Random: Not sew satisfied

I've been friended with miss Seam Ripper for many hours. Lots ripped off threads are everywhere; upstair, downstair, in the staircase, on studio table and the on the kitchen floor. I will pretend I don't see them until later this week.

I am not quiet satisfied with the outcome of the half-sandwhich quilt blocks for a few weeks. The seams are off on many blocks and it was not quiet right! You know, it is alike to an itch in the back and just kinda need to get it! There are total 40 assembled blocks were ripped apart yesterday afternoon and this morning. That means, lots gentle pressing, accurate trimming and picking tiny threads await for me, but I am sure I will be more satisfy when I have it all assemble together again. Then more blocks to make before it's ready! I plan on making a queen size quilt, so we can all share this quilt together!

Oh! Did you know, I really want to pinch myself after I ripped the seams off? Some of the joined seams are loosing up. Making an extra reenforcement is so important from the past lessons that I've learned!

I will be patching all the seams back and getting they all right this time!


More soon!

xxc

Random: My sewing day

A bit of fabric cutting, pressing, sewing, and of course movie time! How's your sewing day? I can't wait to share the "Daffodil Joy Quit" with you!

xxc

Handmade: Patchwork Pennii Needle-books & Pinnii cushions

 {Patchwork Pennii Needle-books & Pinnii cushions}

{Patchwork: Green Grass Tall}

{Patchwork : Blue Map}

 {Patchwork: Spring Song}

{Patchwork: Strawberry Patch}

You've just landed in {mini Patchwork world}! My name is Chase, I'd be your tour guide for the day!

These Patchwork {Pennii Needle Bookes & Pinnii cushions} are definitely show my recent works obsessions! I am have been working with hues in varies tones and combined with some accent colors.  It is interesting to see the effect after making so many of them! I've enjoyed some of the fabric collections that released in this Spring and enjoyed combine these prints with some of my collected prints. They make a bit of vintage, but fresh look! 

The hand-quilting definitely added a great personal effect on the works. After all the small stitches, the cotton batting has been soften and the stitches added more handmade texture on them. I particularly love the {Spring Song set}, which reminded of a song that has been singing over and over here! 

I am pleased and happy with these {patchwork pennii needle-book & pinnii cushion sets}. They make great sewing tool set during traveling and in your sewing studio. For the inside page, I used 100% wool blended felt page for all sort of needles. It is leaves great room to insert needles even the basting needles. The snap fasten is made with 100% linen and professional installed with metal snap that will give a nice closure. I just love the four leaf clover designer on the snap! It is a nice finish on fasten part. 

There are four sets of {Spring 2015 collection} has been listed up in the {shop} this morning and you'll be able to see the inside finished page look like and more details in the {shop page}. 

{Thank you so much} for all your {visits} yesterday! It is so hard to describe my feeling about my works are flying out today to your hands! It is really a special moment to learn that you are here for me and my works! I have hard time to write much lately because I keep myself quiet and just work hard! It really helps me to narrow down the long list that I have been struggled myself. A few weeks back I was tagged on Instagram for 20 facts about me and one of fact I shared is I am not a dreamer and believer in hard working.  The there's should be number 21 fact follower after this one: I used to dream big, but failed hard! I learned One step a day now and every little bit of effort counts! 

I can't wait to show you the next patchwork collection that I have been working on! It will be here before I know it! Today, I will be spending rest of the day press seam allowance open and cut more patchwork pieces. Then hope I'll be able to run to the fabric shop to get 1/4" linen piece, so I could finish {City Gym Short}. Oh, it is raining again! I shall turn on the tea kettle and brew a pot of hot tea  now, it is a little chilly! 

xxc 

Handmade: Patchwork {Love} Zippered Pouches

 {Patchwork love zippered pouch: Miss Meg}

 {Patchwork Love Zippered Pouch: Miss Lois}

 {Patchwork Love Zippered Pouch: Miss A}

 {Patchwork Love Zippered Pouch: Miss E}

 { Patchwork Love zippered Pouch: Miss K}

This is a small limited edition of {Patchwork Love zippered pouches}. It is surely one of my favorite patchwork collection that I handmade for the {shop}. I strived for the fun patchwork concepts! For this limited edition, I tried and incorporated the diamond patchwork piecing with 100% linen! The outcome is perfectly matched well! Elegant and sweet! 

Patchwork piecing and hand-quilting is the signature of most of my works. I have hard time to put all the finishing patchwork pieces onto the machine then assemble up. The hand-quilting process provides extra care of attention to detail; an evident of handmade, which is imperfect in many way! But it really make each of my work as it is! Never can find a second work piece the same! I always pleased when each limited edition closed to the photograph stage; the handmade and the patchwork pieces that I have created is about ready to go out to the world {and nervous at the same time}.

This is a perfect size for traveling and everyday purpose zippered pouch! Lots of time, you'll see me carry mine with SD chips, USB, a few dollar bills, coins and special notes from a sweet person {whom you should have guessed}! 

There are total of five {patchwork love zippered pouches} in this limed edition and I will not produce the same style pouches in the future! I have another three diamond patchwork style pouches will soon to announce. They are onto the final assembling stage, since I have finished the quilting not long ago.

It will be a perfect Mother's Day gift to moms or yourself! Each handmade work from the shop is package with a handmade sewn archival glassine bag then a special handmade {thank you} tag is attached with {quarter inch mark} sticker. If you need to ship this gift to a special someone. I will enclosed a special note for you! All you need to do is leave me a note at "note to seller" box. I'd be happy to make this gift before Mother's Day, within US territory. For international buyers, I can't guarantee the gift will be on time for the Mother's Day, as the international shipping time takes 7-12 days, sometimes it could be longer due to the custom process. However, it is never early or late for gifts from someone!  {I think I am getting a special card this year}!

So, what I have been up to lately? I am getting so closed to finish up the {Daffodil Joy Quilt} then I think I have made my mind on the binding print! Also, I have been working more mini patchwork piecing for the shop and myself! I have more kin-cha-ku coming up, with a bit of fun twist. If you like to make one, pattern can be found {here}. I have been particularly into working with similar hues lately, which will soon to be introduced in next upcoming patchwork limited edition {tomorrow}. 

Thank you for all your support through the shop and here at the blog! You all have been special to me and keep me create and not giving up what I love to do! This  journey has been great with all of you accompanied me!

xxc

Coming Soon

Patchwork {love} pouches are {coming soon}!

xxc

Daffodil Joy Take two

So, what do you think having me back in a short two days? It has been such productive week here and best part of this motivation is good weather and good road trip! This afternoon I pieced and sewn all the patchwork block rows together and give a nice seam press in the back! A quick trip to the fabric shop to look for the backing fabric. Something simple and something coordinate with the quilt top nicely! 

I am still working on choose the binding fabrics! The two bring prints stand out the most from 6 other prints I pulled out, but now need let them sit for awhile before one shines itself! It will be a mystery for awhile! ( hint: a gift)  I really like how all the mustard-ish yellow come together! It is a rich and welcoming yellow and do you know that purple works so well with them, but I play safe! This quilt will be hand-quilt! It has been a very long time, since I last hand-quilt a quilt.  I miss the process and mostly the imperfect stitches and look forward hand-baste it next week and bring it with me during music lessons.

Still at this moment as I am writing this post, I can't believe I finished a quilt top within a week! It seems like a simple sewing process, but to me it has been a big accomplishment.  Now, I need to go back to the S' birthday quilt, which I am looking forward to finish it and surprise her soon!

xxc

WIP: Daffodil Joy

The week has been full with rainy and windy days! I took a road trip yesterday in the stormy weather and glad made it back home safe and sounded! Road trip is really my thing! I could drive 10 hours a day without feeling tired or miserable! I love what come to me on the road and especially this time of the year with all the fresh greens that's come out!  The quick trip result, a quick stop by my favorite shop and discover some awesome feedsack fabric, a quick stop by my must dine-in Mexican restaurant, a few quick stops by friends' house to say hello! I really had wish the weather was better, so I could stay a bit longer, but I had to go!

I though I would not start a new quilt until finish S' birthday quilt and the half-triangle quilt, but I didn't keep that promise up and cut up for a new quilt over last weekending. Yellow prints came to my mind right away! A sort of yellow prints that would coordinate each other well and closed to Daffodil was what I was aiming for! Yellow isn't the color that I use very often. It isn't an attractive color for me, but it surely is a natural color for anyone!

For the background print, I have second twice times myself before I head to the fabric store. I was pulling some black/white low value prints for it, but it would take all the intention I have for the quilt, simple, sunny, and bright! Then, I though of using simple polka-dots, but it didn't speak to me! Then while in the store, I pulled out the Kona white and it was giving high contrast to the yellow, so I went with Kona Snow for that off white balance.

Some of the yellow prints are being collected over the years. I can't tell you that how please I am when I have the first three blocks assembled. It is a Double Irish Chain Pattern. Each square is being cut in 2.5"x2.5" and finished at 2"x2", so the whole block is 10.5"x10.5" and finished at 10"x10".

I also have some other projects to share with you soon! I would like to let you know my second pattern, {Patchwork Jo-Jo pouch/clutch} has been in the {shop}. This pattern contained 40 pages, how-to and step-by-step photos. I wrote up lots tips on how to do some of the sewing and also share lots my favorite patchwork sewing patterns within the pattern. Patchwork Jo-Jo pattern is great for beginning sewers and people who are visually learner! This pattern was done last April and I wasn't ready to release it due to the changes that have made in the reality life.  I simple want to {thank you} for following me along on this challenge journey! It seems like the more I face it the stronger I become! Thank you for all your cheers!

I really can't wait to show you more, but I need to continue this Daffodil Joy before I hand it away.

xxc

On the shelves

Oh! It feels a bit embarrassed to show you this post! It is for sure not a bragging post, but to share how I organized the cloth on the shelves. I must admitted I am quiet happy about this arrangement since we moved in! Of course, there's always a long wish list and want is always more than need! Between 2009-2013, all my fabrics are storage in the plastic bins. It was great that I get to protect them and seeing them from the outside of the plastic bins. Oh, I never really want to touch them because they are so well organized! At the time, every so often I'd needed to run to store and get a few more bins, because they fill up pretty quick at the time ( The truth is they actually never stop filling up the space).

When we moved in our home. The upstair loft is a perfect space for all what I need, a space to sew and work! The space is really small 5'x9'. To work around the space, I took a trip to Ikea and purchased a {Bill Book Case} and a CD case.  The Bill book case gives 6 nice shelves space. If you work around with the fabric folding direction. It would fit 5 set of fabrics, BUT the bookcase is heavy! The first time, I mounted the book case to the wall and stashed all the fabrics in; it didn't held up 24 hours. Everything came off from the wall, so I went to the hardware store and got a sturdy L shape mounting part and it has been working nicely ever since!

The CD case, is so perfect for all the fat quarters! If you are a fat quarter buyer, for sure check the CD case out ( I am not able to find the link via Ikea site), but it is in the section when you find the Billy Book case in the store. I would buy a second one if I have extra space in the wall space! Mine is full! I organized these in the colors. They are likely imperfect cuts and so easy to pull out when I have a small project going on. I never feel sorry for being clutter with them! Simply full the stashes out and set them back! I constantly add a few fat quarters or small cut pieces in them as I go along.

Here, I break down a few category for organize fabrics:

-By themes ( Holiday, animals, etc)
-By designers
-By companies
-By colors     ( red, blue, green, yellow, etc)
-By values    ( Low values, dark values)
-By Designs ( Dots, stripes, floral, fruits, text, etc)

I definitely am a person who organized mainly by Designers. I have hard time to break a full collection apart. I think mainly I love to see the designers collections together and seeing their changes from season to season. As you know, I am a DS fan! I have set all the DS fabric on two shelves and it is so much easy for me to pull fabric out! I did a little color arrangement within each collection, but not serious sorted by values.

For the low values prints: I break them into two sets! The one on the left is with simple printed design  with colors and the other set would mainly be black, gray, and white. I just finished this arranged a few months back and it works great for me. I know what I am looking when work on a project or when I go fabric shopping I could recall what stash or print is a more "need" than want!

A little collection of the Cotton and Steel fabric. I have hard time to shop with this collection because I really love to own every piece, but I know I need to pick and choose. I have the full collection for the basic and some from their second collection. This is the only collection that I organized as a company! Since their fabrics work so well together!

This is a crazy spot of the shelve. I can't tell you what I was trying to do here! I have some prints that just received lately and haven't been able to find a place for them.  I have small selection of dots together then the unsuccessful brown stash.  It is the most challenging part for me! Any prints that purchase as a single print like being organized by the color. It is so much easier try to find a home for them.

The most cute and sweet prints that I have been collected over the year from Atsuko Matsuyama, a Japanese designer. Her fabrics have very similar values and colors, so within this designer I sorted the fabrics by colors. This collection is still in the plastic bin and just not being use much.

A little bit of Kumiko Fujita fabric! I love all the text prints that KF designs, but I need to be so honest that I am always late for purchasing them when they are in the shop. I hardly use any of them because I feel if I use them they will be long gone!

Some of these fabrics were for my shop in the past, but now I have stopped selling them. I keep the remaining fabric in this bin and also store some yardage fabric in here.

I keep the feedsack in the plastic bin, mainly some of them are aged and the fabric colors are discolored. I try to protect them away from the sunshine. Since some of the prints are gifted from friends I really try to use them wisely.

All the Suzuko Koseki's fabrics are in the bins as well!  Oh! no secrete! I really just admire the colors, the design, the texture of the fabrics! My hope is making a Spiral Feathered Star Quilt soon!

A bin of Kona solid is a must! I think it helps to break down all the saturate and busy designs. A fat quarter would go along way for me as I like work on small patchwork.

 The most gorgeous 30's reproduction fabric! I was very lucky to start the collection early and slowly purchase them over the years and also was able to purchased a few through friend's destash. I foun, not everyone likes 30's reproduction fabrics, but the true is they are quiet similar to the feedsack; a few things different would probably be the colors, texture and the originality. I used this for Fifi's birthday quilt, which was a perfect collection for her!

So, This is my scrap bin. Very small! I have another small box! Whenever I have scraps I try to cut them down to 1.5"x1.5" and store them in my stamp quilt box. It is a ongoing project and hope someday I'll have stamp quilt to show and tell.  I don't really sort the scraps into colors as I try to go through them after a few projects. I don't have bins after bins of scraps!

If I never have a chance to redo the studio. I look forward {a book case with doors} and possible space under the book case. It would be nice to protect them from the light and dust. I love seeing them as I walk to the space, but yet my concern is the colors might fade as it is over expose throughout the days/ years. I also fancy a cutting table in the future; even a small one!

What's your shelves look like?

xxc