How to Sharpen Your Rotary Cutter Blade

 

 

These are my faithful rotary cutters… the 28mm and 45mm. Sadly, they are as blunt as a hammer !

 

 

Everyone has this in their kitchen, right?  And what has the aluminium foil to do with sharpening rotary cutter blade, you ask ?

 

 

 

Well, you simply fold a piece of  foil a few times and just slice away with your blunt dull rotary cutter…pausing a few times to test it out on your fabric scraps …till it starts slicing away your fabric too!

 

 

 

You will end up with this and an almost new rotary cutter!

Oh yeah!!!

 

 

 

I found this little trick while hopping and surfing in blogland .

The only catch is how long the blade will keep sharp. Still, it beats throwing it into the trash.

I read that it works too for sharpening scissors.

 

Disclaimer : I will not be held responsible for any mishap or misfortune in the process of sharpening your rotary cutter blade. Please take caution.

 

 

P.S. Let me know if it works for you too

Snow Hearts

If you have been checking out my BOMs list,

Claudia just released the third Snow Hearts…

and I all of them!

January

February

March

I’m making a table runner…again…and matching placemats, of course .

And yes, I’m still doing the disappearing nine patch .

The previous blocks are still there if you want to catch them!

Thanks Claudia !

I’m doing good time…

Flowers of Love by Fee

Block 5

Block 6

Block 7

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Give Thanks by Jenny of  Elefantz

Verse 1

Verse 2

Verse 3

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Things We Love by  Gumtree Designers

  Block 1

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Birdie Stitches by LittleMissShabby

  Block 1

  Block 2

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Retro Nine Patch by Lyn

  Block 1

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There are many more BOMs for this year but I think I should not be too ambitious ! But I will still add them to my collection of  To~do~list.

Check them out on the right sidebar of my blog under the title 

‘What's Keeping Me Busy’

Keep Busy!

I’m Stitching ….

 

as fast as I can!

 

 

Block 1

 

Block 2

 

 

Block 3

 

 

Block 4

 

Blocks 5 and 6 are on the way!

 

These are the lovely BOM by Fee. It’s still running and you better start running there too.

 

 

 

Just the perfect Stitch~and~Tell because it’s full of HEARTS !

 

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Happy Lunar New Year !

 

 

 

It’s the year of the Rabbit…my year !

( Darn, I just told you my age….or not !)

Wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy and Stitchy year ahead!

My First Mug Rug!

 

 

I’m officially in the mug rug craze!

 

 

Did you know there are heaps of free patterns at FatCat Patterns ?

This is a from the Ethnic Flavored Designs page. I’ve had this in my Applique folder of my Google Bookmark for too long a time…I really do have a long list of To~Do’s !

 

 

 

Used blanket stich for the applique. Have I mentioned before that I love to hand stitch? Did this while watching re-runs of ER :)

 

 

 

Quilted simple straight lines. Wanted to try stippling but I have not practiced enough yet .. and I didn’t want to spoil my first mug rug!

…And Another One !

 

 

I had to make another one. It’s too cute!

 

 

This time, I got it right. The print fabric is on top!

If you are looking for the tutorial, look here.

 

Thanks again May Britt of Abyquilt !

This is addictive!

 

Pincushion from Abyquilt

 

I have saved this tutorial from May Britt of Abyquilt in my Google Bookmark for so long now. Finally stitched it up! Thanks May Britt for your awesome tutorial .

 

 

It’s all handstitched and pieced the English Paper Piecing method. Love it!

 

Goofed up a little though..you see, I planned that pink floral fabric to be the top of the pincushion, but somehow it ended at the bottom!

Thought I use a  nice button to make up for the plain top!

By the way, the squares I used was 1 inch!

Daisy~ Do Hanging Pocket

 

I know, I am slow..and late in stitching Jenny’s Daisies. But I managed to stitch three blocks and made them into a hanging pocket for the rulers I bought when I was in Melbourne.

 

 

 

That’s Benjoe, my sweetheart , checking it out!

 

 

The bottom pocket holds the 6” x 6”, the centre pocket holds the 6” x 12” and the top pocket holds the 6” x 24” rulers. I didn’t have a pattern. Just worked it out as I went along.

 

 

 

My Daisy~Do Hanging Pocket hanging proudly in my sewing corner.

 

Thanks Jenny for the lovely design.

I joined the tour and came home with ……

 

 

When Quilty Pleasures  started its 100 Blocks Blog Tour last year, I hopped along .  Oh my, it was a fantastic tour! I hopped till I was dizzy…from all the lovely blocks to the blogs. I found many great inspirations . And of course I had to enter most of the giveaways too :)

 

 

…and I won this! ………..

 

 

 

…and this!!!

 

 

 

 

Thanks Linda !

Rain, Rain Go Away

When I was in Melbourne last year, I was told that the trees and grass is the greenest ever in a long long time because of all the rain it was getting. “Good for the trees and the flowers.” I said.

 

Not so good…last spring,the La Nina weather phenomenon gave the northeastern state of Queensland  its wettest spring ever. Torrential rains, flooding  and Tropical Cyclone Tasha devastated Queensland, town by town.

 

Yesterday, Brisbane’s Lord Mayor, Campbell Newman warned residents who live along the Brisbane River and the creeks that they face the potential for "significant flooding" from Wednesday.

 

My prayers go out the the people of Brisbane.

 

Here’s where we can help.

 

 

The Gum Tree Designers is making an appeal for a 'New Beginnings' sewing kit .

 Fee will be donating a Fat Quarter Bundle.

Jenny is auctioning  two of  her Shabby Roses quilts.

Joy is offering a kit from her “Teatime Tabletopper” pattern.

 

 

 

 

Toni over at Make it Perfect is organising a Flood Appeal Auction on Monday 17th January for 1 week.  All proceeds will go to help the flood victims .

Rita of Red Pepper Quilts is donating a quilt .

Lizzie is going to auction 'Geisha in the Moonlight'

 

 

Will be adding the list of donors as I stumble upon them :)

I’m back!!!…..

…..from a three week holiday in Melbourne and Singapore with my family! Had an awesome time in Melbourne. Love the cool weather even though it is summer. But when the sun did come out, I almost melted!

 

Was on the move going places almost everyday…sightseeing, shopping and eating!

 

 

 

The Great Ocean Road was great. DH pampered us with a helicopter ride to have an aerial view the Apostles…..AMAZING!

Dandenong Hills was beautiful, the wee teeny penguins at Phillips Island seem smaller than the ones I saw 15 years ago! It rained at Ballarat but we enjoyed Sovereign Hill.

 

 

By the time I got to Singapore, I was real tired. But my kids and I still managed the Singapore Flyer..it was scary..not the ride but by what I saw..360* of skyscrapers! Gives a new meaning to ‘Concrete Jungle’! Saw the Esplanade..Singapore’s version of  the Sydney Opera House. Spent a day at Universal Studios Singapore. Orchard Road was at it’s best..still with the Christmas lightings!

 

I’m still drowned with the loads of laundry,ironing and keeping stuffs back in place. At the same time, I’m catching up on my Google reader..I’ve more than 1000+ unread items! But I managed to spot some new BOMs for 2011. There’re at the right sidebar of my blog.

 

I hope to be back on my sewing machine soon to start on my Penny’s Hobo tutorial. Sorry for the delay.

 

 

Oh yes, I came home to a parcel from Linda Lum DeBono. Will tell more soon .