Change

It's been so long since I've last posted that I'm unsure where to start. I hope everyone has been well. There has been a lot of changes in my life. I quit my long time job as a receptionist/assistant administrator back in September. I had decided that I wanted to go back to school. So I signed up for a design course, packed my bags and here I am now in Melbourne, Australia.

So far, I'm having the time of my life settling in again, looking up old friends and meeting new ones. I'm no stranger to Melbourne as not only did I visit here last year but I had lived here for a about a year a decade ago. Everything was just as I remembered, yet new and different somehow. Having Sean, my current boyfriend, here with me really helped too.

Monday was my birthday. Sean took me on a Horseback Winery Tour. I hadn't been on a horse since I was a kid of eight plus being led around a ring doesn't really count. It was an exhilarating experience. Besides, you can't top any activity that's involves wine, right? ;P

Sean, on the other hand, had other ideas up his sleeve. During our first winery stop at Mantons Creek Esate, he had the guide led our horses away to a secluded area among the vines and proposed!

Of course I said yes.

Isn't my engagement ring gorgeous?

 

It's a tanzanite (my birthstone) and palladium ring custom made by Eckart. The craftmanship is exquisite so if you need to have any jewelry custom made, I highly recommend him.

And here's my adorable puffer fish birthday cake courtesy of Alice and Kenny whose wedding I attended only just last month ^.^ Thanks, guys! 

 

Anyway, on to stitching... (Finally! I hear you say? :P) My stitching mojo has returned tenfold but since all my stash are still back in Malaysia, I had no choice but to pick up a kit. 

 

I chose Lanarte's Moment of Reading. I think it's a lovely adaptation of Vladimir Volegov's artwork. 

 

I started on 5 December and this is my progress thus far. 

 

I'm really enjoying stitching this. The colours are soft and romantic, almost like a watercolour piece which is a particular trademark of Lanarte. The only complaint I have is that everything is stitched with a single thread. I'd have vastly preferred to stitch with two to better cover the fabric. I didn't as I'm afraid I'd run out of floss. That said, perhaps that's the reason the entire Lanarte range possess that fine, delicate look.

Lastly, you might have noticed that I've changed the name of my blog. Since I've been showing more than just stitching and with me learning design next year, I believe the new name is more suitable :)

Here's to a Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year!

2011 NNC Birthday Exchange

If you've been reading my recent posts, you'd have seen me mentioned about an upcoming birthday exchange that I've been diligently working on. Well, today's the day. Happy Birthday, Jo!

This past Saturday, I was able to meet up with Jo during NNC's Stitching Bee, held at Sally's lovely house. (Thank you, Sally, for having us.) However, I was too lazy to take any photos while there so I only have my exchange pictures to share.

For this exchange, I was required to include one handmade craft item along with two related handmade or store-bought items and of course a birthday card.

Here's what my package consists of:

• A Tilda's Summer Ideas book
  I figured Jo might find it refreshing and enjoyable as she is into sewing/bag-making. At least that's what I was hoping for.
• A Blue Rose Pouch
• A Birthday Card
  The design for the birthday card was from Form-A-Lines. I love its simplicity and added the layers for a 3D effect.

My main handcrafted item is this blue rose pouch. I wanted Jo to have something she could use often if not on a daily basis. Since I knew she sews, (in fact, we had first met at the school where we both take tailoring lessons) I made this pouch with multiple pockets especially for her tools.

The general idea was taken from Butterick B5006 pattern but once again, I challenged myself to try something different. As you can see, I've modified the center to incorporate a simple patchwork pattern and cross stitch roses. I've also binded the edges with pink bias tape.

I then endeavour to fill up every single one of those eight pockets for the "related items requirement". I gotta say I sure had fun coming up with ideas.

I included charms, pearl and wooden buttons, a ceramic thimble with Jo's birth month on it, a couple of vintage bobbins, a pair of golden peacock scissors (which I was "paid" 10 cents for in order to ensure our friendship ties were not cut ^.^), a scissors case, a biscornu pincushion and a scissors fob filled with emery for sharpening needles.

Love this picture of the accessories sitting cozily in their individual pockets.

Wanna know a secret? The stitching set was designed by me. I stitched it in blue because that's Jo's favourite color. I named it "Blue Rose Stitching Set".

It all started with one biscornu side.

Then the other.

And the rest...

Design: Blue Rose Stitching Set

Designer: Veronica's Vault

Fabric: Cream Italian 32 count linen

Fibers: Hand Dyed Fibers (Velvet Midnight) Silk

Why roses, you ask? Well, not only are roses beautiful, they are my absolute favourite flowers. Besides, I wanted the design to match the pouch. As you can see, the scissors case and fob can be personalized with an initial, in this case, J for Jo.

So I have a question. Would you be interested in stitching this Blue Rose Set as well?

Thank you for dropping by. Happy Stitching!

Birthdays

I've been reading Stitch Bitch blog for a while now and her stories of her grandmother, Maggie, have always amused me. So, when she put out a call for birthday cards to be sent to Maggie on her 89th birthday, how could I say no? After all, this is a lady whom I hope to emulate when I'm her age ^.^

Two weeks before the big day, I put on my thinking cap. Once again, I went on my trusted Stitching Cards website for inspiration and made this.

I really love this design. The basket is stitched with metallic gold thread and gold beads are added to the flowers for that extra sparkle.

I think the card arrived a couple days late but at least it didn't go missing which I'm grateful for.

22nd March was once again my best friend, Adeline's birthday. As with years past, I had a kitty design stitched and framed for her.

I, for one, think it would be perfect in the baby's room but that's for her to decide, of course.

Dede, another good friend of mine's birthday is also coming up in April. Remember my Passione Ricamo piece I had stitched? It was first intended for her birthday last year and then postponed to Christmas... It is now framed too and finally ready to be presented to her.

Other than that, I've also been working on New Birth of Spring sporadically and this is where it stands at the moment.

However, it has now been put on hold while I try to catch up on Romantique Sampler. Part 2 stitched.

First month is now complete.

Working on the second month. Here is Part 3.

Onwards to Part 4... But I have a Birthday Exchange due in May...

Talk about a full plate! I have only myself to blame but I'm enjoying every single minute of it :D

Adeline's Birthday Present

Well then, after finishing this weeks ago, I only got it back from the framers today, just in time to present it to Adeline. You know me, I was delaying going to the framers, that's why it took so long. Had it done at the same place as the wedding samplers. Well, since tomorrow's her birthday, I'm technically a day early so no harm, right?

Met up with her for dinner and as I doubt I'll be seeing her again tomorrow, I gave it to her tonight. Just like I predicted, she loved it. Stayed out with a couple more friends for non-alcoholic drinks after. She was really tired and I think anything remotely resembling alcohol entering her system would have resulted in knocking her out. Besides really liking the pattern, this is what she said about it: According to her, she's the cat and I'm the sheep and Woei Yang, a close guy friend of ours is the flower. Hmm... Oookay... wonder how much sleep she needs to catch up on.

On another note, I've been busy catching up (or at least trying to catch up) with the EMS Cross Stitch Board Seasonal Topiaries SAL that I've been participating in. I think I'm behind. Or am I on time? Not too sure about that but I know I'm definitely not early. Anyway, pictures of my day to day progress can be found at my Webshots. Am too lazy to upload it here. This series is a downloadable freebie by Passione Ricamo. However, I don't know when it will be taken off the website so better download it while you still can. I've been so busy with RRs and exchanges that it feels good to be working on something that is completely mine for a change. However, don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy working on those as well. I do too, very much in fact.

My First Cattitudes

This is my very first cattitudes design that I've stitched. It's for my very good friend, Adeline's birthday this year. She was my ex boyfriend's sister's online friend's girlfriend. Have I confused you enough? LOL! Anyway, we hit it off right from the moment we met and it's been more than 5 years since then. She has always been there for me through the thick and thin, the high and low and everything in between. Even when I was away in Australia for a year, we still keep in touch.Thus, thought I'll make something extra special for her birthday this year. I choose this pattern mainly because she's crazy about cats and Margaret Sherry's Cattitudes certainly top the list of cutest cats in cross stitch. And I doubt I need to explain why I choose this particular sign. Obviously, it's because she's an Aries.

Now, I have a question for all of you... Do you believe in the horoscope? Me, I do and I don't. I don't because so far, not that I read it often but whenever I do, the predictions of what's gonna happen to me each day/week/month has never been true. Yet, I do too because I have found the character and personality description of each sign to be mostly accurate. Also, how else do you explain that most of my close friends are all fire signs with a few air signs? It's said that these two signs are most compatible with each other compare to water and earth signs. Coincidence? Maybe, but there always the possibility of something more than that...