Random: Handmade & Holidays

 { a place we sit, knit, snuggle, watch movies, watch snow falling..and more}

 { time to play and read}

 { a new simple tote}

 {IKEA fabric is really sweet}

 { totes for books, winter gears, groceries and more}

 { S' kin-cha-ku}

 {S' magic wand}

{S' garment}

{12/26/2012}

This morning we saw rainbow in the sky, but it wasn't raining. It was lightly snowing from the sky. We never seen rainbow in snowing days. It was really pretty and made me think of magic.  The weather is warmer today than last few days and the sun was bright and shine.  S and I have been lazy resting in the couch a lot this week. We shared cheese and crackers; we knit together; watch movies; play games. It is really the best time that I could recall all year around. 

While I was sewing a new tote, S set up her reading tent. Due to our limited space here, she can only set up her tent during the long holiday break. If we have a warmer floor I am sure she'd love to camp in the living room.   She layers lots quilts inside the tent, so she can have a little cushion under the hard and cold floor.

The new tote is super simple to make. It is 17"x21" and the base is 4" wide.  We have a stack of totes at home.  They are super handy for any purpose. The new tote fabric was light woven and just seem the right fabric for another all purpose tote. 

S' kin-cha-ku... She is loving her kin-cha-ku aka drawstring bag. The only part that's different from last few kin-cha-ku is I made a handle for her to carry {will have a full post on S' kin-cha-ku later, so you can see the back of her bag}.

S received a  handmade wooden magic wand from our dear friend. Eight surly is an age of adventures and seeking magical stories. It is fun to hear her retell stories that she reads and introduces these characters to me.  I am preparing that she might ask for a wizard's cape anytime soon...

Garment for S was finished the day before the 25th. While I was cutting the pattern pieces, I thought it is going to be easy, but I was confused on the neckline hemming part and tear down a couple of times. It is the best  pajamas that I have made for her. She has been wearing it all day and loving the cozy flannel. Of course, she needs another set or two. She has outgrown the ones that I made for her three years ago or longer.

This year, I truly enjoy the handmade holiday. I found myself enjoy making gifts for friends and S more than anything. It makes me feel good that I could make something for friends and families. I didn't get myself anything for the holiday. It seems like that I don't need anything, BUT fabric.   However, I allow myself to enjoy all the good food, cookies, and chocolate that send by our friends. It might be a problem when I return to normal schedule. I would miss all the great time that I just talked above.  Holiday Season continues at {1/4" mark house}... 

xxC

star quilt of hers

I have been trying to organizing my photo folders lately. I came cross the photo that I took last year. This is the 7th birthday quilt that I made for her when she was 7. She requested {pink}. It is almost the time to pull this quilt out for the valentine's day.  Just though that last year, we had so much snow, but this year we barely have any! wish a quick Spring time! 

Quilt: {In the patch}

{finally} I finished this {mini nine-patches} quilt! I though I started in last December, but I was wrong. It was started in September 2010, then October 2010, then put away  for sometime, then November pass, December 2010 came then January 2011 then it sat nicely and sweetly in the {w.i.p.} pile for the next 11 months. I have had tought time to decided what the backing fabric should be and how the backing should look like. It was not easy on this one!

I knew wanted something {summer.y} and {clean}. I love the season of the Fall, but you probably don't know I love rainy days and sound of the rain! Growing up I love listening to the raindrops and love typhoons; it is similar to the tornado here, but it won't blow houses away, but it can brings lots rain , strong wind, and cause major damage in the mountain area and typhoon is the only unexpected situation the government and schools would call off . I remember we siblings got to stay home and cuddled under the blankets with a good movie and bento boxes{ lunch boxes} mom made the night before school. Um.. all the good memories!

Finally this week I pieced the backing and pin down the quilt then sat in my sewing room for 4 hours and watched 2 movies! It is done! It was very challenging! The quilt is big on the machine than I expected! I might need a wider table to lay the quilt on or I might need to use a roller?! {suggestions?}  My hands were very sore after the quilting! BUT!  All the hours and work have paid off!!

Woke up on Thursday morning I debated if I should machine binding or hand binding. I went with hand-binding again. It took another 3 hours to bound the whole quilt. Of course I was up for other things during this time.  It was just relaxing had my coffee and had S sat by me and we watched a great movie together.

My inspiration for photography is from this amazing quilt . Thanks to the snow falling on Wednesday night! The bright white snow helped out the photos. I had to jumped up high to get the quilt on the tree and glad no one was around watching me. It was 20 degree without any of my gloves, um.. it was cold! freezing!

I love all the {mini nine patch} within the blocks. This quilt is for {ME}. The last quilt I made for myself was 3 years ago. Recent years, I have been making quilts for friends and S. I wanted a quilt just for {me} and enough to cover my new bed and brighten myself! .Of course I will share with S when she gets up in the early mornings and wanted to snuggled with me before school.

{the quilt finished in 68"x80"}

After machine quilt this giant quilt! I am feeling more comfortable with machine quilting. I have some good senses about stopping the machine and pick it up again. The quilting stitches are pretty equal length now. It is the matter of how do I handle the large quilt now. 

 The shadow on the snow is just simple and calm ! I was glad catch it before I stepped away!

The binding fabric is from my stashes {random and bright}! Finally I got the math for the binding yardage! I used the exact fabric strips this time!

So! This is my last {w.i.p.} in 2011! I have done them all! I will soon start on S' 8th birthday quilt and continue {farmer's wife quilt along} blocks, a quilt for mom's 60th birthday { I have my eye on Anna Marie's Horner's new fabric line, a quilt for my dear friend who will be turning 50  next September then maybe a quilt for myself again?? I will slow down and make a simple plan before 2012 arrives! And you?


It is a great feeling about {accomplished} things from the year round {to-do} list and able to see some  cross off marks. {I feel lighter}! Although I gained so much weight physically! The lightness is from the things that have been cross off and been {done}. One of my commit professor met with me about my work before school ended. He mentioned to me that I get bored easily and have new ideas all the time, but he asked me try to stick with one idea and develop into something that will excited me again. My interpretation on that is {focus}! I need to learn to {focus} on each project I created and each duty that I am in! I am pushing that limited and it has been a pretty good impact since! I am smile and glad! Happy Friday to you all~ I am sitting in my living room and watching the snow falling at this moment!

xxC

Sound of Music

 

This week I finished two quilts! It was a little huslted when I was trying to finish them before this Tuesday. One of the quilt was bound off on Tuesday Morning. You probably didn't know that I had to run so many errands on the same day.  It has been crazy, but good feelings! 

There are many friendly people we have met and helped us out! There are people we stay in contact and truly build up the friendship with us. I can't image without these friendship how our life would have been! S has been with three piano teachers thus far! We are having an amazing and very talented piano teacher now! It is amazing how much time  that she spends with S and challenging her as much as she could! She is also the kind of teacher hope their students {make music}! I waited a VERY long time to ask her what she is having! I was very shy to ask if she is expecting until her belly is out enough that I could ask.  Then I found out she is having a baby girl a week ago when we went out and had coffee. Since we both teach in the university we have many common talks about classes and how do we handle different student situations. She is awesome! Since it was the final week, I couldn't do much about making the quilts! I waited finished my own finals then started this quilt!

The  ticker tape quilt  is {awesome}! Thanks to {Amanda Jean's }fabulous tutorial. I was able to finished it on the same night! The quilt finished in a fat quarter size! I am saving the other fqt. for S. While I was making she kept telling me how fun and pretty it is! I knew that means { mommy can you make one for KIKI}. I am sure I will make staying up and making another one before Sunday Morning comes.

 the drum was less than 1" wide. 

 Mr. solider was being saved!  The smaller piece was less than 1" ! I have so many {little. tiny. bitty} scraps being saved!

The ticker tape quilts goes to {Goldie}. It is a little retriever that S picked out to go with the quilt. I though it is very cute and fun! I am sure the little Goldie will enjoy her own quilt very much!

The baby quilt top original looks like above. Used lots scraps and patchwork look; very simple. The quilt top was on the sewing room wall for a few days, but I wasn't able to convince myself this  a quilt top! I kept thinking, there is something missing! few days later..

I knew I wanted something musical, but in a modern way look. While S was writing her music that I came up with the ideas of simply {staff}.

The gray lines are symbolic of the {staff} in music. I was able to find some gray in my stashes and it really turns out nice! I love love how each print coordinated each other.

The bottom squares are measured 2"x2". They are symbolic of the notes from the music. I think I made extra one! {C.D.E.F.G.A.B.}

I really felt in love with the simple color quilt lately! It is amazing how they actually stands out on its own more. The pink binding just help out the quilt a lot!

Both quilts and Goldie are in a new home now and I know they will be treasured and put in good use! This is one of the gift that needed time attention to work on! I am pleased with the quilts and more so the process of making the quilts!

Lately, I have been in love of making baby quilts. Today I just heard from a friend that they are expecting a baby next year! um.. I am already planning in my head about this quilt! It will be another surprise gift again. Making baby quilts allow me to treasure and celebrate the new life  is/ will arrive and I am happy for my friends! Appreciate friends who extended their good friendships!



xxC

The Joyful Quilt

 

My right eye decided to stop function properly at the beginning of this week.  Little did I know about take good care of my body such as my eyes ( even though I am pretty grown up!) I overly using my eyes lately! I had to visited the doctor yesterday and finally I am seeing things better today. I was amazed that I got this quilt finished today! This is the first quilt that I have ever completed in a short time frame! 

This is the wreath pattern that measure 6"x6" for each block! However, my first measurement cuts and the second measurement cuts had about 1/8" difference mistakes. I had to just let go with the perfect match: corner to corner. I struggled with it while I was piecing the whole piece together. I knew next time I need to have better plan ahead.

 

The looping quilting has been my quilting pattern lately! I really like the curly look! It is so fun, but I had two needles broke while I was quilting. The quilting foot wasn't secure enough, so it dropped twice. I did have a dent in the foot and decided to clean the foot last night right away. Later on the quilting  went well!

Isn't this image fun? I haven't done photographing quilts outside for a  very long time. I happened found this concrete wall next to the department and though it might be just fun to photography it from a hard: soft contrast!

The backing was from Michael Miller's that I found here. It was on sale when I got it! The backing just very simple with the entire birds.

I though it is just cute and joyful! I ordered extra fabric because I am starting a Holiday quilt collection!  I know it is crazy that I am planning stash up MORE {fabric}.

 I drive cross this bridge everyday! It is so pretty under the bridge right now!  The river was very dirty in the summer time and never wanted be close by, {BUT}

I did today! It was fun to walk on the hard {river}. It is so icy and I barely can walk around without paying good attention. The quilt seems fit well on top of the ice river!

I choice Denyse Schmidt's Picnic and Fairground: tile for the binding! I am happy I have a joyful quilt to snuggle up this season! Are you having/making a joyful quilts on the other side of the world?

note: This post has link up with crazy mom quilts

xxC