Before the double

 { warning... long post.. many photos.... sew on ...}

 {free motion quilting}

{9 rings for being 9}

{ the quilting label}

{ smaller than the twin, but will allow S to take with her anywhere}

{sorry for all the blurry photos below, but she is happy}

 {number 9}

 {what did you write, mama?}

 {silly goose}

 { her birthday cake}

 {not everyday that S gets to stand on the table}

{celebrated birthday with aunt, grandma, Lucky via skype}

{02.04.2013}

First of all, thank you. thank you. thank you for all the supporting and so sweet comments that you sent in the last two posts. I have read them all, but lack of time to reply to you still.  I know you all are anxious to see photos of S' 9th birthday quilt. Sorry for all the teased photos from last few weeks.

It has been hard to work on this quilt and not let S' notice something different. I worked in late night hours or worked the time that I would be home alone while she was in school. Some of the days that I had to pretended that I was just sewing {something}.  As she passed by my sewing space, she would tell me that she wished that she has a quilt has that greens and that blues. I keep myself very quiet about this quilt's receiver and smile back to her then she moved on. I felt ashamed that I fell asleep on Saturday night and didn't get the quilt quilted on time then I had a thought that it might not be finished.....

Sunday morning when I began to free motion quilting, S saw the half the quilt open for the first time and was upset that the quilt is not for her and I had promised her a {blue and green quilt} last year.  I had to hold myself as hard as I can and apologized to her that I didn't have time to make one this time { It was hard to see some tears and I wished to spill the beans at that time}.

There are many thoughts that I have had put into this quilt for Stella.  Eight Turning nine is a magical stage and the age about self-identity as far as I see from S. It has been challenging to raise a super Americanized child when I grew up in a traditional Eastern culture.  As she grows a little older it gets harder. There's a scale in my mind that I try to balance out, but sometimes it doesn't work as I wish. Sometimes, I feel lost in the motherhood, since I am teaching her from what I know from my mom. Sometimes, I forget to open my ears to listen to her words. Sometimes, I forget that we needed to work together with the problems. Yes, and sometimes, I am a bossy mama and these are the times S exercises her independence rights. Each year, we would go through the cycle of "growth" together; happy and sad. Everyday is a new learning day for me from S and it is not easy for me sometimes.

S is fun, silly, and independent!  Growing up myself didn't have to "think" much as my parents take care of everything for me, but it is hard in my adult life that I have to learn everything from scratch in the harder way. Then becoming a mama, I wish  S could learn to take good care of herself while she is young.  We are the BFF she says all the time, but sometimes, she forgets that I am the mama who still takes great care of BIG things.. so on.. but She is a great kid! There are much of much stories that behind this blog that we have shared and some of them weren't the best stories.

There are many {thank. yous} that I have for her!  She is a great companion and number one cheer leader. She takes great care and watch out for her mama and teaches her mama being a {mama}. It is bitter and sweet to see she turns 9 today, but I am so proud!

With all the crazy sewing from last few days and her 9th birthday quilt finally was done. It felt really good when the quilt was hung by her bedside this morning. I wish you could have seen her when she enter our home and saw these balloons this afternoon. It was a great surprise for her because she asked a small package of balloons that she could blow them up herself instead. She turned around and gave me a firm hug! It was the appreciation type of hug! The hug that I will always remember and the smile that she had was very sweet and happy!  She counted the numbers of balloons and checked the colors of her favorite; greens and blues.

Slowly, she opened all the gifts that were sent by our friends. As she finished the last opening, I told her there's one more present that is { somewhere, but not here}. She wondered around.. and slowly walked in the bedroom, but didn't even see the quilt on the wall. Then when she made the second turn around she saw the quilt hung on the wall, she hopped on her bed and give the quilt a big hug then told me, {You are a REALLY good secrete keeper, mama}.  She, of course counted the quilt rings numbers!  She jumped on her bed, up and down.. more ups and downs jumping... then I told her that I have left a message for her in the back of the quilt. She slowly turned the quilt and read the message. Another firm firm hug from her...these hugs are priceless...

Later the afternoon, she celebrated her birthday with Aunt Fifi, Grandma, and Lucky via skype. The cross thousand miles of celebration was another highlight of Stella's first day of being 9.  She made a few requests to Grandma for her incoming summer visit to Taiwan and a few requests to Aunt Fifi. Of course, she made few barking sounds to Lucky.

To end the first day of S being nine was to {let the adventures begin}. As my schooling is coming to the end, there are many of many adventures that I like to take S with. We'll be celebrating her double birthday {somewhere, but not here}.

Thank you for checking in with us and {thank. you. so. much.} for your best wishes that sent to us. It warms up two souls here.


About the Quilt-

- Thank you, Jolene aka {blue elephant stitches} for letting me quilt along with her. Have you seen her quilt? It is so pretty with all the scraps that she used for her quilt.
- Quilt pattern: {Single Girl} by Denyse Schmidt
- Quilting pattern: free motion quilting by myself; the idea about the pattern is growing sprouts as my wish to  S grow healthy and happy.
- Fabric selections: I will try another post to list them out in order.

As you know that I have another single girl quilt top is done and I will be working on the backing now and much more sewing projects to share soon~

xxc