An alternative colourway

I have never, or shall I say, I can't recall ever stitching any pattern twice before this...heheh...but, yesterday I did! *grin*

Yup! I tried stitching EMS's small pincushion freebie chart in another colourway using Needle Necessities overdyeds. Hmmm....I think I like the single colourway better, or, could it be that I have chosen wrong colour, making the 2nd alternative not as nice as the 1st piece?

This NN OD colour makes the pincushion have a very autumny....err.....is there such a name? *wink*...feel to it, whereas the garnet colour of DMC815 makes the pincushion a more elegant feel.

Maybe I shud just wait for both to be completed and see which one I wud eventually prefer.

BTW, thanks, Barbara, Lillie and Lene for dropping by my blog. I haven't actually decided how I plan to finish up my VINTAGE ROSE just yet. Still in the planning.....

Going on 5th

This is the progress on my 5th mini for the 5 Mini Challenge. It is a freebie design meant for a small pincushion by Ellen Maurer-Stroh. This is stitched on 16ct aida. If I were to make this into a pincushion, it will end up being quite big, actually, about 3" square. I am thinking of probably trying out my hands at making a biscornus, but then, I wud have to stitch this design twice! Hmmm...I am not one that likes stitching anything twice! LOL! I get bored quite easily! *wink*

This is also my 1st time stitching using just a single colour thread. Initially I planned on using two colours, but, I thought, why don't I give this single colour a try. Who knows, I might just get used to it, and like it too! I am beginning to like the way it is turning out and can't wait to get this done!

5 Mini Challenge

I had trouble with my streamyx connection the last few days. It does get kinda frustrating. I had to use my dial up connection on my old faithful notebook. M glad for that, but, moving from page to page was so slow at times that I almost fell asleep in front of my notebook while waiting for the pages to download! LOL!

I am happy it's (the connection) back now. *smile*

During those `unconnected' days, I did a lot of stitching and managed to complete my 4th mini for the 5 Mini Challenge. This is a design by Pam Kellogg, taken from the American School of Needlwork book. It is called VINTAGE ROSES. Kinda sweet, huh? A very small design, measuring only 3.25" x 3", done on 16ct. It's been a long time stitching on 16ct that my eyes almost went bonkers the first few nites of stitching it! LOL!

I started on my 5th mini yesterday. Will post an update on it when I have taken a shot of it.

More Bitter Gourd!

Can I 'show off' *wink* the latest harvest from my vegetable garden? Heheh..I know it is just the bitter gourd again, but, this time, I tell you, they are looking better than the first batch I harvested about a week ago. They are longer and fluffier, if U can call them that! LOL!

So, far, with these lastest 3, I have harvested 8 pieces of the bitter gourd already. Once they are all harvested (maybe another week or so), I am planning to plant maybe brinjals or long beans. Look out for my next posting on my vegetable garden! *grin*

The frog is finally jumping.....!

eerr......or, is that hopping? LOL!

Anyway, my frog project, or the oficial name, NO FROGGING ALLOWED, designed by Stitchy Kitty, is finally done! Yipee!

For such a relatively small project, I sure took a long time to complete this one! *grin* Yeah! What with the Joan Elliot Frienship Sampler Stitch-Along, my PTK exams, projects that needs to be tendered, add to that, without a maid, it is a suprise I actually finished it THIS YEAR! LOL!

I think the frog is cute! Don't you think so? LOL! *wink*

With this completed, guess I'd better be more careful in my stitching, so as not to have to frog any of my stitching, OR ELSE! heheh.......*grin*

As for my work-in-progress, that is the the xmas star project, I have started on the cross stitch portion, although the kloster blocks aren't quite done yet. I just got bored, and needed a change from doing all those kloster blocks! *grin*

It is slowly taking shape as I take quite a lot of breaks to work on my 5 mini Challenge projects. I am enjoying seeing the star take shape and as I add the cross stitch portion of the piece, it is starting to look quite nice. I am excited to see this to completion. Cheer me on, OK? *wink*

As for the 5 Mini Challenge, I here is my 3rd piece. Yup! It's definitely the same one that Barbara had stitched sometime back! LOL! I think she did post about it, but I could not recall. When I started stitching this, never did I think that another member of MYS had also stitched it earlier! LOL! Great minds think alike, huh? *wink*

Anyway, this is a design by Lizzie*Kate. I started on in on Saturday evening. It was stitched on 14ct Rustico Oatmeal. I like the look of this fabric, though it is a little soft, making stitching on it just a little bit flimsy. But, it was all worth it coz Rustico always gives that stitched piece a nice antique look. You know, kinda rustic..........but, not rusted! Errr..Should that be the other way around? LOL!

A mentally draining week

It's been a week of practically no stitching. It's been one hectic week at work, that on most nites, I come home so mentally exhausted that I have been sleeping at 9.00 pm, instead of the usual 10 or 10.30 pm, during the fasting month.

Whenever I tuck my son into bed, I would normally just sit awhile to make sure that he sleeps and get up to do some stitching or watch TV. But, the last few nites, before I knew it, I am fast asleep, and would only realised it when my alarm for sahur goes off.

Yeah! Work in the office has been quite exhaustive. I have a couple of projects that have to be tendered by the end of the month, and there are still lots more to do. Some of my staffs are not working as hard and as fast.

I know it is the fasting month when most people think that things slow down. In actual fact, it does not. In fact, for me, fasting months are one of the most productive months of the year, with sometimes, meetings running back to back since we do not need to break for lunch. At the end of the day, I am mentally drained. But, with my days filled with meetings and discussions, and things that needs to be done by a certain date sure makes the fasting month go by very quickly. I look forward to an extended break this coming festival, even though, at the same time, I am sad to see the fasting month leave us so soon......

I may not have done much stitching this past week, but my vegetable garden has been growing! I am happy to 'announce'... heheh...*wink*...that I have harvested 2 pieces of the peria out of the 5 that sprouted. Today, another 3 has sprouted! That makes me feel so good! Guess you know what's going to be served for dinner tonite, rite? *wink*

On another note, look at the basket my hubby received from a friend. It was filled up a cake and some cookies. I am not interested in what it was filled up with! LOL! I am more interested in the basket itself! LOL! Don't you think this basket makes such a nice needlework basket? *wink* I can already imagine what's going in there, and I haven't even told my hubby that M taking the basket yet! LOL!

Happy Birthday, Ma!

It is my mom's 66th birthday today! Happy Birthday, Ma!

I hope you had a great day today surrounded by people you love with the great things in life that God had given upon you. Sorry, Man, Man and I could not be there to celebrate it with you, but we are with you in spirit.

I am sure with Lin there, she makes up for all our absences with all her chit chats and stories! LOL! *wink*

I hope you enjoyed the cake we sent you, and I hope you had also received the 2nd gift we ordered for you. Sorry about the confusion. Trust Chik to get things all mixed up, and she blames it on fasting! *grin*

Take care!

Lots of love from all of us!

Christmas Star & 5 Mini Challenge

In terms of stitching, it has been quite a productive weekend. It was payback time for the Cross N Patch, Christmas Star project! LOL! Yup! After spending 1 hour frogging last week, I decided I am going to minimize my time frogging by doing some ahead planning, and that is to do some running stitches to ensure that I don't miscount again, or rather, if I do miscount, I would realise it earlier, and not when I had already spent more than 30 minutes working on it! LOL!

So far, this is my progress. Still a lot more to go, actually. It does not look so much like a xmas star, does it? Even when completed, it looks more like red berries around a stained glass. But, whatever, I just like the design anyway! LOL!

For the 5 Mini Challenge currently being organised at MYS, I managed to start and complete two minis already.......well, in terms of stitching, that is! For the challenge, you need not only to finish stitching them, but also finish them into something, like pinkeep, pin cushions, things like that.

The 1st piece is a hardanger design by Mary Hickmott, taken from the Mary Hickmott's New Stitches magazine, Issue 52. It is a piece for a coaster. I haven't decided yet how to finish this piece since I do not have any coasters, and it is simply too expensive to buy one at Yee's or Haby's. But, who knows, if I can't think of how else to finish it, I just might drop by Haby's or Yee's before the challenge in up! *grin*

The 2nd piece I really like. It is a freebie design by The Victoria Sampler. It is designed for an altoid tin cover and had called for it to be stitched on 32ct linen. I did not have any 32 ct and I don't fancy stitching on 32ct either. Instead, I stitched it on 25ct evenweave - better on my young eyes! LOL! *wink* But, the downside to doing that is that it is bigger than the size of the altoid tin cover. Now, I dn't know what I am going to finish this piece into either! LOL! Hmmm....any suggestions?

I am a little fickle minded about what I should stitch the other 3 pieces eventhough I had earlier made my choices. There are so many designs to choose from, it is making me go bonkers trying to make up my mind! LOL!

I am going to go thru my choices again and decide later this week. Do look out for my next posting!! *wink*

BTW, did I tell you about some stash I ordered many months ago from Stonet Creek, but only just arrived 2 weeks ago? Well, they did not have stock of some of the things I ordered, and thus, only now have them. I bought some Needle Necessities threads and charms for my Nature's Alphabet project. I had completed stitching the piece some time back but could not complete it due to the missing charms. Now that the charms have arrived, I hope to stitch them onto my Nature's Alphabet and maybe mail it out to Penang for framing. I haven't actually decided yet. I will have to give it more thought since I won't be travelling to Penang just yet.

Barbara wrote: Oh my! Was this the stash you said you'd tell us about but never did? I love those threads! Are they perle?

And the Victoria Sampler freebie...wowee...beautiful colours you've got there, lovely just lovely. Finish it into a needle book Nik!! And this time use it ;)

My response: Thx, BJ, for dropping and thx, too 4 d compliments! *smile*

Yup! That's the stash I wanted to `show-off' some time back when they arrived. LOL! Yummy colours, huh? *wink* No, they are not perles, but just normal cotton overdyeds. When I took them home (it was mailed to my office addie), I was actually doing a yum yum sound like I was eating them, in the car on my way home! LOL! My hubby said that I simply never fail to amuse him! LOL! He asked if that is what all stitchers do! LOL!

The Victoria Sampler freebie is really nice, kan? Actually, the hardanger part had called for it to be stitched using white perle, but I changed it to Anchor multicolors. For a while after I started on it, I regreted changing the colour coz I thot it took away the elegance of the design. But once it was completed, it did not look too bad, huh? *wink*

I thot of turning it into a needlebook, but the piece is really small. It is only slightly less then 2" wide and about 3.5" long. Not ez to handle such a small piece to turn it into a needlebook, I think. But, I might still take upon ur idea and give it a try. Thx!

A completed piece...at last!

Aaahhh! Finally I can upload a photo of my completed Joan Elliot Friendship Sampler!

It feels good and a great relief to finally be able to complete this piece, coz it felt like I was taking ages to complete it! LOL! Especially when Barbara had completed her more than 2 weeks ago! But, better late in completion, rather than it becomes another Un Finished Object (UFO) again, right? *grin*

There are a few mistakes in this piece, but they were mistakes which were not `fatal' to the piece, and they were mistakes which I can live with.

It is a nice design by Joan Elliot, and I hope to do more pieces by her, but maybe a small one, for now, at least *grin*, and not so soon after this piece. I need a break from Joan Elliot! LOL!

BTW, since completing the JEFS, I have gone back to doing my xmas star hardanger project and also, the frog project. I might be able to complete the frog project in about a weeks' time or less. After that, in between doing my xmas star, I need to work on my 5 Mini Challenge projects, currently being organised at MYS, which must be completed for `show' by 1 January 2007.

I have identified 7 projects already, 3 hardangers and 4 cross stitch projects. I might still decide otherwise, but, for now, this will be it. You know how Geminians can be quite fickle minded when it comes to making up their minds about certain things! LOL!

My vegetable garden

Well, ok, it is not so much a garden since it is really a small one...heheh...but, it serves my purpose of planting small amounts of vegetables for my family and a few friends' consumption when the garden grows!

I just want to show off *wink* my peria garden which I planted many months ago and lovingly tended to it, and finally I am able to see the fruits of my 'labour', so to speak. It looks overcrowded coz the space that I have is very limited, and peria is a vegetable that needs lots of space to hang and crawl to grow and expand.

This morning I counted the number of fruits that has sprouted, and I am excited to find 5 pieces! Errr...are they considered pieces? *grin* Anyway, I hope they will grow to their full length and in good health. That would be really nice, wouldn't it? *smile*

Besides my peria garden, I also have daun pandan and daun pudina. I wish I had more space to plant more veggies, but, living in a intermediate terrace house does not give you much options. I used to plant my veggies on my front lawn, but, now, my front garden is landscaped with some pretty plants and flowers, more presentable when we receive guests, and having a vegatable garden, especially one that crawls all over the place, in the front simply will not create a beautiful sight! LOL!


I hope to plant more veggies that I can grow in pots, so that I can have more varieties, since my hubby and I cannot have a meal of rice without having veggies as one of the spread.

A night of frustrations

I had about 1 1/2 hours of stitching time last nite, but, unfortunately, 1 hour of that was spent frogging. *sigh*sniff*sob*I was working on my Xmas Star hardanger project, and somehow miscounted the holes! *waaahhh*sob* I had spent 1/2 hour stitching on it already, when it came to meeting up with d other end, it did not meet!

Imagine my frustrations upon realising my mistake, and having 2 frog everything that I had spent doing the last 1/2 hour and 1/2 hour the nite b4 too! *sob* In frustration, I wanted to throw out d project, but it is such a beautiful piece, it wud have been a pity, so, I plodded on. It is all frogged (is there such a word? LOL!), and ready to be stitched again tonite, hopefully with no mistakes anymore.

Hmmm......M back to my hardanger project? I must have completed one project for me to go back to my hardanger project-in-waiting! *wink* I did! I did! *jumping 4 joy!*

I finally completed my JEFS on Monday nite at 10.10 pm! I wanted to update my blog before `announcing' it to the board, but, somehow, I cud not access my blog the last 2 days. *more frustrations*sigh* So, until then, I cannot `show it off' to friends here at d board.*wink* I'll try to upload it from home. Maybe my server is acting up. I just hope it is just temporary this server problem.

NOTE: this was written on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006, but was only published to blog on 6 Oct, 2006 due to server problem.