Kualè Girl Designs

Friday Give-Away — Two $20 Gift Certificates

2009-07-25T06:44:00.005+08:00

Congratulations to #4 Wendy Culbreath for winning the last week’s gorgeous 1930s fat quarters. Thanks again to Jane’s Fabrics for the donation.

This week’s Friday give-away is two $20 gift certificates from Sheree’s Alchemy in Texas. See below for your chance to win.

Sheree’s Alchemy is a one stop creativity shop, specializing in unique, hard to find vintage, European and Japanese import fabrics as well as new domestic designer quilter’s cotton fabrics. They also carry a selection of vintage and new patterns, buttons and trims. They specialize in unique/one-of-a-kind fat quarter bundles!

Check out their web site and they have a blog too.

Excerpts from here.

* * * * *

So what are you waiting for people... There are two opportunities for you to win one of the $20 gift certificates: leave a comment here and/or sign up for Sheree’s newsletter. Contest closes Thursday, July 30, 2009. Two winners will be randomly chosen; one from the blog comments and one from the newsletter subscribers. Double your chances by doing both. I have done both, so wish me luck...

100 Craft Links

2009-07-23T22:25:00.005+08:00

Kualè Girl has been featured in 100 Craft Links, the BEST CRAFT SITES on the web!

Please take note that by the time you click on the above image, I am sure that the link has been dropped; cuz new links are displayed at the top, and the oldest links on the list are dropped.

You can add yours too! But make sure that your site is craft related before posting it. All postings not related to crafts will be deleted and not allowed to post again.

p/s Although Kualè Girl Designs is rather new to some especially local crafters, but I ain't new in the blogosphere and more importantly, in the crafting world. So please bear with me if you find some weird words in this site as I am also a blogger in reality *glurp* So do not be afraid to ask :~)

puteri's tote bag

2009-07-13T09:46:00.003+08:00

I sew quite a number of items this past few days. One of them is this tote bag for my Puteri, that I have just completed it yesterday. For other items, I guess I will post about it in a different blog post from time to time, for your easy viewing pleasure.

Actually Puteri has been begging me to sew a tote bag with this Ikea fabric for quite some time. She requested me to sew it with the exact sizes like a Barbie PVC tote bag that someone bought for her when she was small. Finally she looks so happy when I showed her this—

I shall dubbed this as a medium sized tote bag. Its finished size is 10¾" width X 12¾" high X 3½" depth; while the straps are 1" width X 22" long.

Take a peek at the inside part of the bag. It is fully lined with interfacing and cotton fabrics.

Do email me if you wish to have this kind of tote bag as well. Maybe we shall custom made it with other different colour of cotton fabrics for the lining i.e. blue, green, yellow, pink or black; just nice to match with the main fabrics. I still have some stocks of this fabric though.

Anyhow, I am in the mid of making some of this type of tote bag to be sold, but with different fabric designs. So make sure you watch this blog for more info soon.

By the way have you join Kualè Girl Designs' Facebook page? One thing for sure you will get the privilege to view Kualè Girl's completed items before anybody else!

Fat Quarter World & me...

2009-07-13T05:43:00.008+08:00

I found out about Fat Quarter World from quilting magazines that I bought i.e. Quilts and more. I eventually have been browsing thru their site and the selections of fabrics and sewing tools that they have are awesome... I just can't resist my eyes!

I have just placed some fabric orders with them earlier this morning though. We'll see of how long it will take to reach me.

I thought that you already have so many fabrics on hand?

Ya... it's true that I have too much fabric, but what quilter doesn't? I like so many different colours and prints that it is hard for me to narrow down my choices.

I normally buy anywhere from 3—5 metres of any fabric or colour fabric I like, but I must really like it. If I like the fabric and I know it is hard to find, I don't want to be looking for it later. Well sometimes it will be depends on the price as well.

I collect butterfly prints. Not only do I like the butterfly shapes, but I really love the colors that these prints usually include. Because this is a collection, I don't need lots of any one print, rather I like to buy 1 metre of anything I like. This (collection) actually started when I joined quilt block swaps with my online friends. They would send me butterfly fat quarters in return. Over the years I have acquired quite a collection. You wanna help me to add my collection?

I actually hate to cut up some of my favourite fabrics. I just like to look at them in my closet, move them around once in a while and think about how I might use them one day. It is a sickness, I know, but I just can't stand the thought of not having it anymore. I would like to hear about how other quilters or hobbyist deal with their fabric obsession.

About Kualè Girl Designs

2009-07-06T18:29:00.004+08:00

About the Bags

Each and every Kualè Girl Designs bag in my collection is a handcrafted gem! Far from being mass-produced, I design and sew each of them, one at a time. Quantities are limited, and once I am out of stock of a particular fabric, it is often the case that I'm unable to find it again. So, if you spot a Kualè Girl Designs bag that you love, don't wait too long to order it—you may never see it again!

The photos included here are representative of the various bags I make. An individual bag may vary slightly from the photo shown here. For instance, a bag may turn out slightly different due to the "repeat" of the fabric design (this is especially true in toile fabrics, which usually incorporate several different scenes, only one or two of which will be seen in a single bag). Occasionally I need to substitute buttons, zippers, or handles that are slightly different from the ones shown in the photo. However, most of these changes are hardly noticeable and don't affect the overall look or appeal of the bag.

About Kualè Girl and How Kualè Girl Designs Got Started

I have been sewing since I was in form one home science class. My grandma was an accomplished seamstress. My mom and my aunt used to make some of our clothes. So I guess sewing is in my blood. And at some point along the way, I told everyone that I wanted to be a home science teacher when I grew up! *glurp*

I ended up scrapping that idea and went on to do my own things instead. But I love to sew and continued to do as much as I could whenever I could, teaching myself new techniques and expanding my horizons along the way. I made my first quilt, over 10 years ago when my second child was a baby. I also started to made my first bag, but unfortunately I can't remember of when was that. Pretty soon lately I found myself making more because I never seemed to have enough on hand. I'd make a bag and use it for something, and pretty soon it became dedicated to a specific purpose (like a meeting bag, or library bag, or travel bag, etc.). Then the next time I needed a bag for something, they were all already being used for something, so I'd have to make a new one! Then I realized what great gifts bags are, so I started making bags to give to family and friends. It wasn't until later that I found that I could adapt what I'd been doing with making totes to make purses for myself, too.

In the meantime I was collecting all kinds of beautiful fabrics. I wasn't always sure what I was going to use them for, but I had to have them. When recently, I had to clean out my stuff, and that's when I first realized just how much fabric I had! It was time to do something constructive with all of it. I was also at a point in my life when I needed a new challenge and a creative outlet. I'd always wondered if I could make something that someone else would want to buy, so I started making tote bags and handbags to sell—and that's how Kualè Girl Designs got started.

So now Kualè Girl Designs is a full-fledged one-woman enterprise with some different product lines. I design and sew each Kualè Girl Designs all myself, from cutting the fabric at the beginning to making the hangtag to attach at the end. I make my own patterns. I managed and maintain this site myself, do my own bookkeeping, and . . . you get the idea. Like most entrepreneurs, I wear a lot of hats (well, all of the hats). I juggle my bags business with my work as a mom. It's a lot of work, but it's challenging, rewarding, and fun.

Anyway, thank you for your interest in my handmade bags and how I got my start. If you have any questions about anything, you can email me at:

kuale.girl@gmail.com

You can also send an email to this address if you'd like to be placed on my mailing list. I'd be happy to keep you updated on changes on the Kualè Girl Designs website: new items, bag options, promotions, and more!

Thanks for visiting!

Kualè Girl
Owner, Kualè Girl Designs

my b&w butterfly drawstring backpack

2009-07-04T16:59:00.014+08:00

This drawstring backpack is inspired by Barri Sue Gaudet's pattern.

It took me about 3 to 4 days to complete this backpack. I brought it along with me during my morning routine today. The main reason was that I wanted to show-off my first handmade backpack to my friend Ms Tung! That’s mine of course! I sew it according to my likes as per Megat. He is 100% correct. That’s one best thing about handmade item; where you can do as whatever you wished, and it will be one-of-a-kind! I used black and white butterfly cotton from Ikea. I simply lurve this fabric when I first saw it; because it is full of butterflies... my favourite!

This backpack is about 15" X 16" with 29" X ¾" straps. I machine-stitched patchwork squares for the front part, and added two butterfly hand-appliquè that I cut from the same fabric. It also has a 7" X 4" flap pocket with velcro.

While for the back part, I simply cut a big square piece of the same fabric.

A close-up view of the front part.

This bag is fully lined with 100% plain blue (my favourite colour) cotton from Ikea as well. Besides that, it is also filled with polyester batting and muslin inter-lining.

Coming-up: Pictures of "In-the-Mood" handbags collections by Kualè Girl, which are for sale. Here's a sneak peak of them anyway...

Tote Bag— Ben 10

2009-05-26T10:24:00.001+08:00

My son's birthday is coming soon. So since he gonna be 10 this year, everything is gotta be... "Ben 10"!!! hehee...

I bought him a Ben 10 bedsheet set a few weeks ago, that consists of bedsheet, a pillow case and a bolster case. Since we do not use bolster, I thought its better if I turned it into a tote bag instead then... voila!

I had to made this when he was out in school or at night. So basically he do not know nothing at all about this project. I just hope that he will like it ;)

Here's some info about this tote bag:

Finished Size: 12¼" width X 12½" high X 5 5/8" deep
Other: with full interfacing, fully lined and its reversible.

Do not feel hesitate to email me for further queries and clarifications, to make a custom handmade bags as this one. Or else, do join me on my Facebook page here!

Welcome...

2009-05-13T18:30:00.000+08:00

Thanks for visiting Kualè Girl Designs! I hope you'll enjoy browsing through my delightful collection of boutique-style fabric handbags, shoulder bags, totes, drawstring backpacks, bags for kids, and accessories, all handcrafted from a wide assortment of bright and whimsical prints, classic toiles, and colourful home decorating fabrics.

Each and every Kualè Girl Designs in my collection is a handcrafted gem! Every one comes with a custom-designed hangtag, featuring my quilt blocks, ready for gift-giving. Kualè Girl Designs make wonderful gifts — at birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, baby showers, graduations, going-away parties, or "just because" occasions — for a loved one, special friend, or even yourself!