So Sue

Stitches West 2012

2012-02-24T20:17:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a fantastic day visiting Stitches West and scoring tons of goodies today! As usual, Stitches doesn't disappoint. I didn't take any class this year because I have learned that I have issues remembering what I learn from these classes. I usually have a great time during the class, but as soon as I walk away, I forget everything!? Oops....

Susan wearing Ysolda's hat + Ysolda at Stitches West.

The highlight from today's visit was meeting Ysolda of Whimsical Little Knits and Alana of Coastal Knits. They were both so nice and patient; they not only signed my books but also had photos taken with me! I have heard so much about Coast Knits and cannot wait to make projects from this book. My friend, Kristen, has made almost every single project from this book. You must check out her blog. She is an amazing knitter.

Coastal Knits

Other goodies from the show:

I bought 12 balls of Aventica yarn to make gorgeous knit wear. This yarn is made of Acrylic and New Wool; it's extremely soft but holds up well. The pattern is called "Ladies' Vest" from Inspiration. Being able to see the actual finished project hung in the booth is a wonderful thing!

See that adorable blue giraffe project bag? You pull your yarn through that opening, and it prevents yarn from being tangled up in your purse. I love this simple idea. I met the founder, Lori; I think she is a genius. I can't wait to carry my sock project in this bag!

I found these tiny Clover circular needles, which are perfect for socks! I dislike working with three or four dpns for socks, so this tiny circular needle is just so perfect! The shop owner did mention that it can be hard for people with large hands, so let's see how this works.

My friend, Marisa, has been raving about these shawl pins. So of course, I had to check them out today. They are not cheap, but are elegant, simple to use and go with everything.

New shawl pin + my beautiful Aerolian shawl. It looks like I will finally be able to wear this shawl.

If you live in the area, did you get a chance to stop by? What were your favorites?!

Meet Jane

2012-02-20T00:11:00.000-08:00

Wow! I think I have spent every minute of the last 48 hours sewing up this little doll. Eating, sleeping and showering were just things that had to be done; sewing and finishing this doll was my one and only priority. See for yourself.

Jane measures 20"x9". She is wearing pants with lace!

Jane writing a thank you card for her friend.

Jane standing up with the help of my husband.

Jane sleeping. Sorry, the hat doesn't come off! LOL

This was my first time making dolls. This all started on Saturday when I found this whimsical doll book from my bookshelf. I knew that this would make a perfect long-weekend project, but I didn't realize how much fun I would have sewing her up. I went to Jo-Ann Fabric four times this weekend; each time for something I forgot to get the previous time. But no worries, the store is only five minutes from my house! Thank goodness.

I spent the most amount of time and energy on the doll's face. I have always been picky when it comes to faces and expression of all stuffed animals and dolls. The face determines the mood of the doll and makes each doll unique and special. I wouldn't have continued with this face if I wasn't happy with the eyes, nose, and mouth.

I think I am officially addicted to making dolls. This is the first of many more to come. I made this without anyone special in mind, but I know that this doll would make little girls so happy. I, for sure, would have enjoyed having a doll like this growing up. I think Jane needs a doll quilt and pillow. By the way, Jane sits on top of our fire place in my center corner to keep me company.

What do you think? Do you have kids who would enjoy dolls like this?

I hope you are enjoying your long weekend.

Paper Pieced House Blocks

2012-02-17T23:39:00.000-08:00

Do you have a copy of Patchwork Lesson ABC by Kumiko Fujita? It's a book full of small hexagons, houses, flowers and tons of adorable little blocks you can make and turn into hot potholders, pincushions, tea cozies or tons of other things. My favorite ones from the books are the house blocks used to make tea cozies. I found a copy of this in Chinese about a year ago. Although I can usually decipher these Japanese quilting books with visuals, it brings me so much joy knowing I am able to read every word Kumiko had to say. I get so much more out of the book. I have been wanting to try one of these patterns and decided to make them for Valentine's Day.

Perfect little coasters for my husband.

I machined paper pieced these house blocks. I had a hard time ensuring everything came out straight because all of the pieces were quite small. Maybe I will hand piece these next time.

I had a nice surprise from my husband for Valentine's Day. It wasn't easy for me to transport it home at the end of the week. I think this may be the prettiest flower arrangement I have ever received.

Beautiful long-stem red roses always make me smile.

Thanks, honey :)

Strawberry Fabric Basket

2012-02-12T21:55:00.000-08:00

I cannot wait to share my latest creation with you! Check out this cute little strawberry fabric basket I made today. I used Ayumi's tutorial, and it came out so cute. I am proud of the fabrics I selected for this, and the strawberry lining is simply adorable!

I am in love with this!

Maybe it will be used to store yarns?! It will be sitting on my sewing table for sure!

Fabrics used:

- Fruit Basket by Robert Kaufman

- Children at Play by Sara Jane

- Fabric with letters printed (I accidentally threw away the salvage)

- Japanese fabrics from my trip to Taiwan

Have you been following Jeremy Lin? It's Lin-Sanity at my house for sure. I hope this talented young guy continues to play well. I am so proud of him.

Sewing Pillow Cases

2012-02-08T22:26:00.000-08:00

I found these pillow case kits from my stash this weekend. I bought them a long time ago from a fabric convention and finally got around to finishing them. I don't know why it took me so long to make these.

The green flower one is for my mom and the pink heart one is for me.

These pillow cases are finished with French hem technique. French hem allows you to hide the raw edges of fabric by overcasting the seam allowance to prevent fabric from unraveling. This technique gave my pillow cases a professional finish look.

Fabric used: Lotus by Amy Butler for Rowan fabrics

I don't have the name of this fabric I used :(

My mom is so happy with the pillow case I made her, and it goes so well with her bedding. However, I think I really should have gotten two of each kit. I mean, one pillow?! Come on! So I searched around on the internet and was able to find the same Amy Butler fabric I used for my mom so I can make her a pair. I ordered this fabric from QuiltHome on Saturday and already got it today in the mail. QuiltHome was fantastic to work with; my order was correct, and I received it so fast even with regular shipping! I will definitely order form this place again.

Have you made pillow cases before? I think they are great sewing projects for beginners.

Lemon Blueberry Cake

2012-02-03T22:31:00.000-08:00

My good friend inspired me to bake this week; she tried this Lemon Blueberry Bread recipe, loved it, and shared it with me. As soon as she forwarded it to me, I knew I had to make it. Fortunately I had everything this recipe calls for. I have a nice and healthy lemon tree in our backyard, and I think it had over 70 lemons just a few weeks ago! I made two batches and used five lemons in total. I grated these lemons into lemon zest and they smelled so good! I had to take a break in between though. Who would have known grating is such a tiring activity?!

These frozen blueberries came out good!

I made two mini loafs without walnuts for my husband; he has a thing against walnuts. Weird?! But the larger load I made with walnuts were amazingly good. I don't have a photo of it, but you will just have to imagine it. By the way, the name of this recipe is Lemon Blueberry "Bread," but I think it's really more "cake."

Lemon blueberry cake with lemon glaze.

I know, I am sorry... you are probably salivating over this, but hey! The recipe is so simple, and you probably already have all of the ingredients. So go ahead! Make some, you will love it.

American Jane Happy Camper

2012-01-29T12:04:00.000-08:00

Have you visited an American Jane booth before? It is my favorite booth to visit every year at PIQF. Their fabric is just so adorable with a vintage feel. I bought a Happy Camper half-triangle charm pack last year at PIQF. I must admit I struggled with this shape for a long time, but finally assembled this cute little quilt with just one charm pack. I love all the prints in this charm pack, but the final quilt is a bit small.

This measures 31" x 31"

I am probably going to add borders to this piece to make it bigger. Any suggestions on what to do with this quilt? I think it's too small for anything...

The weather has been so beautiful in California; I am off to enjoy this beautiful day!

Knitted Vest with Zipper

2012-01-22T17:18:00.000-08:00

Remember this vest I started last year? I finally dug it out of the basket this weekend and finished seaming the shoulders and sides. I also picked up stitches around the neck and finished the collar. I had so much drama with the zipper but finally got the right one for vests. Who would have known that there is so much to zippers?!

Separating vs. regular zipper

I first got the 22" "polyester" brown zipper shown on the right, then realized that this will not allow me to "open" up the vest! Duh! This just isn't going to work! Why do realizations always occur after I have already made the purchase and opened it!? So I stopped by another fabric shop in the area that carries "separating" zippers, such as the white one shown on the left in the picture. See how these two look different? You want the white one on the left for cardigans, vests, or jackets, and the one on the right for purses, etc.

Separating zipper in action.

I wish the store carried this zipper in brown though. They had such a small collection of separating zippers, so this white will have to make do. Now that I finally have the right zipper, I can insert it. I have never inserted zippers into knitwear before. I basted the edges of the vest with a bright yellow yarn so it can be removed easily later. We will see where this takes me! Wish me luck :)

How hard can it be!?

By the way, we are celebrating Lunar New Year tonight. I wish you a very happy Chinese New Year. It's the year of the dragon. What's your Chinese zodiac sign?

I See Foxes

2012-01-15T17:42:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to finishing these cute foxes I started around the end of last year. I purchased the paper piecing pattern from Sonja; she has the most adorable paper piecing patterns. This was my first attempt trying paper piecing, and her instructions were so easy to follow.

I decided to use a green border for this mini quilt, and I think it came out pretty cute. It also matches my wall color! That was a coincidence. It's hung on one of the walls in my sewing corner.

Back of the quilt.

I used Denyse Schmidt's collection for the back. Do you use cute fabric as backing for your mini quilt like me? It is going to be hung on your wall and no one will ever see the back! I think I should just go with muslin next time. I hand quilted this mini quilt by echoing the two foxes; love the way it came out!

Round Basket Liner

2012-01-13T21:27:00.000-08:00

I was commissioned by a friend to make her a lining for a round basket she got. I recalled making a liner for a round basket many years ago. At that time, I used a hot glue gun to adhere the liner to the basket. But thanks to Google, I was able to find an excellent tutorial online without using a yucky hot glue gun this time around.

She picked out this brown floral pattern -- super cute!

It's amazing what you can find on the internet these days, isn't it!? I only had a dark red ribbon available on hand, but she can definitely swap it out with a brown one to go with the fabric. I can't wait to see this basket filled up with her gorgeous malabrigo yarns!

I am itching to do some hand quilting. Must assemble a quilt top so I can get those thimbles on my fingers asap. I am thinking to make something with these Japanese taupe fabrics I got from PIQF last year.

Ah, I am in love with Japanese taupe fabric.

I cannot wait to have my hair done this weekend. It's so disgusting I wish I could wear a hat to work to just cover it all up! San Francisco, here I come!

Pressed, Unwashed, Cut, and All Ready to Go!

2012-01-06T23:14:00.000-08:00

I visited my local quilting store and found the perfect fabric for the "I Spy Charm Swap" that I am participating in. I was surprised to learn that the store actually had a few fabrics from Sarah Jane's Children at Play collection! This is one of my favorite fabric lines; I was this close to buying the entire collection at one point online. I must say touching those fabrics in person at the store was so surprisingly satisifying!

Anyway, here is the fabric I selected for the swap. What do you think!? It's by David Walker - Hopscotch, Girls at Play. It was love at first sight. This print was just too cute to pass up. Also, I think the tiny figures are perfect for the "I Spy" theme.

The girl on the bicycle is my favorite.

We were asked not to pre-wash the fabric, which meant, I immediately started pressing and cutting it into 5"x5" squares. One yard of fabric turned into 56 squares. Ah! So relaxing and rewarding. Can I just do that going forward!?

56 squares all ready to go!

OK! I am shipping these off to Jennifer tomorrow. Can't wait to see what others have picked out.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Scraps!

2012-01-04T23:41:00.000-08:00

Scraps are in this year! I love my scrap fabrics, but we all know how long it takes to save up enough scraps to make anything. Jennifer at Ellison Lane Quilts came up with a great swap idea where everyone purchases one yard of fabric, cuts them up into squares, mails these cut up fabrics to Jennifer, and she will collate them for everyone participating. Thank goodness I was fast! The list is now full. I have no idea how 55 people (including me) acted so fast. Now I need to find a cute fabric for this swap.

I am going through caffeine withdrawal (long story) and am having these throbbing headaches. I am not going to be a happy camper this week.

Hello 2012!

2012-01-02T18:05:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of my vacation before returning to work tomorrow. I had a relaxing vacation and feel recharged :)

I made a few of these tissue covers for friends. They are small, light and make perfect gifts for international recipients. I used Coco Stitch's very simple tutorial.

These covers are double sided.

I also finished making a project with tons of hexagons. I have no idea what to do with it, but I enjoyed piecing those hexagons together (no pictures, sorry).

I hardly knit at all, isn't it weird? I guess the weather just didn't get cold enough.

Happy New Year, everyone! I wish all your dreams come true in 2012!

Holiday Update

2011-12-28T15:47:00.000-08:00

I have about ten days off from work this holiday season, and I purposely didn't plan anything this time around. I want to relax, enjoy my house, spend time with my family, knit, sew, visit local coffee shops, and do things I like. It's the little things in life that make me so happy. Here is a quick update on my vacation so far.

I visited a local nursery and bought supplies to re-pot some of my plants. I transferred this plant from a tiny little pot into this bright yellow pot. Look at how much my plant has grown! There are so many buds and they are blooming!

These pots are bio-degradable.

My orchid is also coming back to life. My mom bought me this orchid last winter, and I have just been watering these two "sticks." It's finally budding!

Yay!

I made some Aloha shirts using Hawaii fabric I purchased from my recent trip to Maui. I used Beyond the Reef Aloha Shirts pattern that I purchased from the same visit. I made these shirts smaller than what the pattern called for so I can turn them into magnets. I saw these magnets at the quilt shop and immediately knew I had to make them.

Quilt shop's version.

My version; not sure I like the look with the white buttons.

My husband and I also went to the bowling alley, watched "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (really intense, I liked it), and went on lots of dinner dates :)

By the way, my "things I want to make" list continues to grow, and it's stressing me out! LOL

I am looking forward to celebrating the start of 2012. I hope you are enjoying this special time of the year as well.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T22:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas is less than two days away! Can you believe it?! It crept up on my so fast this year. I had no time to bake or send out greeting cards. Shame on me :(

We lit the fourth candle for Hanukkah tonight. I also haven't made Latkas, which is fried potato pancake; you eat it with apple sauce or sour cream. I love it! Not sure what happened this year, but I just barely had enough time to keep up with everything.

I finished sewing up this little hot potholder tonight. I started back in September and have no clue why it took me three months to finally finish it. I used one layer of Insul~Bright insulated batting and one layer of regular cotton batting to prevent myself from burning. This insulated batting works really well. Give it a try if you are interested.

I forgot to take a photo of the backing. I used one of my favorite cupcake prints.

This finished potholder did inspire me to bake tonight. I cheated and used Trader Joe's Sugar Cookie Kit. This is the best and easiest sugar cookie kit out there. I always have a box of this in my pantry. The frosting that came with the kit did not cooperate with me this time; half of the cookies ended up with no frosting. But the cookies were still delicious!

They are disappearing as I type.

Thank you for being such a supportive group of friends. I am so happy that I got to meet all of you through blogging. Merry Christmas, and happy holidays to you. I look forward to continue sharing my projects with you in 2012!

Sewing Machine Cover

2011-12-19T23:58:00.000-08:00

My dad bought me my sewing machine when I was 13; this was my first ever sewing machine. We had just moved to the US at the time, and I was so excited to have this machine that does magical things. I remember this White Sewing Machine was around $400, very expensive back then (still is). My brother and I were such good kids that my parents wanted to reward our good behavior. My brother got a nice bike, and I got this beautiful sewing machine. I remember going to the sewing center to learn how to operate this sewing machine in English. This was the nicest gift I had ever received at the time, and I have treasured it to this date. I still use the same sewing machine, and I am so proud of my dad for getting me such a special gift.

I have been sewing all these years, but it never occurred to me to make a nice sewing machine cover. I did some research over the weekend and didn't find any sewing machine cover pattern that I liked, so I sketched one up to match this nice pouch I received for Dawn from a swap this year. This pouch currently stores all of my sewing tools. It's always on my sewing table, so I figured I would make a machine cover to go with it. It was my first time working with Dresden, and I enjoyed it. It was so late when I started working on this, so I ended up just making my own Dresden template! Got to strike while the iron is hot, right!?

My machine all dressed up :)

I even created an opening for the plug. I wasn't sure if I was up for the challenge, but this YouTube video tutorial on how to create binding for inside corners helped tremendously.

It's not perfect, but it will do.

My sewing table has a nice finish that I don't want to ruin, so I made a sewing machine mat to go with it. I usually have my sewing machine sitting on some type of mat.

Double sided. I used the same cherry lining for the sewing machine cover.

Cherry lining for my double sided sewing machine cover.

This is how my sewing machine cover used to look like.

Bunny Rug Mug and Sunbonnet Sue

2011-12-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

My friend, Dorothee, is a cat lover and has the biggest heart. She looks all tough and stuff, but deep down inside, she is always thinking about other people and the first to help and give to those less fortunate. I wanted to celebrate her kindness this holiday season by making her something special. She is a huge tea drinker so I decided to make her a little cute coaster/mug rug for her to use. It looks similar to a mug rug I made for a swap. I hope this will remind her of how awesome she is every time she sips her tea.

I usually add little buttons to things like this, but didn't think that will work well with cups!

Before my trip to Maui, I finished making a simple wall hanging for my sewing corner. Many of you know that I love Sunbonnet Sue. I love the fact that there is no facial expression on her face so I feel like I can determine her mood based on how I feel. I just love this little character. About three years ago, I started making Sunbonnet Sue blocks from "Sunbonnet Sue and Scottie Too." This book features charming childhood activities, such as jumping rope and reading. I made about nine blocks and decided to turn one of them into a wall hanging. Because this wall hanging is so small and light, I used Command's damage free strips. They are great and work just like double sided tape.

Interesting look with the strips, right!? It was so hard to line them up!

Lastly, remember this slouchy cable hat I made awhile back? I have this project posted on Ravelry, and the pattern designer reached out for permission to use my photo on her pattern page! I was beyond ecstatic! Check out AZURE KNITS. She has the cutest stuff.

Have a great weekend doing what you enjoy!

Paper Pieced Yellow Fox

2011-12-13T23:32:00.000-08:00

Say hi to another fox I finished piecing over the weekend! This is the same as the one I made last week, except this one is a mirror image. Now I have two foxes facing each other with their tails on the outside. I think I am going to paper piece a heart in between them and make a wall hanging for my sewing corner.

I participated in a White Elephant exchange with my knitting group last night and scored some pretty purple yarn. I am going to have to think about what to make with this gorgeous yarn! I am so fortunate to have gotten to know these ladies and to be able to share my hobbies with them :)

Maui, Hawaii

2011-12-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

I returned from a short trip to Maui with my husband this weekend. It was so beautiful, relaxing, and fun. We stayed in an area called "Wailea." It's a really nice part of Maui that doesn't get very rainy or windy. I finished reading two books: Sarah's Key and Heart of the Matter. Both of these books were really good and tear jerking.

The sunset was breath taking.

We had breakfast by the beach with the rainbow.

Visited a cutest coffee shop in Pa'ia and had the most delicious/smooth Kauai coffee.

My husband knew that our trip would not be complete without taking me to a quilting or yarn shop of some sort, so when he saw this article in a local magazine, he was determined to take me there :)

The shop had tons of Hawaii quilts on display and kits available for purchase. I find Hawaii quilts interesting, but not enough to actually purchase them. Check out the Hawaii prints I picked up from this shop.

I am thinking to make Aloha t-shirts with these fabrics.

A Hawaii quilt on display at the store.

We also came across another fabric store in Kahului on our way back to the hotel from our drive to Hana. The store was also super close to the airport. This store carried so many Japanese fabrics, and they were so cheap! However, I dislike how I had to dragged these big bulky rolls of fabric to the cutting table. I mean... hello!? Seriously? If I wanted to buy up the whole store, does that mean I have to physically carry all of them?! No, thanks!

Love these big floral prints.

Tokidoki fabrics from Japan.

Has anyone heard of Tokidoki before? I had no idea what it was until the shop owner mentioned that it's a very popular cartoon thing in Japan? Whatever, it was cute so I got tons of them! See those sushi?

Maui was amazing. I will definitely go back again. Maybe I will stay longer and take a Hawaii quilting class. If you haven't visited Wailea in Maui, I highly recommend it!

Wow! I Paper Pieced Something!

2011-12-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted to try paper piecing, but was intimidated by the process. Have you heard of or tried paper piecing before? You are basically trying to sew a bunch of small pieces of fabric together using a sheet of paper. Yes, sewing with paper! How weird is that, right?

Anyways, I finally gave paper piecing a try for the very first time today. Instead of trying with something simple, I went with this little fox. And O M G, I did it! Take a look!!!

Isn't she adorable!?

That's it. I love paper piecing! You bet I will be making many more; I plan to make a yellow fox to go with this one. The eyes took me longer to embroider than this entire fox, arg!

SO happy :)

Birdie Mini Quilt

2011-12-02T22:47:00.000-08:00

I finished this simple mini birdie quilt for a special friend of mine. Unfortunately, I can't go into details about this mini quilt because she may be reading this.... but here is a sneak preview of this quilt I made my friend.

Blocking a portion of this quilt because it will for sure ruin the surprise!

This was my first time trying free motion around the birds, not sure if I love it, but it's not bad. I love the idea of mini quilts though, I think I will be making a few around my house. What are your plans for the weekend? Enjoy!

More Wine Bottle Covers

2011-11-27T23:22:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to show you more of these that I made tonight, they are addicting!

Christmas Wine Bottle Cozy

2011-11-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

Did you have a relaxing Thanksgiving? I did. It was wonderful to spend time with my family, I had a nice break. Now that Thanksgiving is over, I keep hearing about Christmas. Everything is red and green at the stores, I find it very festive.

I have been wanting to make these Christmas scarf and hat for wine bottles for years, I finally got around to making them this afternoon.

I am a fan of white wine. You?

I plan to make a few more and think they will come in handy. Who doesn't want to dress up these boring bottles for the holidays!? Check out the pattern I used for this, I recommend it.

Have a good week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T23:43:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. There is no religious reason behind it, and therefore, it's widely celebrated by almost every individual. I love the idea of giving thanks to those around you. I am thankful for my family, friends, health, and all of my readers.

My best friend from college came to visit me recently. I had a fantastic weekend with her, it's amazing how much we have to say, somehow we never run out of stuff to talk about.

Special chocolate from her recent trip to Paris.

*Delicious*

I am looking forward to some knitting and quilting. I am hoping to get started on a blue cabled scarf using some gorgeous yarns from last year's White Elephant gift exchange. The vest that I recently finished is also begging to be assembled.

Thank you for reading! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family wherever you are.

Knitted Slouchy Hat

2011-11-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

It wasn't easy for me to find the perfect hat pattern will also cover my ears without making my face look round and big. I came across this Quick Cable Slouchy Hat pattern on Ravelry and was able to finish this project under two days. I used Cascade Yarns Baby Alpaca Chunky; it was so soft and dreamy to work with. I used US size 10, but think I would have loved it more if I had used 11... it would have been more slouchy.

Side view

Pretty cables that somehow all lined up perfectly...

Simple and easy! I recommend it.

Quick Yarn Fix

2011-11-10T21:12:00.000-08:00

My LYS is open late on Thursdays, so although I was already stuck in traffic for more than an hour on my way home from work, I still had to stop by the yarn store. I didn't need any more yarn, but I just had to go. I have no idea what I am going to make with these, but I got them anyway.

Just looking at them makes me happy.

On a completely unrelated note, I made flan this past weekend. It's one of my favorite deserts. Have you tried making it before? It was made with Dr. Oetker Flan Creme Caramel Premium Dessert Mix. Waiting for the milk to boil was the hardest part; I was so bored.

Flan + yarn, not bad for a Thursday night.

Mittens for the Cold Winter

2011-11-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

My aunt inspired me to make these mittens. She started making them, and of course, we all know knitting is contagious. These knit up so fast and are so practical, I love how they keep my fingers warm in the cold and rainy winter. I have to make my mom a pair as well for when she walks the dog.

Side view of the mittens. By the way, do you like my new nail polish? Not sure if this picture is about the mittens or the nail polish!

Top view of the mittens.

OK, you caught me.... there is nothing in the cup! LOL

Have you been to Fresh & Easy? It's a new chain of grocery stores that sell fresh prepared meals with no artificial colors, flavors and those things that are bad for you. Everything was washed and packaged to make cooking super easy. This place was surprisingly affordable as well! The cranberry orange scone shown in the picture above was purchased from Fresh & Easy. So excited to discover a new grocery store in the neighborhood!

Aaron's Favorite Things at Age Two

2011-11-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

I have an adorable nephew, Aaron. He is two and reminds me of curious George. He loves going to the park with his aunt (that would be me) and uncle. I started a quilt for him a year ago and finally got around to finishing it last month. I hand appliqued trains, cars, hot air balloons, and airplanes; these are his favorite items. Although he was only a year old last year, he could say "airplane! trains!"So of course, I had to make him a quilt with all these items.

100% handmade

All aboard! Choo Choo! I cut out these trains from the fabric and applique them onto the quilt. The name of the fabric I used is called "Choo-Choo Puppy" by Kate Honarver" for Timeless Treasures, Inc.

These trees are my favorite part of the quilt. I cut out red apples from a cherry fabric and embroidered the apple stems.

I used up some cute scrap fabric for these cars, they are perfect for it! I love that flower bed fabric you see here.

Hot air balloons

Airplane

This airplane took a long time, I redid the windows three times!

Not sure if I like this airplane so much.

Pink hot air balloon, a little bit of pink is okay! Right?

I used a car and airplane theme fabric for the back of the quilt. It's called "On the Go" by Jill Webster for Clothworks. The fabric I used for the binding is by Ann Kelle; you can find it here.

I hand quilted this quilt using circles of different size, I love the way it came out. It will be so hard for me to give it away, but I know Aaron will enjoy it very many years to come.

Plastic Grocery Bag Holder

2011-10-27T00:07:00.000-07:00

How do you manage grocery bags from the grocery stores? I usually try to reuse them, but oboy, keeping them can be a "messy" job? Here is a simple grocery bag holder I designed to "contain" these ugly plastic bags! I used new Japanese fabric that I purchased from my recent trip to Taiwan.

Kitchen is the best place to hang it!

Folded up when not in use.

I just love these fabrics so much! The colors, patterns...

This was super easy to make. I assembled two different pieces of fabric into one rectangular piece that measured 16"x12". Then I double folded and stitched the shorter sides (i.e. top and bottom) of this piece, and sew along the 16" side (i.e. the longer side) turning the fabric into a tube. This is when I attached my new label! Once I had the tube, I inserted a 6" elastic into the hem created on the bottom, and created a loop on the top so it can be hung. That's it! Easy! Now I can put all those ugly wrinkly looking grocery bags into this tube and pull it out from the elastic side when I need it.

If you make one, I would love to see it! Let me know if I can help with the process.

Custom Made Label

2011-10-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

Gosh! What a crazy week... so glad Friday is here! I was super excited when the mail carrier got here today, check out what he brought me.

I finally had some labels made by gutenTags. If you are thinking about having customized labels made, I highly recommend Cassie. She was so patience with me and was extremely funny and easy to work with. So what do you think? Quite cute, huh?!

Back of the label.

I attached my very first label onto this grocery bag holder (pictures shown above) I made my aunt. I designed it and it looks beautiful in her kitchen. I will do a post on this project shortly.

PIQF 2011

2011-10-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

Gosh, what a crazy busy week! I took Friday off work and headed over to PIQF at the Santa Clara convention center. I am so thankful that this location is only 10 minutes from my house so I can attend this event easily. I had an amazing time there admiring all of the beautiful quilts I saw. These quilters are really so talented, and I thank them for allowing PIQF to display their beautiful work. Here are some of my favorites from this year's convention.

By Kim Butterworth | San Ramon, CA

By Nancy Prince | "Keeping You in Stitches"

Beautiful handwork by a Japanese quilter.

I got some hard-to-find tools, such as YLI hand quilting threads, Japanese taupe fabric, Little House piecing pins, Capital T paper piecing templates, etc. I am thinking to go back to the convention again tomorrow if I have time, but I doubt it.

See ya next year, PIQF!

Easy Fabric Covered Button Hair Tie

2011-10-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

My least favorite day of the year is slowing approaching.... when the sun sets today, no food or drinks will be allowed until the sun sets again tomorrow night. Anyone else out there following this tradition for Yom Kippur? It's so horrible! Anyway, I have the next 24 hours planned so I can be "distracted!" Meanwhile, I want to show you something I made today.

Remember the cute dress for a little girl I finished yesterday? I decided to make the recipient matching hair ties so she can wear them with the dress. I think she will be one very happy girl sporting off her lovely dress and pony tails?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

These were so easy to make! I put together an easy fabric covered button tutorial for you.

STEP ONE

Gather your supplies: fabric scrap, hair tie (duh!), scissor, marker, and upholstery cover buttons. I got mine from JoAnn's fabric. They are cheap, about $4 a pack. Each packet contains the following four tools (shown below) that you will need to make fabric covered buttons. I don't know what these four things are called, so I will just refer to them as tool "A," "B," "C," or "D."

STEP TWO

Use your marker and trace a circle twice the diameter of tool C. This is when you want to think about which part of the fabric you want to cut out for the button.

STEP THREE

Cut the fabric, and place the fabric right side down, over the white mold (tool A). Then, press tool C into tool A (the white mold) with tool B (the blue cap); see picture below.

STEP FOUR

Remove tool B (the blue cap), this is what it should look like.

STEP FIVE

Place tool C (the flat metal thing) into the white mold, and use tool B (the blue cap) again to push everything together; it helps if you place everything flat on the table (see image below).

STEP SIX

Simply remove tool B (the blue cap) and press the bottom of tool A (the white mold) to remove your finished button.

That's it! These are addicting, I think I may have to make a few more.

Cute Dress for a Little Girl

2011-10-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

You know how sometimes you see something super cute and just feel like you have to make one too? Well, that happened to me this weekend. I was reading Fuzzy Cut's "Another Little Dress and a Big Race" post and fell in love with the little dress she made using Leila & Ben's pattern. I purchased the pattern on Monday, bought the fabric on Tuesday, and finished making it in just two hours tonight; that's what I called sewing on steroids!

These colors should go well with the girl's complexion.

These floral pattern and colors scream S P R I N G to me, too bad winter has arrived.

This dress was so unbelievably easy to make! I hope the recipient likes it. By the way, I really need to get some labels designed and made so I can put them on my finished products... Any recommendations?

Baby Shower Favors

2011-10-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

When it comes to favors I am always the first to volunteer. I enjoyed making wedding shower favors for my own wedding. Not sure if it's the design process or the massive production that I enjoy. This time, I get to design and make baby shower favors! This was my first time, but I am quite happy with what I put together.

Pink baby bottles with smarties and adorable labels made by me :)

I ordered these pink bottles from BeauCoup. I received updates about my order, and it came in two days. I will definitely order from BeauCoup again. I purchases the punches and pink card stock from JoAnn's Fabric today.

If you are reading this and know the special guest of honor, please do not spoil the surprise for her.

By the way, this is my 100th post! Wow.... thanks to those of you reading my blog, it feels great to know you are out there reading this. Thank you! :)

Mini Apron for Dish Detergent Bottle

2011-09-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

I think I may have made one of the cutest items for my mom's kitchen this weekend! My mom has this detergent bottle that "I" find extremely ugly, so I decided to dress it up a bit. I created a pattern that will allow this apron to be reversible with some type of pleats or ruffles around the edge. Ruffles ended up very difficult to work with, mainly because they were too small, too ruffly and too curly.

The front side.

I decided to use the pleats instead, super happy with how they turned out.

The back side.

with a red heart pocket.

Ugly soap detergent bottle all dressed up! I swear I don't understand what this detergent is...

Here is how the back looks all tied up.

I think I will do the dishes for my mom tonight!

Let me know if you are interested in a free tutorial, I am happy to write one up.

More Goodies from Taiwan

2011-09-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

One of the many things I love about quilting stores in Taiwan is their pre-made project kit. They go through the trouble of cutting up fabrics and assembling everything you need to make something. Of course, I got a few of those.

Super cute bunny bag

It has everything I need. See that cute heart zipper!?

Every time I visit Taiwan, I have to bring back Japanese books because they are actually translated to Chinese, and I can read Chinese!!

Ah, finally! Yoko Saito's Patchwork Lessons 1 & 2 in Chinese!

More books.

I almost got a copy of this "ABC Patchwork Lesson" by Kumiko Fujita here in the US. Thank goodness I didn't because the one I purchased from Taiwan is way cheaper and is in Chinese!

I swear I can buy up the entire section on quilting and many other crafts if I have the luggage space, these books take up a lot of space and are quite heavy. Until next time.... thanks, Taiwan, for a wonderful trip! :)

I am Back!

2011-09-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a trip! I spent the last week in Taiwan with family and had the chance to visit three quilting stores in Taipei. Although I was in Taiwan for only a week or so, I feel like I was gone for an entire month. I really enjoyed my visits to the quilting stores and many of those stores had items imported from Japan. Here are some pictures of fabric I "acquired" aboard.

Purchased these from three different stores, but love how they go together. I am thinking to make a lining for a bread basket using that strawberry fabric with lace around the edge?

Cute and random fabric that I liked.

Absolutely love this fabric with maps, histories, and phone booths of London!

Storefront of Patchwork Garden in Taipei.

Taipei 101 - world's tallest building until 2010.

I also purchased tons of Japanese quilting books in Chinese, I am so thrilled that I will be able to read those! I will do another post just on those books. It feels good to be back home :)

Quilted Diamond Vest

2011-09-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

You guessed it.... I started another project; it's called the "Quilted Diamond Vest." This will be my first knitting project working with zippers. I ordered five balls of Valley Yarn Berkshire from WEBS. I ordered five balls, instead of four, because I am afraid of running out of yarn. This was my second time ordering from WEBS. It came two days after I placed the order, and as always, I was very satisfied with the quality of the yarn.

These diamond patterns are addicting...

I took this picture last week, so by now, I already have 10 rows of these diamonds made. I am now ready for the arm hole decrease, can't wait to have the back piece completed.

Aeolian Shawl - Finally!

2011-09-08T17:42:00.000-07:00

Okay! The shawl is finally blocked! As per Cinzia's request, here are some pictures of the Aeolian Shawl all finished. Usually I soak the entire knitted project in water before I lay it flat, but given how "fragile" this yarn already was with all those beads, I decided to lay it flat, pin it, then wet it with a spray bottle. It worked out very well.

Not as big as I had hope, but oh well :)

Love these beads!

I decided not to block the edge and left it ruffly.

YAY!!!!!! It feels so good to have this project all finished!

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

It has been one busy Labor Day weekend! I baked a two-layer chocolate cake with frosting, a dozen vanilla cupcakes, and made chocolate coated strawberries. I also made these delicious mushroom/artichoke stuffed mushrooms for family BBQ later today.

18 stuffed mushrooms, not baked yet :)

These mushrooms are so easy to make. I purchased Portabella mushrooms from Trader Joe's, cleaned them well, dried them, and removed the stems. I kept some of the stems and cut them up to be used as actual stuffings. Then I cut up some artichokes (come in cans), and combined them with mushrooms (stems), about a half of cup of mayo and 1/2 cup of grated parmesans. You can bake them at 350°F for 20-30 minutes. Easy, huh? They are so delicious, I guarantee it!

I hope you are enjoying this Labor Day holiday weekend wherever you are.

Hello September!

2011-09-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

Bye bye August, hello September! I still can't believe this year is almost over. Where did it go? I guess time flies when you are not paying attention.

I have been busy planning a baby shower for a friend, but am proud to share with you that I have finally the impossible Aeolian Shawl. It's being blocked; I will take picture of it when it's all dried and blocked properly. I tried to take some pictures of the baby quilt that I finished, but just didn't like any of the photos? I will try again.

On a different note, can anyone guess what I am making here with the different shades of pink squares?

Totally addicted to hand quilting

Aeolian Shawl

2011-08-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

I started the Aeolian Shawl (the Purple Shoulderette version) project about a year and half ago with Malabrigo lace yarn and tiny white pearls. This was my first attempt working with beads and a size 0.05 crochet hook. I got this project idea from a knitter who was also taking a sweater design class at Stitches that year. She was wearing a finished Aeolian Shawl, and it looked so beautiful and elegant. I immediately picked up all of the supplies I needed from the knitting convention and started this project. However, I gave up after ten rows. It was so complicated and required my 140% concentration! Something changed last weekend... I really needed that nice Addi Turbo lace weight circular needle, so I was encouraged to finish this Aeolian Shawl and free up my lovely knitting needle!

I am only a few rows away from finishing this! Wohoo!

I will try to take better pictures of this when it's finished because the color is just so lovely. I wish you could see it in person!

Baby Quilt

2011-08-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

Can I just tell you how excited I am that I finished the baby quilt!? I spent a good amount of time today cutting out the fabric for the binding, preparing the quilt, and hand sewing the binding onto the quilt. The stripy fabric was not easy to work with; the stripes kind of made me dizzy!? I can't wait to take some good pictures tomorrow and post them!

Finishing off the quilt!

Live Oak Shawlette

2011-08-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

My husband and I had brunch at Stack's in Campbell this weekend; the spinach and cheese omelette I ordered was simply delicious. I liked that restaurant so much I am definitely going back very soon! Apparently the entire downtown was turned into a farmers' market, which we enjoyed. We picked up these beautiful flowers from the market.

Dahlias - my favorite

Given we were in Campbell, I had to visit Green Planet Yarn! Ok, maybe I had the entire day planned around the yarn shop, but still... I came across this beautiful Live Oak Shawlette. This pattern is available in the latest issue of the KnitScence (Fall 2011) magazine. I purchased MadelineTosh sock yarn that the pattern called for; this yarn is hand-dyed and made of 100% superwash merino wool.

I am so excited to start this project!

I have very few unfinished knitting projects, and three of them are shawls of some sort. I hope this pattern is easy enough for me to finally finish a shawl and doesn't become another "unfinished projects!"

More Hand Quilting

2011-08-12T22:50:00.000-07:00

Gosh, thank goodness it's Friday; it has been a long and tough week. Not sure why, maybe the stock market just made everyone super stressed? I am looking forward to two days of relaxation.

I started a baby quilt about a year ago for my nephew. At that time, he was super into trains, cars, and airplanes (I think he still is), so I designed a quilt with his favorite things. Somehow the joy of finishing a queen size quilt for my mom really got me into the mood for more hand quilting. I am about 80% done hand quilting it using these super cute circular patterns! I have the perfect binding fabric selected as well.

What's a baby quilt without apple trees, right!?

By the way, the quilt I finished last weekend for my mom went through the washer and dryer with no problem! I actually love the way it looks after it's washed and dried. It shrank about 3" on each side, but don't you worry, it's not that noticeable!

Maybe I can finish this quilt this weekend? What are your plans?

Mom's Quilt - All Finished!

2011-08-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

Today was a very good day, I spent most of the day finishing off a quilt that I started last November. The fabric bundle was purchased from PIQF last year in October. I completed the top layer shortly after the purchase, but the decision to hand quilt something this large intimidated me. It also wasn't easy to find a table large enough to allow me to sandwich the quilt, but thank goodness for a local quilt shop. Not sure why, but it just took me a long time to finish hand quilting this. Today, I show you my completed quilt!

Queen Size Bed Quilt

Pattern: Stepping Up by Tracey Brookshier

Fabric Used: 2222 Bee Knees

Backing Fabric Used: Barnyard Buddies by Amy Brandley

Batting: Quilters Dream Cotton Batting

Finished Size: 75" x 60"

This is the biggest quilt that I have ever made, the binding strip itself was about 300" long! Here is good video tutorial on how to bind a quilt.

Wrapped the binding around a spool of thread to keep it under control.

My dog is definitely enjoying this new quilt!

This new quilt is on my mom's bed as we speak; we "sampled' it by snuggling together under this quilt earlier today. I hope my mom enjoys it so much as I enjoyed making it for her :)

Fabric Shopping in San Francisco

2011-07-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

I had a hair appointment in the city today and decided to visit a few fabric stores while I was there. I was reminded of why I don't like San Francisco; it was super windy and cold, driving was extremely difficult, and parking just wasn't easy in general. But regardless, I enjoyed my visit. Here is a summary of my day with my lovely husband who took me from one store to another and waited for me patiently!

First stop: Britex Fabrics

Britex Fabrics is right off Union Square and has four floors of shoppings for fabric lovers. The first and second floor are completely packed with fabric, the third floor has notions, and the fourth floor is full of fabric remnants stored very neatly. This place was amazingly well-organized and has almost everything a sewer may need. I bought some fancy machine quilting thread to finish a baby quilt that I started a long time ago.

Second stop: Peapod Japanese Fabric Store

Peadpod recently moved down the street from where it was before. I must say that I like this new location so much more; it's slightly bigger and much brighter than before. Parking was still difficult, but it was okay because I had my husband. He waited in the car and read patiently while I went crazy fabric shopping! Fabrics shown above are some of what I got today from Peapod. See that boring looking linen all the way to the left? That's the one I am most excited about; it's a combination of linen and high qualify cotton so that's easy to hand quilt! I cannot wait to work with that material.

Third stop: Miette Confiserie

By this time, we definitely needed a break! We stopped by the infamous Miette Confiserie; it was adorable, fun, and full of beautifully packaged goodies. I had the hazelnut and strawberry macaroons, but they were nothing like the ones I had in Paris. I guess a visit to Paris is needed if you want really good and fresh macaroons.

After all these stores and two hours at my hair salon, we wrapped it up by having pizza at Little Stars. This little hole in the wall pizza place has over 1700 4.5 stars reviews on Yelp! Can you believe it?!

Phew~ That was a long day! I hope you had a great Saturday as well.

Quilted Toaster Oven Cozy

2011-07-30T00:24:00.000-07:00

My mom has this small toaster oven in her kitchen that she uses all the time. She usually has a few items on top of the toaster oven, but don't you worry... she always removes everything before turning on the oven. I decided to make her this simple quilt to go on top of the toast oven. I mean, come on! Have you seen the top of any toaster over? It's very boring! I am just looking for every opportunity to quilt for things around the house.

I used all of the blue and green fabric from my new Denyse Schmidt's collection. I love the way this came out!

The finished size measures 8" x 14", it sits perfectly over the toast oven. I cut each square into 2.5" with 0.25" seam allowance, the long strips measure about 1" in height and 18" across.

I plan to visit Britex Fabrics in San Francisco tomorrow. This is one of the largest fabric store on the west coast and has been around for more than 50 years. I cannot believe that I haven't been! It's about time I visit them. I will take some good pictures for you.

By the way, thanks to those of you who continue to support my blog by leaving my comments and complimenting my work. I really appreciate every comment from you. Thank you! :)

Moda Sherbet Pips Pouch - Received

2011-07-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

I came home last week to a big package in the kitchen and immediately knew that it was from my Pretty {Little} Pouch Swap ~ Round 2 's swap partner (Dawn) in Canada. This pouch Dawn made me is exactly what I wanted; it had the right color, shape and even Moda's Sherbet Pips fabric collection that I almost bought about a month ago. I feel so lucky to have had such a wonderful swap partner who values good quality work, which is important to me. Also, did I mention that she is a fan of Moda as well?

Look at that! Aren't the colors amazing?

Lining of the pouch.

Look at her work, it's so impressive. The inside of the bag is completely lined; there isn't a corner that's unfinished. The entire pouch is just so professionally made. I really appreciate it!

The pouch wasn't all, take a look at what else Dawn made me.

Take a look at the pink knitted bag she made!

I am thinking to use the pouch to store my ongoing knitting projects so I can enjoy the pouch everywhere I go! I will definitely have to use the knitted pink bag this summer. It will be so perfect! Thank you again, Dawn!

On a different note, I dropped off my sewing machine today to have it serviced. I checked my warranty card, it says "Date of Purchased: 06-18-1997." It's been 15 years! Can you believe it!?

Simple Pouch with Zipper

2011-07-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

Remember the two pouches I made for my Pretty {little} Pouch Swap ~ Round 2? Well, I don't love either of them, so this week I started a third one. I know, my husband thinks I am crazy too. My inspiration came from Moda Just Wing it. Hello?! Just wing it Susan! Why am I over thinking this project? Just keep it simple! I love this Moda collection so much that I wanted to use as many fabric as possible. This is what I decided on, and can I tell you how much I enjoyed making this one versus the other two!?

Clearly, this is a winner! I love how this turned out!

Pouch measures 6" x 8"

I am really proud of how I lined this and added the zipper. It's just so perfect!

Swap partner: This is the one I am sending you. I hope you like the style, color, and my work!

Miss Piggy and her Jump Rope

2011-07-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

I know this is a bit crazy and very un-pouch like, but how's this for a pouch swap? I swear... it really is a pouch, it has a zipper on the back. I think it's big enough to hold a few coins. This has been done mostly by hand, the size is about 5"x5". Is this too small? I got this idea from a Japanese book that I got many years ago.

Guess what my husband noticed when I showed him?

He said "hm... honey, the rope is too short for the pig! She may trip!" LOL

See! Told you there is a zipper :)

I pieced the front using multiple hexagons; my swap partner likes pink, so here you go.

Template I traced for the pig.

Really hope my partner is okay with this pig pouch... It's either the pig or the crazy looking pouch.

Disastrous Pouch Making Weekend

2011-07-18T23:01:00.000-07:00

I am participating in Round 2 of the Pretty {little} Pouch Swap, and can I just tell you how stressful it has been? I only have myself to blame. I was thinking to make my partner something really unique, not just a flat or boxy pouch. Note: there is nothing wrong with flat or boxy pouches, I love those; I just wanted to challenge myself.

So I thought I would put my Denyse Schmidt's Picnic and Fairgrounds collection to use. I tried to use this collection with linen, but linen was simply too difficult to piece with, so I gave up and simply used this ivory fabric.

Yea, not very exciting at all. Toss to the trash can; I don't like it.

Back to the drawing board.... I revisited all of my fabric and stared at them.... B L A N K.... nothing came to mind. I must say, designing for this swap has been very challenging. Below is a picture of what I ended up making.

Okay, what is this? *rolling my eyes*

Can someone tell me what the heck this can be used for? I really don't like this at all. I like the design and the combination of the fabric I used, but I find the construction poorly done and just don't like the quality of it at all! My sweet mom tried to make me feel better by suggesting "it's a CD case!!" Good idea, but still, the quality is not up to my standard, and I feel guilty sending my swap partner something I don't like.

This one will sit somewhere in the reject bin for a long time; we are not on speaking terms at the moment.

Back to the drawing board again.... I must come up with a better design for this swap.

Disney World and More Monsters!

2011-07-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a fantastic fourth of July and a nice few days to relax. I spent a week in Orlando for work, but was able to visit downtown Disney. I really didn't like the weather in Orlando, it was too hot and humid for me... definitely did not want to knit... no way!

Here is what I did for my fourth of July holiday before my Orlando trip; I made another set of Daphne and Delilah the Mama and Baby Monster by Rebecca Danger. These little monsters are for a special recipient in mind.

Monsters hanging out by the fireplace

Hold on tight little monster!

Something doesn't look quite right here, can you tell?

Did you get it? I forgot to turn the mama monster inside out before I did the three-needle bind off! Do you see the bump/braid above the eyes??!! It's not supposed to be there. I only realized it when I was reading the instructions for the baby monster... This can only mean that I also made the same mistake with my Domo! I also forgot to turn him inside out! ARG.... O well...

I think I am done making these monsters for awhile... time for a new project. Any suggestions?

Meet Mr. Domo

2011-07-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

I found out recently that my friend was throwing a surprise birthday party for her boyfriend who was turning 30; theme for the part was Domo. Apparently, he loves Domo! Have you heard of Domo? Domo is the official mascot of Japan's NHK television station. My friend ordered cake pops in the shape of Domo! So of course, I had to make this for her boyfriend to help them celebrate his 30th birthday!

Not bad, huh?

I modified Rebecca Danger's Daphne and Delilah the Mama and Baby Monster pattern. I didn't knit this entire project on circular needles, the red section was done knitting straight back and forth. The red section was across 24 stitches! That's simple too many stitches to carry the brown yarn across, so I had to knit the red section on its own, then do the same with the brown section, and stitch them up.

This was a bit tricky, but it worked out!

Domo all done, waiting to be assembled! :)

I hope the recipient likes it!

Knitted Baby Girl Sweater

2011-07-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine worked on baby girl sweater using the Autumn Leaves pattern, so I decided to make one as well! Did I mention that the pattern is free?! I used the leftover yarn from the other baby vest I made.

I really like how it turned out, so girly! Nice leafy pattern with puffy shoulders!

The leave pattern came out so well after I blocked it.

I decided to use yellow buttons vs. pink. Not sure why, but I really like this shade of yellow.

Really fun pattern; I may have to make another one in pink!

Floral iPad Cover

2011-06-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

I got a white iPad 2 and a pink cover as my birthday present, so of course, I had to make a nice case for it. These are some of my favorite fabrics that I have been saving for the perfect project.

I think it's so perfect for the white/pink iPad.

So? What's do you think? Quite nice huh?

The case is slightly bigger than it needs to be, but I think it's fine.

For those of you who would like to make one, I used this tutorial. There are so many free tutorials online on how to make iPad cases, but I think I like this one the most. It was pretty easy to make. Give it a try.

While I had my sewing machine out, I made my auntie a little knitting project bag. She loves making baby hats and always stores her knitting projects in a Ziploc bag. I think this owl one is way cuter! What do you think? I think she has made over 150 hats by now... she donates them to a local hospital nearby. I hope she likes it!

The purple ribbon doesn't quite go with the pattern here, but it's the only one I have handy.... oh well :)

What do You Think?

2011-06-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

Well, what have I been working on you ask? I am embarrassed to tell you, and I hope you are not bored with more of this...

Not one, but four Tommy vests!

I know, but I told you that I love making this!

You know what the best part is? These are for four pregnant moms; so many friends of mine are pregnant, so this is just so perfect! The yellow one is for a great friend of mine in New Jersey. The couple is going to wait to find out the sex of the baby, so I decided on the butternut squash yellow.

Isn't that yellow ducky onesies adorable!? It goes perfectly with the vest.

Aren't these just the cutest thing you have ever seen!? I just LOVE those red heart buttons.

I got these buttons today from Three Beads & A Button in Cupertino. If you live nearby, you should definitely check it out. I appreciate the fact that I can buy as many as I like and simply browse an entire store full of beads and buttons. I hope stores like this stay in business.

All these vests are wrapped up and all ready to go! Oh so hard to see them go. Now if someone could just take a picture of a baby wearing it :)

Basket to the Rescue!

2011-06-15T22:51:00.000-07:00

I am not sure about you, but I used to carry all of my knitting projects in individual paper bags, and I would take these bags with me from one room to another. But I didn't find these bags easy to work with. I mean, come on! I had to take everything out of the bag, knit a few rows, put everything back, and take the bag with me to knit night or wherever. Gosh! So much work... into the bag, out of the bag...

Not anymore! I got a solution. Check out this basket!

I prefer rectangle baskets, I think items fit better in them.

This basket has everything I am working on at the moment, and when I am done knitting I just put my knitting back down in the basket! Ha! So easy right?! Now if I am going somewhere the next day I just take the basket with me. Now that's what I call knitting on the go!

Where and how do you store your current knitting projects? I would love to know.

By the way, do you see that blue/grey sweater in the basket!? That's another finished baby vest. I will post more pictures of it another day.

OPI

2011-06-10T23:42:00.000-07:00

This post is not related to sewing, quilting, or knitting, but I had to share this with you! I got new nail polish today, here are some of my collections. I love OPI the most.

See! I told you, I love pink.

I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Blocking

2011-06-06T22:37:00.000-07:00

Many people complain about making up sweaters, seaming shoulders and hiding the ends. I find them okay, I don't mind them so much and think that I have mastered them all. However, I do not like the process of blocking the final piece. I just hate the smell! Is it just me? There is weird smell to wool when it's wet! I usually take my blocking block from one room to another so I clear out the "smell" in the room. Not to mention it takes forever to dry! I even used my hair dryer to try to speed up the drying process, but I don't think it made a difference at all...

Here is a picture of the blocking board I use. What do you use?

Did you guess it right?! Yep, I am making more tommy baby vests! I find this pattern so easy; it's a good travel project. I made two, a pink one and a brown one. I have two recipients in mind :)

I like these T-pins; I have used them so many times and they haven't tarnished. I hope they stay this way.

The Mice Arrived in the Mail!

2011-06-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

You know the feeling that there is going to be something good in the mail after weeks and weeks of waiting? That's how I felt yesterday when I came home from work. Of course, there was a big fat envelop in the mailbox, I knew that one was for me. I left everything else (aka the bills) in the mailbox for my husband and only grabbed what I thought was my mug rug. I WAS RIGHT!!

Tip #1: If you see a package from Canada with a red heart like this, you know it's something good!

G-A-S-P!! Is this cute or what?! Let me tell you this is not even the mug!

This is just an "extra" matching hoop that my swap partner made me! She did a great job finishing the back of the hoop. I love it! I will take a picture of the back of the hoop to share with you next time.

This is the mug; look at her logo! Right there! The mice, they represent her son and daughter. She is one creative quilter huh?

I realize that I didn't take great pictures. I was in such a hurry to find a spot in my sewing center to hang this hoop, post on Flickr, thank my partner, etc.... I just didn't pay attention to my photos. Sorry! But you can visit her flickr page to see the wonderful pictures she took. Also, be sure to visit her blog!

Thank you again Cinzia! I appreciate the time, thoughts and attention you put into this mug rug for me! :)

Disclaimer: please forgive me for the number of "exclamation marks" used in this post, I just couldn't help it.

Me + Betsy Ross

2011-05-31T21:15:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great long weekend. It was Memorial Day in the US for us. My husband and I traveled to Philadelphia and had some really delicious cheesecake. We did the standard touristy stuff, but the highlight for me was visiting Betsy Ross' house! I knew that quilting was big in PA, but I had no idea that I would get to tour Betsy Ross' house! She hand quilted the first American flag for George Washington.

Here is a picture of Betsy's sewing center. Of course, this is not the real Betsy.

Betsy's home was forcible shared with British soliders, so she had to quilt this flag when no one was looking. If caught, she could be charged with treason!

We also tried to stop by a great yarn store right next to a quilting shop, but they were closed for Memorial Day.... so disappointing!

Box Pouch

2011-05-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

I made this box pouch last weekend, but just never got around to posting a picture of it. I have a thing for pouches. I love storing random things in them.

Love this new pattern I got, and of course, it's pink!

My work with zipper is getting better and better. I found a tutorial online.

These tutorials are so common and easy to find, so I didn't keep a copy of the URL.

This was the most confusing part, but I figured it out eventually.

Can you guess what I am using this bag for? My yarn! Of course! Did you guess it right? I started a project for an upcoming trip. This pouch is perfect to travel with. I decided to make another baby vest; I love the pattern so much!

Have a great weekend, and I hope the world doesn't end!

Bunny on its Way

2011-05-11T23:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the mug rug I made for Scrappy Mug Rug Swap - Round 4. It's all wrapped up and ready to go, I will be shipping it soon... not yet, but almost.

Now I sit and wait for my mug rug to arrive and wait to see if my partner likes her. I must say though, the anticipation is killing me! I really enjoyed being part of this swap, it challenged me to think out of the box and create something I wouldn't have made (because I wouldn't have thought of it). Thank you partner for the opportunity to work on something new and different.

I Just Had to

2011-05-10T20:07:00.001-07:00

About three weeks ago every blog out there had a reference to Denyse Schmidt's new Picnic and Fairgrounds collection. It seems like everyone went goo goo gaga gaga about it.... I read about how people went to JoAnn's and were disappointed that some of the stories didn't carry them. Well I must admit, I was one of them! I went to every JoAnn's near me and finally found one that carries these two lines!

Here is the stack I got.

While I was there, I also saw this baking collection.

I am thinking to make potholders for a baker I know?

It's so hard to find prints with texts on it!

Here are some pictures of other goodies I have purchased from quilt shops in the last few days.

Oh Moda, so lovely! What shall I make with it?!

Scrappy Mug Rug Swap - Round 4

2011-05-01T22:51:00.000-07:00

I recently joined a Flickr Scrappy Mug Rug Swap group and am excited to be part of Round 4. What's a mug rug you ask? According to this group, it's an oversized coaster for you mug and has room for a cookie on the side. How cute is that!? I got my secret partner's information last week and have been stalking this individual.

Preview of the mug rug I made.

I am pretty much done with this mug rug, but can't send it out just yet. I am glad that I get to look at this mug rug for a few more weeks before I have to send it off. How can I possibly say goodbye to it? It's so cute I think I may have to make another one for myself.

The border is Denyse Schmidt's Picnic and Fairgrounds collection. I think it turned out really cute with the quilt. Buttons used were imported from Japan.

A Lovely Surprise

2011-04-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

We have these crazy pinkish flowers that have been growing in a corner somewhere in our backyard. Then one day, my husband said that he thinks these flowers will be very pretty in a vase. And wow! He was right!

I am so in love with it!

It's amazing how these flowers look so different when they are cut up and placed inside this nice vase in our kitchen. I guess I will stop and "smell" the flowers more often?

Remember this quilt I started awhile back? It has taken me quite awhile to hand quilt it, but take a look at these beautiful stitches. Sorry for the bad photo, but this lighting somehow shows off the stitches very well. I wish I could take a better photo to show you how beautiful these stitches are.

I still have about 35 blocks to quilt... let's just say I can't wait to finish this.

Anyone wants to bet when this will be done?

Spring Runner Sew Along - All Done

2011-04-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

Take a look! I am all done! Here is the table runner I designed for the Stumbles & Stitches Spring Table Runner Sew Along. The requirements for this sew along are listed below:

1) Celebrate Spring

2) Be inspired by Rashida's runner in at least one way: the pattern, the linen, the zigzag, the tricolor theme, the vintage fabric....

100% handmade and hand quilted.

The bunnies and squirrels have been so busy running in our backyard; my husband and I think that there is always something new happening in our yard this time of the year, such as a new flower blooming or new leaves budding. So I thought what better way to introduce spring than to bring these flowers onto our dining room table? I made this runner with linen, of course. It was my first time working with linen, and I must say... linen is not easy to work with! It moved around so much and was so stretchy! I ironed a medium weight interfacing to it, and it helped significantly.

Close-up of the table runner.

Had to include a ladybug here!

This was my first sew along, and I totally enjoyed it. I have also posted this photo in the Flickr Pool. Be sure to stop by on Wednesday, April 20 to vote for my table runner!

Spring Runner Sew Along - Fabric Selection

2011-04-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

Remember the Spring Runner Sew Along that I recently blogged about? Here are the fabric I used and I really like the way it came out. The piece is almost ready for its debut! Can't wait to share with you what I have made and to see what others have made.

I have linen and some of my favorite reproduction fabrics here.

I know.... so pink, but I love pink!

I wonder what others are working on? This is my first sew along and I have to say, it's so exciting! Thanks to Stumbles and Stitches for hosting this.

Simply Happy

2011-04-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

Has anyone heard of this new series of quilting book/magazine called Cotton Life from Taiwan? I recently discovered this series from bloggers in the US! Pictures of projects by bloggers living in the US were featured in these books! And, these books are actually written in Chinese, which means I can read them! Wohoo!! No need to try to decipher Japanese here...

My mom returned from her trip to Taiwan today, I had asked her to bring me back the fifth edition (the most recent edition) of Cotton Life from Taiwan. And what do you know? She surprised me with ALL FIVE! I will say that again... A-L-L F-I-V-E!

Look at these books!

Here, let's count that again... one, two, three, four, five!

Cute bag! It's from the fifth edition of Cotton Life.

Look at this bunny! Also from the fifth edition of Cotton Life.

Here is a close-up of the bunny in case you couldn't get a good look. Look at that tooth!

Thanks mom! These books are heavy, and I am sure it wasn't easy to get every edition of this magazine for me. She even called the publisher for me to try to set up auto shipment to me in the US! :)

Spring Runner Sew Along

2011-04-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

This past weekend has been an awesome weekend. Why you ask? Because I decided to sit and sew till my eyes were tired to keep up. I have been busy making a table runner for the Spring Runner Sew Along.

I recommend you hop over and take a look. April 12th is the last day to sign up. Rashida from blog I heart linen is also participating! I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with, till then... have a good week!

Spring

2011-04-09T12:08:00.000-07:00

Spring is my favorite season of the year. I love how there is always something going on in the backyard this time of the year. Check out these beautiful orange flowers I have near the steps towards my front door.

And look! My cherry tree is alive!

It's such beautiful day today in California. I am off to enjoy this great weather, wishing you a nice and relaxing weekend!

Embroidery

2011-04-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

I have this thing for embroidery... I like to work on these little figures from time to time, but I never what to do with them? Take this dog as an example... should I cut it out and make a pillow with it? A kitchen towel? Kitchen towels with dogs on it are a bit weird, right? I love how easy it is to store everything you need when it comes to embroidery, not to mention the cheap threads! And embroidery is just something I can carry with me everywhere I go.

I took an embroidery class last year at Bobbin's Nest Studio in Santa Clara. I think was the only person in that class, so talk about undivided attention! Have you been to this shop? It's a really cute store with fabric, yarn, and some miscellaneous craft stuff. I really enjoy going to this particular store in my area.

Braided Girl Baby Sweater

2011-03-26T23:04:00.000-07:00

Do you try to squeeze in time just to visit a new quilting or knitting shop when you go on trips? I do! Every time I travel somewhere new, I must stop by a quilting or knitting shop. I enjoy seeing different things displayed at these stores; I find them inspiring. And of course, when I find something unique, I buy it!

During one of my trips I found the cutest little knitting shop and saw a baby sweater unlike anything I have ever seen. It turned out it was a baby sweater that the shop owner's grandma made her when she was a baby! How about that?! I kept asking her for the pattern and eventually she found a copy of it. Wv both couldn't find the name of the pattern; it was a very old leaflet that she pulled out of a big binder full of "stuff!"

I still have to make the braids for this girl.

I think the instructions were a bit off.

This was meant for a 6 month old, but it's so big I swear a four year old could wear it!

I finish the back piece as well.

Cute right? One problem.... I ran out of yarn :(

Quilting & Japan

2011-03-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

I have been very distracted by the news about Japan all of last week. It's so sad to see what's happening to this wonderful country. Japan has always had a special place in my heart.... I am thinking about them and hope you are too. CNN put together a list of charities for us to help out, ever dollar counts...

Here is my collection of Japanese fabric by Yoko Saito.

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More Crocheted Hotpot Holders

2011-03-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

I don't know how this happened, but I was convinced to make as many of these hotpot holders as possible. Apparently, my grandma really likes them. Well, I guess if my grandma wants them, I will find time to make them, right? Is four enough? I really can't make anymore! You can find instructions on how to make them here.

English Piecing Hexagon

2011-02-20T00:32:00.000-08:00

I recently purchased some beautiful linen and have been thinking about what to make with it. I thought it would look cute with some pink hexagons. There are different ways to make hexagons, my favorite is the English Piecing method.

Here are a few all stacked up! They are 1/2" each, quite small.

This pink color scheme works quite well with the linen huh?

I think I know what I want to make with these hexagons and linen...

New York-Style Crumb Cake

2011-02-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

It has been cold and rainy here in sunny California. I don't know about you, but I crave sweet stuff when it's cold out. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have your oven heat up the cold house right? I came across a fairly simple New York-Style Crumb Cake recipe in the March 2011 Martha Stewart Living. I followed the recipe and used blueberry jam before I scattered the crumbs over the cake. FYI, the recipe called for "buttermilk," but I thought that was too "fatty," so I just used regular milk.

What do you think!?

See! I only took a tiny bite...

In case you are interested, here is the cover of the magazine.

I have to Say

2011-02-14T21:24:00.000-08:00

Ladies like flowers... that includes me, of course :) I hope you had a great Valentine's day. For me, it's also an excuse to have delicious desserts! I kinda cheated and baked chocolate brownies with the Chirardelli prepackaged stuff, but it was good! Did you bake something special?

Baby Bib

2011-02-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

A dear friend of mine called me this week excited to tell me that she made a baby bib for a baby shower. This reminded me that I have also made a bib before. I managed to find it and took a picture of it. OK, I still have to attach a velcro or some sort of closure thing, but you get the idea.

By the way, this is one of my favorite fabric pattern... love the apples and pears.

So here is the thing I don't understand... babies are sloppy and they always manage to make a mess. Bibs are made so that their clothes can be kept clean, so why do we spend time making them from scratch? I mean, I didn't just make it, I designed it! I sketched so many different versions before I finally got the "curve" the way I like. Then of course, my sister in law showed up one day with her newborn and a bag of "disposable bibs." But of course, who said I have make things that are useful right? As long as I enjoy making them!?!?

Hand Quilting

2011-02-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

Ever since my friend Marisa showed me how to hand quilt, I haven't quilted using my sewing machine. Remember the 2222 Bee Knees fabric I got from this year's PIQF? I turned them into this lap quilt and I am stitching away! There is something about the outcome of hand quilt, it's just so lovely!

Can't quilt without this hoop! I am about 50% done.

Look at my stitches!!

Dressing up my Garage

2011-01-29T21:05:00.000-08:00

Today my husband came with me to Jo-Ann's fabrics store and let's just say he was yawning so much that he made me tired! He came with me so we can pick out fabric together to make a curtain to cover up this window in our garage. We decided on this cute elephant pattern. He wanted a piece with some boring strip, but I convinced him to go with this one! I put muslim on the back to soften up the look since people can see from outside. This was such a simple solution to dress up the window (only took me an hour!).

Here are some cumquats, oranges, and lemons that my mom and I picked out from our backyard today. I think we are going to make fruit tea!

These lemons are screaming lemonade at me!!

My Sewing Corner

2011-01-28T23:31:00.000-08:00

I have never had a place where I could keep all of stuff together, and when I say stuff, I mean stuff... yarn, needles, color pencils, stamps, fabrics, threads, sewing machine... you name it! They were always hidden somewhere in one of the closets somewhere... But not anymore! My husband helped me designed a sewing center to store ALL of my most precious items :) This new room inspired me to clean up. Check out what I did with all of the left-over yarn that I can never figure out what to do with...

I also have jars for fabric and ribbons!!

And of course, these bunnies were the first things I put on my sewing desk! I love looking at them every once in awhile :) These were designed by Anne at Bunny Hill, you can find her pattern here.

What is your sewing space like? Where do you keep all of your hobby stuff?

Not One, But Two!

2011-01-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

I came across a cute crayon art carrying bag from Amy's blog, and realized that this is a popular pattern! I continue to read about it from several other blogs. There is a flickr's group for this particular projects. I was inspired to make two for two little girls that I know. They are sisters, and pink/purple are their favorite colors. Instead of using crayons, I got mini colored pencils. I know the photo quality isn't good. I took these photos with my Droid, gave these bags away, and then realize.... these pictures are horrible! Owell... you get the idea.

The pink one... I love those stickers!

Here is how it looks when it's closed.

Picture of the purple one (obviously!)

Love the bunnies!

Something Different

2011-01-03T23:23:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me know that I usually don't crochet. However, I wanted to try something different. My aunt inspired me to crochet hot pot holders and since then I have found a few good crocheting patterns online. Check out these apple coasters that I made!

well you know, apples are supposed to be in the orchard (aka my backyard).... sorry for the bad photo here, I guess my Droid camera isn't as good as I thought.

My craziness with crocheting went on and I also made these spirally scrubbies, not sure what I am going to do with them... but I guess I can say I enjoyed making them?

sponges, anyone?

I am looking forward to learning how to crochet a pumpkin this week from a great crocheter! I can't wait :)

Crocheted Hotpot Holder

2010-12-26T14:44:00.001-08:00

This weekend I saw the cutest Christmas gift made by my aunt and I just had to learn it and make one myself! It's such an easy project and it only took me an hour to make it. I must say she was a really good teacher. I really enjoyed working with The Original Sugar'n Cream yarn (100% cotton). It was my first time working with "cotton yarn" -- be sure to check out the website for more project ideas.

Fruits and Nuts Biscotti

2010-12-18T21:49:00.000-08:00

I love the idea of sharing your favorite baked goodies with others during this time of the year. My work is having a "Baked Cookie Show Down" on Monday and I am excited to bring these biscottis with me. I have to say I am convinced I make the best biscotti, I think that's because I get to customize the recipe and add whatever I wish to. I always include pistachio, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, golden raisins, and cranberries. Quite a bit of yummy nuts and fruits huh? Every bite is just do delicious! Oh and did I mention how wonderful the smell is in the kitchen?

What are you making this holiday season?

Oh My! Handmade Holidays Giveaway

2010-12-10T22:30:00.000-08:00

I have been a reader of Bumpkins Bear and Friends for awhile and absolutely love Catherine's work. Check out her blog, she is an impressive artist in Britain. I have no idea how I initially came across her blog, but I am so happy that I found it :) She has donated many adorable items for the Oh My Handmade and I found out about this give away from her blog. I find this give away very interesting because you can nominate a charity! I was surprised by how fast I was able to come up with this list! Be sure to visit the different businesses participating from all over the world. This will be my Christmas time off activity (browsing the websites!). My two favorites are Belle & Boo and sara + abraham. I have been a loyal reader of Belle & Boo and I am so excited she is part of this give away as well. I wish I knew about sara + abraham before I got married. I think they would have made cute wedding invitations!

Is a Swatch Really Needed?

2010-12-08T23:37:00.000-08:00

Yes! Absolutely! I didn't use to believe in the whole concept of having to knit up a swatch before you start a project, but learned the hard way after many mistakes. I am starting another Greenwood Cable Vest with some super soft alpaca yarn that I picked up on Black Friday this year. And of course, I did a little swatch and realized that my gauge was off by just 1/2"; I got 5 stitches per inch vs. 4.5 stitches per inch. My entire vest would have been off by 4.5"! Given this vest is for my mom so I called her and said "Mom, is it okay for your vest to be smaller than usual?" (Note: I have made her one before). My mom said "No, absolutely not. Please use your brain, do some math, and make sure it will fit me!" So I reluctantly did some math and decided to add 10 stitches to the pattern... See! Doing a swatch does make a BIG difference!

This project really looks amazing. I have not taken good pictures of them, but will so you can admire them with me :)

New Sweater for Buddy

2010-11-28T18:02:00.000-08:00

So I have some leftover yarn from monsnter project and decided to use them up by knitting a sweater for my dog. Check it out! Same pattern, same colors... They were so cute standing next to each other!

Watch out for the Monsters!

2010-11-24T10:04:00.000-08:00

I finished these little monsters! I have to say they were one of the most enjoyable knitting projects that I have done thus far. However, the project does require a few techniques. I took some notes to share with you:

1. Yarn: Although I enjoyed working with the Red Heart Stitch Nation yarn and think the colors are so beautiful, I don't recommend it for beginners. This yarn can split easily, so if you are new to knitting, save yourself the trouble!

2. This pattern calls for Magic Loop and I learned that the longer your circular needles, the better! I used 32", but wish I had used 40". I used the Magic Loop method to knit the mommy monster and dpn to make the baby. Here is a good tutorial on Magic Loop: http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/advanced-techniques

3. As you can see, this project is stripy! Here is what I learned... when you are about to switch color, make sure the old color is always on top of the new color (or the new color is always under the old color). By doing so, you are "catching" the old color as you knit along with the new color. Does this make sense?

4. So when you make something that is stripy on circular needles, you will inevitably get the "ladder" look (because you are knitting in the round so your rows are like upper spirals, therefore, when you switch color, it's obvious where you switched). Therefore, to avoid this, I use the jogless method. Here is how I did it:

First round of new color: knit all stitches
Second round of new color: slip the first stitch as to purl, then knit the rest of the stitches
Third round of new color: knit all stitches

Here is a picture of the side of momma monster where I attached the arms. See, not too bad huh?

5. The pattern recommended three-needle bind off, here is a good tutorial: http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/casting-off
I really like the look from three-need bind off; I used this technique to bind off the Spring Forward socks as well. I think it's much easier than "grafting." I mean "grafting?!" PLEASE!

6. I will be giving this to a 16 month old baby, so I choose to use felt for the eyes. That's it, a simple solution. I used felt glue and it worked super well.

7.Lastly, I learned that I should have just stuck my knitting needle through the stitches to "pick up" stitches needed for the pocket vs. using a crochet hook! It was so difficult with the crochet hook, what was I thinking?!

This would have been much easier!

Here is another picture of them playing in the backyard!

I Made a Mistake!

2010-11-21T22:23:00.000-08:00

Spring Forward is not by Cookie A like I had previously stated! I am so sorry! Arg... it's just that Spring Forward is to similar to Cookie A's style; Spring Forward is actually made by designer Linda Welch.

This is my second time knitting this pattern and I have to say, I really like pink. Why do I make the same thing twice in the same color? I don't know, but next time I should definitely try using something else but pink! I started this project back in June of this year on my honeymoon to Europe, it's taken me a few months, but I am glad to finally get this project out of the way. I have to finish most projects that I start, are you like that too?

I am not sure I like the Cascade Heritage Sock yarn so much, I don't find this yarn very soft for socks.

Monster Body Parts - Done

2010-11-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post a photo of all the body parts for Daphne and Delilah the Momma and Baby Monster. I will be sure to post some notes and tips when this is all done. There are definitely some lesson learned!

Can you tell which is what?!

Little Monsters

2010-11-14T22:20:00.000-08:00

I picked up some yarn this past weekend from Jo-Anne Fabrics and thought the colors would be perfect for Momma and Baby Monsters by Rebecca Danger. I really like the yellow and pink together; I have a recipient in mind. I really enjoyed working with this yarn; it's Red Heart - Stitch Nation (Full O' Sheep). It was about $4.50/ball of yarn, I thought that was a good deal for this toy I am making.

Colors shown here are peony (I love this color) and honeycomb. Aren't they so pretty together!?

My husband and I had breakfast in our beautiful backyard this morning, and I was able to knit for a bit. Check out how much progress I have made in just one morning! Stay tuned, I have a feeling it will only take me a few more days to finish these little monsters!

My Favorite Cardigan

2010-11-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

It's Friday and I get to work from home! I don't know who came up with that rule, but I like it. I was going through my closet today and realized that I never took pictures of my Favorite Cardigan sweater by Knit and Tonic that I made earlier this year. You can find this pattern in the Custom Knits book by Wendy. I find her designs very easy to follow and this particular sweater was a piece of cake! It's the first sweater that I have made that actually fits me! O the frustrations of finding out that the frigging sweater doesn't fit after hours of hard work definitely didn't happen with this one! So given I was working from home, I had salad with my mom at Whole Foods and requested that she takes pictures of me wearing it!

Say hello to my beautiful cardigan! I am so proud of it :)

Side view

Back

Close up of the collar

I still can't believe a sweater I made actually fits me! Wow.... By the way, my mom said my face is as big as the pumpkin. Gotta love my mom!

Handmade Christmas Cards

2010-11-10T21:54:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I have this secret holiday card list in my head. Throughout the year, I am always adding special people to this list. So at the end of every year, I make those individuals something extra special. Here is a cute Santa Claus card I made one year. I just sketched an image and used construction papers to create this cute Santa. Hallmark is totally overrated right?

Cookie A Socks

2010-11-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

Do you know Cookie A? If not, you are really missing out on some simple, easy, and fun sock patterns. I have made two of her patterns: Monkey and Spring Forward; they are both free from Knitty.com. How about that!? I think what makes her pattern so special is her focus on the simple math so that it's repeatable and addicting. Try it out, I guarantee you will be impressed with the outcome.

I finished one of two (of course, socks come in pairs right?!)

I have to "graft" these stitches to finish it off, but I am too lazy to find my book on how to do this...

I made two copies of that pattern so I don't have to flip the pages back and forth. A counter is a must for this project. By the way, have you had those Hi-Chews? They are from Japan and just like this pattern, they are addicting! I can eat a whole pack by the time I am on the second pattern repeat!

Good Blogs to Share

2010-10-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

I have come across so many good blogs on quilting lately. I find these blogs extremely inspirational and educational. Thanks to all of you bloggers out there... busy taking pictures and finding time posting them. I know I appreciate it :)

Check out the patchwork notebook cover tutorial that JCasa *handmade put together, it reminds me of Anthropologie. I also enjoy reading Hip to Piece Squares, it looks like Sarah likes to hand quilt too!

FYI, these are the Inside Out Bowl from Anthropologie. I think my mom has every pattern available.

My Sewing Studio

2010-10-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

What do you call your space where you get to do what you love? Is it your sewing room, knitting room, or just whatever room? I realized that I have got stuff everywhere! They are all neatly organized, but I just hate the fact that they are not kept together. Does it make sense? Do you feel the same way? I have decided to redo one of the "areas" at our place as my "play" area. I am reading many magazines and blogs to design how I want to store all of stuff! This including yarns, knitting needles, fabrics, construction papers and just all the tools I have. Where do you store your precious items?

I finally got my hands on the Stitches magazine that I really wanted. Here are a few pages with good ideas that I like.

Fabrics are stored by colors in these cute bins.

This is a totally different look than the picture above.

I thought this backpack (from the Fall issue of Stitches) was super cute!

PIQF Again!

2010-10-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

Visiting PIQF only once this year was just not enough, so I found time to stop by again today! It was definitely worth the trip. Check out what I purchased -

Now I just have to find time to make something out of these beautiful fabrics! FYI, I don't like going to PIQF in the rain because usually, I have to park very far and walking back with bags and bags of stuff is not fun.