Sewing Blog

Pengumuman, pengumuman...

Saya dan satu orang teman sedang mempersiapkan sewing blog kami. Isinya akan membahas project kami masing-masing yang kadang ada tips dan trick-nya, trus review kain, review toko terkait menjahit, review pattern (khususnya indie sewing patterns), dan lain-lain. Jadi, mulai hari ini, semua postingan saya tentang menjahit akan pindah ke blog kami yang baru. Namun sementara ini blognya belum siap. Nanti kl sudah oke, akan saya umumkan lagi.

Terima kasih atas perhatiannya... *kiss*


EDIT 15/05/2015: Silakan ke sini untuk melihat sewing blog kami. Happy sewing!

Sydney pattern by C’est Dimanche

Bought this pattern long time ago and had the first opportunity to try it just last week. However, it’s not my first C’est Dimanche. Previously I made a nice top from another pattern (see here). But it was a simple one compared to this Sydney. Sydney has a full body lining. Well, of course we can skip that but for making a nice & comfy vest (or jacket, trench, coat), I think it’s better with a lining. The construction of this lining was not difficult. It just made the whole process longer.

In general, this pattern is easy. Just because it is longer, we need to be patient. My first Sydney was planned for the last KCW event. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t make it until last week.

Sydney light coat, size 6 years old

Fabrics & notions:

• baby corduroy from Les Coupons de Saint Pierre
• floral cotton from Daddy's Girl Fabric
• brown piping
• 4 dark brown buttons 18mm

Some notes :

• Baby corduroy is easy to sew. But the first thing that we need to pay attention is the direction of the wale when we are about to cut the fabrics according to the pattern pieces. Once we decide to put the bodice (for example) in one direction (top and bottom), we have to do same direction for the rest of pattern pieces. I saw this explanation from the TV show Cousu Main first season. It’s a kind of sewing competition as a reality show (Masterchef kind of thing but in sewing).
• The passepoil (piping) was sewed by using the sewing foot for invisible zipper. It was easy. But at the first attempt, I was not close enough to the cord part so it made a little gap (and it was quite visible). I sewed to close that gap by hand. The result was fine. Just changed a little bit the straightness of the piping on the fabric (if we see as a whole result). But it’s ok for my first piping sewing.
• Again, for the piping, I think it would be nicer if I used the same fabric with the lining. It means, I should make by myself instead of buying a ready one.
• The part of sleeves that needed to be sewed on the bodice part was longer. I was thinking, perhaps I had to make pleats on the top of sleeves. But since it was not written on the instruction, I let the longer part as it was.
• The placing of the collars need to be precise to avoid imbalance between the right part and the left one. I found a difficulty in here. I thought that it would be easier if I used a mannequin.  
• The buttons 18 mm are not big enough for me. Next time it should be bigger.
• About the size, well, for my daughter that is taller than usual kids at her age (5 yo), the length of the sleeves and the coat are just at the limit. Pourtant I already reduced the seams for the both sleeves and coat. I should remember this very well for the next attempt of Sydney. The size 6 yo is okay but I need to lengthen the seam at the sleeves and the coat. Two centimeters would be fine.
• Concerning the fabric, baby corduroy is so light and not suitable enough for this fall season. It can be nice for summer or late spring.

I saw at C’est Dimanche fans blog, there are some mothers that made Sydney coat with a capuche. So interesting. I need to see how they made it. 

So, for the next Sydney, I would like to use laine/wool fabric for winter, homemade piping, bigger buttons, and add some useful things like a capuche and pockets. What do you think?

Atelier Kimchi II

Around 3 weeks ago, my korean friend was teaching me again how to make kimchi. But this time: the kimchi blanc. Kimchi blanc does not use any chili as the ingredient so it's suitable for children or adults who can not eat chili.

As usual, my friend did not give any specific measurement for the ingredients. Sorry for that ;( I tried to remember the approximate amount of ingredients she put on the kimchi but I think after couple of attempts, you can adjust to what you like.

For the main ingredient:
- Chinese cabbage (or another name in wikipedia: napa cabbage), size medium

Cut this cabbage into 2 (as shown on the picture). Put in a big bowl and pour it with coarse Guérande salt (my friend said it's possible to use any salt at home but the best one is 'gros sel de guérande'. The salt must be spread evenly even on the inside part of the cabbage. Add a little water if it looks dry. Set aside for around 4-8 hours or until the cabbage harder part (stem) is becoming soft and not easily broken when we fold.

Note. In this cabbage part, it is important not to choose one that is too big because the process of salting will take so long (up to 12 hours for a big cabbage). 

I prefer to prepare this cabbage early in the morning and then continue the rest after my lunch time. But once again, it depends on the result of the cabbage after salting.

For the fish stock (picture above):

• water
• half of apple
• half of onion
• fish sauce (nuoc-mam can be used)
• thick alga (I don't know where we can find this since my friend brought it from her country - in the picture, you can see it inside a bowl)
• 2-3 small cloves of garlic
• 1 cm of ginger
• 4-5 dried anchovies

Boil all of those ingredients above in a pan with a slow heat. We have to make sure that the fish stock is enough boiling. 

While waiting, we can have lunch or anything else... :D 


Now for the other vegetables (and fruit) that accompany the chinese cabbage:

• a half red bell pepper - slice long and fine
• a half green bell pepper - slice long and fine
• a half chinese white radish - slice long and fine
• some chives (I used around 6 stems) - cut 3-4 cm
• a half of carrot - slice long and fine
• a quart of apple - slice long and fine (apple is optional)
• one onion - slice long and fine
• 5-6 big cloves of garlic - slice finely
• mix of coarse Guérande salt and 'fleur de sel' (the difference of them can be seen in here)
• sugar (powder)

Mix all those ingredients above in a big bowl and set aside to marinade for around 1-2 hours.

***

When everything is ready, follow this YouTube video to put the mixed sliced vegetables (and apple) inside the chinese cabbage.

***

So now the chinese cabbage is already in the plastic container. Last step is: take the fish stock and pour it into the plastic container. Fill the container with the stock until it's all covering the cabbage. 

Voilà! It's done now. We just need to close the container and put it at the room temperature until the next day when we can store it inside the refrigerator for, I don't know, couple days. Because at the end, it depends on us when we want to eat that kimchi. The longer we keep it, the taste will develop differently. People say, the taste is better if we keep it longer at the fridge. My friend often makes a big batch of kimchi in a big container and then she keeps it for one or two months. Every time she needs to serve a little part of it, she just takes a little portion and put it into a small container. The rest stays in the big container.

I hope it's quite clear. I'm sorry if I miss some parts. You will find your way, I'm sure of it.

Petite robe noire

Spt nama parfum :D. Tapi ini dress hitam terbilang "petite" karena yg pakai juga masih kecil :D

Voilà, satu dress hitam untuk si kecil yg hari ini dibikin dgn cukup express dan dgn mengopi ukuran satu t-shirt utk bodice. Sisanya mengalir aja. Si kecil bilang mau pakai kostum princess dress hitam utk halloween. Ditawarin topi penyihir sbg padanan, dia ngga mau. Ditawarin bikin tanduk spt Maléfique (Maleficent), dia jg ngga mau. Maunya dikasih applique pumpkin di dada & pakai sayap. Oalah... Peri pumpkin... >_<. Tentu saya tidak punya applique berbentuk labu, baik labu jahat maupun labu baik. Sayap hitam, apalagi... 

Sementara ini, begini dulu saja. Yang penting kostum/dress hitam udah jadi (walau pakai bias tape warna fuchsia & ritsleting ungu :D ). 

Selamat Halloween!

Kids Clothes Week - Oct 2014

Finally I could participate again at this virtual event. And finally I sewed children clothes using Citronille & Oliver+S' patterns. Yey!

A little story to share:

This time, KCW was using a theme of Children story book. I was looking for ideas from my little one bookshelf. And of course, I asked her about the books she liked. She said: "Trotro!". Trotro is a donkey :). I like him too. The story of Trotro is nice for children. But what idea that I could take from this Trotro? I only could find: the colors of his usual clothing (red-violet) and the simple 'trapèze' dress of Lili & Nana (Trotro's friends). But after I checked on my fabric stash, I didn't have the solid fabrics in red & violet. Bum! "Ok, let's see the dress for an alternative".

And, my little one also loves a book about Minette Frisette. This girl is wearing the same dress style like Lili & Nana, but in polkadot, red & white. I have a red-white fabric but not enough for a dress. Bum!

At the other hand, I had my own preference too. I looovee Martine (or Debbie in US, Tini in Indonesia). I love her classic to vintage style outfits. I love her Peter Pan collar. I love her! Some of her dresses are also in "trapèze" look.

So I decided: Martine's style! *errr... personal ambition*. And I chose the fabrics in color that my daughter liked so much (that's why all are in pink).

Patterns? Ok, it was a little bit tough in choosing the pattern with Peter Pan collar. My options were:

1. Pernette by Citronille

2. Debbie's birthday dress by Sew Pony Vintage (on Etsy)

3. One on the cover of the latest edition of B-Inspired magazine (I don't know the name)

Considering certain conditions, I picked Pernette. It's mostly because of my curiosity to Citronille's patterns :D. And because of... french indie pattern (support local indie designers!).

The second pattern of simple & classic dress was from my, uhuk, collection, uhuk, that I had never tried >_<. It was School Photo Dress by Oliver+S. 

Actually I made a list for 4 clothes. Two others were Sydney jacket by C'est Dimanche and a skirt from one Japanese sewing book. I put these two on 3rd & 4th priorities due to my conditions (children school holidays for 2 weeks - needed to 'entertain' my kids too). So I made Pernette & School Photo Dress. 

Which one I liked most?

- The School Photo Dress.

Why?

- Detail instructions & there's a sew along in Oliver+S' blog

I was a little bit stucked during the construction of the sleeves part for Pernette. Luckily, I have made some little dresses before, from a Japanese sewing book. I used my memory to help attaching the sleeves. I wondered why I still had a good memory about it... hmm...

I made a mistake too on the first Pernette dress I made. And it was fatal :( How come? Since I just had a new serger, so, I was not experienced enough to operate it. Then, an accident happened. A hole >_<. Not fixable. The only solution was: making a new Pernette. Voilà, I made it.

I didn't put a lining on Pernette. But I did for the School Photo Dress. So it was so long in the construction process. But I tried to enjoy as long as I was not too tired. Anyway, it's a part of sewing, right? Being patience with the process, with the mistakes, with the remakes, with the finishing by hand... Etc, etc.

On this experience, I learned:

- how to install an invisible zipper :D

- how to sew a Peter Pan collar

- how to arrange the pattern on the fabric print to get the best result after being sewed (but I failed :D )

- how to make a kangaroo pocket (j'adore!)

- how to sew a dress lining 

I am happy with the results, especially with the School Photo Dress. I think I will make again. And Pernette too. I want to make one with lining.

Now I need to stock some invisible zippers in pink. Yeah... 

Brother Sewing Foot

Sudah lama kepingin bahas tentang sewing foot-nya mesin jahit saya, si Brother Innovis (NV) 30. 

Standar dari mesinnya ada 6. 

1. Zig zag foot (pied standard)
2. Buttonhole foot (pied boutonnière automatique)
3. Zipper foot (pied fermeture à glissière)
4. Overcasting foot (pied surfilage)
5. Blind stitch foot (pied outlet invisible)
6. Monogramming foot (pied points déco)

PS. I miss this one: Button sewing foot (pied pose-bouton). Harusnya yg ini saya juga dapat.

So far saya banyak memakai empat sewing foot pertama di list. Sisanya belum sempat dicoba. Namun tampaknya yang blind stitch foot harus dicoba dalam waktu dekat ini.

Kemudian, berhubung saya membutuhkan walking foot untuk beberapa project yang menggunakan banyak lapisan kain, plus project yang memakai bahan kain kulit sintetis, maka saya membeli walking foot di eBay UK. Ini adalah walking foot yang bukan original dari Brother sehingga harga jauh lebih murah (kalau tidak salah sekitar 12 EUR). Sedangkan kalau harga walking foot resmi Brother di sini antara 40 - 42 EUR. 

PS. Walking foot sangat oke untuk project menggunakan bahan kulit sintetis. Tadinya saya hampir beli teflon foot tapi batal karena dengan walking foot-pun sudah cukup. Demikian juga untuk menjahit bahan dari PUL (cloth diaper sewing) Jangan lupa sesuaikan bahan dengan jenis jarumnya ya...

Beberapa bulan yang lalu, saya melihat di forum lokal menjahit, ada seorang ibu yang mau menjual sewing foot Brother miliknya. Saya tertarik dan membeli 2. 

SA177/F054 Side cutter foot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ0uxut7zAA&list=UUjXNhEFm9WA5EtlZ25NZ4Dg

SA109/F014N Binding foot 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjVbhSNomb8

Sejauh ini saya belum menguasai si binding foot, hihi... Harus lebih banyak latihan lagi. Side cutter foot sangat keren hasilnya. Lebih rapi dibanding overcasting foot.

Dan saat ini sehubungan dengan kegiatan permak jahitan (hahaha…), saya memerlukan sewing foot ini:

SA126/F002N (7 mm) Narrow hemmer foot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=378O4qrSgn0

Ke depannya, saya ada project membuat pakaian anak dengan menggunakan invisible/concealed zipper. So, sewing foot ini juga akan berguna:

SA128/F004N Concealed zipper foot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkUtr_GI0-U&index=236&list=UUjXNhEFm9WA5EtlZ25NZ4Dg

Ok, sekian dulu. Kalau ada yang terbaru, saya akan revisi postingan ini. Ciao!

KCW October 2014

Hi!

Been absent for a while. It doesn't mean that I did not make any craft things or sewing things. I did. But I did not have much time to post in this blog. Feel free to visit my instagram @MoiSitha. I regularly post my handmade things in that account.

Meanwhile, just want to inform (or remind) you all. The next Kids Clothes Week will be started in October 20, 2014. I have just signed up. Join me, okay? Cool!

See you there!

Spring 2014

Been ignoring this blog for months, today I update a lil bit especially for gardening part.

Spring is coming! I am so excited and at the same time, worried. I might not have enough time to take care of this year' plants. But the weather is nicer compared to last year. So? 

Bref, I already planted some herbs as follows:

- chives (the last year's plant was regrowing but then getting ill - dead! A new one bought at Parc Floral)

- basil (big green leaves, bought at Parc Floral; citron, sowed from seeds)

- cilantro (sowed from seeds)

- mint (regrowed by itself)

I am still observing some plants: the origan, the lavender and the thyme. They look miserable but I don't know for sure whether they're dead or not >_<

Adopted from Salon des arts du jardin at Parc Floral:

- the basil & the chives mentioned above

- the Kale bleu

- the Jiaogulan (a new thing for me!)

Adopted from Botanic Orléans:

- cocktail tomato plant

- yellow cherry tomato plant

* this year, trying new varieties of tomatoes!*

Last week I sowed some other seeds like spring onion, marigold, Asian spinach, and... I already forgot the rest :( This year I don't take a note for what I planted/sowed. Terrible. Considering my poor memory, I should take some notes like before. 

Anyway, I'm glad that our Charlotte strawberry plants are nicely regrowing & now giving some flowers. Keep healthy, girls! (Charlotte is a girl, right? :)

PS. Photos will be uploaded soon after I come back home.

Atelier Kimchi

I got an opportunity to learn how to make kimchi from one of my Korean friends. And she is an experienced cook, her speciality is Korean and Japanese food. So I am lucky :D I learned a lot from her. And since three of us (the chef, me and one japanese friend) are coming from different culture, we also shared habits and informations related to cooking. Cool!

Thank you, chef! And sorry for using much of your homemade chili powder!

Yoga Mat Bag

Actually, this project was on the top of my holidays sewing list but I have just finished it now. Using one tutorial from Sew4Home, as suggested by my friend, I found that this bag was quite easy to make. Basically, it was just an usual tote bag but the straps were using cotton webbing. I received my cotton webbing yesterday from Ma Petite Mercerie so I could finish the bag this morning.

Now, my yoga mat has a home... :D

IndiVoyazz

This in the individual version of Voyazz which consists of 2 pockets. This version is smaller, of course. It might be more interesting for some people who needs a smaller organizer for their travel papers. We can put 2 passports inside, but that's the maximum.

Butternut soup with Champignons

Resep ini diambil dari kelas masak yang saya ikuti tahun lalu. Nama dalam bahasa aslinya adalah velouté de butternut aux champignons. Velouté merupakan sup krim yang sering kita temukan di... mana-mana :D Dan dalam resep ini, sup krimnya menggunakan butternut squash dan jamur champignon.

Resep untuk 6 orang (porsi untuk starter)

Bahan:

• 1 butternut, kupas, buang bijinya, cuci bersih dan kemudian potong-potong sebesar dadu
• 1 bawang bombay, iris tipis
• 1 liter kaldu ayam
• Jamur champignon (sekitar 20 yang besar, atau sesuai selera), cuci bersih dan iris-iris
• 1 siung bawang putih, cuci bersih dan iris halus
• Parsley (kurang lebih 2 tangkai, kalau fresh), cuci bersih dan iris halus
• 1 sdm fresh cream
• Minyak olive
• Garam dan merica

Cara memasak:

1. Dalam panci, tumis bawang bombay dengan sedikit minyak olive
2. Masukkan potongan butternut dan masak selama kurang lebih satu-dua menit sambil sesekali diaduk
3. Masukkan kaldu ayam, masak sampai mendidih dan sampai empuk
4. Sambil menunggu butternut, ambil pan dan tumis jamur dengan sedikit minyak olive
5. Umumnya, jamur akan mengeluarkan sedikit cairan sewaktu ditumis. Setelah cairan tsb menghilang, masukkan irisan bawang putih dan parsley, masak selama kurang lebih 5 menit sambil sesekali diaduk. Tambahkan garam dan merica secukupnya
6. Kembali ke butternut. Setelah butternut matang, matikan kompor kemudian gunakan hand blender untuk menghancurkan butternut di dalam panci. Kl tidak ada hand blender, coba dgn blender biasa
7. Setelah sup halus, tambahkan satu sendok makan fresh cream dan aduk rata. Bumbui dengan garam secukupnya (terkadang orang lebih suka rasa asli butternut yang yummy tanpa tambahan garam)
8. Cicipi baik sup maupun tumisan jamur sebelum disajikan. Tambahkan garam bila kurang
9. Gunakan piring saji cekung (atau mangkok juga boleh) dan tuangkan sup di dalamnya. Bila ingin menghias sedikit, teteskan beberapa krim di atas sup secara acak. Kemudian, letakkan sekitar 2 sendok makan jamur di tengah-tengah sup
10. Sajikan. 

1. 

Happy New Year!

Again, we meet a new year. Time flies quite fast, right?

At the new year's eve, as usual we made a family dinner. Just for of us. But this time, not serving Indonesian food, but Japanese! We made sushis. Before the sushis were served, we had a simple wakame soup as a starter. And the dessert? Chocolate cupcakes... :)

And today, I could finish my first sewing project in 2014, a pinky dress for my daughter. The pattern was from a Japanese sewing book: Vêtements amples à superposer by Mayuko Murata. It's the same book that I used to make two others (at previous posts). It seemed that I started to enjoy more the process because I already understood the basic techniques (from the book). 

Et voilà! Happy new year! May 2014 give us more time to sew! *it's a big dream for me ^_^*