Isn't this lovely?

cross stitch on T-shirts ~ Myra's work

Isn't this lovely? The lovely patterns were stitched by a friend in Singapore, Myra. Using a waste canvas (WC) technique on plain colour T-shirts. She told me that she was inspired by me and my stitchings. Oh! It is such a great feeling to know that someone is inspired by my works. I'm flattered.....

Myra's work makes me eager to do another WC project. This technique is used for stitching on a non-stitching fabric. You will find that you can stitch on lots of things in your house e.g. denim jacket, pillowcases, tea cosy, curtains etc etc etc. With Waste Canvas , we will have many stitching ideas as we can stitch cross stitch patterns as well as some specialty stitches.

I have done a WC baby bootees for my younger daughter during my earlier involvement in cross stitching. It was an exciting stitching experience, in addition to the excitement of stitching for my newborn. Now she is a 18months-toddler. Yet to find something to stitch for her and her elder sister. I took the baby bootees template from a XS book by Jan Eaton & Dorothea Hall. I made some changes to the XS pattern and used different fabric from what they have recommended in the book.

baby bootees ~ my 1st waste canvas project

cards, cards, cards

Today I received a 'Cross Stitch Card Shop' magazine from my stitching friend in Subang Jaya, Nik. I asked her to look for the magazine b'coz I could not find it in Miri. I'm very happy flipping through the magazine since it is my first issue. And it has lots and lots of nice patterns to stitch! Would love to get the next issue *wink*

Stitched cards is one of my favourite cross stitch items. It is pretty quick to do. I still remember my 1st stitched card, it was a not-so-nice card actually. Anyway, I'm glad that the recipient likes it.Since then my passion for stitched cards becomes stronger, I stitched more and more cards.

'Rocking Cradle' designed by Lesley Teare with colour scheme changed (to pink)

I made my own rectangle/square apertures card blanks. Luckily, now I can ask Nik to make the round/oval apertures for me. She loves card-making and has made many beautiful handmade cards as well as card-making tools ~ rubberstamping, tea bag folding, cross stitched etc etc etc. Anyway, I only make stitched cards since my great passion is needlework.Moreover, I need to buy those tools if I wanted to venture into card-making which I am not very keen to do.

'Little House' designed by Sue Cook with minor colour change

Sue Cook is my favourite designer for stitched cards. She has a lots lovely designs and I am looking forward purchasing her book in near future. At the moment, I KIV my stitched cards project coz I need to finish the XS Bellpull Exchange which is now is 85% complete and Fickle Minded Round Robin (FM RR) to finish before our birthdays in June (three of us are sharing a birthday month *wink*)

Oh... I really missed stitching cards! : )

Almost any place, any time

On Wednesday evening, my family and I went out for dinner. Thank goodness, our little princesses behaved very nicely. As you may know that, dining out with toddlers is a 'no-no' to some parents. I guess, we are one of the lucky ones, though sometimes our little princesses do give us a hard time while we are enjoying our food.

Well, what I would like to tell is not a story of parenthood anyway *wink*.

We saw our friend and her cousin at the cafe. I went over to say 'Hi!'. Guess what! They were stitching Applique SAL while waiting for their kids from the tuition classes. It was so envious to see the pretty patterns and craftmanship. They have lovely cottons too! I was drooling over the stash they brought along. Inspired me to get back to patchwork and quilting. Actually I am thinking of getting back to patchwork and quilting (P&Q) in next 2,3 months. P&Q was my 2nd passion in needlwork. Surface embroidery remains my numero uno. When I was very green in needlework, a friend of mine taught me how to do patchwork. I still have almost complete P&Q tools in my stash collection. I just need to stock on cottons to restart P&Q. Wow! Another stash shopping mark on the calendar LOL !

a patchwork pincushion for Margaret (MYS Craft Exchange 2004)

It is a common habit among stitchers, to bring along their stitching bag and some of their stash collection wherever they go. And it is nothing extra-ordinary for us, to stitch in the public. some may even stitch in an airplane! Or even when the traffic light turns red , at the bus station, LRT station and many more.

Stash shopping is a never-ending story to us. Some may go stash shopping while they are on a holiday abroad. Stash shopping may a monthly activity to some stitchers. I got friends who take a leave simply because they are going for stash shopping LOL! To some, they don't even need to get out from the house for stash shopping. I'm one of them *wink*. Thanks to the cyber world, we can stash shopping from home! Internet needleshops (INS) are easy to find. Thanks to communication technology, stitchers can SMS or call each other while stash shopping!

It is almost anywhere and anytime, stitchers go for stash shopping. And we do stitching at almost any place and any time.

I did it !

I have been spending several days on stitching a hardanger project as well as taking the 'step-by-step' pics of the project. I am glad with the result.

Heart Sweet Bag ~ pattern from The victoria Sampler website

Hardanger - its name may give us an impression of the hardest embroidery to do (or maybe a little bit dangerous kind LOL!) . NO...... , we are wrong to think that way! Hardanger is one of the interesting embroideries I ever I stitched. A sachet is my first hardanger project and I got the freebie pattern(Heart Sweet Bag) from Victoria Sampler website. I started with the hardanger part - kloster blocks, eyelet, weaving etc etc etc from the middle of the fabric (28ct cashel linen). And it didn't take much time to do. This is far than what I was expecting. Then, I did the embellishment part - some backstitches, lazy daisy stitch and beads, followed by the finishing part ~ to make the stitched piece into a sachet. The finishing part was trickiest part (at least to me) but the instructions were easy to follow hence easy to do, even for a beginner like me.

my 1st hardanger project

The only reason why I took several days to finish this hardanger project was because of I alternately stitching my XS bellpull project which is now 60% complete.

Anyway, I can assure you this : Next time, when you see the word "hardanger" , don't panic *wink* because you will see nothing but the beauty. Looks can be deceiving but I was 'deceived' by a name hik hik hik hik

stitch with me

When I joined a Yahoo Group for stitchers, I came across with this term ~ SAL. Initially, it only reminded me of my 2 friends who are sharing a same nickname. I really did not have any ideas of what is SAL doing in cross stitch world. I did some research asked the more experienced stitchers. Only then, I came to know that SAL is a "stitch-along", originally where several needleworkers held regular meet-ups to stitch or sew the same design/pattern at the same time e.g. stitching cross stitch flower design for Spring. They could sharing some tips and exchanging ideas on the particular ongoing project.

Nowadays, people could get together in the cyber world without leaving home. and online SAL is becoming very popular. As for me, SAL is another learning method for a needleworker and highly recommended to a beginner.

Stitch Along

I am preparing the step-by -step photos of a Hardanger Stitch Along (SAL) project for a group of ten stitchers. For most of us, this will be our first hardanger project. Will start this project in few more days. Everybody are excited about it.

Those photos will be soon uploaded in the 'Peek-a-Boo!'.

Stitching in Progress

I almost finished my XS stitching part on Nik's Fickled Minded Round Robin (FM RR) - about 95% complete! This is an alphabet design by Anna Davidson. Still need some stitchings for the inner part of the alphabet and back stitches to complete.

Another XS item to finish is a pincushion for my friend in Kuala Lumpur. It is sort of encouragement for her as she has just started quilting recently.

Actually, I got a XS bellpull exchange to stitch. I have not done anything yet except for the elementary things before stitching e.g. working copy, preparing flosses & needles, cutting the fabric and preparing the other materials needed for this exchange etc. The mailout date is on April 4th. OMG! I hope to finish it next week *wink*

Work in Progress - Nik's FM RR

Lil' Honey Collection (LHC) goes online!

Finally a blog for LHC is created after so much hesitation. Many thanks to my dear family and friends who have been giving me couragements in needlework.

Hopefully LHC Online soon will be loaded with knowledge and information in needlework . I've been needleworking since 2002 and collecting all information and sources ever since. I dedicate this blog to my stitching friends and all needlework enthusiasts out there.