Weekending

Friday is always exciting here. S gets to take bus and I get an extra hour at home to touch up the projects.  We woke up with a "deep" 5 inches snow on the ground and two hours late for schools. While waiting for the school time, I started piecing and pieced more when I got home. You see, sometimes, it is hard to stop after you started!

Now, I am worry! This quilt is going to be too bright and colorful for Fifi, aka my sister. Somehow in my head has a voice of "she is going to scream", but it would be a good one I promise!  The center four prints might help to calm down the colors and the French General { upper left print in the center} works!! There will be more cutting for the center fabric and outer ring fabric. It is also time to think about backing fabric! I am thinking {this one} {this one} {this one} {this one}...

This week has been the typical April days; rainy and with gloomy sky; cold and wet! Hot soups on the stove were mostly severed on the dinner table, but we are counting  on some sweet corns that have appeared in the store cart this weekending.

I've been working on a very simple tutorial for the quilt along and hope will start this weekending.  It will be host via Flickr. I thought it will be a nice place where we can visit each other's work and "talk" to each other. Everyone can join the group and the main idea for this quilt along is have fun and sew together. I'll share more later on this quilt along.

Another early weekending post, since S and I have a book club. Yes, we finished { The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane} and my next reading is {this book}.

xxc

Random: April 2nd

on to next step: piecing

xxc

April and a tip

April-
April arrived in the windy and cold day here in Northwest Iowa. We both decided to keep the winter gears for a little longer now { we were in our spring jacket yesterday}. The forecast looks like a snow storm is on its way to us. We sure will stock up more crackers and hot coco in house and hope extra movie from the library. S and I broke the record this past weekending; we watched 7 movies. My favorite would still be UP; my eyes were pretty water whenever I watch it and I finished binding the memory quilt for Julie, my friend { sorry, I didn't get to take photos, since I left the quilt with them after finished it}.  It feels really good the quilt is being loved by the family and on my side I felt so good that I was able to contribute some to her and her family.

Single Girl Quilt # 3
After selected the fabrics yesterday. I went ahead and start cutting last night, but made a big mistake on the first template cut. Oh, "trace template on the right side of fabric" and I did " trace template on the wrong side of the fabric" that result opposite of the fabric direction. Glad I cough it on the first cut.  I still prefer trace my fabric in the wrong side of fabric where I can see the lines better and you?

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
It just arrived at noon today! This book has been in the book cart of last 5 months and finally I check it out last week. Oh.. I am so close to finish chapter one, but I plan to save it for bedtime reading now.  Indeed I flipped to the last page and read the last paragraph... Um. I'll finish this book and share with you... So far it is so lovely and I bet S will finish it before I do... then book club starts.. discussion. cookies. tea time..

Tip
Since most of the sewing supplies are in the storage. I have to find different way of sewing. I have a sand board which I used for tracing fabric, but it is somewhere deep in the storage. The alternative solution is; Trim the sand paper to the size of a thick catalog and taped a #200 sand paper on top of  a thick catalog and use it as tracing board for fabric tracing. It is nothing fancy, but it holds fabric nicely and will not damage the fabric.

Quilt with quarter inch mark
I like to fulfill my promise from last year.. would you join me?



xxc

Random: For Fifi

that would be my sister! Hope you love it! 

xxc 

Weekending

You probably don't know where I was three  four hours ago; I was in the school lunch room with S.  It is the last Friday of March and I've been sending some messages to S about how March is almost gone and I'd really would love to having a lunch date. Oh, yes! No promising, just a quick reply, Can you wait? Just wait?  Until this Tuesday, the initiation was sent to me and I waited a little longer! This morning, S reminded me I'd need to be there at noon, so I can wait at her classroom door.  Nothing really special about the food, but spending time with her at the lunch room and try to match her new friends' names and faces together. Also finding the students that she has mentioned that trouble her. Indeed, it made this last Friday of March special for me and hopefully for S as well.

The fabric I ordered has arrived and it is a little cream, but I simply love it. It is from French General and I really would like to get the same print in gray after seeing the print at my friend's quilt house. It is quiet nice, actually and also in the mulberry red.

All the reproduction prints are sort and I plan on adding some solid colors into the quilt as I am thinking it might help to separate the colors/pattern on the prints and allow the single girl rings have better color focus. It might be the reason that I am not determine to have this quilt cut and piece.

This Wednesday, I headed to my friend's quilt house and used her long-arm quilting machine and quilted the memory quilt. It is about 80"x90". All the sixteen-patch blocks are from my friend's father's shirts. Since I didn't get exact amount of fabric from each shirt. I decided use random layout and ended up having 31 blocks in 12"x12". I used 3 sixteen-patch blocks in the back for the backing.  After this quilt is done, I have so much appreciation to the long-arm quilters. It is not seem as easy as it show in the photos! Lots practices and lots energy for one quilt! This weekending is for basting around the quilt adding binding fabric and put in a great movie to finish this quilt. I, crossed my fingers that they will love it! Homespun fabric is hard to manage, but I really love the texture.

The lake opens wider within this week and the flocks are mostly gone to the north now. I miss the sounds they made at nights. It sounded like lots serious discussions and lots responds throughout the night. Now, we wake up with birds chirping and raindrops lightly drop on the rooftop. It is so fresh and nice! The air has mixed of mud and rain; very spring indeed.

More scraps for me to play this week! It keeps the table top and under table space neat. I've been cutting into some fabric that I been saved for long time and making small projects. I've always think I will run out that print and will never to find it again, but the true is I've always cut them so small and still have enough for next project and next next project.... For last two years, I have became a fat quarter buyers rather than yardage buyer. Are you? I still have varies prints in the yardage for making quilts, but the mind has set, save them.   Hope our next place would have many fabric shops, so I can actually pick out fabric in person rather than study them on the screen for hours.

{THANK YOU} for all the {Kin-Cha-Ku Sewing kit and pattern}. I've read all your messages and enthusiastic about this path and direction that we are heading! Oh, you all have made this journey special and supportive in many ways. Truly warm and supportive; I am wordless and my heart just full...

I shall return next week with an invitation to you and more... Tomorrow is {Earth Hour Day}, S and I are turning off our digital devices to respect the event and we also have an odd job that we are working together.

An early weekending post, instead...

xxc
 

quarter inch mark studio: { kin-cha-ku sewing kit}

**quarter inch mark studio exclusive sewing kit; these sewing kits are limited in quantity as I like to keep them special and unique in every aspect. So they will be provided one time only, after sold out will not be able to restock***

If you are interested in any kit, click red text and it will take you to the shop listing. Thank you~ 

{Strawberry Patch}
The selected pinks and floral prints are so inviting! These prints are perfect for some of the soft and delicate strawberry patches that are starting in the backyard in this almost spring season. The a sort of prints are Japanese fabrics and top with some sweet feedsack prints by Widham print~

{Strawberry Patch} Kin-Cha-Ku Sewing Kit, $29  {sold out}

{Fifi's Attic}
The selected purples, blue prints, and text prints are so retro! Fifi is my sister! Who is elegant and gentle! She has a little "attic" in the corner of her room where she keeps her childhood items in. The pencils from 1988 when dad took the business to Japan, the note pads from 1990 when we took bike ride to the city's stationary shops and we are talking over 10 km distant in bike;  a box of letter that I wrote to her from 1993 to 1997 when she was studying in the US.. so on  These prints perfectly remind me the gentle keeper's memories~  The a sort of prints are from reproduction and Japanese fabric~ 

{Fifi's Attic} Kin-Cha-Ku Sewing Kit, $29

{Posie Garden}
The selected browns and selected yellow prints are so retro and classic! These prints reminded the Summer time when the Posie Garden is full with flowers and the bees are going around to taste the honey dew around the garden. The calm and relax summer days in the backyard pouch where set a pitcher of sun tea and read a book.. perhaps having friends over and watch the sunset!  The a sort of prints are mixed of Japanese retro and reproduction fabrics and top with Darlene Zimmerman's Betty Dear print.

{Posie Garden} Kin-Cha-Ku Sewing Kit, $29

{Apple Orchard }
The selected red and white prints reminded the apple orchard blossoming time and the time to harvest apples in the Fall; passion and inviting~ The prints are selected from the Japanese modern prints and top with the feedsack print by Windham  fabric to give a classic and sweet finish.

{Apple Orchard} Kin-Cha-Ku Sewing Kit, $29   {sold out}

{ Grannie Apples}
The selected greens and selected white prints are so fresh! These prints are perfect for some of the grannie apples you seen from the store; fresh and crunchy! Green is always a color represent new, fresh, energy and the selected white prints echo the greens so well. The a sort of prints are Japanese fabrics and top with Darlene Zimmerman's Betty Dear print.

{Grannie Apples} Kin-Cha-Ku Sewing Kit, $29   {sold out}

****This Sewing Kit includes:

- 22 pages Step by Step instructions with over 60 full colors photos in PDF pattern. After purchase the sewing kit, the PDF pattern will email to your paypal email address within 24 hours and the sewing kit will be send via regular postal mail.

{ Please note: A PDF reader is required, as this is a PDF file. If you don’t have one, Adobe Reader can be downloaded online}.

- A pack of 56 pieces of precut prints to make one Kin-cha-ku

- Two pieces of 10”x10” lining fabric

- One pieces of 3.5”x9” channel fabric

- Two pieces of 20” linen waxed string

You will need to have your own

-two pieces of 10"x10" 100% cotton batting
-sewing Machine
-a small safety pin
-iron
-ironing board
-spray adhesive {multi-purpose}
-rotary cutter
-ruler
-water base pen/ b-gone pen
-100% cotton hand-sewing thread
-hand-quilting thread
-basting needle:long needle
-between needle: #9/#10
-Thimble: leather/plastic/metal ( your preference)
-Hera Marker by Clover

Here is something that I like to share with you:

For many years to come, I have been sewing for passion, sewing for love ones, sewing for good causes, sewing to bring additional support to our little family and it makes our life journey extra homey and memorable. Between the life transitional times, I have questioned myself many times, can I possible turn this life journey around; perhaps take it more seriously about the sewing and turn it into an official one-woman patchwork studio to keep our life running; indeed, I. procrastinated!

For weeks and for months of doubting myself and wondering around... Then a very small voice speak to me; try it!  So,  here I am writing my very first official pattern for the {shop}; photographing, editing, revising, arranging page layout, and cutting all the kits for people who love the patchwork style that shared here. I am quiet nervous about it, but at the same time I am excited about it. I have started the second pattern in the computer for April and have been testing the pattern and third one in the sketchbook and fourth one also underway.  It is not a top secrete away from you, but it does take lots courages to prepared myself to get ready and take extra confidents to write to you about this path that I am taking at this moment.

Most of the tutorials shared here involved lots photos as I am a very much visual learner when it comes to sewing and fix machines. Learning to sew is not difficult, but when using the words to guild the sewing phases sometimes is not as easy as with detail photos to support the descriptions. Like every tutorial, the {kin-cha-ku sewing pattern} comes with over 60 step by step full colors photos and simple easy to follow instructions and also tips share along with the steps. It has total of 22 PDF pages.  I also share how to resize the pattern with clear diagram in the pattern.

Thanks to the wonderful, S aka studio assistant. She has been a wonderful model for all the handmade items for the shop and thanks her smile makes these shoots sweet and special~

I, thank you for all the great supports!

xChase

This and That: light house drive

With the time forwarding one hour in last few weeks, it has been hard for the littler person here in the morning. The sunlight doesn't shine in the window till 8:30 and the rooms keep pretty dim before the littler person leaves the house. It takes a little extra time to let her to wake up and bring up her move to a higher speed.

We lived very closed to the lake; just a few steps walk. We love how we can peak out the windows and observe the lakes and creatures in the surrounding area. The lake opened a few weeks ago and seems get bigger each morning when we drive by. There are flocks swim in the lake, sits in a group, take off as a group. It is interesting to watch their moves and almost dance in the sky. The best of all I love this time/season of the colors; misty and eager to wake up from the long winter gray and dark schemes.

The tree buds are preparing their time for the spring, maybe in a week or two. I can't wait to walk outside more and follow S' bike trail. You know, slowly walk after her and she makes pauses to wait for me to catch up. Time for out and about just makes this spring much excited.

The mind was made yesterday afternoon and I have ordered the background fabric for the {single girl quilt}. Before I made the order, I went through the fabric stashes I have and pick up some low volume prints to accompany {this} print I ordered.  It is a little uncertain about how these background fabric will play together. The one I ordered is floral and these are so much more geometry; I hope will create some nice contrast factors.

A memory quilt is on its way! I hope my friend will like it! It is a random sixteen-patch block from the shirts that her father wore before his passing. Most of the shirts are alike homespun fabric and somewhat was hard to manage the cutting at the first. I used 3/8" seam allowance instead of 1/4" to give leave extra space for open seam ironing.  I plan to meet with her this week and talk about the possible to make this quilt to a 80"x90" instead of 50"x 60". Having this quilt underway, makes my shoulder a bit lighter and I know her family is anxious to have this quilt with them soon.

xxc