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

Patchwork delight!

The patchwork delight title should be patchwork delight and with a oopsy! 

I know, lots tiny squares going on and more to come! These hand-quilting pieces are just nice to have around. I can make a few stitches between this and that. Yesterday, as a day off from work. I was able to spend a great afternoon with a cup of tea and enjoy the hand-quilting time. By 7p.m. I had all the 5 pieces done and it felt so great.  Since the assembling part will not take too long to finish up I though I'd have Miss Maggie's patchwork coat done in no time.

Then each patchwork piece got traced with the pattern used erase water marks on then I  sewn the baste line around the marking lines; quickly I cut off the patterns as it is getting close to the end.... Then there's a big SCREAMING! OH MY GOODNESS!! Little did I know I should know better!!!! The right side of the front coat needed to be reversed! I always done that! I always forget to reverse the pattern! Then I tried to fix the right side coat with the crazy idea of patch on more pieces.. it didn't work 't. So I will rework on the right panel of the patchwork coat with a bit self-talking!! It should be good if I start the patchworking tonight and work on the hand-quilting tomorrow. Maybe I will have a patchwork coat to show you next week?

fingers crossed!

xxc

Hourglass blocks: Travel tote & messenger bag

 ::: Hourglass Block::: { Travel Tote}

plus TOVA top # 6

 { Time to go!}

 { The tote's depth is deep}

{ simple compartments}

 { handle folding}

 { Easier for hands to hold the tote}

{drawstring closure for the tote}

{ Simple straight line quilting by sewing machine}

Sew many w.i.p. projects have completed since last few weeks. Over the weekending, I have focused on finishing the travel tote and S' messenger bag and two Tova tops.  Today I break the post into two sections, so I can chat about each project in details with you.

The { hourglass blocks travel tote} is made with varies prints that I have obsessed  loved; Sweet and modern and a little of retro colors. Some liberty lifestyle prints, old new 30's print by Lecien.  Suzuko Koseki prints, Architecture prints and most of fabric are found {here}, {here}, and {here} and [here}, too. These fabric shops are excellent in many way. I am into sweet berry prints lately, it must be spring...

In the past I made an { hourglass block patchwork handbag}. I drew all the lines on the fabric center. The fabric was dark, so it was challenge to make the line seen with pencil marking. Then I tried { hourglass block without marking} method. It is similar to the {double wedding ring quilt} that I made few years ago. Yes, washi tape and masking tape are quilters best friends. I use masking tape to secure the quilt backing on the floor, so it would lay flat without much shifting and wrinkle.

This travel tote is rather larger than { patchwork tote} I made awhile back. For traveling, I added the drawstring style for the closure, so it would keep some privacy.  You can find lining drawing style bag method in {Ayumi}'s new book { Patchwork,  Please}. Only I alter it with added additional lining for the top drawstring.  The only part that is unsatisfying for myself is I might have made the top pieces shorter by 2". 

For the handle part: for sure it took very long time to look for the right fabric for it! Something fun and something not too dark not too busy, I went with Suzuko Koseki's print to match S' messenger bag. I chose green. It turns out very simple and stands out from all the smaller prints that used in the front and back tote bag panels.  How do you make your handle for totes? I have fall in love with the style that shown from above image. It is so much easier for hands to hold the bag.

For the interior of the tote, It is fully lined with light weight fusible interfacing. Only have two compartments for phone, pens, and added small D ring for chain up the keys.  I always look for phone, pens, and keys. and with simple compartments help out this organization part. I have found myself not very needed the inner zippered compartment, so didn't add the inner zippered compartment for this tote.

Another {Tova top} is finished! It is made with {this print} and very comfortable in wear and it matches S' Tova top. For this Tova top, the sleeves cuffs were not added, so that leave much room in the elbow area.

::: Hourglass Block::: {Messenger bag} 

Plus TOVA top #3

  { Frame pouch for {Elnora} who spoiled S way much!}

{Zippered pencil pouch from {Kerry} who is too sweet always think of her}

The messenger bag for S is so fun to make, but between the w.i.p. time there were many changes and alternations made. As S grow a little older, her ideas are as important as I sew for her. She has ideas what she like to wear, what colors she likes, why is this print and not that print.  She almost designed this messenger bag for herself. S asked for privacy, so I talked about what tape of closure we could do for the bag; zippered,  Velcro，Loop button with elastic, drawstring style.. etc. But she asked if there's something like { this tote} I made for her. So we went for magnet closure which works out for perfect for her needs. 

Then she ask the strap style like her {Ukelele}. I had sewn the straps on before she came home from school, when she came home and tried it on and the strap was too long for her, so I added rectangle ring hardware to make the strap adjustable for her, but the hardware is much bigger than the strap width. It was the most closed size we could find near by. 

For the interior, the lining was used linen and cotton weight fabric, so it is a heavier weight fabric, so not need lining with interfacing. Interior of the bag added two compartments for S' {personal items}. As we travel oversea or flight domestic, I always have a small card of contact information, just in case something unexpected happen. 

For S' tova top:  Armholes are most challenging in alter patterns from adult wear to kid wear. I have always having hard time whenever I try to re-size the pattern. For the new Tova top, I raised the armholes by 1.5" higher and that made so much comfortable for S to lift her arms.  The top length is longer, so S can simple wear her summer leggings and have a little time to grow out of this outfit.

It has been fun to preparing the trip and getting anxious about it!  I hope to return {1/4" mark} for another post before our internet server goes down this coming weekending . There is a new {flickr group} for some scrap inspiration if you are so mad about your scraps, come join!

 If we didn't make it back here.. 
{Ciao} for now! 

xxc