Patch Mania Sale!!!

Patch Mania fabric shop in Oeiras is having sale some of its fabrics. You can get for €7.50 per metre.

I was there on Saturday and enjoyed shopping and bought some yummy fabrics for my future projects. Grab the opportunity.

Galerias Alto da Barra, loja 119
Av. das Descobertas
2780-053 OEIRAS

Telephone: +351 210 967 359

Bad weather and good morning

This morning with the sun shining and after five minutes dark clouds came and rained and again the sun come out. The storm did not hinder our morning work. One of us just worried about laundry left outside for the morning sun.

Therese bought ready cut triangles from Ines's shop and wanted our suggestions how to put them together. Lovely colours and Therese kept sewing her triangles all morning and had some Bernina lessons from Ursula.

Ursula is keen to finish her UFO's. This is one of them and used many different methods. She took photos of Guincho beach and printed on the fabric, appliqued flowers and free motion quilting.

She put her name on the binding all by her sewing machine. It took her some time but it is a very interesting idea to label quilts.

Susan brought her arraiolos, a Portuguese carpet, to work on it. It is quite a big work, keep going Susan!



Photos and text by Javhlan

My sewing essentials box

As we know that we have to look after our tools properly. Mine was kept in several plastic boxes and every time when I need I have to look for them.

Finally, I decided to do treat myself and my tools. I shopped at designated sewing shops but I did not see many varieties.

My husband suggested that I have to look at sports shops for fishermen's boxes, where they keep their hooks and other equipment. I went to Decathlon and Sports Zone not many choices too. I did not like what they offered.

I thought I would go to Leroy Merlin, hardware store and my luck was there. You have seen these boxes at hairdressers. Of course, my younger daughter, who should be at creche but staying with mummy, loved too. When my older daughter saw it and she said that "Mummy bought a box to put her nailpolishes"

It was the perfect choice for me choosing a Dexter aluminum case. I put everything there what I do need for my craft. Now I can just take everything with me. I am ready crafting for a long time but only after my younger daughter gets better and goes to creche to enjoy herself and mummy.

Photo and text Javhlan

New ideas for spring

Now on Quilt Bar will be meeting every Thursday because my younger daughter started creche on 1 March. Ironically, during three weeks of March she attended only five days and the rest she was sick. Never mind, she will improve her immune system among her peers.

We had surprise visit from Susan. I had not seen her since last November and I have to tell her "Happy New Year! in March". She was traveling to the UK too many times to visit her first granddaughter. I hope she had some inspiration from Ann's books and we will see her more often with her quilting.

Ann was working on her notebook cover and she brought books about quilting. These books inspired us to plan or to think about our future projects. All Buttoned Up book was great for quick and easy projects. I already have some ideas and hopefully, one day I will make many things.

For that book Ann has plenty of buttons which she bought in Australia.

On that day Irene and I were lucky ones. Ann decided to give away her DMC threads to us. There were rainbow colours. Thank you Ann.

Irene was working on her nine block quilt, which involves quilting, embroidery and of course, chatting.


Photos Irene and Javhlan
Text Javhlan

Starting Again to Making My Bags

Last year I started making bags again. I do like to sew them and I intend to sell them too but without much success. Because many of them go to my friends as presents for which I am happy.

I do get ideas from my or friends bags and most importantly internet is my main source. I do like Lis Lam's site . She shares her passion of making bags with everyone. Recently, her passion became the book called The Bag Making Bible and now on sale in amazon. If you like making bags and look at her site and you will find many ideas for your unique bag.

My bags modeled by my 16 months-old daughter. I guess we all women whatever ages are we do love bags. The purple bag's fabric was present for me from Angela, who left Portugal many months ago and runs her quilt classes in the UK. The pattern was from Lis's site but I modified a little bit because of the handle.

I gave this bag recently to my friend as a birthday present. Hopefully, summer will arrive soon and she will enjoy her bag. I really enjoyed making this bag and as you can see my daughter loves too.

I think, this is Lis's pattern too. I made sometime ago and forgotten. My daughter is trying to take it away to be posed with it. I used my Pfaff's fancy stitches to make a little impact.

Photos and text by Javhlan

Birte's spring table runner

This weekend Birte sent to me a photo of her new spring project. And as the colour of this Easter will be violet, she picked fabric in this colour. It is a spring greeting from the cold places in Germany where the winter this year is really long. And a new and bright table runner makes us feel warm in heart and mind.
I love the flowers and the quilting.


post Ursula
photo Birte

Pillow case, box, bag and notebook cover and more surprise!

Thursday morning started to showing our work to each other. Cinzia made a pillow cake using fabric folding technique. She even did free motion quilting too.

Many ladies after Helen's charm bag workshop made three or more bags for their mothers, sisters, daughters or cousins. Ann made another patchwork charm bag using her Australian fabric. I think, this is her third bag.

Ann finished her box too. Around rim of the box she used fancy cord and button.

Some weeks ago Ursula taught to ladies how to make a sewing kit from Japanese Country Quilt book. After making for herself a sewing kit and teaching others she decided to make a wall hanging for her rulers and cutting mats. This was a very big surprise! Her free motion quilting was wonderful. It was a very good idea to make a very special wall hanging for your special tools.

Thursday morning Helen taught ladies how to make a notebook cover. Ann, Ursula and Cinzia followed her instructions to make covers. Ann used a very pink fabric and pink ribbon to make a cover. To close it she used button.

Cinzia decided to use pale blue fabric for her notebook. Her notebook will be buckled.


Ursula's choice was black and white fabrics . At the end of the day she send me an email with finished notebook covers. I will show you next time finished project.

Making little animals

My day to day time job is looking after my kids and making for them something interesting. I recently made for my girls little stuffed animals.

If I could find hippo and lion pattern I would like to make Madagascar's four friends. My older daughter loves the film. As you guessed Zebra is already called Alex and giraffe is Melvin. She will hold zebra and giraffe and sing "I like to move it, move it"

Posted by Javhlan

Visiting Rome

I had couple of days off from my family and went to Rome alone to visit my sister. Last Saturday morning the weather in Portugal was not pleasant to fly. I had cough and my younger daughter had fever. It seemed like that everything was against me leaving but with my husband's encouragement I left for Rome. Only 30 minutes delay, an Airbus took off and flight was very smooth and I landed in Rome safely.

Before leaving I made for my sister a little box as a present. This is my second box that I made using Linda Johansen's book on making fabric boxes. My sister was delighted to have this little present.

When in Rome do as the Romans do. This saying is originated from 387 A.D when St Ambrose visited Milan and he commented on its church service. I have to follow the saying.

Before leaving Portugal I told myself that I had to eat pizza and ice cream. I do think that Italian ice cream is the best in the world after trying couple of time during my previous visits to Rome. They even have ice cream university in Bologna. On my first night I had pizza Margarita and on my last night in Rome I had ice cream.

Shopping was the must to do in my agenda. My sister, Temuulen, was my driver for two days. She recently started driving and was a very good "a taxi driver" for me. She was not expensive because for two whole days service we had two lunches together and we spoke only Mongolian.

The funniest thing that happened to us was that when we entered to a shopping centre and everybody was directed to go a level down. My sister saw an empty spot and she told a guy, who was directing, in Mongolian about the spot. He understood her Mongolian and let us to park our car. Only when I told her that she used her mother tongue she kept laughing.

Shop in Rome

Streets in Rome are full of motobikes and mopeds. This one was not used to ride but it invited people to come to have cappuccino. We had two cups of cappuccino and cakes and had relaxing afternoon after long day of shopping.

Another Italian signature is Fiat's Cinquecento, which was awarded "European Car of the Year" in 2008. They were plenty of them all different colours of rainbow running in Rome's streets but this one was parked in the centre of the city and had on its dashboard with little models of cinquecentos.

After long day of strolling in cobbled streets of Italian capital we decided to have relaxing talk and sipping coctails at the hotel Exedra in Rome, when Dalai Lama visits to Rome stays there.


My entertainment finished and I am back to my normal life - cooking, cleaning, looking after my children, husband and the dog. Of course, doing my hobbies...

Text and photos by Javhlan