I've Lost My Mojo...

Can you help me find it please? I've tried everything, from looking at new releases to looking at your WiP pictures and lovely finishes to fondling my stash (which I had fun doing, by the way). Things that had helped in the past but to no avail now. I have the desire to stitch but not the drive. Does that make sense? I mean, I'll pick up something intending to work on it but few stitches in and I just cannot bring myself to continue on. I'm frustrating myself. Argh!

This is why, even after eons of absence, I have only one small happy dance to show. If you remember, from my last post, I was working on Little House Needleworks' Coffee Series. The first of the accompanying Tea Series is Spiced Tea.

I gotta tell you, it is not without struggle that I manage to finish it. For such a small design, it is quite a big accomplishment for me.

Design: Spiced Tea

Designer: Little House Needleworks

Fabric: Zweigart's Vintage Country Mocha (Marbled) 32 count Belfast linen

Fibers: Crescent Colours Belle Soie

Other than that, I've also managed to complete the middle section of my Little House Neighbourhood.

And that, ladies (and gentlemen), is all the stitching I have to show. Pathetic, I know :(

On to other stitching related (but not actual stitching) news :P look what's back from the framers.

I think my framer did a splendid job. He's my father's friend and all my needlework with the exception of Be My Valentine by Ellen Maurer-Stroh have been framed by him. I usually leave it to him to pick out the mats and frame which so far, he has yet to disappoint.

Check out a close-up picture of the gold-colored frame. I especially love the aged effect.

Oooh... the postman was just here and look what he left behind!

Cindy had a giveaway of charts on her blog couple of weeks ago to celebrate more than 10,000 hits. I was one of the lucky few who won something :) Thank you, Cindy, for your generosity. If you had not visited her blog before, head on over and you'll see why it had generated so many hits. I believe you won't be disappointed.

Till next time, take care and happy stitching.

Still Alive...

My poor stitching blog has not been feeling my love lately. In fact, it's been flat out ignored and neglected. Rest assured though, I'm still here and well. To those of you who emailed/commented, thank you for your concern. Let's just say life, as usual has a way of sidetracking our intentions. Where, oh where, do I start? Let's see, as I mentioned, my partner came here again during Christmas and my dad finally went through with his heart bypass surgery (he is now well and fully recovered, thank God). Also, I am currently unemployed :( The upside to not having a job however, means I have more time to stitch but it also means I won't be able to join in exchanges as much or stash as often due to money constraints. Then again, I have enough stash to last a lifetime so... :P
Anyway, with all that said, the main reason you've not heard from me for so long however is because *gasp* I completely lost my stitching mojo. Not surprising with all that's been going on but it's no excuse either for being behind on my round robins. Thus, my sincerest apologies to Janet and Chris whose RRs I'm still holding. Good news is that I got it back recently and has been diligently working on them together with my other WiPs. I've finally finished my square for Janet's Seasonal Cottage RR.

Design: Summer Cottage
Designer: Maryse
Fabric: 32 count Natural Linen
Fibers: DMC

Just one more square to go then it'll be on its way home to its owner.

Janet, I've emailed you and will be sending it to Charlene once I get the go ahead from her. Chris, I'm still stitching on your RR and will send it back as soon as I finished. Once again, I'm truly sorrie.
Next up is something I've been dying to share with all of you. 3 years, 4 countries, 12 stitchers later, look what has returned home completed in January...

Design: 12 Days of Christmas
Designer: Margaret Sherry
Fabric: 28 count Cream Lugana
Fibers: DMC
Source: October 2005, November 2005 & Christmas 2005 of British CrossStitcher Magazine

Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU! to Allison, Sarah and Marilyn from Canada, Angie, Lynn, Kirsty, Priscilla and Marion from UK and Chris, Dawn & Renée from USA. What started out as an ambitious round robin on the British Aion Needlecrafts forum (which is sadly now closed) was returned to me with three empty squares for I had to pull out halfway. It stayed in that state for more than a year until Renée decided to organize a round robin last year and they graciously let me use this as my RR. Words can't describe how I felt when I opened the package and saw the finished piece. This is why I love RRs because whether they realize it or not, every single stitcher leaves a part of themselves on the piece through their stitches for which I will forever treasure.
One last update before I end this post. Ladies and gentlemen, come dance with me because we have our first finish of 2009...

Design: Voice of The Shepherd
Designer: Told in A Garden
Fabric: 32 count Silkweaver Golden Promise Belfast Linen
Fibers: DMC

Yes, yes, I know it's already March but that's beside the point. I just love the fabric, don't you? I think I'm gonna submit it for the Silkweaver Showcase 2009. I've already submitted a couple of entries. Do you recognize them? Think I have a chance of winning? Good luck, to all participants :)

WiPs Update

Oh my, time flies and it's been three weeks since I last post. I've been stitching but some I can't show you due to them being exchange pieces. Other than that, here are some WiP pictures...

Helen and Tama, as you can see, you're both right. The Told in A Garden design is indeed Voice of the Shepherd. Just the bottom part left and I'll be having myself another happy dance soon. Chiloe, I've contracted your fear of greens after stitching the trees. They are such a pain!

There has been more activity going on in my cross stitch kingdom as well. A couple of bluebirds have decided to move in.

I've also started another CCN design.

It was all Carol's fault. I saw her finished Gingerbread Cottage on her blog and couldn't resist starting mine. As you can see, Carol, I needn't wait to see yours framed up before giving in to the urge. It's stitched on Silkweaver's Sapphire Sky. The fabric is slightly lighter in real life. I'm loving the contrast of the colours on the fabric so far. Rather than stitching it on a neutral colour fabric, I decided on this because I think the blue really brings out the design. I've changed the colour of the flower into a deeper shade of cornflower blue however because the original colour is too similar to the fabric. In my opinion, it looks better this way.

I've also been working on Renée's RR but there's not enough progress to warrant a picture. I promise I'll post one next time.

Two posts ago, I asked for help in locating the charms used in The Drawn Thread's A Spot of Spring, A Spot of Summer, A Spot of Autumn and A Spot of Winter designs. Paula heard my pleas and not only direct me to where I can get them but she actually went to the trouble looking for them at her LNS and sending them to me, all at her own cost!

She also sent me a postcard describing Spokane, Washington a.k.a. "The Lilac City" where she lives and a skein of Weeks Dye Works' Lilac floss (how appropriate) ^.^ Thank you, Paula, for your kindness. It will never be forgotten.

Words That Start With F

Flowers, Farmhouses and Frappuccino. Now what does these words have in common? Well, they are what I've been stitching for the past week or so.

I've been eying this for the longest time, ever since I finished Cappuccino.

I'm sure you can guess what happened next. Yup, last weekend, I grew tired of fighting and gave in to the temptation...

Design: Cappuccino

Designer: Little House Needleworks

Fabric: Zweigart's Vintage Country Mocha (Marbled) 32 count Belfast linen

Fibers: Crescent Colours Belle Soie

There are quite a number of French knots in this one. I'm happy that I've not forgotten how to make them. Here's a close up picture (a lousy one, I know).

I grew some flowers in my cross stitch kingdom too besides finishing Frappuccino. Roses, Daisies and pansies are now blooming in abundance though my pansies are pretty shy and are trying to blend into the fabric but as I can still see them, I'm not too bothered :)

Carol R, the design is Queen of the Needle by Just Nan (which is why I've been calling it my cross stitch kingdom). Helen, thank you for suggesting to change the butterflies into yellow. I believe there are yellow butterflies further down the piece and since Sally, Joysze and Nicola said they can see them just fine, I'll just leave them as they are. Kathy, maybe we can have a Barbabee's Quest SAL once you finish your presents and I finish QotN.

Besides that, I've also started a Told in A Garden design.

Can anyone guess which one it is? ~.^ The fabric is Silkweaver's Golden Promise which, I think is a very apt name to go with the design. I love how the gradually disappearing stitches at the bottom gave the illusion of gently rolling hills. My favourite part is the white fences.

Anyway, on to other things. I've been tagged by Chiloe. I've answered the Meme here. This is my personal blog where I keep all my photos and other stuff which is a more suitable place, I think, to post my Meme answers. You're welcome to take a look around there if you're interested. By the way, Chiloe, I forgot to answer your question last post regarding my Lilliput Village new start. Yes, it's an Anchor design but as far as I know, it can only be found in the January 2006 Issue 126 of Cross Stitch Collection magazine. I blogged about it back in January 2006. Hard to believe so much time has past!

OMG! Noreen, you play WoW too? /cheer /hug That's pretty cool. My main is a 70 feral druid (I love tanking) on Bonechewer. I have a number of alts too on the same server... 70 lock, 67 (I think) mage, 52 pally, 42 shammy etc. just to name a few. Sorry to all those non WoW players who have no idea what I'm talking about ^.^