Almost Winter...

It feels so cold this whole week here! It is still wet and cold! We pulled out the woolie blanket and comforter  beginning of the week, but still cold! There's always a say that Winter arrives on the day of Halloween here, and I hope it will not come till later the year. I would like more warm and sunny days and more days that I could spend sometimes outdoor. Let me keep my toes crossed for all the good sunny days!

After a year moved in our home, my eyes aren't as sharp as when we first moved in, but I did make a few notes on things that could be improved and updated as I noticed. Finally, this week is the week that I have most of them done! New ceiling fan in the bedroom that provided some room light, finally. New freshly painted laundry room where no more ugly stains and sad wall space and where I hung a little patchwork piece on the wall, just because! Then finally some counter stools arrives for our kitchen and you know this is the moment that I have asked myself why I waited so long to purchased the stools. Oh, I could have a little house warming party anytime now! Who is coming?

I have had a very lovely birthday! A sweet and far away package arrived from a dear friend. There was a little tweet bird she made, a handmade birthday card, and a really sweet vintage apron. Oh, I tried it on, but it is too precious for me to wear it everyday when I cook. The birthday cake was made by S, without any help from me. It was so nervous hearing all the sounds from upstair and try to figure out what she was trying to do; Oh, relax mom! That's the last sentence before I heard the oven sound beeping. It was a delicious cake! The icing is just sweet! Maybe had two cups of sugar instead of one? I might over dose the cake, since I was the one ate the most of it. yum!

Oh this year's birthday, I purchased a floor lamp for the studio. It is such a needed purchase, but I wasn't sure if I should get it, but I talked to myself, "I need a new light and yes, I should get it!" After visited three hardware stores, finally found the one match the space {68"tall instead 72"}!

The only lighting in the studio is located in the center of the ceiling, however it was behind the station where I sit and sew. It didn't provided any good lighting during the night time. I have been using the machine light and a table light for sewing. It is quiet hard to do all from limited light sources at nights. I am already satisfy with this gift to myself. It will help out with the incoming winter days when the studio is gloomy and dark. Then I ordered a few fabric prints that I have been thinking about. These fabric prints are probably a few years old, but I love some older prints that still available.

While some house projects being crossed off. I've started a {new project}. I decided to rearrange the fabric stashes like how the fabric shops do. I am not sure how the stash arrangements would turn out, but I am hoping it would give more options for storage space and maybe a better set up. It will be so nice to have a new look in the studio space. Oh, let's see how this projects turns out in a few weeks.

Meanwhile, I made little patchwork pieces to keep my hands busy and gave myself some time to sit down and really just some self time. I can't tell you how fulfilled I am lately! Taking another step forward to being another year older! It is actually great and quiet awesome at the same time!
For the new year, I wish myself to be courageous like I was in my 20's, early 30's, but add a little wise and compassion elements to that. oh, indeed extra cheers to myself!

I really would like to {Thank you} for all the lovely comments on S' birthday quilt! Somehow, I had a though to keep the quilt up on the wall. I am quiet proud for finish up the quilt still! and you know S is quiet happy, still! She is quiet funny, always! Sometime, growing up could be painful because not always goes the way that she likes, but it is what life learning is all about!

Meanwhile, we'll keep learning and keep us busy... to the end.. all is good and all is well!

xxc

Hello! It's autumn season...

{Asian Pears: gifts from my dear friend}

{w.i.p. : farmer's wife sample from 1920. 

Total of 66 blocks finish and just need another 30 plus to finish. 

I can do this right?}

{decision, decision, decision...} 

{adding up basic prints}

{Actually the bread, didn't rise up as it described from the book?

 still not sure what did I forget to add or miss, but tasted so good} 

 { Best bread, ever}

 {my small world quilt}

 {You've guessed right! Its DONE} 

With some cool air coming in last few weeks; the oven has been quiet busy for all the treats and bread making.  Don't let me trick you. It was the banana bread batter in that fancy cake molding I got it from Julie for my birthday one year and have used it once before then it has been stored away for years { It is a super heavy baking pan}. The mini banana breads are are all gone by now! For some reason, it tastes better than when it was baked off as a loaf?! I know that did sound crazy with all the same ingredients and temperature in the oven.  I must said it is perfect size for an afternoon snack and when cut around the ring, it was just a nice mouth bite size!

S' quilt is done! { Yes, you just hear my cheers???} The binding was attached on yesterday afternoon then hand-bound off last night! It was a perfect night for hand-binding. The air was cool and I was under the quilt all night. I have lots thinking moments while I was binding the quilt and big relieved after its all done! It was after 12 a.m. when I looked up the clock; it was late, but worth every single bit of effort to accomplished it! The other room was quiet by the time when I finished the quilt, so I quietly fold up the quilt and went downstair get a drink of water.  I'll be hand-writing a birthday letter, as I have done every single year and photograph the quilt then put in the room for the special birthday girl.

The quilting part is such a challenging, since it is a big big big big big BIG BIG quilt for a small sewing throat. It took two days for finish quilting part and used 7 fully winded bobbins. Total of 3 thread breaking down, and zero needle break up.

I feel like making my way catch up all the projects that I am behind and trying so hard to avoid starting any new ones, but I have to add one baby quilt. The fabrics have pull out and it will be a simple nine-patch quilt. I am thinking a roughly 35"x35" for the baby then will hand-quilt it. For some reason, I like to make baby quilt in around 50"x50", but it is actually too big to use!  But, I do love to see them dragging the quilt when they turn into toddler stage.

My also have join the Farmer's wife 1930 quilt along. Oh, yes! It is hosed by Kerry aka {verykerryberry}. You can read all it {here}. I have not start the block making as I am having a bit of dilemma with fabric choices here! I think something sweet and floral? or something pink and gray? um.. {just not sure}. I really would like to make this sampler quilt different from the 1920's and maybe this is making the fabric choices a bit challenging...

The week goes by so quick now! My sewing time is limited due to new changes of the new school year and lots drives on the freeway! It seems like finding that weekly pattern and organizing everything for myself is the key.

Oh and that freeway driving! I'd say a piece of cake now! { giggled}

xxc

Quiet time

Do you remember the first time you travel or even school field days? My very first school field trip happened in my first grade and the location was the big green grass inside the school. You might not know that schools in Taiwan has walls and gates around the school property and students access their way within school. I remembered weeks before first school filed trip, I would talked over and over at our dinner time. I asked mother and father if I can buy any treats and bring them to school. Of course, I always asked to be sit still and finish dinner. Likely the same conversation taken over and over next few nights, but I never get the answer if I can buy treats to school. I remembered, maybe was the night before that I asked father again, he smiled and handed me 50 dollars (which is around USD1.50). You might think with all that money what can I get. Actually back then I could buy lots treats and still have changes to send back to father. I remember I bough all my favorite kinds of treats that mother always said, NO! I got two chocolate bars, two small bags of chips, and maybe a bottle of drinks.

Then as I get older school field trip would taken a little further away from the city. The last school field trip was before the high school graduation. It was 4 hours away from my hometown and we got to spend two nights in the local village and had dinners with classmates. It felt quiet growing up at the time and yes, this time father sent 2000 dollars with me, which was about USD 95.  I think I spent USD 10 and bought all kinds of treats; yes, more chocolate bars and more soda pop cans and the rest of changes sent back to father when I returned from the trip.

Oh, believed me this was just the start of my travel journey. I never pictured myself travel so much when I was a kid! I always though I will stay in the house I grew up and lived in that same place till I am a hundred year old. But one thing that I didn't predict is that once you start something fun you never want to see it ends!  I think that description is closer to who I am and how I see life in my little perspective!

As of last week, I put a note for taking long break from the part-time job. I am in preparing of our trip to visit family oversea and needed the time to slow down. I didn't write a long list for what to accomplish or to achieve, but I knew that I like to get half sandwich quilt top done first then the birthday quilt. Oh, how did I not think about the time frame for making the quilt. The half sandwich quilt has total of 100 blocks and involved 800 half triangle squares and plus the trimming. Each day of last week, I was able to sew for 5 hours on blocks then another 2 hours pressing and trimming.  I am so very satisfied when I put all the assembled rows together and gave it a nice gentle press. Oh, it is a huge quilt! The backing will be a fun concept; lots wording for sure!

I hoped to get to S' birthday quilt, but I have trouble to walk away the #mysmallworldqal  {My small world Quilt Along}. You can read all the detail information at Kerry's blog aka {verykerryberry}
The most attractive reason for this quilt that I decided to follow along is the idea of small world that were shared!  After learning this quilt will be all the small piecing throughout I just can't resist! I plan to hand-quilting the entire quilt after the quilt top is completed! Most of all the pattern instructions are so well written. I like how this quilt is break down to sections and parts. It makes so much sense for someone like me; reading instruction step by step. I prepared my blocks by following each part's diagram. I didn't jump ahead and cutting all of them. To be so honest with you. I get confused with all the pieces I just cut! I didn't specifically pull any fabrics out for this quilt, but use some of my favorite prints. I combined some fussy cuts in the window prints and some random cuts. It is nice to make some mixed randomness to the quilt. I plan to apply same to other parts of this quilt as well. Well, it is ok to get clutter around the space once in awhile.

There are also few small accomplishments from the week. I finished two mini dumplings and they are so perfect for the trips and little things. I will be taking one for Fifi aka my sista, so she can put her little things in that. I finished so many patchwork piecing and started quilting them. They are in my backpack now, so maybe I can try to hand-quilt them this time while we are waiting for our flight.

This is actually an unexpected trip as I planned a road trip to West coast this summer, but with all the happening at home. It seems a top priority and important to see family. We'll do the road trip next time. There's always next time and I think the west coast friends will still be there when we come visit.

It has been really challenging two years after graduate school. I am not able to explain some of the disappointments that I have to myself, but I have learned and failed so much since then. Sometimes, I do feel all the people around me are judging me, but I think truly that I am the one put the judge filter in front of my own face. I think that finding self-compassion still on my top of list and getting out of the depression time is important as well. Meanwhile, I will continue create, sew, sell my works, and some patterns for the future. Finding my own voice is important and that new balance I try to keep up is slowly making process! I hope you all will still be here to keep me motivate and support me like you have always been!

The house is all pick up and the last load of laundry has finished this morning! Luggages are packed and the fridge is empty. Since I determined to travel light this time. The laptop will stay home, therefore I will not be able to blog at all this summer until we return. It is a piece heavy hardware to take with me, since I am getting older!  I will be posting  photos via Instagram and you can find me at quarterinchmark or you can check out the photos on the blog sidebar.

I have {The Daffodil Joy Quilt} finished and packed away. The post is scheduled ready for you next week and if time allows, I will get the another post up on the little patchwork tote that I finished for a little friend of mine that I will be meeting this summer.

Meanwhile, I hope you have a wonderful summer:
Soak up so much sunshine as you can!
Drink lots sun tea
Enjoy lots fresh summer veggies and fruits!


On the other hand....

I will be...
-Soak up way too much sun and get burn
-Drink lots bubble tea and get sick
-Enjoy lots summer veggies and fruits and probably ask father if I can stay till I'm a hundred year old
-Get lots Lucky kisses and want to bring him back
-Much cousins time and probably will get into some little troubles since we'll joke badly about our parents
- Best of all, I will be home! And you know "Home is where everyone belongs"!!

I need this, actually {we} all need this!

xxc

p.s As of now, we are probably have boarded our flight to Tokyo Japan. We'll be spend a few days there and yes, that involved fabric shopping, eating good rice, traveling with a child and best of all meeting our special friends!

p.s.s. The {shop} is open and only available for the PDF file patterns as I will not be able to ship your orders while I am away!