Random: Weekending

Our second short trip was to the berry farm. It was an hour drive to berry farm and we got lost twice. The farm is far away from the center of the town and lots country road drive, but we made it! I can't describe the Strawberry patches. We were not able to see the end of the patches. We hop around each patch and just thrilled to discover berries under the leaves. The sun was harsh during the noon hours even though we got our hats and lotion on, but still got sunburn. I told S it is the healthy marks that we bring home!

These berries are small, but very sweet!! The real strawberry taste in them and juice. We bough some crackers and fruit with us, so we could have a picnic afterwards. The lunch was great and we got some ice cream there as well. The fabulous time went way faster than we like. Slowly we head back home and didn't get lost this time.

Aren't these fabric scraps amazing? I came home with two packages in my mail box.  This package is from Jackie aka {choleandme}. She send me these amazing scraps to play with! I went through each piece and have so many new ideas about these  fabulous fabric.  Thank you, Jackie!

The second Package is from Karen aka{kpeachey}. Aren't these fabric sweet?? I plan on  making a top with the floral print by Lecine. It is super soft and super super lovely!!  The two kitchen prints are going to be save up with some other kitchen theme fabrics that I slowly building up. I would like to make a nice quilt that would fit well to our kitchen table!  Thank you, Karen!

You might wondered how many strawberry we got. We bough home 14 pounds of strawberry. It is for two jam receipts. Total of 16 half pint jars. S kept go back and put one in her mouth. mmm... Our home still smells sweet..... very sweet

Getting up in early morning and started the first preparing process: gave each berry a good clean shower and nice cold bath and quick ran to the store got all the canning jars. While the first batch of berry on the stove, I sat on the yellow bench chair and slow sipped my morning coffee. S was excited and got her hands clean and wanted to be the helper of the day!

 It has been a great summer seeing her wanted to be involved with cooking, sewing, and cleaning home together.  She meshed berries with care and of course saved some fresh juice in the jar to award herself. 

Careful written jam labels and added extra fancy to the labels with her drawing and the Y in the cursive way.. As she reminded me how labels in the stores are extra fancy, so we shall have some extra fancy in our labels, mama..

 Helped put labels on each jar and ready to share with friends. She has a long list of friends that she reminded me to share. I think we've got plenty for everyone.

While S was waiting her jam to be ready. She was reading her book on the little stool next to the stove and peeked the pot every other minute. Her only question was, can I taste it? She would got out a spoon from the freezer and sample the jam.  It was our first jam making. I am nervous.. still...   I crossed my fingers and hope they are not so bad! We will open our first jar tomorrow morning. Hope it turns out good...

Meanwhile, I finished the hexagon paper piecing and basted it. Few more editing for the tutorial I am also anxious to turn on the sewing machine again, since it has been in break for a week now! Our next trip won't be coming up in another few weeks. I will be able to stay home and sew again which I miss.   .. please check back tomorrow. I have a tutorial for you..


xxC

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