FW1930 QAL # 73 Mrs. Taft

Welcome to my stop for FW 1930 QAL #73 Mrs. Taft. This block is quiet simple and straightforward. I followed the numbering for the paper piecing part. 

Trim the Paper piecing piece.  I used highlighter to distinguish the prints for the sections. The post on how I add seam allowances for precut prints {here}.

Precut all fabric pieces and it helps to make the piecing time quicker. 

 For larger section fabric, I used fabric glue stick to stable the fabric on paper.

 I only dot the glue stick on the paper not allover the section.

 Pin works as well

 For section A8 and B8, these fabric pieces are larger I make few more dots across the fabric piece

You could see the dots where held the fabric down

 The first finished triangle section

 Turn the triangle section, trim around the paper piece.

Flip the paper piece up then draw 1/4" allowance marking; repeat for the other side of big triangle section

Bring two triangle sections together. I like to pin the starting and ending points together first then work my way to the center. Match the seam allowance lines together.

This is how it looks. I like to mention on the both end of the points. You could see the pin is pinned slight in an angle. I found the stab the pin down to both side of the points then follow the drawing line down on the other side of triangle gives more accurate sewing.

 Follow the seam allowance then gently press the center seam allowance open!

If you are looking for more information on the quilt along, please check into Kerry's Blog {verykerryberry} 

xxc

Daily. patchwork. stitch

{High Five} to the end of musical season recitals! The last season violin recital, S played Concertino in the style of W.A. Mozar; such a gentle and lightly piece in this spring recital! I again, a proud ma and enjoyed every young violinists who played in the violin studio recital. Such a nice way to wrap up the year around hard working and study. 

Over the years, I have been saving every EMS boxes shipped from our family oversea! The other day, the packing started and I found there are total of 6 different addresses in the boxes. I talked to Fifi about it and she was quiet not impressive about all the moves we've made! I can't really tell you "the why" I saved all these boxes, but it feels great and maybe that some of the evidences of our family with us years after years. They also became my favorite packing boxes where ever we move to {laugh}! Seeing them all together is quiet emotional and bitter sweet to flash back all the changes we've made. 

I went through scrap boxes and spent a few afternoon time to piece them together. They will be transferred into pouches, the zippered ordered just arrived last night, but too dark to walk out to the community mailboxes, so got them this morning; the zippers are colorful and the zipper teeth is bigger than the usual zipper I used.  They seem like some last minute of patchworking, but is helping me to have a different focus away from sorting and packing!   

The quilts have been gather and a few are still upstair. To cut down some of the moving supply costs, I plan to use the quilts to wrap some of the furniture pieces. I think it is probably the best and economical way for us and we can always wash, dry and reuse the same quilt over and over. I still very much love and like seeing the wears on the quilts, seeing colors faded after every wash,  exposed overtime during sunlights , and some food stains. It is alright, that's what they are for, being loved and used!  

Sitting on the floor is probably the best and resting way for me lately! Made all the hand-basting job on the floor, folded all the not quiet perfect cut fabric pieces on the floor, getting planner fill with the weekly events and schedules, hand-quilting little by little on the floor, planning the next quilt for {me}. The daily bounce is getting all these agendas check off and have a little peaceful mind back to what I hope to accomplish before the upcoming changes. I can't tell you, how much I still enjoy the downstair space more than upstair. The glass door gets open all the time and sometimes, when the showers drop down, I love watching all the animal friends getting their way back to the hide out pots. 

Here is the plain scone recipe that I found and will not be able to make it at this time, probably this Fall. I would love to know how it turns out if you bake them. I bet they are going to be great with fresh homemade jams or even just butter with tiny bit of honey drizzle on top! 

3 C. Flour

1/2 C. sugar

5 tsps. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 butter {cold}

1 egg beaten

1 C. Milk

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.  

until then, i should be down here stitching.. 

xxc

May days!

It is that time of the year that the car pulls in and out the garage multiple times a day. Some of the day, it just being park out on driveway. It seems much easier to pop in the car then go! Then once it rains, it gets park inside again. It feels like playing insy-outsy game all the time!

There are lots rehearsals for S towards the end of the school year. When she gets home from school, there is a 30 minutes break time then we are on the go again! Often time, she reads a book by the passenger seat and have good chat with me about her day at school and some funny things that her friends told her. Lately, it has been lightly snore sound and radio flowing inside the car. I saw her eyes closed and felt in a quick nap during the drive to the rehearsals! I try to reduced the speed, so that she could get extra 5 minutes nap time. I often admire her commitments that she made and getting works done. It feels great telling her, how proud I am that she is doing great job for herself! Oh, another few weeks then she will have a bit break time from all that the end of school busy schedule! We look forward a full day to stay home, I sew and she reads!

It has been slightly humid here and just slightly clutter around the home. I've been sewing downstair and really enjoy these bigger space and nice spring breeze comes in from the open patio door. The dinning table has became a nice cutting table and it is so much nicer to have a table for cutting only! I like how the cutting mates stay in the same place when I need the access to it. Then the machine is on the kitchen countertop. It is not a fantastic space for sewing, but for what I need now is perfect! Now, I am not longer upsy and downsy! It is so much nicer I can pour a cup of tea for myself without too much spill from downstair to upstair and trying to find a space in the sewing table {laugh}! plus snack a few cookies between times! 

There are 242 of hourglass blocks made for S' 12 birthday quilt! It is such a nice blocks for layout variations. The quilt top is finished over the weekend and it is measured 82"x86". It will take some extra time to finish as I would like to hand-quilt this for her! Simple cross lines for the quilting pattern. The backing will be simple with label in the back and a little appliqué and some embroidery, a little birthday messages, something from me to her.

Did you know? It was probably the first time walked into the fabric store with a purpose in mind. Often time, the girl at the cutting table ask me, what are you making? I often responded with a smile and said not quiet sure! Last time, when I was there the same girl asked me the exactly same question again. I replied, some summer shorts! Then she started a nice conversation about making shorts while she was making the cuts! When I saw the owls bolt in the mess of clearance section, I could not help myself to added it to the cart as I know how much that S loves Hedwig. It is just fun to add some fun prints to the stash just for her. Then I found the golden bird print and though I'd make a matching pair for myself as well. The back of each shorts is used linen. The combination between linen and cotton is so nice and soft! With all S' shorts, I added the "S" sewing tape for her. She have tried all of them on there are two pairs need to extend the elastic length, so it is more comfortable fit for her!

I celebrated the finish of 99 Farmer's wife blocks ! It is such a nice accomplishment to completed a whole sewing book! I look forward more of similar accomplishment in the near future! It is such a nice approach using some of last prints from the years to come! There are few prints are long gone by now, but it is in the quilt! So many DS prints to pick from and so many possibility to work around with them.  According to the book layout, I'll need 8 more blocks to make the edges and will be a queen size quilt! It will be a mighty quilt to hand-quilt, so I plan on start saving up for sending it to a professional quilter!

A broken full size bow from last night's concert, oh dear! After the first concert piece, I saw S with a bit nerve in her face and then next thing I saw was a broken bow in her hand! I saw her approached the symphony manager and ran away from the stage then I saw she got her 3/4 bow in hand back to stage before the performance. She looked calm, but I knew she was worried! I'll be insy outy again! Getting  the bow situation take care this morning then a few errands to run in the city, fix up the elastic length and fit in a little hand work time for myself, pack up a few things, likely winter clothes, but it is chilly... 


Just wanna be sure stopped by in say hello!

xxc