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

Scraps Player Quilt + a quilt along!

{finished 68"x66"}

It was last night, I made last stitched on the binding! S walked to me, and said, You finished the quilt ALREADY! oh, I was very fulfilled and proud of myself! It feels kinda silly for this whole making a quilt in a week and you need to know that this is not planned quilt! It just click on me like I must have that fabric!!

The love of this quilt is growing on me over last few days! It is not perfect, you know! You could see the edges of the quilt is not perfectly squared and the stripes is not perfectly straight. Honestly, all I was thinking was making this quilt!  My arms are so sore this morning by all the free-motion quilting. This time, I tried many new patterns on the quilt. It took a good 6 hours to quilt on a lap size quilt. It is also heavy as there are so many stitch lines all over the quilt.

Do you think it looks like a bit of pixelated image from a distance? It is really interested to see that I do use a lot of red when I sew, and lots of whites and blues! I am not surprised with all blue and whites, but reds? {laugh}

For the backing, I digged into some of really old prints from the 2010 and 2011. I found interestingly that fabric made that time has slightly wax in them, it feels like a little waxy! I went ahead and use them! So, my trip to the local fabric store was so not necessary this Tuesday, since I came home with few spool of threads only.

For the binding, it was purchased from an IG destash! It was in my to-go basket, but then I went back bring it back and though it is perfect for this quilt! I  heart and love how Rita at {Red Pepper Quilt} using black and white strips for her signature quilt bindings.

Alright, I need to jump right in this quilt along here! First, I like to give a big shut to Bonnie whom reminded me of the {pack patch quilt along} that she enjoyed a few years back and as I was working on this quilt I though I need not to procrastinated too much about everything and just have some fun to host another sewing along!

So, I am hosting a new sew along called {Scraps Player Quilt Along}. However, I have set this quilt along to a private group over Flickr. This quilt along is only going to take 15 days and by the end of the 15th day, you shall have a quilt quilted and bounded!

The goal for this quilt along is lighten or even empty out the scrap bins that have sitting around too long and being ignored!  I often think that I will come back to them, but likely the scraps start building up and overwhelm around the studio space!

Again, this quilt along is going to take 15 days! I found a long-term quilt along wears some of the interest out quick. So, if you up for making a quilt in 15 days challenge, you could send me your email or Flickr ID, so I will send you an invitation on this quilt along.

Here are the rules that you need to agreed before you sign up this quilt along:

- Committed finish Scraps Player Quilt in 15 days
- Using only scraps only
- No commercial products selling in this group
- Be encouraging each other
- Meet new friends, if you like to do a swap please set it as a private swap.
  We'll not hosting a group swap.
- Have fun! Tons for fun!
- Be spontaneous about this quilt along!

If you are up for challenge and love to join this quilt along, please leave me your email or Flickr Id in the comment form, only. The comment form is open till March 4th, 10 a.m central time. We will kick off the quilt along on March 5th.  and finish on March 20th. It will went by pretty quick and I suspect some of you might finish in a week term.

Alright! See you over at {Scraps Player Quilt along}

xxc

Patchwork News

** chive box on the left   ** Turnip cake on the right!

 ** Left to right  # 39 Grandma #40 Grandmother

 Left to right #30 Em

After you quickly scroll down pictures, you might want to close the page or maybe stay with me a little longer!

Have I been determined? Or shall I called it stubborn?  As of yesterday, I catch up all 42 Farmer's Wife 1920 Sampler Blocks! And today I made additional blocks, Hope and Iris, so I am forwarding the quilt along now{yay}!  I can't really explain the challenging of making 2, 3, 4 blocks some of the days and sometimes none for few days because I was so really unhappy that I am not allow to start anything new because I said so.  Pushing to get this project up-to-date, really is one of top list on 2016, but after a few weeks, I think I was stubborn for that! I also was determined using only Denyse Schmidt Fabric collections only! I think this decision is called stubborn after block number 10. I have had troubles to balance out and give nice contrast of the colors on some blocks!

That was the time, I made none blocks! I was thinking about getting {this} then it was between need or want? Then I decided not to make the purchase. Simply I knew I will not use it much then why invest it?  I had to say, it is good that I cool off the anxiety before click on the check out button.
I went through each print carefully then you can see that I rely on {Hope Vally}, {Chicopee}, and some {Hadley} collections a lot. And of course some other less contrast prints from individual collection.

Em block has the most piecing so far and sure part of that stubborn me was in, so when it was finished, I didn't make any more blocks for next 40 hours. I was so satisfied, so I rewarded myself making {these} blocks!

Grandma and Grandmother are two very special blocks for me! I used the prints that reminded of grandma.  I remember she always wore busy floral shirt and paired with wide elastic type of black/ dark brown pants. You might not know, but she was a Farmer's wife and lived very little of everything when the kids where so little. With eight children and a house that had no electricity back then; she done a great job for all that!  

When I got to block 23 Charlotte, I decided to take the first long break. I was craving for {turnip cake} and {chive box}. These are the food that easily can be found at home, but I had to make them myself.  I took a half day off to the international market. Have you visit one? I tried to stop by once a month. Likely to get some vegetables and fruits. Sometimes, I pick up meat from the meat department there. I enjoy spend time there; that's the the place I could hear multiple languages. I always peek in the spice aisle, but never buy anything. I always curious about the spices from other countries! Sometimes, I tried to bring different vegetable home. Likely I am the one ended up finish it! Oh, I think I am still quiet brave of trying out food!

Then I always, always, always bought more grocery from the list, but it is hard not to pick up a bag of Vietnamese mixed coffee, rice crackers, and extra cooking ingredients when I was there.

Most of the {Turnip cake} I had so far, never content turnip. It is actually made from {daikon}. I got four smallish daikon home that day then they were chop into long fine strips. Then I got a back of rice flour to added in, ground pork, dried mushroom. I put them in the rounded cake pans and put one at the time into the {electric cookware} that dad got me last summer when I was home. I believed 99.99% family back home has one! I think it is alike a slow cook here.  The cook time is 90 minutes and each cake takes about 180 minutes. While waiting the cake in the cookware, I started making chive box stuffing. Oh! This is the probably the most local small eat that you can find in my hometown. I was pretty lucky that day that they have fresh chive in the store, got dried tofe, rice noodles, some ground pork. The preparation of these took two hours then I mixed the seasoning from my memory, less or more!  All these ingredients went into a bowl and needed refrigerated a good afternoon to let the seasoning does its job. Then I started making the dough.... Um, we were all well fed that day!

The following week, I drove cross town to visit my friend and shared half of that with her. We had really great time because we haven't seen each other,  since last Thanksgiving. It was so nice that we spoke in our own language and had coffee and more cake she made!

After all that resting and great time! I was back to making the blocks with fresh mind and fresher ideas! I really think most of the blocks turned out better than just started! It was no surprised that so many blues and yellows are being used and so little warmer colors. I added the newest DS collection, {Eastham} last week. This collection reminded me so much of the Hope Vally and the texture is slightly different from the others as well! This collection blended really well with the last two collections, too.

Other patchwork news, I started hand-quilting on the mysmallworld mini quilt.  It will take awhile to finish, but has been a great side project. I also finished up the {Farmer's Wife 1930 quilt} top piecing! This quilt along was started August 201l and took me almost 5 years to put the top together!  Unlike other backing prints I ordered, I went for more something simple this time and have already added the quilt label on. The plan is get it hand-basted tomorrow then roll up on the hand-quilt frame! I am still deciding the quilting pattern. It might be simple, I hope!

I would like to apologized that I never get to post {Moon Pouch} preview! I never get my head down to write it up because my stubbornness and honest, so honestly I didn't have my mind on the writing! You might not know, but it takes longer time for me to write then talk. I would like to say {Thank You} for those of you who have checked out the {Moon Pouch}. I will have the preview post up over the weekend as I plan to write it up after this blog post! Maybe after dinner/dish/Lucky time tonight! promised!

xxc