Daily. patchwork. stitch

{High Five} to the end of musical season recitals! The last season violin recital, S played Concertino in the style of W.A. Mozar; such a gentle and lightly piece in this spring recital! I again, a proud ma and enjoyed every young violinists who played in the violin studio recital. Such a nice way to wrap up the year around hard working and study. 

Over the years, I have been saving every EMS boxes shipped from our family oversea! The other day, the packing started and I found there are total of 6 different addresses in the boxes. I talked to Fifi about it and she was quiet not impressive about all the moves we've made! I can't really tell you "the why" I saved all these boxes, but it feels great and maybe that some of the evidences of our family with us years after years. They also became my favorite packing boxes where ever we move to {laugh}! Seeing them all together is quiet emotional and bitter sweet to flash back all the changes we've made. 

I went through scrap boxes and spent a few afternoon time to piece them together. They will be transferred into pouches, the zippered ordered just arrived last night, but too dark to walk out to the community mailboxes, so got them this morning; the zippers are colorful and the zipper teeth is bigger than the usual zipper I used.  They seem like some last minute of patchworking, but is helping me to have a different focus away from sorting and packing!   

The quilts have been gather and a few are still upstair. To cut down some of the moving supply costs, I plan to use the quilts to wrap some of the furniture pieces. I think it is probably the best and economical way for us and we can always wash, dry and reuse the same quilt over and over. I still very much love and like seeing the wears on the quilts, seeing colors faded after every wash,  exposed overtime during sunlights , and some food stains. It is alright, that's what they are for, being loved and used!  

Sitting on the floor is probably the best and resting way for me lately! Made all the hand-basting job on the floor, folded all the not quiet perfect cut fabric pieces on the floor, getting planner fill with the weekly events and schedules, hand-quilting little by little on the floor, planning the next quilt for {me}. The daily bounce is getting all these agendas check off and have a little peaceful mind back to what I hope to accomplish before the upcoming changes. I can't tell you, how much I still enjoy the downstair space more than upstair. The glass door gets open all the time and sometimes, when the showers drop down, I love watching all the animal friends getting their way back to the hide out pots. 

Here is the plain scone recipe that I found and will not be able to make it at this time, probably this Fall. I would love to know how it turns out if you bake them. I bet they are going to be great with fresh homemade jams or even just butter with tiny bit of honey drizzle on top! 

3 C. Flour

1/2 C. sugar

5 tsps. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 butter {cold}

1 egg beaten

1 C. Milk

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.  

until then, i should be down here stitching.. 

xxc

May days!

It is that time of the year that the car pulls in and out the garage multiple times a day. Some of the day, it just being park out on driveway. It seems much easier to pop in the car then go! Then once it rains, it gets park inside again. It feels like playing insy-outsy game all the time!

There are lots rehearsals for S towards the end of the school year. When she gets home from school, there is a 30 minutes break time then we are on the go again! Often time, she reads a book by the passenger seat and have good chat with me about her day at school and some funny things that her friends told her. Lately, it has been lightly snore sound and radio flowing inside the car. I saw her eyes closed and felt in a quick nap during the drive to the rehearsals! I try to reduced the speed, so that she could get extra 5 minutes nap time. I often admire her commitments that she made and getting works done. It feels great telling her, how proud I am that she is doing great job for herself! Oh, another few weeks then she will have a bit break time from all that the end of school busy schedule! We look forward a full day to stay home, I sew and she reads!

It has been slightly humid here and just slightly clutter around the home. I've been sewing downstair and really enjoy these bigger space and nice spring breeze comes in from the open patio door. The dinning table has became a nice cutting table and it is so much nicer to have a table for cutting only! I like how the cutting mates stay in the same place when I need the access to it. Then the machine is on the kitchen countertop. It is not a fantastic space for sewing, but for what I need now is perfect! Now, I am not longer upsy and downsy! It is so much nicer I can pour a cup of tea for myself without too much spill from downstair to upstair and trying to find a space in the sewing table {laugh}! plus snack a few cookies between times! 

There are 242 of hourglass blocks made for S' 12 birthday quilt! It is such a nice blocks for layout variations. The quilt top is finished over the weekend and it is measured 82"x86". It will take some extra time to finish as I would like to hand-quilt this for her! Simple cross lines for the quilting pattern. The backing will be simple with label in the back and a little appliqué and some embroidery, a little birthday messages, something from me to her.

Did you know? It was probably the first time walked into the fabric store with a purpose in mind. Often time, the girl at the cutting table ask me, what are you making? I often responded with a smile and said not quiet sure! Last time, when I was there the same girl asked me the exactly same question again. I replied, some summer shorts! Then she started a nice conversation about making shorts while she was making the cuts! When I saw the owls bolt in the mess of clearance section, I could not help myself to added it to the cart as I know how much that S loves Hedwig. It is just fun to add some fun prints to the stash just for her. Then I found the golden bird print and though I'd make a matching pair for myself as well. The back of each shorts is used linen. The combination between linen and cotton is so nice and soft! With all S' shorts, I added the "S" sewing tape for her. She have tried all of them on there are two pairs need to extend the elastic length, so it is more comfortable fit for her!

I celebrated the finish of 99 Farmer's wife blocks ! It is such a nice accomplishment to completed a whole sewing book! I look forward more of similar accomplishment in the near future! It is such a nice approach using some of last prints from the years to come! There are few prints are long gone by now, but it is in the quilt! So many DS prints to pick from and so many possibility to work around with them.  According to the book layout, I'll need 8 more blocks to make the edges and will be a queen size quilt! It will be a mighty quilt to hand-quilt, so I plan on start saving up for sending it to a professional quilter!

A broken full size bow from last night's concert, oh dear! After the first concert piece, I saw S with a bit nerve in her face and then next thing I saw was a broken bow in her hand! I saw her approached the symphony manager and ran away from the stage then I saw she got her 3/4 bow in hand back to stage before the performance. She looked calm, but I knew she was worried! I'll be insy outy again! Getting  the bow situation take care this morning then a few errands to run in the city, fix up the elastic length and fit in a little hand work time for myself, pack up a few things, likely winter clothes, but it is chilly... 


Just wanna be sure stopped by in say hello!

xxc

Random: Seeing the beauty

It has been raining for two full weeks and finally the sky is clear and feels cool this morning. The light comes in quiet early now, maybe 6a.m. or 6:15a.m. I never know what time it is when I awake, it has always been before the alarm,  I lay in bed, just wait for the  first alarm goes on at 6a.m. then it gets turn off then there comes another one 15 minutes later. It repeated 7 days a week for awhile, but I got really good at mute all the devices on Friday nights before weekends arrive! But,  you know I wake up before dim light shine in the window. I bet it was before 6a.m. 

It is so rare that I made the two cheese cakes in a row. The first one was a rhubarb cheese cake and has been shared with Staci when she was here helping us getting things ready. I never know that rhubarb is edible and tried it raw maybe almost 15 years ago. My facial expression might had been a really bad one then my friend brought the sugar out and telling me how tasty it is dip the raw rhubarb with sugar. Of course, rhubarb has never appear in our grocery list. Up till we lived in ND, I had rhubarb and strawberry crisp from a party. It totally made rhubarb a new definition to me; yum! After that I always get them from Jen's backyard while still in ND and after that was always from some other friend's backyard.

The super chocolate cheese cake is requested by S. It is super sweet and super chocolatey! I have made few notes in the book; no sugar added for the crust, no extra chocolate chips added to the batter and half of what's call for the chocolate chips for the top.  I started worry who will be the one finished this cheese cake, don't think that would be me this time!

I debated if I should show you what were the original condition for the Five drawer storage and the four drawer cabinet or the refinished ones. So, let's wait for the original in last, shall we?  In our last weekend away trip, I had a little time to stop by the thrift store number one in town. I found some vintage sheets, but no hesitation walk away from them even I think they called my name at once  twice. Then I check into the dishes section and almost bought home a set of 20 plates and has some really nice vintage blue and white motifs on, but they stay.  Turning my head over the other side, I saw these two cabins, so pretty, but needs a lot of  a ton of work. S asked me why do you need new furniture when we are moving? She was so right! I patted these two storages then was thinking, New handles? New stain and new look?, they will be so pretty, but...! We walk out the store with  empty hands! Shorty after I turned the first corner around the gas station stop then made second turn the back to the store number one.

These two pieces are so beatuiful after sanding. Yes, hours after hours sanding, but worth every bit of the time and effort. The five drawer piece needed so much work; added new plywood piece for backing and a wood bar nail in for the bottom to stand nicely, the wobbly sides need to fix up and used half bottle of the wood glue to seal up the gaps. I am guessing, it was once sitting in the water for a long period of time. For the front drawer faces used cheery stain and the body is used with Gel Stain in Cabernet. The handles are purchased in the craft store and had 50% off that day. Can you guess how much I paid for this piece?

The second piece needed a new plywood backing, as it might had been punched by some hard objects in the back. Other than that every bit of this piece is perfect in condition. I keep the original handles as it is so pretty. Only thing I did for the handles was put them hot soapy water for 2 hours. Used Gel Stain in Cabernet for the entire piece and lightly sanded (#220 sand paper) between coats ( made three coats for a dark outlook) finish up with clear stain for both piece, buff up the piece with cotton cloth. I am guessing  wood wax would be better approach to maintain the pieces.  Can you guess how much I paid for this piece?

I heart vintage furniture! It has a bit of its history and was treasured by someone in the past then it is my turn to take care of them!  I'd love to find an old table; a farm table would be perfect and some stools! Wish me good lucks! 

Getting all the things ahead is the the day/week/ month goal now! But I failed sending mother's card this year again! Ma will receiving the card late again! It often feels quiet guilty not be able to post it ahead of the time for her, but we'll buzz her early that morning! Another list crossed off!

These two are my little {kin-cha-ku}. These two are the very first version before the modifications. I travelled with them a lot and though you might like to see them! I always have little bit of this and that in there. Likely sewing tools and devices outlets. I like how soft they are after these years of traveling around with me and the hand quilting still stay strong for me.  Mr. Rock  paper piece pattern is a free download pattern {here}. It was the second attempt to design a paper piecing pattern a few years ago.

And just like all of us, maybe you as well! These are the fabric pull for S' 12th birthday quilt! I waited the a few prints to arrive and making sure this is what she has been thinking; a very simple and calm quilt, but very Stella Joy look! So,  I am up for that challenge from her {smile}!

A few more blocks for the Glitter quilt were made last week. I have been thinking going with the bottom row of colors scheme, but  can't really decided on that! Maybe after few more cups of coffee and play a few more blocks?

Last! What you think? Five dollars for the left and two dollars for the right!

The total cost; priceless! 

{Thank You} again and again! Your words and all have been appreciated and made into my heart big and small! I will try to write back soon this time! Meanwhile, I will be getting little things organized around here, so I am keeping all calm and positive! 

xxc