let's do it

I've been telling myself over and over the past several months to blog, but with so much uncertainty over the past year on the work front, I haven't had any mojo to write, much less stitch. Happily things have been resolved for the better - at work, and some little progress on the stitching front.  But you be the judge :-)

First up, we have this:

I finally finished the little rays representing the "halo".  The little golden aura over the baby in the manger,  Of course, not finished finished yet, because I don't know how.

Next up:

More stitching done on the left border - the top if the picture's displayed the way I'm seeing it. Why Oh why is this displaying so oddly?  On the chart, the year (09) is written on the left side, so if you notice, my corner is not quite aligned, which is making the opposite corner not right, too! I also noticed I am off one column somehow on the bird wing and tail.  What to do. I'm scared that if I continue stitching, the lines won't meet,   But I guess it's the easiest thing to check and do, or do and check, today.
Do all stitchers obsess this way?

Okay I had to stop because my photos were all awry.

That's better.  See what I mean?

And then the La D Da... done with all the little stitching of the borders.  Just have to do the initials.  My dad's, my brother's and his son's initials.

I changed the color of the flowers from the odd brown as charted, to two shades of yellow as it looked more cheerful and it's meant for my nephew.  But maybe I'll keep it.

Then there's this little PS ornament for the same nephew, still looking lonely.  I did the back stitching on the zepellin and its propeller, but haven't added the little berries to the two leaves at the bottom, which would make it look like holly and more Christmas-sy.

Last, there's my project from 2013, all by its lonesome.  I finished the entire border (supposed to be done in 1 month as planned by the designer!) and am revving up to do the border going up (another 1 month project, I recall). I am up to it (I should be, it's been 2 years lol), but looking at the chart I have no idea how much space to leave above the medallion motif before I start upward on the next motifs which I think are leaf motifs.  The page for the medallion motif is separate from the page for the motif going upwards. We had 2 months to do it before the next installment.  If I want to finish this, I'd have to buy the chart now, because the stitch-along for this is long finished.

I really don't know what I will do with this - wait until a sale, maybe.  Or leave it unfinished (sad face).  I also did some frogging on my LK Christmas double flip (the border which I mentioned awhile back - border again!), but otherwise not much progress on that.

In other, better news, my brother brought me some fabric I bought, and sent to his address:

This blue shade, which on my screen looks like DMC 996, is actually DMC 927 or something like that.  Just goes to show how colors aren't exact onscreen. (Or how I need a new camera.  This iPod just isn't cutting it).   I also had another fabric, folded just the same way, but it is a pale green, and I don't know where it went.  Sigh.  It took just 2 weeks for it to disappear, but I'm sure it's around somewhere.  And there's the needles I bought in Spotlight in Singapore last August. I thought I took a picture months ago, but it seems I didn't.

So I'm happy.

One more bit of good news -- there is a giveaway going on at Victorian Motto Sampler with Ms. Nancy.. Twelve days to Christmas, there's still time!

Wish me luck with all the little bits I have left to do.. and I wish the same for you!

Race before 2012!

Hello!  Here we are, with a little less than 6 hours left til the New Year 2012.  In Singapore, the day after Christmas (Boxing Day they call it, a remnant of their colonial British past), decorations for the Chinese New Year were being put up right alongside the Christmas decor which were most likely on the way down, I suppose.  They say that the next year 2012 is the Year of the Dragon (honestly would not have known that if I hadn't been there: the lead up to that will come in our local papers maybe a week or 2 weeks to Chinese New Year, which I reckon will be towards the end of January 2012.. no firm date overheard).   They say it will be a better year.  We can only hope!

See the Christmas decor on Orchard (poor shot taken from a taxi cab as we were crossing Orchard; my timing was off)

As of now I am rushing this Day 4 doll square, work on which you may recall came to a standstill after I lost the whole skein of green 501 floss.  Pretty lame, but there it is.  My friend Joysze has been yearning to see a finish (sorry Joysze! and I forgot to sign up for IHSW!)  For the past week I have been sporadically stitching on it; I've been unable to because I was spending time with the apples of my eyes (there are 2 apples, don't you know) my nephew and niece.  Christmas was a bit of an anticlimax, with family matters spoiling all things Christmas.  

Anyway, here is what is new over at Casa Whimsey and Wit (my WIP is now a "casa" where things happen.. or don't! lol):

I'm not being very ambitious, I just want the green dress and the red piping done and the word "dolly" in green sewn out before 2012 comes.  The red piping will be courtesy of DMC metallics 321 -- apparently there is no such thing as DMC 5270 anymore...  paid a quick visit to the local needlestore - such nice staff!  the store is smaller than it used to be but the two young ladies manning it said it was only temporary - let's hope so! I bought 4 DMC Amorsolo patterns (I have the Tinikling already, so that makes 5th) - there are 8, but I don't like the other three -- all yellows and browns, and the "Banga" one and the fishing one and the girl bathing which I really don't feel drawn to as subjects for stitching.  Are they for me?  No, they're for my dear cousin who's visiting - it's been 5 years since her last visit and she's here with her family to celebrate her mom's 80th.   I must say, though, that I'm inclined to buy the patterns for myself... but given my rate of finishing they might turn out UFOs or NFOs!  Still.. would be nice to have them in case I'm ever crazy  inspired enough to stitch them.  I like Tinikling, and the Girl with Mangoes.   My cousin, on the other hand, is someone who will likely stitch them, and finish!

These paintings portray early 20th century scenes from the countryside.  Sadly these scenes are very rare now as what used to be countryside and rice fields are now real estate developments!

On to more inspiring things... stash!  Magazines count as stash, don't they?

A lot of magazines my cousin sent to me.  These aren't half of it yet.  She even sent charts, and boy can she keep them neat and really new looking.  She made up a kit for me for one of them and that's going to be the second, no third item I'm stitching for 2012.  First will be a Happy New Year small for a card ( I already apologized for not being able to send it off before Christmas!), then the Flower scene "Flowery Meadow" from Burda, and then the kit.  Um, I should say I have not kitted up for the Flowery Meadow just yet.  Threads are in Anchor. I don't mind Anchor, but at the point where I started stitching there seemed to be more DMC, so I have more DMC than Anchor.  

I have a confession to make.  I visited Spotlight at Plaza Singapura, and they were having a huge sale til January 5th, and I didn't buy anything except a pack of Mill Hill beads that were on sale at SG$1.  There was also Kreinik at SG2, and 2 shades of green Marlitt at SG3.. and packs of Aida and evenweave with accompanying leaflets/charts by Semco at SG5.. even red Aida 16ct.. and I didn't buy!!  At that time I was congratulating myself on my restraint but now... it just seems abysmally dumb of me not to have bought!!!  :((

 And another thing... I FORGOT to bring my stitched ornaments to my nephew and niece!  So they're here, languishing in my box.  Well, I have decided to find a way to "finish" them into respectable ornaments and not just little bits of stitched stuff, so my mom or I can bring them next time.   Oh well.  

Okay.. I better get cracking if I'm to finish Day 4!

A brighter, happier, all around better New Year to all my stitchy friends!   A peaceful, prosperous New Year!

Crikey!

Oh my!  I put the pressure on; did my stitching, and had to unpick......  ow!  It was the arch on the Tuscan greeting, I didn't count so carefully and found when I reached the other end of the arch, that it wouldn't meet!  Ouch.  To make it worse, when I counted back, I found that I made the mistake not a few stitches back, not somewhere in the middle, but waaaay back.  With arches it's an either-or, no fudging.  The thing either meets at the bottom, or it doesn't.  Ah well, such is life.  You unpick, and you go on.  :)

On the stash - I don't have all that many, I think.  The more I read other blogs, the more I find I'm just like the rest.. the stash first, and I'll find the time to stitch later!  I haven't had a good sortie for stash in years.  The stash I have now (with the exception of the Philippine DMC patterns), I either bought or was gifted (by my favorite elder cousin Avey) years ago (like 15 years ago?).   I realize now that I should have looked around in Vancouver and Seattle a few months back.  I did find some in Singapore last June since I happened to be wandering round Takashimaya on Orchard with my nephew.  The fourth or was it fifth floor had crafts - painting, drawing, some sewing stuff.  Not exactly craft/cross stitch/embroidery country though.  The nearest to a Michaels store in Singapore is Spotlight, which is in Plaza Singapura at the mouth of Orchard Road.  It's got a lot of crafting things, but sadly does not compare to Michaels.

The lovely Advent calendar is still missing in action.  It's a Whimsey & Wit pattern and sadly I don't think it is available anymore, unless you want to try that store in La Jolla or search in Ebay.   I'll ask the store's name from my cousin and let you know.

Now as for ziplining.. I think I'll go for a longer course and tell everyone how it goes.  But let me tell you I think my heart stopped around 20 meters in when I was hanging over the first stretch of forest!  

Thanks for the warm greetings; I don't think I'll ever get over how welcoming everyone is.  :)