on the inside of the carrying part of bag to hide the stitching, by using scrap pieces of cloth and overlay the seams and used invisible stitching to hide them. But for beginners you can just leave it, I'm just a little too detailed for my own good.

 Step 4:

So here, when you have all the pieces sewn together, you can leave it as it is at the end of step 3, or for aesthetic purposes like mine, I pleated in the middle part and added a button. I also made a rubber band type of attachment on the opposing side of the button, so that I can use the rubber band strap to sling it over the button as a way to 'close' the bag.

Use a nice big button to make it look cuter! I used an old vintage button I found in my mother's collection :)

So ta-da! you have a shoulder bag! This tutorial can be really versatile too, if you want it bigger or smaller, you can just adjust the measurements accordingly.

If you're going to try it out, feel free to ask me questions if you're not clear and I'll do my best to help! Show us your final piece if you tried out this tutorial!

Cheers, E.L.
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Comfort Food: Egg Drop Porridge

Egg Drop Porridge

My staple for the last week. I had this EVERY day for lunch just so that I could recover from my tummy pains.

I can't describe to you how comforting a bowl of gruel can be so good when you're really feeling under the weather. Maybe its the high sodium content of the preserved vegetables, the fact that you don't have to chew and possibly, the pure msg in the chicken stock cube used to make this but whatever it is, this is a must have and instant perk-me-up whenever you have had too much time in the toilet and your whole body is rejecting the fact that its alive.

This recipe is really easy and can easily be jazzed up with the 'proper' way of cooking it. My version is easily executable by the lame (unable to stay out of bed for long/hampered mobility), the blind (when you can barely see due to the immense sniffling/grogginess) and the grumpy (this bit is self explanatory). Of course, if you like to really do it the proper way, I will leave instructions as well. Enjoy and let me know what you think! 

Egg Drop Porridge 

(Serves two. Or one ravenous person)

Quick and Easy Version:

Ingredients: 

1) One Cube of Chicken Stock

2) 6 cups of water

3) 1/4 cup of rice

4) One or two cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

5) One Egg

6) Pickled vegetables of your choice ( I used pickled olive vegetables. Its AWESOME.)

7) A few drops of white sesame seed oil

8) Garnish ( Corriander, chopped spring onions and deep fried shallots if you are up for that) 

Method

1) Rinse rice till water runs clear.

2) Place the rice into a pot and add water, crushed garlic cloves and stock cube. Leave to boil covered till the mixture reaches a boil. Allow to simmer uncovered.

3) Simmer for 30 mins at least and stir porridge occassionally.Liquid will have reduced by more than half.

4) Once desired consistency is reached, crack the egg into the porridge. Working quickly, stir the raw egg and work it evenly into the porridge. Yolk should be broken and whites slightly scrambled. Immediately switch off the flame. 

5) Serve with pickled vegetables of choice, garnish and a few drops of white sesame seed oil.

TIPS: 

1) The longer you boil the porridge for, the finer it will get. Ideally, its best if you can keep it boiling for an hour or two and stirring it ever so often.I have boiled porridge for 4 hours before, the results were phenomenal. You would have to keep topping up the liquid to keep it going.

2) Stirring the porridge facilitates in breaking the rice grain down faster and also, prevents it from getting stuck to the bottom of the pot.

3) To make this healthy, make your own chicken stock. Boil a whole chicken or just the bones down with some carrots, celery and onions to make a good stock. 

4)The stock can also be made with fish bones, prawns or anything that you like for a base.

5) Up the nutritional value by using meats from the bones of your stock to add to your porridge or just shred some meat into the porridge at the beginning. 

6) This is best eaten on the day itself and you can serve it with whatever that catches your fancy. I have found some pictures of the canned vegetables my parents used to give me.

Pickled olive vegetable. My favourite.

Pickled lettuce.

Pickled mushrooms.

Now I am seriously not advocating nor telling you that eating preserved vegetables make a healthy and nutritionally sound staple diet, especially when you are sick. NO, I'm merely suggesting some of it as an option as  these vegetables can be very appetizing and help one take "baby" steps to eating normal foods again. I HIGHLY recommend complimenting these vegetables with some fresh vegetables and fresh meat

to make it a balanced meal. :)

Try going French by adding escargot, as one famous chef did or maybe, a cheesy version with sauteed brown mushrooms and caramelized onions?( would be a lot like a risotto). I think the options are limitless. After all, porridge is CONGEE-NENTAL...LOL.

OXOXO

S.T

Gifts- Colourful Button Necklace and Wine Charms!

Since I got back from UK, I've been busy launching a new collection for Like it. Make it. Wear it. and creating presents.

Here is one of them:

The brief was to create a button necklace that is colourful and quirky! I spent a good hour at the vintage button shop picking, mixing and matching.

Here is the close up of the toggle clasp:

Then, I'm flying off to KL tomorrow for a house warming, so naturally I had to make something. 

The couple constantly entertains and are in the PR business, hence 

WINE CHARMS! 

I love them all! Wine charms make great gifts and it adds a nice touch to the evening, plus, makes it easier for people to identify their glasses!

I couldn't resist and put them on as earrings for fun! I might make some of them into earrings soon!

Happy crafting! I'm working on a tutorial for this so stay tuned!

XOXOXO

S.T

A Summer Sojourn in the United Kingdom

This year, the Gorilla's cousin was getting married and being from the UK, we made a trip down and spent two glorious weeks in the United Kingdom. Quite honestly, it was the best time to visit as the last rays of summer were making themselves fully present and that cold breeze that hits you is just simply refreshing. We spent most of our time in Coventry and managed trips to London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and of course, The Lake District, which has always been my favourite part of the UK. Its right up there with Bath and Stratford Upon Avon.

Here are some quick and fun highlights:

The streets of the town, Leamington, are dotted with these gorgeous flowers. Its a lovely town and about 30 minutes drive from Coeventry, where I stayed with Gorilla's grandparents, who live in the most beautiful cottage.

This is the garden that the Grandparents have. The property ends where the black fence is. And on most days, cows will be grazing at the back and its simply fun to go up to them and MOO at them.

Another view of the gorgeous cottage. Sadly, this house has been sold as the Grandparents are getting on with age and cannot maintain it. 

So, I spent a day in London and here are some fun sights:

PORTOBELLO MARKET

Here is a shop with old school sewing machines lining its walls!

Then, of course, I had to try the famous Humming Bird Bakery!

My friend, T and I had a cupcake each. 

 

Red velvet on your left, Cherry Cola on your right.

Quite frankly, very over rated and not worth the THREE POUNDS PLUS we paid per cupcake. sigh.
The textures were a little dry, stale tasting and not exactly worth its reputation. Sorry, I really am quite picky and its hard to wow me with food.

Now, I didn't take any pictures but the MUST shop place is CAMDEN!

Photo credit: http://www.google.com.sg/imgres?q=camden&um=1&hl=en&biw=1600&bih=785&tbm=isch&tbnid=GZp7ffnI4QJ7LM:&imgrefurl=http://www.alovelyworld.com/webgb/htmfr/gb6.htm&docid=XVI463x2ILg4dM&w=2301&h=1491&ei=UNOBTrGCI4_MmAWV_OVT&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=257&page=1&tbnh=108&tbnw=166&start=0&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0&tx=114&ty=99

I didn't take any photos there as I was too busy shopping and looking at everything! T and I had such a blast running in and out of shops, getting lost there and on the tube but it was exhilirating! Bring lots of change and cash as you really would want to shop there! From quirky dresses to one of a kind art pieces, you'll never be bored and things are very affordable.
Oh, as we were leaving London for Birmingham, I managed to get a shot of this:


Too good to not grab a shot of...

BIRMINGHAM
The Gorilla did his uni there and we obviously had to make a trip down to see his uni mates. Now, there isn't much to do except visit Cadbury World but I managed to eat at two wonderful places.

The Plough at Harbone Village

This was recommended by the Gorilla's good friend who is also a chef. The food is pub food(like most of English cuisine-if you can even call it that) but my oh my, no greasy fry ups here! Its stunning, fresh and simply palatable. And I managed to grab a shot of the quirky and pretty toilets!!


The boys has some crazy, manly burger and I had a mushroom soup. That soup was fresh, creamy and nowhere near canned goods. To find out more about this delectable place, click here.

The Fallen Angel Bakery.
This, my friends, is a MECCA for cupcakes and cakes. YOU MUST, YOU MUST try this and get why people are crazy about Red Velvet, why cakes can be so addictive and why good baking is so rare but oh so life changing.


Here is their display:


And behold, a terribly English flavour made into a cupcake:


And I had to buy lots, 6 in a box for Gorilla's friend's family who was putting us up for the night, and one for me.


I had their Red Velvet and it was insane. Light, moist, fluffy, almost furry like velvet and the flavours was a complex and delicate mix of cocoa, buttermilk and then finished off with that indescribable tang of cream cheese and sweet that is creamy and yet surprising light. It really is Love at first bite. Heck, even I can't bake this well!
We headed back to Coventry for the wedding and it was such a pretty affair!
Here are some pictures:
 
The Wedding Car


The Bus that took us to the reception.

It was a very pretty affair and a gorgeous summer's day!

Next, we went off to SCOTLAND!!

SCOTLAND
Scotland is lovely, blustery and very, very beautiful. We were in Edinburgh with Gorilla's parents as Gorilla and his dad needed to make kilts for a wedding next year. That means I get to go UK again next year!

Some wonderful highlights:
A great place to stay is the Fountain Court Apartments. Its a service apartment, very clean, cosy and a stone throw's away from great sights to gastronomical outlets.
I didn't take a picture but here is a stock image and the link:





Here is their link: http://www.fountaincourtapartments.com/

The best part is, guests get discounts at selected restaurants.
We tried out Gusto's:
http://www.gustorestaurants.uk.com/
Again, I didn't take any photos as it was rude in their culture to do so.. AH well. But the food was fresh, light and you can taste the ingredients instead of just flavourings. I loved their tomato based sauces, you cna taste they made it from scratch with no added fake canned puree.

If you are ever in Scotland, you must do the following:
1) Visit Edinburgh Castle- Its stunning!
2) Eat Haggis and Black pudding - Its heart-stoppingly delicious and very stodgy.
3) Eat at the Witchery - a Five star dinning restaurant located near the castle, very exclusive and oh my, so darn good.http://www.thewitchery.com/ We went there for dinner one night and MAN, worth the rave!
4) Eat TABLET -Scotland's equivalent to Lake District's Fudge. Its much more sugary and less refined but very delicious!

Next, we went to my favourite part of uk, 
LAKE DISTRICT





This was the view from my hotel window! We stayed at the Old Mcdonald House ( http://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/our-hotels/macdonald-old-england-hotel-spa/) which had a wonderful gym and lovely view. Lake District is really known for its scenery and best for hiking, rowing and cream teas!

Its a shame that I never got a chance to do cream tea this time on my trip up to UK but in case you are wondering what Cream Tea is, its basically a meal that consists of a pot of tea, finger sandwiches and scones served with jam and clotted cream. The last time I was at Lake District, Gorilla and I found a wonderful place called The Giggling Goose. They make their clotted cream from scratch and serve the best cream better, better than those in Cornwall. You can view them here: http://www.findsomewhere.co.uk/HiddenPlacesLakeDistrictandCumbria/Cumbria/LDC42358.htm

And here is a parting shot of my favourite place:


Swans on the grass patch next to pavements. Do not be fooled by their sanguine demeanour. They are vicious and will peck you for whatever scrap you have in your hand.

So that was my UK Soujourn! Till next year!

XOXO

S.T

Clay Flowers, Cat Silhouettes, and a recipe Book! ~ All handmade by E.L.

Alrighty, I have loads to blog, but for tonight it's about the flower power!

I started making these flowers out of clay, a progression from my previous piece of the leather charm bracelet with a painting of a bird silhouette. And instead of painting a picture, I tried moulding it into a simple flower shape and painted it! Hanging it as charm on a ribbon of pearls I think this piece looks pretty and sweet.

So other than just using it as a charm, the button like shape to it was perfect for ear studs!

I'm making a bunch of these to gift them to my little girl cousins! So pretty and perfect for little girls!

I made a pair for a good friend's birthday too.. she has an obsession with funky ear studs so thought she would appreciate them for her collection.

 So wrapped it up classically in a white creamy box with a gauzy black ribbon... She loves cats [as S.T. does too btw], so I experimented with a cat silhouette ear stud too!

Since I haven't put up any posts on my handmade-handbound books, here is one, so the same friend loves to cook, and I decided to make a recipe book. I printed out some recipes from online [cos' I'm crap at cooking so I don't have recipes of my own to share... but do refer to S.T. for yummy tips!] and bounded them into a book.

Ok till next time when I can find more time, I'm gonna tell you about a lovely spa place I visited recently... update on old projects with extensive photos [long overdue!]... and the gorgeous gift S.T. got for me from her trip to UK! Which she WILL blog about soon too! Our Travel page looks really sad at the moment... but not to worry we will fill it up soon enough!

Cheers,
E.L.

Events: Flea @ CATHAY 28th August 2011

A big thank you to those who came and supported us at the Cathay Flea! It was a lovely Sunday and we sold plenty before the day was up! Here are some pictures of our display!

Yes, we sold manga comics that day too!

This was sold even before I could put it on sale on the site! A gorgeous handmade wire wrap with silver chains that could be worn multiple ways!

We also had this really cool display case that we laid down flat to create little mini pockets and had our earring stands all along the sides. That lasted for a whole of 10 minutes for the crowd started to pour in and yes, things got really messy!

We're on a lookout for the next flea to be part of and do drop by as we often collaborate with others who bring in quirky, pre loved items and AUTHENTIC VINTAGE DRESSES! 

Till next time! 

OXOXO

S.T