De one with Quilt

Storm and cold weather

Today I didn't step out of house. Early morning, I watched "Cars" on vcd. Mama have been bugging me to visit my Uncle who's hospitalised having underwent a heart bypass. It's been 3 days since the operation.

Ah ma has been very troubled since Wednesday when my Uncle got admitted to the hospital. She kept praying to the altar and ancestor's tablet every hour. The old lady would jump and rush for the house phone whenever it rings. Noticed the endless motherly love she's displayed through her actions. Sigh.

Partially, I was empathising with ah ma. Staying at home for the past 3 days wasn't enough. So I decided to find something to occupy her. I asked ah ma to teach me how to do a quilt.

I've always find quilt fascinating. It was one of the very impressive and magnificant art I've seen during my young age. What left a significant impression was this story book which I pocessed. The title of the short story book was "Granny". It was about a boy who spent time with the granny. One day, due to age-sickness, the Granny passed away. However, she left a self-made quilt for the grandson.

I love the story alot. Kinda related myself to how much I was closed to my ahma. She pampers me, buys me whatever I want and brings me to watch my favourite chinese opera shows at temples and 7th Month festivals events, like those mentioned in the story. And it is from the storybook which I first learnt that ahma might be gone one day. Ever since, I've started crying everytime I think of my ahma.

Having read the story a ellion times, grannies were associated with quilts unexplainably. I had one at home. It was a gift from my cousin's friend's granny. Treasured the quilt alot. Kept me warm during the monsoon period when it gets cold at night and the normal cotton blanket can't help much to shield the chill. However, it was "growing short" as I've grown taller.

I decided to make one myself. Initially, a couple months ago, I thought of making one for Sweet. But, well..anyway, I embarked on my start to making my quilt. I begun with cutting the triangular patches. This didn't pose a problem because I enjoyed cutting things and am pretty good with cutting.

The great part of the day was learning how to work with the sewing machine. Easy? nope. It was the traditional Singer-brand sewing machine. Just a desktop kinda thing which all work is done by hand. Not those with step works from your feet (though I have that at my house). I discovered a couple of astoundingly amazing things.

1: I didn't know how simple was threading a needle until ah ma told me to use a threading device. With it, you slot the pointed wire loop throught the hole of the needle, slot the thread through the loop and pull the wire loop out of the needle hole. And cha chang! Your needle is threaded. To think I used to fred, depending on my eyesight and luck to thread a needle. Ooo, not forgetting the hussle of trying to converge the threat head to enable a smooth, easy penetration through the needle.

2: Ahma imparted me with the necessary skills to position the cloths for sewing, about the upper thread which is connected to the needle, and the lower thread which is connected to a roller hidden beneath. About appropriate usage of the stabilising footer to hold on and guide your cloth. And the way to pull allowances and cut the excessive threads.

3: I had no idea that you must tighten the knob so that the sewing needle can work.

4: I was clueless on how to replace the lower thread when it was depleted. And getting the lower thread to come out from the lower hole even after replacing roll of lower thread. Hehe. Ah ma taught me must turn the hand wheel and cha chang! Simple it is as the lower thread appeal. Previously, I went through all the trouble to get the thread out manually. Omg!

5: Conventional method, I rolled the thread onto the depleted roll. Ah ma taught me a surprising way of fixing the empty roller onto a component located near the handwheel. Replenishing the filling of thread just by turning the handwheel. Wuao!!

After stitching near 100 pieces of the fragments, ah ma taught me to iron the allowanced flaps of the joint fragments so that it will turn out to be flat on the under-side. Cousin came back during the afternoon. Helped her ironed her shawl since she was in the rush to attend a company's dinenr and dance function.

Worked from after till evening. It was tedious work!!

I cooked dinner for the three of us. Ah ma, Jimson and me. Washed the utensils too. Man, I feel so hearty today!!