Eleven patchwork things!

Oh, I have eleven patchwork things that I would like to share....

#1  I went through all the boxes in the studio and decided no long to ignore these embroidery flosses They have been sorted into colors and stored back to the container again.  Um, not much improvement, but it is nice to know what is there now. I would like to find a better way to organize them, it would be ideal to find containers that provides long compartment storage units, so each color could find a space on its own.


#2  In the w.i.p. stash, I found this collaborated mini quilt that S and I work together in our last N.D. year.  I plan on  finish the other side of embroidery and hand-quilt the mini. It would be a nice mini to add on to S' wall space for the new year to come! Lots little drawings that she made and very special to her. Yes, they are all animals, if you know her so well.

#3  The sashiko stitch cloth that could get some more attentions on! I love blue and white contrast in any prints and dinnerwares! It reminds me so much of the simplicity, calm, and quietness. It was planned for a mini quilt, but I think I'll round it up with the back cloth and use it for to cover top of my summer basket.

 #4 Cross stitch; the alphabet has finished a long time ago, but it would use a nice frame to let it shine a bit. It has been laying round for too long and it needs to be check off from the list soon! The little welcome piece is not so ready. Oh, the pattern is not where to be found! I so hope my dear friend still has the copy, so I could finish it up.

 #5 The advent calendar has been filling up daily, likely! There was a day or two that we just didn't make it to the table, but we made it all the way through the 27th now.  We've decided to finish it up for the month of December. It has been a really fun project for us! Simple and truly enjoyment!

 #6  Some kind and lovely package arrived in our mail box for the holiday! The package just made it on time to place under the tree! I can't say enough about these apple prints! There are new projects in mind for them, but I think I'll wait for a little while longer before getting into them.

 # 7  There are only a few days left for 2015. In the past, it doesn't seem very important to look back what I have accomplished, but this year as I've started the daily planner. It changed my mind and attitude about the day, week, and month! I wrote down little bits of everything; weather, food, good day, what project started and accomplished, etc. Well, it really works for me to track on all the daily basis! I am excited to get on 2016 planner soon! I found it is kinda silly to read memos that I wrote weeks, months ago, but I really like this idea and habit of daily journaling.

 # 8  These nine patch blocks have moved with me a few times! These are made by my friend when we still lived in ND; none of the seams are matched or nicely press! This afternoon, I have pulled them out and finished the rest of the blocks. I plan to sashing them with 2.5" wide fabric and finish it. I would like to send the finish quilt to my friend for the next year's holiday. It might be a perfect gift!

 #9 Snow has been falling in the city this morning! It finally looks and feels like winter wonderland here! It is so pretty to look out for the whole day! I mean none stop snow falling for a Full Day! The snow truck came this afternoon, but the road is covered with inches of snow again! I wondered if they will come again tomorrow morning! Fingers crossed because I am heading out of town!

#10  It is a small world..... Oh, I am so so so so closed to finish this quilt along! I have part 5 and 6 left to work on still! I am so ready to jump right in this project again! I probably will finish the sky first then decided on the rest! I have truly enjoy this quilt along, but stay on the commitment is hard! It is something that I have not been able to keep up for last so many years! Finish what I started! 

#11 I still have a basket full of patchwork pieces for hand quilting. I might not be able to get to them right away! Maybe one patchwork piece at the time! But eventually they will get done!

I am looking forward the week and new year! My little goal is finish most of them! I mean maybe half of them! It will be hard because I know I'll start something at the mid-point. Over the year, I have so many piled up or give up projects. I can't deny that I though about give them away, but at the end they stay with me. I am guessing my other side of mind was telling me to keep them for someday! I have found so many my early days works and fabrics lately! I can't tell you how much they actually mean to me! So many embroidery patterns, flosses, dish towels, and little things. 

Now let me talk less, do more! 

xxc

Green Lady

Last late December, I received a copy of {Quilt Now} magazine in the mail. I though I'd make the cover quilt, {Chrsitmas Log Cabin Wreath} by Jessie Fincham aka {messyjesse}. { I think you'll enjoy Jesse's blog; it is so charming and I love all the fabrics stash that she puts together for her quilts}.  I didn't get to make the quilt when I received the magazine. It looked so complex when I first saw it in person. Oh, I didn't sit down and take time to read through the pattern; honesty!

I have been going through the pile of w.i.p box and check out what have been in the box then found the magazine and careful read through the pattern again! Duh! It is a such an easy and well written pattern to follow. It is such a beautiful quilt and so eye catching, if you seen it being made last year! I debated if I should go with  red or yellow for the center log cabin. Then I though it might be fun to go with yellow instead of the traditional red!

It looks fresh and crispy unlike the other quilt I have made. I really like how this turn out! For the quilting, I did the random wave lines that cross each other to create a bit bow tie look. Can you see? For the backing, I used three different prints that all some what holiday related. The music sheet print is so sweet! I used up all the yardage in my stash and went back to the store and got more!  It feels really great to finish this quilt, just in time for the holiday! I almost make it into a tree skirt, um... it would be so pretty, but I still think I'd like something more whimsical and possible use wool felt to make the skirt, maybe next year?

The color combination is so different from what I used to make, so I turned these colors into patchwork pouches and place one in the {shop}. I had to hand-quilted them all! With all the tiny squares, it seems just nice to added more hand touch to it. I keep one for myself, it will be my new hand-quilting box pouch or  I'd be using it for electronic chargers and little things. Then I made one scrappy style {mini coin pouch}!

Another project that I found in the w.i.p box is the {village wreath}. I know, this is something that I though I'd just enjoying other people's creations. The truth is,  I can't help myself thinking about the village wreath. So, I drove by the craft store and pick up the sale wreath, few more tiny trees and another cardboard house.  There is one tiny house and some little tiny trees. It is not glue on still, I plan to add a few items on. It might be another year of w.i.p, but feels great I finally have started this w.i.p. It looks nice above the library now and I would like to add a few more tiny houses later on if I can still find them.

This year, I made apple pies for the music teachers; something different. It feels so right after seeing the surprise reaction.  I also print out the receipt for them, so they could enjoy making apple pie in the future. I used remaining pie dough and added cut out shape of holiday figures. The second pie was handed yesterday, but I didn't get the photo. The second pie center is a bell that tie with a ribbon then lots cut out stars. Can you picture it with me?

I have not made the cookie list for this year yet, but there are 7 pounds of butter in the freezer, 5 pounds of sugar and 1 bag of 5 pound flour. I don't think I'll need that many, but I think we actually do! I'll be making a pound cake tonight for tomorrow's recital after party and then lots mini sugar cookies for S to bring to school. Oh, the {French seam style drawstring bags} are the little gift bags made from all the scraps remaining. These snowman's are really cute! I'll stuff lots little things for nieces then send to them soon.

Meanwhile, I'll spend next few days with butter, sugar, and flour. Hope we'll be able to get all these cookies made and share. Then there's an upcoming trip that requires long travel time or us.  I probably will not be able to make it back here real soon!

Wish you have a great holiday season, with families and friends!  Lots laughs and great time! 
Make sure to make it a fabulous time with families as we are so far away from ours and wish you double it up for us!  


xxc
+ s

Patchwork Pennii needle-books & Pinni Cushions

Welcome to the {Patchwork Pennii Needle-Books & Pinni Cushions} Preview! This time, I will keep this review short and you'll find below each photo there's link or links will take you to the listing(s) if you would like to visit more. 

I am quiet proud of how these patchwork pieces turn out! There are quite lots labor in love went into them. They turn out quite nicely in color combinations and each of them gets its own characteristic. Each set is used different backing fabric print, so stands on its own!  There are limited and the last batch of the patchwork needle-books and pin cushions.  

Brown- {145}  

Browns are such humble colors in many ways.  It is the color of our land, trees, nuts that we consumed/not consumed?! It is earth tone colors that some of us like/ not a fan of! I found good classic browns that I have my eyes on are chestnut, walnut, dark chocolate, Raffia is another lighter grade of brown. By giving some accent color in the brown range, I added oranges and yellow. Slightly change of the off-white to give the work more distinct. 

{Earth}

{Chocolate}

Blue- {152}
As I shared on Instagram the other day. Blue means freedom and space to me, but when I just came to states. My friends always told me how blue they feel; such as Blue Monday. I found that interesting how we often fell in love/dislike and use colors to describe the emotion of ourselves. The blue is such a wide range of the hue;  sky, Robin eggs, Peacock and ever so popular Aqua.

{cloud}
{robin egg}
{sky}
{bluebell}

Feedsack- {172}

The feedsacks fabric are soft with gentle texture in them. The second best part of this fabric is great for hand-quilting. The retro colors and the floral inspired so many reprints these days. They are rare and hard to find these days now. Colors are likely faded and a few spot being stained. These prints come with its own story. Most of the feedsacks are from 1930's and later.  The era, people repurpose it for making clothes for children, kitchen accessories (pot holder, aprons, etc). Nowadays, they seem like reminders and records of what were before and allow us to trace the fashion and colors back. It takes good effort to wash, dry, and press them! I admire friends who make this happen!

{vintage}

Gray-
It is a neutral or we so called without color. In drawing, we use the grays by using the varies scale to bring out the object in dimensions.  It is interesting to put one gray scale patch together and just to see how these tone interact. I added just little accent colors to it. I though of warm colors to bring and balance out the cold, but somewhere in my head didn't make it happen. I was in the idea of fresh and new look.

{steel}

Green-
Green is for summer?! I like how evergreen still grow and keep its color strong in the cold winter days. Green is such a energetic and full of positive color! I like how pistachio, mint, honey dew, pear, sour apple, kiwi colors flowing around in the grocery stores. For the dark contrast green; basil, hunter green catch my eye! I paired the green range with yellow and tiny red print. Used some of the fruit prints to bring out some summer colors!

{honey dew}
{pear}
{mint}
{sour apple}

Liberty London-

The most gorgeous fabric to hand-quilt! It is such a nice and soft texture to have and work with! The colors are vivid in person and the contrast between floral prints and little icon prints make it fun to work with. It is such a pleasure to work with Liberty print.

{Tanya}

Mix & Match

It is also called scrappy patchwork! Sometimes colors, prints in scale, and designs are accidentally match to each other! I like the idea of mix & match and always surprised by the outcome afterwards.

{random}
{mix}
{match}

Pink- {127}

My eyes go to peach kinda pink, melon, peony, and deep rose. The contrast would be fuchsia and candy pink. The soft pinks are perfect for accommodating the dark red {apple red}d, slightly mint green, and banana yellow, so on! I also found that pink goes well with grays and browns! I think it is a such tender and soft colors that could work with large range of colors!

{melon}
{peach}
{peony}
{primrose}

Purple- {146}

It is such a strange in between color! It is mixed by red and blue. Adding white to tine up and add black to give dark tones.  What do you think of purple? Here are some purples that I study and enjoy; Lilac, orchid, Thistle, pansy, and petunia. These purples seem are more soft and elegant. 

{Pansy}

Red-

Red is such a strong color! Since it is such a powerful color. Likely using off-white prints will blend out the high contrast a little more. Some of soft colors and tiny print also help out this balance. The red that seem catch my eyes are apple, ruby, tomatoes.

{Apple}
{Ruby}

Yellow {142}

Yellow is the most luminous of all colors. It captures our attention more than other colors. In the natural world, yellow is the color of sunflowers. Good yellow prints are hard to find. These mustard, corn-yellow, buttercup, curry, sunflower are the yellows that appeal instantly. A color that I could use to balance with majority of prints. Orange always seems a nice accent color to that! 

{butter}

{cheddar}

{daffodil} 

{sunflower}

Thank you again for the preview! It seems hard to make just one of two sentence for all what I have been working on! 

Each patchwork needle-book comes with lined with a 100% wool felt piece for the needle placement. All the hardware piece are hand installed. The closure piece is made with 100% linen piece to give extra zakka look! All the patchwork piece is hand-quilted throughout the cotton batting and patchwork itself. 

These pincushions are as well being hand-quilted and added a special sewing trim on the side! Lots sweet vintage trims are being use. These cushions are stuffed with polyester filling to make them puff and soft.


Shop talk-

** Each order will be package in a sewing machine sewn none-toxic glassine paper bag to fit each book and seal with wash tape.

**At this time, I cannot guarantee the First-Class mail {$3.00} will make it to the holiday gifting. There are two shipping method now; you can select the shipping option at the check out. Shipping in flat rate priority envelope {$5.50} might be make it to your holiday gifting at this moment.  All the order will come with tracking number, so we both can track the package. It has been slowing down for the postal service last few weeks, but I try to send out your order within 2 business days.
For the international shipping, First class is recommended as priority is costly for shipping the small item.

** Please do review your shipping address before you check out or after check out. Or need to ship to a different address. During this time of the year, the post office is having high volume of packages and letters to delivery. If you are ordering the item as a gift and would like to send to a different address, please do let me know in the {buyer to sender} box. Thank you so much for the double checking. I hope the package will arrive to your mailbox safely and possible on time. 

Thank you for supporting my works & Enjoy~

p.s. The number that indicated within { } is the hearts that received in Instagram.  It was interesting to see how we heart colors differently.   

xxc

Coming soon...

almost ready...

edit: It is ready! {blog} and {shop}

Making patchwork way...

The package arrived last week. It was a bit trouble getting it, but it is here! I waited till S to get home and took photos of her sitting on top of package then sent the photos to Fifi. It is a tradition we do here, ever since S was 2. The package seems a bit smaller now { as she is a bigger girl now}, but the content of cares and thoughts are always grater than the package itself!

Did you know?? The so so thoughtful gift that Fifi got me?! It is a fountain pen with my name engraved on the cap! I can't tell you how much I love this pen when I open it the other day! It is such a smooth pen to write with and always have been one of things that in the my pocket list that I have wished to find one for myself! I have been using the new pen since it arrived! I, so careful when I get the cap off the pen then so careful to put it back on.  I was so nervous when S was taking the cap off! I kept telling her, would you please be so careful? would you please?

As always there are lots goods in the package; gifts, cards, snacks from nieces and families. Mom's {good for you} soup base and all sort of little things that we so miss! We've got snacks for this winter than we'll get another package in the spring for the spring then summer! Those care packages always fuel us up and we kinda depend on them four-season long!

In last couple of years, we've tried different way of advent calendar. Oh, none of them work quiet well for us! This year, we are trying something new and fun! I took two pieces of good watercolor paper then sew the grid lines on the paper then stamp the dates and made it into a December calendar. Each day, we would draw a little image on as we go on! Not much time is required, maybe 5 minutes or less for a little calendar day. It has been great since we started.  I though it would be a fun new tradition for us and would be a nice little drawing to frame up someday? or a little holiday record for us?

I am a bit embarrassed, but I've been shopping for little cardboard houses in bargain prices. Oh, I know, it is funny how I got into all these village houses last two years. Nothing fancy, just little cardboard houses and lots miniture trees. They make everything twice cozy around here! I have plan to make some cardboard houses when the time slow down! When I was an art student in high school, I used to build these cardboard houses for my interior design class. It has been too long and will probably take a very time time to refresh the concepts and skills. I would really love to build a village of my own, so I could bring all my neighbors/ friends with me! It would be perfect to build a fabric ware house right next to the house I live {smile}! I shouldn't go on about this village houses because it would be way too long of a post... {giggle}!

The last batch of the needle-books and pin-cushions are almost ready! Each set is unique on its own and the lining fabric is all different as I really would like them to stand on its own! I am really proud of how they turn out! Lots little hand-quilting and ladder stitches for all the closures. I hope you'll like them as much as I do!

There are limited colors; four pinks, four yellows, four blues, four greens, two reds, one purples, two browns, one feedsack, one Liberty London, one grays, then a few more sets are matched colors.  Just little bit of everything!

I'll be listing them later in the {shop} this week and will write a post for it.  I will do a short preview with you if you miss the IG posts that I made.  There will be a sum up post for it! Stay turn!

{Thank You} for all the kindly comments from the last post! You all made me feel great about the places that I have been in and life we made here! I do hope that each quilt that I made comes with a memory, a reason and a why! I like all the good stories when my friends told me about their family quilts and hope someday my quilts will become family stories as well! I do believe though, everything gets better each day and some days it is ok to be arrgh!  

xxc