Random: Getting there

to be continue.... { were out and about, but slowly and steady}

p.s. I do sleep, but move a lot when I awake! 

xxC

Random: Progressing

to be continue... progress

xxC

Random: Playing

to be continued.....

xxC

Random: from the beginning

{J`Adore Stella Paris  by dear stella}

{thank you. thank you} for sweet comments on the {patchwork wallet} and { the impossible quilt} again!  You made my heart dancing around and smiling all day long!  It has been a long, but fabulous day here! Finally, I went through the critique with my professor. It was long, but worth every minutes of it. If you wondered what a critique means to a MFA student. I would tell you, it can make you smile for a long time or tears dropping right in the crit. I have had both! I must defense my artworks and give reasons why I made the decisions or what's the concepts behind each little elements. I am glad it went well! I had moment of nerve as always, but I hold it as tight as I can. I provided all the information and answered all the questions. I really felt tried after I got home. I couldn't do any sewing today. I need a break! A break to recap all the crit. information and a little thinking break for my next project.  I have been seeing these J'Adore Stella Paris around. Finally I got some prints and loving them all! These are soft texture. I really like the birds and cages. It will be a great print for fussy cuts.

 After we got home! We both had fresh juice and some snack. I started to pull out fabrics for next quilt. I have been getting gray, mute prints lately and they have just arrived this week. These will pair well with rich and retro prints. I haven't decided on the quilt pattern. I am thinking a log cabin pattern.

I have been cooking everyday for every dinner meal! We were able to finish everything! No leftovers! S have agreed sandwiches or leftovers for lunch, but I promised her a fresh dinner meal for each night! We have been eating veggies everyday and I must admitted it was hard to get her to eat the celery and sweet peppers.

 A little bit of olive oil and mixed veggies and pinch of salt! very delicious!

 Our dill is one of very few plants survived!  I am waiting it to bloom!

The fabric finally arrived. I will be able baste the {patchwork sampler} and begin with the hand-quilting process. It will take me a little while to finish it.  I plan on write up a tutorial soon, but it might be another week or so.

xxC

Patchwork Wallet

Thank you for the kind words about the { impossible quilt}. My w.i.p. projects are on going and I learn to set up a time to finish it! I work better with a schedule. I made another patchwork this weekend. It was fun to play with  new scraps/ colors. I added some new scraps into the bowl and got some new colors. This time, I made a patchwork style wallet.  I really like it! It is measured 8"x8" { open flat}. Two large pockets for bills and I added the inner zippered for coins. A few pockets for cards.  Lined with {Moda Love print in canvas weight} and Amy Butler's blue print { sorry I don't remember the name of the print} .

I love small project that I can finish over a weekend and additional day or two. It makes me feel more accomplished. I love how many of you have been playing with your scraps and make your own patchwork totes, bags, and pouches and lots more ! I love them all.  I love how one idea can be expended to many different ideas. I love how you come and stop by each day and just check out this space and keep me company!

so far so GOOD!

xxC

Random: { me and the impossible quilt}

What do you think of this quilt? I just finished hand-binding this afternoon and did the photograph.  If I tell you I didn't like it would you think that I am crazy? After spent all the money, labor, and time that I invested in this quilt.  Am I out of my thinking? I called this quilt { me and the impossible quilt}. 

Three years ago, when I met a local quilt lady we had this idea to used English paper piecing method and make a Grandmother's Garden quilt. Soon after we got our own fabrics, paper hexes, and cut the fabric. She had an eye surgery.  We met 4 times total for this project. Between then this project has been put away since! Three years later,  I did not any of these colors together, but I can pick a few prints that I still love.  I did not like these small packaged fabric were flowing around the storage room and I knew they were sad to be put away.

Two years ago before I moved away from Iowa and had a big garage sale. These fabric packages were once in the {sale} side. However, I packed them and move them with me. During the last two years, I never have any intention of finishing this quilt. I used the pieced hexes and made them into
{handmade napkins} and was really happy how they turn out. I sent them away for a swap and I hope my friend will love them as much as I do. The rest of the squares were still sitting. You probably have seen me post here and there about working slowly on this quilt. Again, I wasn't really happy about it! It almost became a labor quilt rather than a quilt that I love { does it sound just so negative about it?} 

As you see each nine patch blocks are different. It is not intentionally design differently. I changed my mind from the very beginning to the very end. The last assembling was pick up a square as I go. Not really paying any attention to the color matching.

Finally two weekends ago, I made my mind about making these blocks into a {quilt top}. Remember I talked about making it into a picnic quilt? When we were in the fabric store I had the hardest time to find the right sashing and corner prints.  I didn't like any darker colors or large prints. Then S insisted the green polka dot and I went with her idea and another 30 minutes later I decided the corner print.

We came home and I still had questions about these prints that I just bought. I was not confident about the three prints that we got.  I went back to the sewing room and started cutting the pieces. I worked very late that night and got most of the sashes and corner squares sewn together. The next day spent another day  assembled the quilt top together. The edges were well matched and the back seams were all pressed open. Even though I knew I didn't like this quilt much, but I knew that I should give the same respect to it. 

After some hours in basting, quilting, and binding. This quit came to alive and I didn't like it until I saw the last two photos S took for me with the impossible quilt.  The quilt color scheme is so soft which is so different from what I have been working on last few years. The colors aren't eye catchy. It is a very simple quilt nothing special about it.  But I have some appreciations about this quilt! What I appreciated about this quilt is that I could see the frustrations that I have been through last three years; changing ideas and wanting to give up this quilt making.  What I don't see from last three years were I grown into a better quilter and committed myself to become better!  My professor always tells me when I get frustrated that's the time I grow the most. Quilting seems is a habit to some extend, but I see it as a person growth as well. 

This quilt is on my bed now and it is a perfect summer quilt for me! I deleted the idea of turning this quilt into a picnic quilt and will appreciated it and put it in good use now on. It is still a { me and the impossible quilt}. I love W.I.P { work in progress} projects, but I won't wait for another 3 years to finish another quilt. I should enjoy each making process and take the time to make each project in the positive and committed way. All the investments that I put into need to be respected. No just money, but the original motivations and goals. Although the hex quilt never happen in life, but I still have it on { to do} list. It will be the first quilt I will make after finish school.   Do you have one of { you and the impossible quilt} around?

xxC

Random: me and the impossible quilt preview

 

My day has been going really well. The quilt is bound and photograph. A few editing here and there are needed. S claimed milk is out, Bisquick mix is out, eggs are low, half loaf of bread left, one apple left to share. A run to grocery store is must and my mind is a bit full at the moment! I will be back with { me and the impossible quilt} tomorrow. 

xxC