The book projects are done

Finally, I finished the last quilt for the book project.  I'm sending everything off to the AQS on Monday.  I made 16 projects, 18 pieces in all.  What a relief!  The whole experience has been a satisfying one.  I love all the projects that I'll be sending to them

Yesterday, I made a baby quilt for my American niece who just had her first baby a few weeks ago.  She loves grey and yellow.  I've never used grey in my quilt before and I must say I'm so loving it.  Here's the picture:

I'm taking a trip back to Bangkok, Thailand to visit my 93-year old mother.  I'm looking forward to spending time with her, visiting with friends and eating lots of Thai food.  :)

Now I can start other projects that had been put on hold, can't wait.  I also would like to start working on some designs and ideas for my next book.  Working on this first book gives me a lot of ideas for the next one.  Have a blessed day!

Book projects are still going on......

I'm still working on the book projects.  I'm on the last 2 big quilts.  One has almost 90 hearts in the design, the other has about 20 hexagons.  They are the 2 biggest quilts in the book.  I usually make baby size but these are almost twin size.  It's a lot of sewing, turning and then turning and sewing some more.  The heart one is almost done and then I will go on to the hexagon one.  Yeah....I'm almost done.  So sorry I can't show the picture at this time.

I'm writing the instructions as I go along.  Writing in English is very challenging to me.  I'm doing my best and a friend of mine is volunteering to help me proof reading it.  I'm really grateful for that.  I decided to send in 17 projects which is more than I had planned in the proposal.  I want to give them more options

When I took a break from quilt making, I worked on the sleeves for the quilts.  The AQS has a very specific instructions for making these sleeves.  They have to be precise because the sleeves have to fit their new hardware for hanging the quilts.  Every quilt has to have a hand-sewn sleeve onto the back of it.  I got three done so far, quite a few more to go!  :)

First anniversary of my blog

Happy New Year!!

This January marks the first anniversary of my blog.   When I first started it, I was just following a recommendation from the Executive Book Editor from the AQS.  At first I didn't think that I would last six months doing this.  I was very new to the social media world and I didn't think I would have any thing to say about myself that anyone would be interested.  For the most part, blogging is for me to keep track of what I've done even though I didn't blog about everything I do.  At least I have some records of what I do as far as my hobbies go. 

I'll have more things to show and tell once my book is published.   I hope that it would be by the end of this year.  I'm extremely excited about the whole thing.  This is going to one of the most exciting year for me.  Right now at least, I can show you some of the fabric I'll be using for couple of the projects for the book.  They are from Maywood Studio and they are the most beautiful flannel I have ever seen.  I can't wait to work on these fabric.  By the way, I always wanted to take a picture of a circle fabric like this one.  Ha ha ha....

I can't start a new year without remembering people who matters to me.  The first on the list has to be my mother.  She is everything to me.  Without her, I would not have any education.  My parent are Chinese immigrants in Thailand.  My mother doesn't have any education.  She can't read or write anything.  In her time, girls only worked around the house until they were married.  And once they got married, they belonged to the husband's family.  That's why Chinese didn't want to waste time to educate girls.  We taught her simple math so that she could do business to earn money to raise seven children after my father left us.   He only paid for boys' education.  My mother vowed that all her girls would get an education, and we sure did.  All five daughters graduated from college and that's because she worked really hard to make it possible.  All my four older sisters and two older brothers worked hard and they all accomplished in their choice professions.  I'm so lucky to have such talented siblings.

The second on the list is my husband, Ted.  After graduated from college, my mother wanted me to come to America to further my education, so I came.  I met Ted when I was working as a computer programmer/analyst for a small consulting firm.  He started working there right after graduating from UCLA.  It wasn't love at first sight, if there is such a thing, for us.  It took me 4 years to realize what a great guy he is and with an encouragement from Rich Patterson, my American dad, I married him.  After 26 years and 2 great children, he still is a great guy.  He will give his shirt to a stranger!

Next on the list has to be my children.  They are the world to me.  Ted and I firmly believe that children will be happier if there is a parent around at home when they come home.  So I quit my job right before my son was born so that I could be a full-time mom.  We read everyday, went walk around the park and did all the things that are good.  By the time Tim went to Kindergarten, he was able to add 3 digit numbers.  Emily was able to read before she started school.  Ted and I volunteered at schools all the way till they graduated from High schools.  They are great kids; so smart and so good.  They can do anything that they set their mind to, and that's the fact!

The last but not least, all my dear friends both from church and out side of church.  I have so many good friends around me.  When I was alone in this country, they became my family.  I was 25 years old when I came.  I felt like I was 10 years behind people my own age.  To my surprise, many of them already lived on their own, away from their parents.  I thought they were so independent and brave.  I'm the youngest in my family and had lived a very sheltered life in Thailand.  My friends have taught me so many things; some taught me to cook, some taught me to quilt, to sew, some taught me about life here in America and so much more that it'll take a full page if I were to list them all.  I've learned and continue to learn so much from these people and I'm grateful to have them in my life.

In all I have to thank my Heavenly Father who loves me.  He has placed all these people in my path for me.  He has given me my family in Thailand and here in America.   He continues to look after me and I'm so grateful.  I'll end with some words from my favorite hymn, How Firm a Foundation.

.....For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,......

Have a blessed year everyone!!