Random: Thursday

  { signature quilt for J}

 {the block S contributed}

 {two done and two more to go}

 { sewing pouch for the shop}

It is nice to hear my voice again, but in very low tone! We have doing a lots whispering and gentle talks at home for last few days. It feels good that the cold is slowly going away and I feel myself again!

It is always my pleasure to being ask to make something for someone. My friend Julie turned 50 last September and I made { J's quilt} for her. Her family gave her a big surprised birthday party, but due to schooling and the long distance drive S and I missed the party. The family was hoping make something special for her, so asked me to put a quilt together for her.  We came up with idea that have families/ children she babysat/ babysit leave her a little track mark on the block.

The signature blocks were sent to me during Christmas and I finally got my hands on them! Each white block is measured 7"x7" and I added 2.5" for the printed fabric.  I was nervous when I went pick up the fabrics in the store. Julie has a green room in her house and she was talking about gray walls in her living room last summer when we visited. She also loves greens, so I though green and gray would be great combination for the simple signature quilt. Julie is coming in a month to visit us, so the goal is have the quilt ready when she come visits.

There are many w.i.p projects around here! Another panel of hand-quilting is done and I have two other panels to work on.  It is relaxing to hand-quilt while I needed lots sitting and resting. My tea cup is always filled with honey tea and the music that I have been listening is Jazz music during the late nights.

I wondered if you have a sewing pouch that contained all your sewing tools? I am in love with mine and I have so many of them just to keep all the tools together. The {Wonky Star zippered pouch} is hand-quilted on 100% cotton batting and insert with mental zipper. The lining is linen and cotton blended fabric. It is listed in the {shop} now!

This week has been busy at school due to one of our staff is leaving, so a few of us is helping him to finish up the project that he is involved. Today it is a good day to stay home and get organized all the w.i.p. projects and  preparing the test that's coming up very soon! 


xxc

Random: oh, my sunshin!

 { Lemon Blueberry Muffins}

2 cups of biscuit mix

1 cup of Sour cream

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of Sugar, divided

2 tablespoon  grated lemon peel

1 cup fresh blueberries

In a large bowl, combine the biscuit mix and 1/2 cup sugar. 

Whisk together the egg and sour cream;

stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. fold in blueberries.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full. Combine lemon peel and remaining sugar, sprinkle over batter. Bake at 400 degree for 20-25 minutes. Yield: 1 dozen.

{2/25/2013}

Finally, the sun is out and about! That makes us very happy! No gloves and no heavy snow pants for S. She is so happy about not need upload and unload winter gears when she gets home!   I lost my voice after taught the class today. The cold was coming and I knew I won't win the battle this time,since the weather is not stable. S has been the one talks and I have been the one listen and shock head or put message on the paper for her. I hope to have some voice back in another few days, so I can tell S{ time to close your book and come for your pinao practice}.

Later the weekending, our friend came and visited us! She has been busy, but finally made the time to come. It is always fun to prepared  tea time for friends. We made the our favorite  { Lemon Blueberry Muffins} and brew a pot of vanilla tea.  The sunlight shined in our place and made the living so warm and cozy! We catch up a bit of our plans and she always loves to see what we been up to with our craft projects.

The four patches  piecing were done a few days ago. I started the hand-quilting over the weekending. It will be turning into two bags to carry sewing projects, fabric, and tools. One of the panel is done and three more to complete.  I do like taking small hand-quilting pieces with me, work on it while S is in music classes, add few more stitches while waiting to get into classroom, more stitches here and there.. keep my hands busy!  

We have spend extra time in the living for the warm and cozy sunshine! We think Spring is coming upon us very soon!

xxc
.

Patchwork Drawinstring bag

Hope you never get tired of seeing kin-cha-ku aka{ drawstring bag} here.  The kin-cha-ku just finished and I know by heart it will not be the last one that I make! The size of it is slightly taller, which is perfect for some taller items. I love seeing how S stuffed her note pads, pens, camera, and things that she loves in {hers}. I have been stuffed {mine} with sewing tools in the days that hang out with friends at the local cafe and some of the days I switch to storage fabric scraps.

The exterior of the drawstring bag is hand-quilted on 100% cotton batting, which really added soft texture to the bag. The lining is the new DS collection, Farm Stand.  Did ever you get your hands in the new collection? 

On the other side of the bag is used many sweet prints to create a sky and summer look.  I love the blue floral print on the bottom. It is perfect for the kin-cha-ku.  This lovely kin-cha-ku is listed in the {shop}.

{Thank. You. Very. Much} for all your supports at the {1/4"mark shop}. It is always flatter to received orders from handmade lovers!  It really means a lot to me that someone loves the work I made! {Thank you. Thank you. Thank you}.

There will be more handmade items  added to the shop and also destash fabric from my own collection. With the moving that's coming upon us. I have started to go through items that we might need or might not need for our next destination.

xxc

Weekending

 {sewing for travel}

 {hand-quilting}

 {S, the comic reader}

 {never too many stashes on the side of the table}

 { for the shop}

 {notes everywhere... }

 {will miss this window, located in kitchen}

 { jay plant}

 { cups?? oh dear.. yes! cups!}

 

｛a bucket of baby gifts for my colleague's baby boy who soon will arrive!}

 { simple dinner}

{pins, anyone?}

We are having a long weekending due to no school days The temperature has been low throughout the week and finally it was warm on Thursday.  S and I went to the public library in the morning and I brought alone my sewing project, so we could stay longer! It feels good to finish the hand-quilting while S searching books. The quilting has taken a little longer that I anticipated!

Do you have spring fever? S is having a Spring fever lately! The anticipation of warmer weather, go somewhere has green ground, do something different, or stay outdoor longer. The end of February days are getting long for the little ones to think winter is fun!  We headed to the park later in the day and went sledding. It was cold, but we both had great time! For once, my whole body flipped over and snow covered my entire face. S giggled so hard!! It took me a few minutes to realized I flipped! We did the rides together and we each take turns. For sure, the  Spring fever is slowly reducing!  The outcome for me is fight a stuffy nose.

Not much sewing activities during the weekending, but I did manage sew for a little! We started packing around here! It seems a little too early, but there are plans to make prior we check out with university housing, moving truck reservation to make, storage unit to rent, and yes, it is a little overwhelmed, but really exciting!

Do you like sewing pins? May I admitted that I think I LOVE sewing pins! There are more than I needed!  Whenever there's a good sales, I try to pick up a box then soon there are more than one box!  Once in awhile I would go through each pin then recycle the ones that got bended.

Our weekending has been more resting, planning, conversation, researching, and packing! I packed a bucket of baby gifts for my colleague's baby boy who soon is coming.  I thought it would be fun to use the {bucket} that I made, so later on when he grows up it can be his toy bucket. 

The days are getting longer each day and it has make each day easier to awake in the morning. I love being able to photograph when we gets home from school; light and clear.

Random: memory lane

The week has been busy and quiet here.  E.T., the pup left us a few days ago in Taiwan. My sister has been the main care giver. E.T. has been with our family about 11 years and was S' very first pup friend.  He was gentle, sweet, and of course always there for every celebrations. S and I went through all the photo folders together last few nights and found this photo that was taken the first visit to Taiwan after we moved to U.S. S was 4. 

Emotionally is hard, but we knew that he is getting older and will leave us anytime. It will be different for us when we visit this year without him around. He will always live in our memory lane and reminded us all the great time that we have had.

Comment is closed for this post. I will return on Saturday for {weekending} post and continue hosting
{weekending linky}.

xxc

Random: Monday

 

Our Monday morning started a phone call by the public school message system and announced no school today due to the weather.  Quickly, I crawl off the bed and tried to get the idea  about the weather. oh dear.. it has been white white white since 6a.m. this morning. The wind continues blowing and the snow dust is everywhere.

S woke up in her normal school day hours and was disappointed that she'd missed the library hour today.  Since I have been working toward some school paperwork I asked her if she could help me make subject pages to insert in the binder.  She has been busy since she got up! With an unexpected day off, S needs some fun projects to keep her busy throughout the day.  Meanwhile, I will keep quilting and enjoy the pretty winter wonderland from the windows.

xxc 

Update: 1/4" mark shop

update: {1/4" mark shop} is updated with many handmade items. { Thank you} for all the great supports and visits~

xxc

Weekending

 { new reading for me}

 {Once in a while}

 {run! pack your purse, make sure bring your wallet. don't miss out the new DS collection for Joann}

 {DS collection 2012}

 { Quilt for P}

 { mini quilts}

 { electric outrage; make sure many flashlights by your belt}

 { sorting}

 { what to make?}

 { 1/4" mark shop}

{Welcome to weekending}

Lately, I have been researching new books to read and books that contain good informative information for S and myself to read together.  Then I came cross some really informative encyclopedia books that contain many subjects. It has been a fun reading for me and S is able to share what she has learned from school and what is new for her.

Not very often that we have bacon at home. It is almost like treat for us. Today as we pass by the local butcher shop we got a small portion of bacon slices. It has been a while to have breakfast for lunch; simple and very nutritious!

When arrived home from S' music lesson. I started preparing lunch and waited in front of the stove to warm up. It took a very long time for me to realized that our power is out.  S scurried to the bedroom and gather all her flashlights by her belt and asked if I need a flashlight. Here.. I have a mini flashlight set by my sewing machine, just in case.. after another half an hour the power is back! The furnace is back in running, lunch was prepared and eaten, internet server is back on, fridge is keeping food in good condition, sewing machine is ready to have a go!  As S suggested, wish we have an old-fashioned stove and yes, that's a great idea!

The quilt top for my friend Peter is almost done. It will be a lap size quilt. It has been a very challenging quilt to make. I went off my fabric comfort zone when I found out that he likes purple. I am not sure if he will the purple that I picked. I decided to go with black for the border and the gray floral print for the backing. 

As you know that there are many exciting news around here. S and I  both decided to have a longer tea time today; share the books from library and we are working as a team researching Taiwan culture for her class.

Weekending at {1/4" mark house} is always busy, but we try to find time to sit and visit!
How about your weekending?

Random: good news!

{valentines, be mine}

{1/4" mark shop}

Yesterday, we had much sugar! More than we needed for the week. Hope your {valentine's day} was sweet and fabulous! S flew a paper airplane to the kitchen while I was fixing the dinner and had message on the paper, { meet at 7p.m. at bedroom}. She presented the song she wrote to me and play it on her violin for me. These are the best of best gifts from her to me! It makes everything twice better!!

Another great news happened yesterday after the {xoxo} post. The mail carrier delivered the letter that I have been waiting for. Yes, it is my citizenship interview letter. It feels long while waiting the letter to come. The interview is set in the second week of March! I have been reviewing the test, although it is not as difficult as it sounds. S is helping me getting the names sound right and testing me on the history part. The testing will soon approach and hope I will do fine!  Fingers Crossed! 

Later today and tomorrow I will be uploading handmade items to {1/4" mark shop}. zippered Dumplings in small and medium sizes. Linen zippered pouches, coaster set, and kin-cha-ku. etc. Hope you can stop by.  

The second week of {Weekending} link up will be tomorrow and hope you can join with me and other friends. Flickr photo link up is great  and blog post link up is also wonderful. 

xxc