I See Dragonflies~

I've always have a thing about dragonfly patterns, so when I saw this one, I just couldn't resist. Dragonflies always remind me of summer, which makes this a perfect summer project. I'm glad I finished it just before summer ends~ 

Pattern: Olympus Sashiko patterns

Thread: Olympus Sashiko variegated cotton floss 

Fabric: Natural Linen 
Size: 12" x 12" 
Beginning Date: 06-15-2020 
Completion Date: 08-24-2020

I used a variegated thread on this pattern, and I love how it turned out~ It just give this pattern a bit more playful feeling, bringing it alive.

Since I have a little break from work, I finally can start on my airplane quilt for my nephew. This quilt have been in my head for a while. I have some idea of what I want it to look like, and now I can finally put it into action. Here is the color scheme I am thinking, may not use all of the fabrics but I like to keep my options open.

Then I made templates for my airplane block, and even made a test block. The colors are great, but for some reason, the edges doesn't all line up..... plus the block is half an inch bigger, which in this case, is a good thing, so I can trim down the uneven edges.

So I guess more cutting and sewing and experimenting for me!!!  How fun!!!

Almost There!!!

Hello my dear friends, it has been a while! Sorry for my absence, between projects due and family affairs, it seems that every December and January are the busiest time for me!! Now that Chinese New Year holiday is over, things are starting to get back in order.  

Despite this hectic period, I managed to finish two blocks of my Joyful Would!!! Meet October and November!!!

Now just one more block to go!!!! Can't wait to finish this project!!!!

September Block and a Little More~

It took me a while, but another block finished!!! I really like these owls!!! I think they are pretty cool~ Three more blocks to go!!!!

I also made this baby quilt for a friend of mine~  I used this self binding baby blanket tutorial for this one. It was such a quick and easy fun project.

To give it a little extra, I added a cotton ribbon along the seam. This made the corners a bit tricky, luckily it turned out ok. 

Love the contrasting fabrics~ Hope the little one will like it, too~

That's it for now, thanks for visiting~

Another Block Done!!

This month is all about catching up with my stitching before things get busy again!! Finished the August block!! I have to say the designer really captured the animals so well!!! Love this Border Collie!!! The lazy daisy flowers are a nice touch as well, but they did cause me a lot of headache. Trying to fit them all in was a big challenge!!!

So I am finally on to my last row!!!!! I love how it is coming together!! 

PS: This piece really need a good wash..... :-)

Late Again!!

Hello my friends, how was your summer? Mine was busy and awesome!! Lot's of traveling, lot's of fun, but not so much time stitching, hence the delay of my July stitch. Nevertheless, it is done!!!! 

Seven blocks done, five more to go!!

On my trip in July, we went to the beautiful east cost of  Taiwan. It only takes a 30 minute drive from the mountains to the sea. We hiked along the magnificent Taroko Gorge, then head to the sea for some sunshine.

This beach is made of pebbles!! Walking on it bare foot is very "interesting".....  

Things are calming down now heading into September, and I should have more time to stitch. Hopefully I can catch up with my blocks soon!!! Thanks for visiting~ 

Quick Update!!

Has it been that long since my last post?! Time flies!! Although it is not quite June yet, my Joyful World June block is done!!! Love the bear and the tiny bees~~ 

Spring is such a pleasant time of the year~ Roses on my balcony are blooming beautifully!! I really love the pinkish coral color, so pretty~ 

That is it for now~~~ Hope it won't be this long for my next post!!!

One More Down!

A quick update on my Joyful World series~~ May block is done!! Love the scene of these kittens playing in the garden. So cute!!!

So here is my progress on this series so far. Almost half way done!! At this rate, I think I will be able to finish the whole think this year..... fingers crossed.

Back Again!!

This Joyful World series is truly joyful!! April is no exception. I couldn't stop stitching it once I started!! Although it is still cold out, this spring scene put a smile on my face~   

One row down, two more to go!!!!

As I have some extra free time on my hand, I pulled my Whirl quilt out again. All the piecing parts are now one quilt top!!

Since I plan on using this as a blanket, I am thinking adding on a wider border to make it larger. I know I want a red border, but am also exploring more options! I think a trip to the fabric shop is in order!! 

Thanks for visiting~~ Have a wonderful weekend!!!

A New Year!!!

Happy New Year everyone!!!! 

It has been a hectic few month with work and all the holidays. As a result, progress on my stitching has been slow, but I finally put in the final stitches on March last night. Another cute design!!! This series just never stop to amaze me~

A quarter of stitching is done!!! More to go!!!! Can't wait to start April~

Until next time~

Another Small Finish!

Back again so soon?! Yes, with a small finish, too~ February of Joyful World is done! Love the blue flowers!!! I so admire the effort Snowflower Diaries has put in when designing these imagines. The animals are so vivid! 

Here are January and February together!! These animals are too cute!! I enjoyed stitching them very much!!

We do not have ducks in our community, but this bird just moved in. This one is still a youngster, we often can see it walking around our neighborhood. I think I just disturbed its nap when taking this photo. It does not look too happy....

Thank you again for visiting~

Back with More!!

Since I have my sewing machine out, I have made a lot of progress on my quilt this past week. I have finished piecing all the individual blocks!! Yay~ I find that it is kind of difficult to make the center point meet perfectly. I had to redo some of the blocks cause they were wayyyy off. Any tips on how to make perfect centers??

I laid out all the blocks to have a peek on how it will look in the end. It does kind of feel like looking through a kaleidoscope, doesn't it?

Sadly I will have to put this aside for this moment. Big work due date ahead meaning no time to quilt, plus I have to give my dining table back for dinning~ Hopefully I will be able to get back on this soon. Thanks for visiting~~

More Quilting~

Lately, I have taken over our dining table and been working on some quilting. There is so much piecing to do on this pattern!! Finally, I got one block pattern done!!

Still have another pile of pieces to work on, but I am happy to see some progress on this quilt. Maybe I can have it done by Christmas? Wishful thinking~

Yes! I am still here!!!

Can't believe it was March since I last post!!!! I do have a little achievement, finally after one year since I started, January of the Joyful World SAL is finished!! It was this cute little thing that drew me to this design, and I am glad to see it come to life on my linen~

Because I wasn't sure if my linen was large enough, I have actually started out by stitching all the border first. It was a dull process, I am glad that part was over!! 

I have modified the border a little bit to fit it on to my linen, I'm quite happy with the effect~

I hope the fun little animals will be able to keep me going!!! Until next time~

Finally, A Bit of Progress!!

Hello my friends,it has been a while since my last post. Sorry for the long absence. I am still here, just got caught up with work and holidays and not a lot of progress on my projects. I finally got my sewing machine out again and made some progress on my quilt, and then there is the dilemma. I can't quite decide which pattern to go with. What do you think? Should I go with A:

Or B?

Decisions, decisions.....

And then it is September....

I'm back!! Sorry for disappearing for so long, it has been a busy summer. I haven't been doing much stitching these past few month, but finally picked up my needle again last week and started Joyful World by the Snowflower Diaries. I knew I had to stitch this when I first saw all these adorable animals, but was debating about the finish size. Finally I picked up my courage to do it over one! I hope I will have the momentum to finish it!!!!!

I've also started a new quilt. My goal is to do at least one quilt per year, and I am already at a late start!! I have made all the cuts, now on to piecing them together!! 

Thank you for visiting, see you soon!! (I hope!!!!)

Something Blue

Work has been occupying most of my time these days, I've actually just came back from a business trip to China. Therefore, not too many progress on my stitching, this is where I am at right now.

While I was in China, I've also made some time to go sight seeing, visiting a very cute shop that I have my eyes on for a while - Brut Cake! This artist uses Chinese old fabrics to creat most of her works! Besides the regular bags and accessories, she also makes the cutest furniture! I saw one of her sofas in an exhibit once, and that's when I fell in love!

Coincidentally, while I was visiting a traditional town, I saw a shop showing how these old fabrics are made! There were even some quilts that were made with theses fabrics. Familiar patterns, but totally different feel~

Seems like spring is teasing us these days, giving us a glimpse of good weather, then suddenly turning cold and rainy again... But I can see from the new buds on my plants, that spring is not far away! Hang in there, people! Until next time~

Testing a New App....

Hello everyone! Hope you are all doing well in this winter morning! Today is Chinese New Year Day, first of all, as custom, may you all have a wonderful year of rooster!!!

As I relay more and more on my smart phone, I wanted to find a good blog editing app so I can blog on the go. After a little bit of searching, I decided to give this Blogo app a try. So far it seems easy enough to use, but I would like to hear from you if anyone have any recommendations or tips on this app. Any info is appreciated!

On the stitching front, here is my progress on Birds of a Feather. I am loving every minute of it!

Thanks for visiting!!

Almost Christmas...

Can you believe it is the end of the year already?! This year seemed to fly by in a blink of an eye!! December is usually the busiest time for me, but I did manage to make some progress on my stitching. I am really enjoying stitching this piece~

I needed a new Christmas wreath for the front door this year, cause the one I had accidentally dropped on to the floor and broke. With limited time and a tight schedule, I needed something simple and quick to make. So after a little research, I decided to put together this ornament wreath~ I think it is pretty festive, don't you say?

Although it is almost Christmas, we are still having some summer-like weather, and my plants seem to enjoy it very much, flowers blooming left and right~ My favorites are these violate blooms. Since both these plants have never flowered before, I had no idea what the flowers would look like, so I was very surprised when I saw them. Aren't they beautiful?!

And here are some reds that are blooming, adding a little Christmas to my balcony~

And finally, some orange and green in the mix!

So are you all ready for Christmas? I'm getting there!!! May you all have a wonderful holiday!!!