Baby Patchwork Tote

Everything is slowing down finally! I am home today and tomorrow. It feels super great to caught up house cleaning and getting packages ready to mail out for the holiday. Slowly write cookie making list.  Last night, I finished a baby patchwork for {Elise}. Do you remember Elise, the baby girl ? She is almost one now! She is as healthy as she can be and very cute! 

Kim and I were planning to have coffee after our finals, but she is leaving tomorrow morning to her parents house for the holiday. That means, {sew, sew, sew, as fast as I can}. This baby tote isn't hard to put together. I try to pick up some novelty prints for Elise, so she can have fun with it.

Each square is cut 5"x5" and total of 12 different prints. I joined the three 5"x5" pieces in a row then piece top row and bottom row pieces together.  For the quilting, I used the straight lines to keep it clean look.

 It would be super cute if Elise has a little friend that she can tuck inside to play with for a play date.
.

S helped me made this little pup. I didn't do as good job as S did!  This little pup is made with soft fabric that you can find in any Joann fabric store. Inside stuffed with Polyester fills .

{A little note tag to Elise, the baby}

Surely, it has been a crazy week. I am feeling a bit of resting today. Soon, I will depart to the Good Will store for donation some clothes and dish wares.

Random: odd

 { these pins are fun}

 { scraps sewing}

 { addition}

Still around, but have been working with many odd events and fixing up some odd causes.. will return shortly..{ hope the end of the week}.  meanwhile... happy sewing~


 xxC

Random: Stitches away

Finished up another {Kin-cha-ku aka drawstring bag} this week. The closure part changed to the top. I really like how this one turn out, but loving the {first} and {second} ones as well. The solid fabrics are really sweet and colorful. Unlike my other projects with busy prints and dynamic color contrast.

Have you been busy making your Holiday gifts? I am closed to finish up holiday sewing. A few garments to make for S, but I needed to wait till I can be home fully during the day, so she won't see them. This year, we'll have a simple holiday celebration here as we will be depart from N.D in less than 6 months. A few books are on their way here and few sewing tools that I can't find in our local sewing store {I think I did ask Santa for some present...}.

  Hand-quilting on small projects have been my good addiction lately.  They are small enough for me to take everywhere I go. The texture of it is different; soft and uneven.

 Here are more scrappy kin-cha-ku in process....

 Needle books are fast to make and great for using scraps.  I have few of these to make still.

 {interior}

December always seems like a fast move month. Even the days are shorter; the check out lines in the stores are longer; the items sit on shopping carts are taller than other month; the UPS gentleman comes everyday in our neighborhood and sometimes stop by ours;  the inbox has more mail to remind me; shop shop shop; Greeting cards are slowly arrived our mail box and S is happy. She sees her name on the mail and that means she can open the mail. This is an exciting month for her..  She counts her days off till Christmas.. then after that she counts the day to her Birthday. 

This year, I stitch away for most of time.. I count the day till my exhibition.. then after that I count the day to move and visit family... { hope i sounded exciting as well}...

Oh, I do love December! More than any month of the year. It is the month to look forward the new year to come and the month to reflect the year that's been past on us.  This month, I plan to stitch away and not feel the rush... Just like every other month, but added a little extra excitements..

xxC

Link up with {crazymomquilts: Finish it up Friday post} 

Random: Thursday

 { more scrappy patchwork from last night and today}

 { lucky me; found these fabric here with super great price!} 

 { first time sewing with shirt fabric. Love the checks and strips prints}

{ oh.. this print.. love the purple on this one}

Super random Thursday.. ALMOST almost wordless....   

p.s. more later 

xxC

Wednesday: in and about

It is Wednesday and I am home! So far it has been a quiet morning to myself.  Some times, I need time to myself and not need to talk. It helps me to think through and focus on. This is the last week of school and final comes next week. Students are ready to be in break and I am ready to have long studio hours in my cubical studio space in the art department. Last night I made a new needle book.  It is super quick project to make.  I started with random patchwork then hand-quilted. I really like the uneven stitches that added on the patchwork. Don't you just love the strawberry print? It is delicious! The wooden button is perfect for the zakka style needle book.

{The other side of the needle book}

I have a full bowl of small scraps from my last couple projects. Scraps are great for any projects. For some scraps I like to cut them into 1.5"x1.5" and set them in my { postage quilt box}.

For the interior of the needle book. I used 100% linen for the needle placement and 100% wool felt for the flip.  

One the left needle book was made a while ago and the left needle book is the newborn. I do love the mini needle book. It is great for my {needles}. There's no more needles on the floor and no more step in needles since the needle book keeps them all together nicely.

It is crazy in my needle book. I have varies numbers of needles for different purpose of sewing. I have {in between} needles for hand quilting and my favorite number is # 10 . Also a few long hand-basting needle is good. Few embroidery needles in different numbers, so on.  I keep few sewing pins there in case I need to pin pieces together for sewing.

I am glad the day is bright and shine here today. The {kin-cha-ku} bag is done, but will show and tell later on.. sorry about the tease..

xxC

Radom: Monday

 { w.i.p}

The sun actually visited N.D. today and made the half of the day alike early spring time. Later, when I went pick up S from school it is all windy and COLD again!  S got blew away according to her statement when she was in the car.  I hold myself tied not to laugh and my response to her was {maybe we needed to added few big heavy potatoes in the backpack, so you can be stable when the wind comes.} 

Today, I took a little studio break and finished the hand-quilting for another {kin-cha-ku}. This time I used the mini charm pack that was sent from the last fabric order and added some accent prints. The opening will be modify as I am trying different looks. These squares are 2.5"x2.5" and finished at 2"x2".

 {Monica, thank you!}

S loves checking mail box and she takes great care of mail time and make sure if I get bills or fun mail. When she came in with three packages. I was shocked! There is an unexpected package from {Monica}. I didn't meet Monica in person, but have been loving her etsy shop and ordering from her {etsy shop} time to time.  She shared that she recently read { everything, but kitchen sink quilt} post and found that I am feeling homesick. Monica is so kind and generous to send me these fabric to play. I really have not idea who visits us here; only when you kindly leave me comments and I start get familiar with names. We are feeling very lucky and bless to meet many of you here. You are not only take your time to visit, leave comments, and also sending your warmth and cares to S.  It means much to us in many way....

 { M, thank you}

 { made 5 years ago}

I though I'd share the bottle bag that I made 5 years ago. The embroidery pattern came with 8 different images. I made this one into a bottle bag and have been using it for 5 years now. It has been a great bag and yes, I used the 30's reproduction fabric scraps from S' first quilt I made her. The only part that would like to improve would be the batting. I plan to use cotton batting instead of polyester batting.

{ scraps } 

More scraps to play and will keep busy...............{thank . you}

Happy Monday

xxC

Weekending: December

 { Flannel}

 {continue to grow}

 { S, elfing}

 { Too cute?}

 { old embroidery project}

 { near 5 Christmas ago}

 { play with HR new book}

 { Tea time..}

{ ready to sew}

{Thank you. Thank you} for the kind, sweet, and encourage comments you left on { everything, but kitchen sink quilt}. Hope you will be able to make a { kitchen sink quilt} someday. I will get back to your comment  later today.

It has been a super busy weekend for us. S had two music programs yesterday and on top of that we have set a {date} way back beginning of  November to hang out. We dined out for the first time this semester and spent rest of day in the living for the first time as well. It was great to snuggled together with the {quilt} and watch Christmas movies. We ate too much sweets and didn't think about dinner till late at night.

Beginning of the week, I swing by our local Joann's and asked the lady if I can have some fabric cardboard. She sent 6 of them home with me { and I plan to ask for more}. It is great for the flannels that I got last year's Black Friday. They are great for making P.J. and baby burp cloth. The sewing room look so much organized now.

While I was knitting, S was busy elfing Lucky's Christmas gifts. She made her own stuffed animal pattern and traced them on the leftover fabric. The only part that she needed help was to close the openings. I used ladder stitches to close the closure. The fish is for Shoney, the cat that S sits while our friend is away from town.  S has many animal friends and sure she will be making more of these later. 

I haven't done any sewing this past week at all. My sewing mojo has gone somewhere. This week was cleaning the apartment storage room and threw out many boxes.  The room looks much light weigh and I found one of the box with some unfinished embroidery projects.  When I first start sewing/quilting I wasn't able to offer buying fabric. A friend suggested that I could learn to embroider, so from there I made many embroidery dish towels and sell them on etsy and local stores. Give them away as wedding gifts and Christmas gifts. I really enjoy embroidery, but haven't take my time to do any. The plan is use these unfinished blocks into new sewing projects and give them new life. 

Have you seen {Heather Ross' new book}? I pull out the CD and play with it today. It is a great CD and with lots great prints.  I think you can print it on fabric and use it for personal use. It is a good book for people who are interesting in design fabric and looking into more information on how. This book also included many great projects. I did a few printing on Stonehenge papers. It is an excellent paper for printmaking and drawing.

Guess who hop on top of kitchen sink?  It is tea time and S is looking for the tea. She has gotten taller from the photo and still in her p.j. She loves being cozy at home and not need to get in layers of clothes. 

A few projects are still ongoing and I try not to start any new/ big projects, but Christmas stockings need to be made and package up soon. Glad December is here and we are looking forward the new year to come!   The weather has been cold and no sunshine for the entire week. We try to leave our space for a short walk, so we could get some fresh air. Thank you for the hugs and warmth you sent.... We received them... we are sending our hugs back to you..

Hope your are having a great weekending, it has been another great weekending at {1/4" mark home}.

xxC