My very first quilt, 1992

Patching up my great-grandma Two's nine-patch (below) made me realize that my very first quilt must have been inspired by that very same quilt.  I do remember thinking I wanted to do it all by hand like Two.   

This little nine patch took ages, and was such a learning experience.  I didn't have gear.  I cut patches out, sitting on the floor, pieced by hand, quilted by hand.  I was pregnant with my first baby, Noelle.  And now she's going to have a baby in December with the same due date I had with her.  Massively full circle!

I pieced a top for new baby girl:  

... and then a second, darker top, from the scraps.   Quilting will happen after our family vacation.  

This week I also made some basic little "quiet" photo books for my three little grand daughters - nothing fancy and so fun to make. 

My sour dough journey continues...  I ordered some local NC rye flour, and it is wonderful. 

And, I snapped up this itty-bitty sweet machine from Facebook marketplace.  Bernina Activa 220, circa 2010.  Super basic and perfect for travel, and/or for granddaughters who might want to learn to sew someday.  Bonus was that I met a lovely quilter in the process!  She was upgrading to the same machine I have already.  Fellow Bernina folks... well we do love talking "Bernina" ! 

In the evenings I'm really enjoying my EPP hexie flower project - no deadline.  Lots of "warm" colors, all Liberty.  Eventually to be made into a small throw quilt as a twin to my first hexie quilt. 

That's all for now... summer flying by. 

x 

Cynthia   

Stockings etc.

 I don't know where the time goes, and we have another Monday, a grey rainy one.  

This is my world lately - cutting out for Christmas stockings - now time to assemble - 

A good creative mess - just move it over when it's time to use the table for a meal - 

Wanted to get Charlotte's stocking done so I can bring it to Texas when I travel there.... in two weeks! (because... who knows when Japan will open up international mail again?   We can receive things but not send, so, it's sort of a mystery).   

I thought while I have all the time in the world  (I can't believe we are 6+ months into this!) I would work on a generous stockpile of mix and match "future grand children" stockings.  Then as new babies arrive I won't be reinventing the wheel - just be embroidering the name;).   A lot of the fabric is from the Scandi 2 line from Makower UK.  

Yes my suitcases are out already!  Can't wait to see this girl!  Three months old! 

It's funny.  As soon as I cut out all those stockings, I said to David "just watch, the next time I'm in a quilt store I'm going to see fabric or a style I like even better" - 

Just moments later, flipping through my latest issue of Quilts Japan:

spotted this amazingly adorable stocking: 

So adorably cute! 

The other thing I'm working on slowly is adding hand quilting to my Soft Quilt for Hard Times - at night when I'm watching shows with David.  (That's a weather report on TV - typhoon season for sure). 

I tried to order more of my favorite quilting thread - Mettler - but can't find it.  I ordered some Gutermann to be delivered to my daughter's in Texas.  Hand quilters - what thread do you recommend?? 

xo

Cynthia 

July Mini - doll quilt with three flowers

This month I made a sweet doll quilt,  from the "Esse and Ayla" doll quilt in this beautiful book by Susan Smith:

I used some of the leftovers from Charlotte's baby quilt and my "Soft Quilt for Hard Times" as well as bits from the 2 1/2" squares bin.  Hand quilted it and bound it with some leftover fabric from last month's mini.  

On a cloudy day, hard to get a photo - this is real life - foyer not staged;). 

Pinning it here for a photo gave me the thought that I could use this wall near my machine as a design wall.... mmmm maybe.  We aren't really supposed to put anything on the walls.  But, the interior walls are paper thin and it's easy to just use a pin or an old machine needle, which won't mar the wall paper.  

The other day David had two days off work and one of those days, we beat the rain, just barely, and ventured out to Hibiya Park - it was a short train ride away.  Socially distant the whole time - train and stations nearly empty, wore masks, didn't touch a THING.  It's the first time we've been on a train together since February.  

Hibiya Park is the first Western style park in Japan, created in 1903 in the style of a "thickly treed" German park: 

Benches all but empty.... 

In Tokyo you never know what you'll find - this monument shows an ancient Viking epitaph: 

Bluebells so pretty: 

Loved this old expressive tree: 

Thanks Wendy for gathering us for our monthly challenge to make a mini!  I am finding that it guides my quilting life in a nice way, during this stressful COVID time.  I will link here to The Constant Quilter when Wendy posts our links!  

xo

Cynthia 

January mini quilt experiment - hearts

For my minis this year (hosted by Wendy, The Constant Quilter - thanks Wendy!), I'm planning for some "wish list" experimental quilts.  This means that each month I will:

1.  experiment with a new technique or "look" 

and/or

2.   *finally* make this or that quilt I've always wanted to make!

Anyhoooooo.... I've been wanting to make a "sweet but not too sweet" Valentine's Day wall hanging.

I thought hand quilting it would sort of "save" it - but, mmmm. maybe not.  I finished quilting it... but when it came to the binding, I tried a new-to-me technique of attaching the binding entirely by machine.  Please don't look too close - it's awful.  But, I've learned that I won't be using that technique again!  And I don't like this little piece enough to remove and redo the binding.  It needs more quilting but sometimes, I just have to move on.  C'est la vie.

For something else sweet but not too sweet.... I just love this herbal tea, and my collection of Emma Bridgewater mugs, which made the cut when we packed for Japan!

And speaking of Japan..... today I am going back ONE more time to the quilt festival!!!  I meant to go yesterday but it was raining and I was so tired from the day before!  It has been a busy fun week.  I have a gazillion photos and need to get busy posting those!  Very soon!


xo
Cynthia

the essentials

I'm all but finished with my "optional, extra" quilting of the Wandering Way, or Winding Ways.

Grandma Mary Lou loved it:



My Mom loved it and so do I.  It is the one quilt I brought in my luggage and I'm so glad I did.   It has felt like an ESSENTIAL these past three months.

Not perfect.  Soft and functional.  Pure comfort and will only age into more beauty.  So, I count it as wabi sabi.

This shows its true color:

I love my simple needle book from the V&A:

And my little pouch from Gotemba, Japan.  There is something so nice, paring down to really just these few essential tools for hand quilting.

Hazy Tokyo days -

And rainy season has begun -

Fun times recently with dear friends in town for just a couple days ... friendship = essential!

The Shrine in our old neighborhood, Azabu-Juban:

The requisite sushi, and I even liked it:

Who can't use a little gelato at the end of a long Tokyo day?

And one last essential - a HOME.  We have found a permanent apartment, in this building not far from our temporary place, and we will move in first week in July.  Hurray!  So ready to be out of suitcases!

x
Cynthia