Yiya Cucuy

Welcome to my blog!  I'm thrilled that in the million of options available in this day and age you have stopped by!

My name is Karla, but my family and closest friends have always called me Yiya (like jeeja, or sort of, hehe), and mom has called me Yiya Cucuy (as in coocooee) for as long as I can remember.  I like to think that Yiya is my alter ego sort-of that likes goofing off and enjoying simple things like the stars at night or the sound of the trees playing with a soft breeze. 

I have always had a thing for creating things and figuring out how they work. I will always aspire to become a mad scientist one day; in the meantime, I keep a full-time job and sneak in as much crafty time as possible.

A copy of "Woman at Dawn" by Rufino Tamayo I once made.

Although I have crafted since I was little, I've forgot a lot of it by now; this is one of the main reasons why I decided to start a blog. It is the perfect spot to share and learn!  It is also a venue to share more of what I enjoy doing; from quilting and crafts to reading - just to put things into perspective, mom frequently said that she preferred to go with me to a shoe store than to a bookstore. I still remember the day she came back from work with big boxes; it was not my birthday nor Christmas, but those big boxes contained three encyclopedias for me! It was a gorgeous treasure and I remember looking for things to understand and going back to my favorite parts, which generally involved turning something into another thing.

This is probably why I like arts and crafts so much; they are not only for expression, but for transformation... I think this is where my weakness lies on; I wish I was able to create what I see in my mind.

I like reading - a lot. People have generally asked me for book recommendations, just because I like reading - a lot. (Repetition is intentional for emphasis.) If I was going to start a blog, it had to contain information about what I was reading.  I am not reading as much as I used to, but you will find some reviews that I hope shed a light on the quality of books by Bethany and Tyndale. I try not to give the plot away and say why I would recommend them or not.

In this blog, you will also find posts about crafts, quilts and one or two recipes. This is all thanks to Tita...  

When I was a little girl, we lived with my grandparents. Grandma, Tita (like Teeta) taught me a lot of things since an early age and I spent a lot of time with her.  She always encouraged me to try what I wanted to learn and sat by my side when I needed to stick with something. I still remember when she sewed on her Singer and I would hug her legs and swing up and down as she pedaled... She would save every single scrap for me to practice on. Sometimes, I would just sit on her lap because my feet couldn't reach, and she would sort of hug me and put her hands on top of mine and showed me how to guide the fabric and adjust the settings. Those were beautiful, peaceful moments that I will cherish forever! Tita passed away when I was 14, and going back to the sewing machine was just way too painful; I gave in and, other than hems, buttons and two cushions for mom, I really did not sew at all.

On the Christmas of 2011, my husband surprised me with a Brother SE400! I could not believe my eyes when I unwrapped the box, and I could only start crying... Seeing my husband's confusion, I could only say I was so happy and had to work hard at letting him know I was fine. I finally had a sewing machine of my own! Little by little, the fabric parade started accompanied by one or two accessories every now and then.  I was working at the time and was not sure what to do.  Hems and buttons came, but that wasn't enough. Mr. Fuzz thought I was going to enjoy the embroidery features, but I have actually ignored those for the most time. I had read about all the stories surrounding quilts, and I decided to start doing research on it...  I would pick up a fabric here and there, but it was until Mr. Fuzz and I decided to give my in-law's a special Christmas gift that I made my first quilt.  We wanted it to represent their life time together, as well as their commitment to God. They were born in Ohio and Georgia, so that was the start of it all. Mr. Fuzz came up with the idea of making blocks that would represent the different states where they've lived in, as well as the time they spent in Japan as missionaries. Their Brick road is what came along - not that shabby for a first quilt, huh?

Since then, I've started experimenting with techniques and I still have a lot to learn.  I only wish Tita was here to laugh and stitch together!

I am thankful for my God-given abilities and I wish that you find "The Hill" interesting, entertaining and even challenging.

Feel free to make something based on the posts in this blog; I only ask that you refer back to it whenever you have found inspiration from my posts. Also, I have created a Flickr pool so that you can share what you have created.

Stay blessed!