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

As I finished the movie ...

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

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

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

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


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


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

Because of this, I am making some bags ...

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

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



Unlike my first quilt, this time I am getting ...

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

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






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

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

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

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

I'd like to ...

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





One reason that quilting appeals to me is the moment when
I turn the fabrics right sides out, I see the perfect ...

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


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

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

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

Keep believing in yourself and your special dreams!
Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can!

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

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

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I'm making a rose bag for my birthday. A sneak peak:

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1. ?15cm*15cm ??,???? (Cut 6*6 inches of fabric, seams are included.)
2. ????????????,??????2cm????(On right side of the fabric, mark center points on each edge. From the center point, mark four other points which are 0.8" and 1.6" away from it, on both right and left sides.)

3. ?????,?????????,?????????. (Following the marks, fold the fabric as the picture shows. Then stitch to secure the folds.)

4. ???????,??????????(Upon finishing the horizontal folds, repeat ...

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

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

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

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

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

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