A random post!

Slowly, I am going through our house again! Yesterday, I spend a good afternoon in the kitchen and going through our dishes and bake wares. I have decided to let go most of Pyrex dishes that I've collected over the years. I discovered these milk glass kitchen wares a few years ago when I was a thrift store love shopper. The vintage designs and the style was so special. I actually have never seen anything like these before.  Slowly I picked up a few here and there. Then I have a small collection, but the reality is I never uses many of them! They are the pretties kitchen decoration for me and another reality is if we ever move again, they will probably not be able to come with us.  Even though they have moved from town to cities, but time to simplify a bit of what we have here!

The ongoing studio arrange is coming along! I am tickled with all the new arrangements and I will share with you more later. I have "really" going through the space and arrange things around. However, it will still far from perfect, but it will be at least organized and sorted! I'll be taking a step down on fabric inquire for a while. Oh, I am a bit ashamed about the amount of the cloth I have hoard own. All the fabrics here might allow me to sew for a few years without a single purchase, but the true is good designs are hard to resists! But, really time to be a bit more simplify here!

After the birthday, I have a little personal goal, that is being more honesty to myself and take time to reflect a bit of the day now and then. Even though I am not blogging like I used to, but I have been blogging in my weekly planner daily since beginning of the year. In the planner, I write a bit of thoughts of the day, little bits this and that, or just doodling around the page. I do miss blogging days when everyone shared a bit of moments in their live. I don't think that you want to read my crappy and crazy days all the time (ha).  I have no time to do all the things that I wish to accomplish nowadays anymore! I found myself  get a bit upset for this simple reason! The self time, maybe happen during the late night when the house is quiet again, but my bed time is 10p.m. now! (oh, well)

But with all that a bit of thinking and sounded like a bit complaining (oh, I think more like whining)! I still am good! I just need to take one step a day like I do everyday now and keep my chin up! I found a little time to myself even the bed time is 10p.m. um, I try to make it 10:30p.m., when Fifi is online aka (my sista).  The bed time is always after midnight (as we lived on the opposite side of the global), while the conversation was going, I always doing something with my hands; folded as many fabric as possible, make as many hand stitches as possible, getting ready for next day's projects. That always resulted a pair of cute panda eyes for a few times, but it is so worth it! Yes, I whined more to her! Likely, sister talks never are serious! Just lots laughs and talks that never make any sense to other people.

So, I thought I should write a random post today for myself! Just to be free of mind writing! I am back on schedule again, that means I set up a schedule for myself! That means, I could see the free time I have during the week! Likely very limited with all the travel I do with S for the music lessons, but the Fridays have been my day and it expires at 3:45p.m.  I do my best to get all the tasks accomplished ( likely half way through the list) then on the weekending time, I am down in the kitchen baking goods for us!

Thank you for reading and everything! I want to be honest for one more thing, I feel guilty not able to reply your comments when you made one! I read them all and always smile from your comments and blessing that you send to us! For so many years, some of you are like oldie friends out there that I never met, but wish someday maybe randomly we ran into each other! I know taking time to write to a strange (me) is a lot of effort! I really appreciate all that....

I'll have a semi- mystery quilt to show and tell you soon! I just need to find a good day to photograph and edit! It will before Thanksgiving time, I pinkie promise!

xxc

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

Late summer

Summer is so close to the end and the early Fall seems approaching in "south" Iowa! ( S and I called it south, since this is the most south part of the country that we've lived so far). Early morning is getting cooler, but not the crisp air type. Trees are turning yellow, but thank goodness grasses are still green!

I have been gathering myself together better lately! Participated in a few art events in local galleries and met some local folks, which has been wonderful to get connected with the new community! The phone has been buzzing busy lately! Making music tryout lesson arrangements for S and we slow to find the good fit teacher (Can you hear me *sign* ?)! Lots traveling around the city for us, which we are not quite used to still and I had a little butterfly the other day when we were getting on highway during the traffic hours, but this mama is handling it well so far!

Our home is slowly looking "settle" in! The artworks still need to be hang on the wall and I almost think I should paint the walls this Fall instead of next summer! Then there are few new ideas about how our living room space could improve, rearrange the furniture and make it more access for living?  So on! I do love the large living room floor where I could lay the quilts on and play around the layouts! If you followed me on IG aka quarterinchmark. You probably have found that I've working on S' 10th birthday quilt and you know what? It is getting closed to be a quilt top!

I still am learning the natural lights in our new house! It is interesting how the light shifts and changes between the space! We love our dining space so much; where we open the door and let the fresh air in most of the day! It is also the space where S does her school work and we catch up our day when she gets home.

The studio setting has been fabulous! Finally I am not moving anything around for a week and spend most of the daytime sewing! Yes! Trying new patterns, new fabric colors combination and working on the new zakka handmade for the shop! Lately, I looked deep through into the fabric stash and decided let go some stashes! The limited studio space doesn't allow more storage space for fabric and other supplies and some of the fabric just have been patted and saved! Some of the prints were bought for making S outfits, but she needs more yardages than I planned from the last year, so I decided to let go these prints go as well! I've hosted it under inchmark_destash on IG if any of you are interested!

We've drinking from the mason jars again! It is really home for us, causal and simple!  Our plants are slowly growing and it would be great that if we can find a jade plant again! It is my favorite plant ever when we were in ND.  We need few more greens in the house to bring more green energy! Do you have any good suggestions for indoor plants?

With the long weekend that's coming up here in the states. I will be working up in the studio and making short trips around the city! Yes, library trip is a must!


xxc

Weekending

July has been an amazing month,but busy! We have been celebrating almost everyday here! We celebrated Fifi's birthday via Skype and watched Lucky tossed himself with his new patchwork mats. Watched Fifi open her birthday package. She loves and adores her quilt! She kept telling me, the quilt has so many spring colors in it! I told her that I had wished spring come sooner since we have had a rough winter. The spring colors just made my day and smile along while making the quilt top. Since we are thousand miles away from each other, S and I hope this quilt will serve the warmth to her anytime when she needs big hugs from us. We hope she would share the little corner of the quilt with Lucky, since Lucky seemed love the quilt more than his patchwork mats.

Over the long weekending, we celebrated America's birthday. We really miss the the small town parade. S was in the parade in honored of her button winning contest. She waved to her friends and they were shouting her name aloud and cheering for her when she went by. She made a new friend, the gentleman who gave her the ride in the parade and yes, yes, yes, she had the most wonderful time! We over stuffed ourselves with ice cream, cookies, hotdogs, S'more, peach shortcake, and homemade coffee.  We walked in the park and visited fair booths. I was hoping to find a fine carpenter to make some alphabet initials, but didn't encounter one.

You know, the after dinner time here at the farmhouse has been amazing! We have homemade dessert almost every night, even fresh made coffee go with the treat, I said that's party time! We are going to miss the fun after we move away! Indeed, our farm life is close to the end and we are in the process of moving out the farmhouse! It sounds crazy, but we are making our next move again and will be the final move for us!! cheers! 

Sewing has been slow and really minimum for last 5 weeks. Until last week, we were confirmed that we could make our next move; planning the move into the new home, booking the moving truck ( the least favorite part of the entire moving process) then shopping for supplies!  Then, you know what? Between times, I started sewing again! I cut into scraps fabric and made simple patchwork dish mats. Yeah, they are not placemats, I called them dish mats. They will be for the serving dish plates in our new home.  Then the small ones would serve as coasters or for the french press { hello!! I've missed you!}. The memory about free motion quilting is vague, since I have been spoiled with the access to a long-arm quilting machine. It really started to feel like dreams slowly coming true to have our own place again! I tried to list out with what to make on the sewing book, but I am procrastinating! Should I start from the kitchen items or bedroom items?!

The list of what to make gets add on daily then crossed out as well! From quilts to pillow cases, from pillow cases to living room cushions, from living room cushions to curtains, from curtains back to quilts again the move to what to make for S' new summer outfits. Even Christmas stockings are in the list and also a Christmas tree skirt? Then the mind start forming more questions, are all the pajama pants too small for S?  S has grown another 4 inches in last year! One yard of fabric probably will not be able to make a new pair of pajama pants now. I keep telling myself can't get too excited about it now, since we'll need to move in first! All the horrible moving dramas that we have had in the past really made me nervous about our move that's coming up next week.

But we are so look forward to our new home....

S will have her very own room, for the first time! We talked about getting new bookcases for her room.  She is thinking a wall full of books, so she could get on the ladder to retrieve books. Oh, I am not sure about that, I replied! How about a ladder for your quilts to start??

Then I'll have a room to myself with a real closet for the first time! Even I don't own lots outfits, but it would be nice to have a space for clothes and shoes. The home will be probably pretty empty, since we sold most of our furniture last year. I truly believed we'll slowly build up again because we've always walk through challenges and believed all will come together for us again!

Oh.. Did you know, I'll have a sewing loft? Yeah, you hear that right, a loft space of sewing and a space to share with S again. I have been researching on the storage units and how to arrange the space! Can you picture me sitting and surrounding by fabric again? I can't tell you, how quick my heart jump as I just typed the last sentence. .. ::excited::

The kitchen has a dine-in space! We will not buy anything right away, since we are not sure what we really have in mind, but there's a small bar alike table that extended from the kitchen counter around the corner. We'll start from there. We'll need a few high stools for sitting! I'll be cooking everyday and drink coffee off French Press again! S has requested a few dishes from me and we'll have a little celebration with lots homemade food!

The grocery list is getting longer everyday, but we seem not be able to cut it down now, since we really don't have anything to fill the kitchen cabinet! All the basic supplies are included in; butter, salt, pepper, flour, sugar, rice...etc. We might need a few trips to get them all, since I sure I'll miss some items.

This morning, I have stopped the store and check out the list of cleaning supplies! We'll be in a new city and probably won't know our way around well. I though we'll get all what we need before the move! Then, I was waited on the phone for a good part of this afternoon and set up new accounts for utility companies today, so we'll be able to see and cook when we are in our new home!

In between times, we made lots jams; peach and strawberry to be exact! The peaches have been perfect for making jams. S, the peach lover is thrilled about the peach jam! It really warms my heart up  that we'll have something homemade and fresh to take with us! It feels like my mom sends us care package from oversea, special and priceless!

I've never though we'll wanted to settle in a place for permanent, but we are SO ready! After all the moves we made this past year, we are tried! We are exhausted! We are looking forward a "HOME" and ready to root in.

So, my friends, I will be gone from here for a little while! I will need some time to settle in our new home in the new city and hope to connect with local people. Of course maybe a modern sewing quilt guild for me to particpate. Help S adopt into new school system and look forward musical opportunity for her.  I will fill you in with good news when I return to this space.  Meanwhile, I will send you postcards from time to time to let you know how we are doing!

I will take photos, so you can walk with us on this long journey to come. I will show you the sewing loft that I am most exciting about! I can't wait to cut into the fabric stashes and lay S' new quilt in her bed for her. Did you know she already requested her 11th birthday quilt from me? This mama has started searching fabric for the quilt.

I wish you sew much and drink lots sun tea because I will making and drinking jars of homemade sun tea. I'll be sewing and catching up all the late night "movie and me" time!

my friends,  so long for now!  I'll send postcards!

xxc

Random: April 2nd

on to next step: piecing

xxc

Random: For Fifi

that would be my sister! Hope you love it! 

xxc 

This and That: light house drive

With the time forwarding one hour in last few weeks, it has been hard for the littler person here in the morning. The sunlight doesn't shine in the window till 8:30 and the rooms keep pretty dim before the littler person leaves the house. It takes a little extra time to let her to wake up and bring up her move to a higher speed.

We lived very closed to the lake; just a few steps walk. We love how we can peak out the windows and observe the lakes and creatures in the surrounding area. The lake opened a few weeks ago and seems get bigger each morning when we drive by. There are flocks swim in the lake, sits in a group, take off as a group. It is interesting to watch their moves and almost dance in the sky. The best of all I love this time/season of the colors; misty and eager to wake up from the long winter gray and dark schemes.

The tree buds are preparing their time for the spring, maybe in a week or two. I can't wait to walk outside more and follow S' bike trail. You know, slowly walk after her and she makes pauses to wait for me to catch up. Time for out and about just makes this spring much excited.

The mind was made yesterday afternoon and I have ordered the background fabric for the {single girl quilt}. Before I made the order, I went through the fabric stashes I have and pick up some low volume prints to accompany {this} print I ordered.  It is a little uncertain about how these background fabric will play together. The one I ordered is floral and these are so much more geometry; I hope will create some nice contrast factors.

A memory quilt is on its way! I hope my friend will like it! It is a random sixteen-patch block from the shirts that her father wore before his passing. Most of the shirts are alike homespun fabric and somewhat was hard to manage the cutting at the first. I used 3/8" seam allowance instead of 1/4" to give leave extra space for open seam ironing.  I plan to meet with her this week and talk about the possible to make this quilt to a 80"x90" instead of 50"x 60". Having this quilt underway, makes my shoulder a bit lighter and I know her family is anxious to have this quilt with them soon.

xxc