Ac-quilt-sition 野人拼布玩

My photo

2011-08-28T00:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of me. I rarely take any photos recently.
Since I have to hand one in to the school I work for (so the school can introduce me to all the feculty and students), I had it taken this morning. Well, I'm considering wearing long hair again.....

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Shelly

What I've been up to

2011-08-23T04:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, I haven't written anything new for quite a while.
During all this period of time, though, I kept coming back to my blog almost daily to get updated on the blogs I follow.

There wasn't anything quilty recently because I got a job, which has become my priority.

Actually I started quilting during the most difficult time in my life.
The process of learning quilting, meeting fellow quilters, blog hopping, and sharing my projects has truly been therapeutic. The wonder that quilting has worked in me is beyond description.

Now that I am working as a teacher in a local high school, I have met many wonderful students. Though there is still some time before I can come back to quilting, I'm already thinking about what quilty presents I can make and give to my dear students. The mere thought of it is exiciting enough for me. Well, my fingers crossed that things will go well and I'll try to get back to sewing a.s.a.p.

Have a nice day, everyone!

Shelly

Bookworm Bookmarks

2011-03-11T22:55:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by Sew Many Ways and made these bookworms one after another. Except the rainbow one, the others were put into good use and no longer new.

They were for some children to whom I taught English.
I pictured each child's facial expression as I sewed the face part.
All were different but deeply loved by my little students.

Also, I have a wee fabric art that I'd like to share here.

At some point last year, I was teaching C-cat and made the picture above. I used scrap fabric for the borders and some unwanted thread to make a kitty. Common glue worked quite well; the fabric never came off the paper. Very often as I looked into my waste basket after I was through with a project, I was dazzled at all the beautiful colors mixed together. Maybe I should save all of them and make more paper-fabric art in the future!

One flower Wednesday

2011-02-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

Here are two hexagon coasters I made for my dear friends as their Chinese New Year's gift.

I used paper piecing method to make hexi flowers, removed the paper, and whip stitched a felt to the back.
And they became beautiful coasters. I knew my friends would be afraid to use them, for fear of spoiling them. I attached a little loop at the top so they can hang it up somewhere instead. lol

Mandy and Tina, my best friends. They told me they wouldn't use the coasters but would hang them up. ^^

Happy Chinese New Year!

Sewing Caddy

2011-01-27T03:39:00.000-08:00

I finished a sewing caddy today.

I read on Gum Tree Designers's blogs that sewing caddies are coming in every day, but they need more.

So, ladies, if you have time, you're very welcomed to make one for Australian ladies and send it off.

I made the caddy per the tutorial from Julia's Place.

I tweaked a bit on the size and made it 25*45 cm.

The round thing above the pin cushion is a needle book, per the tutorial from Raising Homemakers. It's really easy to make and pretty. I used velcro to attach the needlebook to the caddy, so it's removable.

I also made a scissors keep for a small pair of embroidery scissors:

I used three of the yoyos that Ros sent me. My five-year-old nephew said that it's ice cream. What do you think?

Finally, a drawstring bag for the caddy to snuggle in.

I'll send it off tomorrow. Hope this brings some comfort to its receiver.

Surprise Package from the UK

2011-01-19T00:23:00.000-08:00

2011 must be a lucky year for me, for I have won a giveaway from Ros over at Rose-Munda.

The package arrived this afternoon. I opened it right away and found lots of goodies.
Here is a picture of everything laid out:

The goodies came in pink and I was tickled pink opening them up.

Everything is nicely wrapped in cellophane and very redolent. There are a card, yo-yos, a teddy bear key chain, a bookmark, embroidery floss, Twinings tea, a square of gorgeous fabric measuring 22", rose-shaped buttons, a lavender bag, and best of all, a hand-made eye mask with lavenders inside.

I've always wanted to make an eye mask but never did it.

Now I have one as a new year's gift. Lucky me!

Thank you, Ros, for this gorgeous giveaway. ^^

Call for sewing caddies

2011-01-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

Gum Tree Designers is calling for sewing caddies to help crafters in Australia. It is suggested that the caddies be posted by the 15th of March.

If you'd like to help, click on this link to see the details.

Owl key chain holders

2010-12-22T23:12:00.000-08:00

I planned to make some small Christmas gifts for some ten children, who came to my house every Sunday night to recite Chinese classics. Surfing the web for inspiration, I stumbled across Craft Passion's owl key chain holder. I fell for the design right away and made them. And voila!

Darker colors seemed to work better with this pattern. My nephew and neice preferred the blue ones. I told them, though, that they had to work hard in class to be in the running. Fair play is important after all.

I'll try to post pictures of the children with these owls, that is, if I remember to do that. Before that, let's listen to these owls' hooting.

Owl language interpretation: Merry Christmas!!

Puzzle quilt

2010-11-25T23:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I finished the second quilt in the year.

Like the name of this quilt, I was quite puzzled after finishing it because I planned to have six rows but I ended up with only five. I still couldn't figure out where the last row went.

I had so much fun shopping for fabric and trying to get the best look. It is going to a baby girl of my friend, to thank him for the helps he had given me before. I even attached a label to the back.

Though hand stitching creates a unique look, I am not really into it that much.

If you hold the quilt against the light, you get this amazing effect:

Finally, to show you a complete look of the quilt.

Giveaways

2010-11-17T00:40:00.001-08:00

A few giveaways:

1. Corrie at Retro Mummy is giving away fat quarter fabrics. It's a generous one and 3 people will be chosen.

2. Tea Rose Home is holding a Thanksgiving giveaway.
There are some good prizes. Pop over here if you're interested!

Good luck, everybody!

Pinwheel quilt finished

2010-10-27T01:03:00.000-07:00

Ta-da. Here is my baby quilt which took me 10 months to complete.

My dad was holding it for me this morning. I love this picture. Can you see the pinwheels turning? Sit further back in your chair and I'm sure you will.

Here is the back--shells and stars.

I thought there should be a sky, some sunshine and cloud above the pinwheels, so I appliqued some on. I liked it how the quilting made the sky looked filled with cloud.

About the width of borders, I sat brooding about it for an afternoon, net-surfing for ideas. Finally I decided to cut the bias strip 2.5" wide, which allowed me just enough leeway for the stich in the ditch finish. The finished width on the front is 1/4".

I also spent some time doing the square root calculating to determine how much fabric was required for making the strip. It turned out that a mere 24" square of fabric produced the length I needed (about 234"). I'd have to write a formula for this on excel at my leisure. Arithmetic made me dizzy.

See those little clips? They were so handy during binding process. No pins, no fazing pinpricks! When I came to the corners, I used double-sided tape to secure the mitre. They made my life easier.

By the way, I followed the tube method to cut binding strips. Check out the super clear video tutorial from the link. It was fun and saved me the hazard of joining all those ends. But you want to be extra careful when cutting the tube not to catch the fabric under the layer you're cutting.

That's what I have to share. I find it helpful setting deadlines for my quilts, otherwise I have no idea when it can be done. I'm off to start piecing another quilt which is due the end of November.

I am Free Motion Quilting!!

2010-10-24T00:36:00.000-07:00

I can't believe finally I get to use the darning foot I purchased more than 1 year ago. I've been studying about FMQ and practiced doing it for some time.

I finished piecing and basting my quilt, and the quilting is in full swing. When I was basting, at first I put the quilt on a mattress but found it didn't work as it got wrinkled. Then it dawned on me why other quilters laid their quilts on the kitchen floor when basting: because other areas are carpeted. From this I learned that only flat and solid floor worked. Hours of basting almost finished me and I decided to use an adhesive spray for my subsequent quilts.

My sewing table was quite small. But I made the most out of it by adding a few things to reduce the dragging force of gravity.

Books! Literature books came in handy at this time. They were just the right width. Don't I love literature! Thanks, Charlette Bronte and all!

I also used my ironing board, which is the same height as my table, for suppor on the left side. With them, I was all set.

About the quilting pattern, I wanted to try circles to create the turning effect of pinwheels. But the result was funny so I switched to meandering right away.

Meandering proved to be much better and I stuck to it. I'm almost half way through. Free motion quilting was a lot quicker than I had thought. I could literally "quilt in a day", if I wasn't disturbed.

Off to continue quilting right now. It's my first time free motion quilting a big quilt. Hopefully it turns out alright.

Giveaway News from other sites

2010-10-23T00:13:00.000-07:00

Micki on Irish Muses is holding a Accuquilt Go giveaway.
She's so generous that each person can have 4 entries at most.
Go and check this out.

Bear Bits is also giving away a very cute bear:
http://bearbits.blogspot.com/2010/10/my-fall-giveaway.html#comment-form

How cool is that!

Tutorial: zipper pocket

2010-09-11T01:53:00.000-07:00

When making handbags, it's always nice to have a zipper pocket for privacy.
I managed to take photos while I made one. I might not have done it perfectly. But the following is virtually the steps to making a zipper pocket.

1. Prepare the materials
You'll need your lining fabric, pocket fabric, and a zipper.

Cut the lining fabric according to your bag pattern.

Choose a desired length of zipper based on the size of your bag and your personal preference. Here I used a 6" zipper.

As for the pocket fabric, it is 8*16". The width should be 2" longer than the length of your zipper. You'll also have to decide the length of your pocket according to the size of your bag. The length of your pocket fabric is (length of pocket+1")*2. If my pocket should be 7", then the length of the pocket fabric is 16".

You might want to iron on some interfacing onto the back of both pieces of fabric.

2. Draw a rectangle on the wrong side of your pocket fabric. The rectangle should be 1" away from the top and two sides.

Ignore the numbers in this picture. The rectangle is always 3/8" wide. Add 3/16" to your zipper for the length.

Draw a dotted line along the middle of the rectangle. At 3/8" from each end, mark a diagonal line to the corner to make a "Y" look. Refer to the next picture for this detail.

3. Find out the center of lining fabric and pocket fabric, lay them right sides together, the pocket fabric on top of the lining. Note that the top of pocket fabric is 1" lower from that of the lining fabric.

4. Sew around the rectangle.

5. Cut along the dotted line. You can lay your first snip by folding the fabric in half as shown below.

Keep cutting until you reach the "Y".

Cut the diagonal line, go as deep as you can. Take care not to cut the thread.

You'll end up with two dogs ears at both ends of the rectangle.

6. Turn the pocket fabric to the back of the lining through the hole.

After you turn the whole pocket fabric to the back, press the fabric nice and neat with your iron. There shouldn't be any puckers as in the photo. When I was sewing the rectangle, I went a bit askew at the corners.

7. Insert and baste the zipper to the rectangular opening.

8. Sew around the zipper using a zipper foot.

Start from the tail of the zipper. At this point, the zipper is closed.

As you sew towards the head, pull the zipper to the back so the head won't be in the way of your needle. Be very careful with this because zippers can easily break your needle.

Keep sewing and you're almost done!

9. Turn to the back. Fold the pocket fabric in half lengthwise to form the pocket. Pin and sew around the 3 sides. Make sure you don't catch the lining fabric as you sew. That is, you only sew 2 layers of fabric instead of all 3.

10. Voila! A zipper pocket finished. Laugh, clap and celebrate!

Pinwheel Quilt in Progress

2010-09-06T00:35:00.000-07:00

I have a pinwheel quilt in progress. This quilt was meant for my boyfriend, who broke up with me soon after I posted my quilt plan.
After that I stopped quilting for several months; the quilt started to incur guilt within me.

Now that I want to give it to my father, the quilt needs to be bigger than previously planned. I am making it into a 4*6 feet quilt. I've finished piecing the pinwheel blocks:

I'll add several borders to it and it'll be ready for quilting.
I've also been musing about the quilting patterns and ideas keep coming up. I'm so excited about it.

Besides joining the blocks together, I made several hexagon bookworms. Aren't they cute? They're easy to make and practical in use. Here's a tutorial from Sew Many Ways.

Garden this morning

2010-08-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

r since I picked up quilting, I started to appreciate mother nature more closely. The morning sunshine, the ever-changing sky, vegetation, and all. It seems that all quilters' got a garden or something.
This is what it looks like in my home:

See that green pepper above? It grows really fast.

I just love these pinky flowers. They're pretty common; I see them all the time.

And some lotuses. It's a pity I can't upload their scent.

3D white flower bag

2010-08-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

A few weddings of my cousins are around the corner.
I made this bag for Mom to make her the most graceful aunt at the banquets. I call it 3D because I used four layers of white fabric and interfacing for petal applique to override the black tone underneath. The petals were thick enough to stand out before I quilted around them.

Pictures at different angles:

Did you get it right? My hexagons are used for the side of this bag.

The bottom. It's pretty wide and will hold a good many items.

Two pockets inside the bag. One is zippered. (By the way, I'm thinking about posting a zipper pocket tutorial on here.)

It took me eight whole days to finish it. My sister-in-law said whenever she sees my work, she rejoices. Guess what? Me too!

Hexagons First Attempt

2010-08-19T01:56:00.000-07:00

I am so tired from sewing hexies which I've started 3 days ago.

Now that the top is finished and I'm tired of any more stitches, it's perfect time to show them up here.

There aren't many of them, about 60. I used paper piecing and had much fun through the process. I especially loved the crispy feeling as I sewed through the paper and fabric. But later it took me much time to rip off the threads on the front. It's part of the reasons I'm so tired now. (Yawn~~) Here is a new and detailed tutorial on hexie paper piecing from Sew Many Ways.

It's quite scrappy because I managed to use up remnants from quilt kits I bought last year, and I did use them up! Most of the fabrics came from Japan. Somehow we idolize Japanese quilting in Taiwan. From the photo, you can instantly detect the cultural difference: Japanese fabrics are darker in tone, and so are the finished projects.

I'll quilt them tomorrow. It's not a quilt apparently.

I'll leave you wondering for some time before I finish the whole thing. ^^

Tinkering: bag handle

2010-08-13T04:52:00.000-07:00

A week or two ago, a friend of mine brought her bag to me and asked if I could help her fix the handle. Her bag came here like this:

The fabric at the middle of the handle was broken due to constant use and the batting was showing.
I ripped off one of the handle and checked how it was folded and attached to the bag.
As I had a clear idea, I started "tinkering".
I cut two strips of fabric, each measured 6*47 cm
(The finished handle should be 2*45 cm)
I also cut out batting and ironed it to the wrong side of the fabric.

Folded each end 1 cm inward.Pressed two sides of fabric toward the batting. Made a French seam on the wider side and have it cover the other side.
Then, went to the sewing machine to close the seam.

I hand sewed the straps onto the bag, following the original placement.

I used pins to mark the places. It's crucial to make sure the placement is correct, otherwise you might end up with uneven length.

Voila, a tote with new handles!

Inspiration from children

2010-08-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

Starting from mid July, my family started a children's classics reciting class in the morning.

My nephew and niece are 3 to 4 years old, and we believe it's high time that they started reciting classical literature such as Analects of Confucius, the Book of Changes, the Holy Bible, to name just a few. The notion of "classics education" has been getting wider recognition over the years in Taiwan and China. Numerous parents reported children's amazing retention and avidity to reading as a result of reciting classics. Excellent school performance in all subjects and development of positive personality are its additional value that parents and teachers can't be more satisfied with.

How could I, both an aunt and English teacher in the class, let go of this golden opportunity to get creative?

This month, I made a chair runner, a tissue paper holder, 6 sets of colorful alphabet flash cards, and tiny bears serving as gifts if the children pass the reciting quiz tomorrow.

We put a water jar and small cups on this wooden chair. I thought it crude and made it a runner, which is my very first original design. I love the bows at the bottom. They are a pure accident because I attached the strips to tie onto the chair’s feet, to avoid any pulls from children. They turned out too short for tying but just right for making a bow tie. The back fabric is an orange gingham, making the runner reversible.

I also made a Cleenex holder. Doesn’t it look neat? There’s a draw string on the top so I can tie and hang it wherever there’s a hook. Finally, some teeny tiny bears, or cubs, I should say. ^^
The smaller they are, the harder it is to turn right sides out.
The chubby orange one looks funny. I added 0.5 cm around the pattern, in hope of being able to fill the stuffing more easily. Later I decided to just stick to the original pattern. ^^ I should have brought the pattern to the copy machine and enlarge it as a whole. But I was too lazy. Haha~

This is a wonderful start for me. Look forward to any further inspirations to make something new!

Groudhog Day

2010-03-18T00:48:00.000-07:00

I just watched this fantastic movie called "Goundhog Day". It's by no means a new film, but I enjoyed it very much. While it's frenetic to live the same day over and over again, the movie didn't bore me at all. It was super hilarious how Phil tried to do crazy things because nothing mattered as he woke up the next morning. It was inspiring how he finally learned to be amiable and helpful and started to make a difference in people's lives, otherwise he was a conceited and egocentric person.

As I finished the movie, I thought about what I'd do if I were Phil. I would do the same as he did in the later part of the movie. I especially love the idea that I could learn to play the piano by paying just once to the teacher! It's wonderful in the way that you have lots and lots of time to make yourself a better person and lots of chances to help others. The bizarre arrangement of time also alludes that until we start to live differently, every day is just a copy of its yesterday.

Quite a tremor

2010-03-03T22:02:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up to an earthquake which lasted about 20 seconds. At first it was a slight tremor, after five seconds, everything started shaking violently. "It must be at least 6 on the scale." I thought. My conjecture was based on a series of devastating earthquakes in Taiwan 10 years ago.

I didn't jump out of bed and duck under a table or anything, because I could still abide it. After it stopped, I overheard my dad said,"It's 6.3 on the scale." I knew he was watching TV news downstairs. So that was it. A 6.3 earthquake.

Though it wasn't serious, it became the subject of conversation whereever I go this morning. I went to the post office, a bank, a fabric shop, and a coffee supply store after breakfast. In the post office, a lady next to me said she never got up early, she was awoke by the earthquake. In the fabric shop, the shopkeeper was discussing the tremor with her old customers. One of them said it seemed God is going to deracinate human beings, thinking of the calamities in Haiti and Chile.

I went to the coffee supply store to buy some dried flowers, for making liquid soaps. (By the way, it's my first attempt at liquid soaps, I'll post about it as I proceed.) As I entered the store, it appeared awkward to me that the shopkeepers were still arranging things at almost 11 o'clock a.m. As I was at the cash register paying for the dried lavender, it became clear to me that they were actually cleaning up bottles and liquids that fell during the earthquake! I talked to the clerk behind the counter and she admitted they were cleaning things up, and that it was pretty much work.

I am glad my house and neighborhood were fine. I hope earthquakes will never come visit us, or any other part of the world again.

Happy Chinese New Year

2010-02-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

It's Chinese New Year again! Everyone is spending the holiday with their family. I'm no exception! On New Year's Eve, we sat around a round table and had a hearty meal together. In recent years, we usually had hot pot. And by the way, my family is vegetarian. There is no specific menu like Thanksgiving. Each family's New Year's Eve meal is different. The pivotal matter is to eat together, which we call "Wei Lu" in Chinese. Family reunion is an important Chinese New Year tradition. Being able to eat with the whole family makes meal all the more delicious. Below are pictures of the meal and my family. (I'm the one in white.^^*)

On the second day of the New Year, I visited my old friend Tina, who gave birth to her first baby girl last month. I made the baby girl a pink teddy bear which has a selvage bib tied around its neck.

I also gave Mandy, who went to visit Tina with me, a bag you could see from my last post. She received the bag with alacrity because she said that's what exactly she needed. She planned to buy one such bag at a store.
So far it's been a wonderful Chinese New Year. This year is the year of tiger. The word "tiger" sounds similar to "benediction" or "blessing" in Chinese. As we see friends,neighbors or relatives during the Chinese New Year, we'd say some goods words pertaining to "tiger" to express our best wishes.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!祝大家虎年有福氣!(台)

First bag in 2010

2010-01-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? We are at the end of the first decade of the 21st century.
Recently I'm busy making my second quilt.
I'm going slower than I expected.
I actually hand pieced the pinwheel blocks. Here's one:

As I finally finished one block and press the seams,
I found a little pinwheel at the center on the back side.
It's cute:

I learned from other quilters that when doing one big project, it's beneficial to get some easier projects going, to avoid that too-much-time-devoted-and-so-little-finished fatigue.

Because of this, I am making some bags for two of my friends who are going to have their first babies. I found this bag's tutorial on the following website:
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/kikimama168/article?mid=17262&prev=17279&next=17171&page=1&sc=1#yartcmt
It's a Chinese blog with lots of useful information for bag makers.
There are no patterns involved. Just cut out several rectangles, and you're ready to sew. The author claims that you can finish this bag within half a day.
I think she is right. It's really easy and gorgeous.

Take a look at my work:
The front:

Inside:

I sewed on two flower-shaped buttons on the sides. They match the background fabric's motif. I didn't realize they go together until I sew the buttons on. What a perfect match!

I made a solid base for the bag, so the bottom won't sag when carrying things.

I am absolutely satisfied. I spent some time choosing fabrics that match in color and value. This time it's successful. ^^
I'd call this a happy new year bag, or a happy motherhood bag.

planning to make a second quilt

2009-12-08T21:26:00.000-08:00

Ever since I finished my first quilt, I was so overwhelmed by the time and effort I devoted into it and could hardly get myself into a second one.

After that I made smaller projects, such as bags and ornaments. Something that doesn't take more than a couple of days to finish, to get myself the instant gratification.
Now, I've made up my mind to start making a pinwheel quilt, for my boyfriend.
I actually had it in my mind for a long time. This is a first sketch:

Unlike my first quilt, this time I am getting into blocks.
Since it's for my boyfriend, I want to achieve a masculine look,
so I shopped for some fabrics of "men's color" which I seldom use:

Hmmm...pretty masculine already.
Have no idea when this quilt will be finished.
But it won't take too long...quilting is addictive.

I like to draw any crafting ideas on my sketch book.
Most of them are eventually made. It's fun to see how one project started somewhere in my life, was drawn out, and was made for some good reason.

little X'mas gifts

2009-12-01T00:40:00.000-08:00

Today I started making some Christmas gifts,
which I've been planning since November, but
haven't any time to start doing until today.

I planned to make in total 13 of them, but only made 3 today.
Some pictures:

I found some pictures with Christmas motifs online,
printed them out and transfered them onto a gray fabric.
Next, I appliqued the pictures onto wool felt fabric, fill
in some stuffings and used a blanket stitch
to finish the little ornament.

Update on this post:12/8, 2009
I have these ornaments all finished a few days ago.
Here is a glance:

They are for some ten children coming to my home for reciting classical Chinese
literature every Sunday night. I can't wait to see how chuffed they will be when they get these little Christmas surprises. ^^*

Snow White

2009-11-08T01:06:00.001-08:00

Just finished this white bear, and I call it Snow White.
It's my first attempt making a fixed bear.
The assembling of fabric pieces are more complicated than the jointed ones.
Fortunately enough, I got it done, and it turns out alright!

Sewing the nose and mouth is the most exciting part.
Because it's the last step before the bear is done, and
I hardly ever know how it is going to turn out.
The smile looks a little coy.
I'm satisfied with it and didn't have to do a second time.

I'd like to make her a dress.
Not very sure how to do that, though.
But I'll catch up on this when it's available.

chicken pin cushion

2009-11-01T01:03:00.000-07:00

It's my first attempt at making log cabin blocks.
The making of this pin cushion, which needs only two log cabin blocks, is easier than it looked.
I used the scraps from previous sewing projects.
I think the color is interesting after they're all bound together.
There is no wulnut shells in Taiwan, I suppose.
So I used red beans to create some weight.
This hen cushion will go a long way along my sewing table.

One reason that quilting appeals to me is the moment when
I turn the fabrics right sides out, I see the perfect
look on the outside...the "ah-ha" moment transforms
previous mechanical works into sheer delight.

I applied some machine sewing techniques that I learned on Quilter's TV.
Literally I think watching the programs is better than going to sewing classes!
I'm really happy to learn abuot the site.
這是用兩塊小木屋拼布所組成的粽子體針插
作法很簡單,我用的size是1.5cm*(1.5*1)cm到1.5cm*(1.5*7)cm
以上不含縫份
之後每塊小木屋需要1.5cm*(1.5*1)cm到1.5cm*(1.5*6)cm各兩塊,
1.5cm*(1.5*7)cm一塊
顏色需要調整一下基本上是一邊深一邊淺或不同色系
我用的是手邊的碎布因此很配色很隨興
如果能更單純化效果應該會更好

做完兩塊小木屋之後就夾上嘴巴和雞冠留一個返口
還有夾雞冠的那一邊垂直(沒有夾嘴巴)的一邊壓扁使兩端變成中間點
再車夾上三角形的尾巴從返口翻出來之後
塞入豆子和棉花使有一定的重量以對針縫縫合返口就行囉!

因為我是第一次做沒有心情和時間照相
之後如果有再作第二隻再放製作過程照片

Ian playing the piano with Arnold

2009-10-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

Just found out that I can upload Youtube videos on blogger.
Here is a try:

That's my nephew Ian, the clip was taken last winter.
He was three years old.
I'm fascinated by him. He's so cute. ^^

自製口袋--A pocket of one's own

2009-10-21T01:15:00.000-07:00

Voila! I just created a pocket for my long sports pants.While I was about to sew it down onto the pants, Mom passed by and admonished me that it's by no means a good idea. Well, since I'm obsinate about creating a pocket, I sewed it on anyway. Mom said, "You're such a genius". She's actually laughing at me, in a humorous way. Took me two hours or so from designing the pattern to finishing. In the morning I went to the fabric store that's about 1 minute walk away from my home. ^^ (So near! I love it, and it's the biggest one in the city.)

This pants I bought at a school discount while I was in graduate school in America.I wanted to keep the mark on the left, so I only did one pocket.I drew two patterns, the first one being a failure. Though the color of the fabric didn't match the pants perfectly, it was the best I could find in the store. I wanted the pocket so I could bring the door key with me as I went taking a walk in the morning, so that no one had to get the door for me when I came home. I think with a little bit more work and planning, I'd be able to hide the pocket in the back. But it's just regular sports wear, I'm lazy enough to trouble myself over it. lol

剛剛為我的運動褲縫上口袋,因為早上我都穿著它到嘉大運動,沒口袋就不能帶鑰匙,回家時就要按門鈴,好像自己是客人似的!

老媽覺得外露的口袋很醜,其實要作在裡面也可以啦...

這樣更可以張顯我的個性啊! 我倒覺得滿"酷"的耶!

其實是我懶得做那麼複雜啦!就一件運動褲而已,哈哈~

耶~明天開始就有口袋了,好高興喔^^

摺布包完成The Rose bag

2009-10-05T23:43:00.001-07:00

總算完成了!花了我一個多月的摺布包~

趕快來看一看長什麼樣子

Finally finished my rose bag.

Check it out:

跟媽到巧巧布(新榮路上)去選了一個相配的手把

花了400元 (好貴!後來發現上網買只要340含運！)

但是加上提把之後整個感覺都升級囉!

縫提把的時候最好是每個洞都回針兩次

如果嫌換線太麻煩那起碼最上面那個洞要回兩次

並且每一針都要確定有把線拉平整

最好可以隨著提把貼片稍微拉出一點弧度

縫第二隻提把時,注意要對齊第一隻提把的位置

(不是對布,就像縫拉鍊口布一樣,縫第二片時要對的

不是拉鍊中心點,而是與第一片已縫好的口布對齊)

縫出來才會整齊好看喔!

Mom (the model above) went with me to pick

out a handle that matches the bag.

After sewing the handle on, the bag immediately looks

"like a bag". lol

I did this bag following instructions on a book.

And that's the only instruction I have.

I chose the fabric/colors all by myself.

I think how colors are put together is the number one factor　that makes a quilting project pretty.

I don't know how you feel about this bag's color.

But it is like a child from my labor.

It is just perfect and wonderful for me. ^^*

新壓腳到~New presser feet

2009-10-02T00:29:00.000-07:00

玩拼布到現在一年多了

我總算狠下心買了貴貴的壓腳

It's been more than one year

since I picked up quilting. And finally I bought

essential presser feet yesterday.

均勻壓布腳(日製): A Walking foot:

自由曲線壓腳(台製) A darning/free motion foot

因為這兩種壓腳必須拆除腳脛,我把裝置的過程拍下來

These are the screw-on type of feet.

Below is how to remove the foot holder to attach a walking foot:

1. 把針和壓腳抬起,壓腳卸下

(Raise the needle and presser foot,

remove the latter.)

2. 把螺絲逆時針轉開,卸下腳脛

(Loosen the screw to remove the foot holder.)

3. 將均勻壓布腳中間部份卡在螺絲跟柱子中間,這時控制桿會自然落在鎖針的黑色螺絲鉗上,再把螺絲順時針鎖緊即可.(Attach the walking foot to the presser bar with the lever on the needle clamp, and secure it with the screw.)

4. 把控制桿推入凹槽中,可以調整寬度,而不用畫線吧,我猜.
(Push the quilting guide downward into the slot.)

I'm not sure what it's for exactly. Maybe with the guide we don't need to draw quilting lines in advance?)

自由曲線壓腳也同樣裝法

(Do the same thing to attach the free motion foot.)

自由曲線壓腳還要做一個下沉送布齒的動作

不好拍照,乾脆獻醜錄下來.反正我是野人嘛,不怕醜.^o^
The feed dog is to be lowered while using the darning foot.

I have a short video for how to lower the feed dog.

(Odd enough that it's not on my machine manual.

I learned this from the foot seller. The video isn't bilingual, though :p

I look forward to using the walking foot to finish my rose bag.

Next week I'll definitely post it on here.

But not today, because it's Moon Festival.

We're having a family feast tonight. ^^*

勵志句 Inspiring sentences

2009-09-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

Just read this from a blog on quilter blogs.com.
Two inspiring sentences from inside the wrapper
of Dove chocolate:

Keep believing in yourself and your special dreams!
Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can!
以上這兩句話不是超勵志的嗎? 正是我需要的,如果你恰巧經過
就當做是一份小禮物吧 ^^

They're exactly what I need to hear, too, as the We Love Quilting (the original blogger) put it. I love especially the second sentence.

By the way, I'm about to finish my folded rose bag.
I'll post it as soon as I am finished.

摺布包 Folded Roses

2009-09-12T01:19:00.000-07:00

正著手作個摺布包給自己當生日禮物
總共摺了4*3*2=24個布花
過程頗漫長的真的很需要耐心
剛剛完成了表布
I'm making a rose bag for my birthday. A sneak peak:

以下是摺的方法 Here's how to fold the fabric to make roses:
1. 剪15cm*15cm 布片,已含縫份 (Cut 6*6 inches of fabric, seams are included.)
2. 在布正面四邊上各作中心點,並在其左右各2cm處作記號(On right side of the fabric, mark center points on each edge. From the center point, mark four other points which are 0.8" and 1.6" away from it, on both right and left sides.)

3. 照著記號點,依以下圖示摺出三摺,摺好之後縫幾針固定. (Following the marks, fold the fabric as the picture shows. Then stitch to secure the folds.)

4. 完成水平邊之後,再以同樣方法摺垂直邊(Upon finishing the horizontal folds, repeat the above folds and finish the vertical direction.)

建議如圖先燙好摺痕再摺比較整齊.摺好之後就會出現如右上方的圖.再以順時針或逆時針的方向將花"打開",縫幾針固定就行了. (I'd recommend ironing the crease first before folding, so the folds will be straight. After we finish both sides, we get a square with a "bud" in the center. To make roses, we "open up" the "bud" by twisting the center folded part either clockwise or counterclockwise. When you have a satisfactory rose, make a few stitches to secure it.)

其實要先接好布片再開花,包形才不會跑掉.
It's better to stitch together the squares before opening them up, so we get to align and stitch them more easily.)

Where did we begin?

2009-09-11T00:34:00.000-07:00

I'm really bold to join this because I'm so new in quilting. I'd like to thank Robyn for staring this "game". Like I had said in the previous post, I started all these sewing things with teddy bear making when I was in college. Every bear was hand sewed, and I gave them away to my friends. Somehow I think that was the purpose of making bears: to bring happiness to others. The process of sewing was a pleasure in itself to me.

**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****

As for quilting, I started out making patchwork bags and purses since they were the dominant type of quitling projects in Taiwan. Fewer people started out with quilts. (That is so different from the west. Seems to me that everybody makes quilts.) I did not have time for classes, so I shopped online for a bag material package which came in with picutre tutorial. I began without even knowing how to make paper templates or the need for ironing after stitching. Also I had no idea for hand quilting, so I used back stitch instead of running stitch all the way~ Without knowing how, perhaps it was the love for my Mom that sustained me (Yes, the bag was made for her.), I finished the bag in 7 days, in 2008. Now my Mom carries the bag whenever she goes out on her scooter. Here is the picture:

A very handy bag, all sewed by hand.

Later, I found out about quilter's blog and was very much inspired by quilting experts and their quilts. I wanted to make one for myself. I bought a Janome J820, a machine for beginners. I surfed the Internet for details and techniques of hand quilting, creating mitered corner, making bias strips, and so on. I also bought my first patchwork book, copied the pattern and made my very first quilt. The fabrics were machine stitched together, but hand quilted. It was a simple quilt but took me more than 6 months to finish because I was indecisive about the size and color arrangement.

--> My brother holding the quilt for me.

-->A close-up of my favorite heart-shaped applique.

I've been quilting for some one year now. And I've made various projects as gifts for my family and friends. I regard quilting as a great source of alacrity and confidence, both for the maker and receiver. And sometimes it is also a way for me to run away from the reality. : p

What I want to do next is free motion quilting. And my primary choice of learning is still through the Internet and books. Alright, that's as much as I have to tell. Thank you for taking your time to read my story and I look forward to be inspired by many more quilters.

給好友的泰迪熊 Teddy for a dear friend

2009-09-08T23:52:00.000-07:00

其實我在國中沒上過什麼家政課
因為學校是升學導向
所以除了穿針以外我實在沒什麼縫紉基礎
但大學時代接觸了泰迪熊
才開啟我的手作之路
現在就馬上po個泰迪熊吧!
它叫作阿飛是去年給我一個好朋友的聖誕禮物

I actually started sewing from doing teddy bears when I was in college.
Before that, I don't even know how to tie a knot on a thread.
But somehow those cute bears grow on me and I can't stop making them.

This teddy bear I made for a dear friend last Christmas.
Yes, here in Taiwan, we also celebrate Christmas.
Unlike Americans, we don't have family reunions on Christmas, though.

My friend really loved it and that recouped all the time and money devoted.

歡迎來到野人拼布玩 Welcome to Ac-quilt-sition

2009-09-08T23:23:00.000-07:00

開版成功! 這是屬於我的小小拼布園地
之所以取名叫野人是因為目前我沒上過任何正式的拼布課程
所有的拼布技巧都是從書上和網路上學來的
在這裡純粹是"野人獻曝"

會接觸拼布是因為在學校代課時
看到書商送的喜佳小冊子
馬上被冊子上的可愛布小物吸引
從此就一頭栽進了這個世界

目前我一點都不專業
很多問題也只能靠自己摸索
但好在我有不錯的領悟力

從今天開始我將不定時分享自己的作品
以及製作心得
廢話不再多說開版囉!!! 砰砰砰~~~(放鞭砲)

English version:
This is not an exact translation from the above Chinese.
So please do not try to learn Chinese in this way.

I'm writing in English so that more people will be able
to read my blog. I'm a green quilter, haven't been to any
formal patchwork/quilting lessons.

My teachers are books and the Internet, especially Expert Village, now moving to eHOW. That's part of the reason I'm starting this bilingual, quilting-related blog. I was also much inspired by Quilter's blogs. That is another reason for writing in English. As a feedback, maybe?

Like other quilters, I will upload my projects whenever I have them.
Happy opening!