Prickly Little

One-nighty quick project done on Sunday. Saw it on Urban Debris last year. This hedgehog pincushion is fun to make. Just have the materials ready : felt, embroidery flosses, some stuffing/filler & pins; you could start it right away. And voila ... your very own stitching corner's pet.

I did it with some slight differences - seed beads for the eyes and lined the ears with cotton print.


* hedgehog is not a porcupine - click here to learn more.

Around the World Mail Art for Naomi

The mail art has finally reached its destination - Naomi in United Kingdom. I stitched a traditional motif on 28ct jobelan using Anchor multicolour floss. The pattern is an adaptation from one of 'songket' motifs.

Songket - a handwoven cloth made from gold/silver and silk/cotton threads, usually worn to certain ceremonial functions. This fabric is also popular for the Malay traditional wedding attire (bride & groom). It is a bit uncertain of the origin of 'songket' but it has been a treasured textile throughout the Malay archipelago since many centuries ago. Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia are 'sharing' this Malay heritage & art of weaving and have been producing 'songket' with distinctive motifs ever since.

The postage stamps are from 'Visit Malaysia Year 2007' commemorative stamp series.

The background fabric in the above picture is a 'sampin songket' from my dear hubby's personal collection. 'Sampin songket' is an additional sarong-like cloth to Malay men's traditional attire.

The inside envelope is fully-lined with 'batik' fabric and I also 'showed off' the same fabric on the back of the envelope. I stitched my address on a small piece of jobelan before attaching it onto the flap of the envelope. I used a black velcro strip for the closure and embellished with 'vintage looking' buttons.





* Around the World Mail Art Exchange - we were required to stitch something about the place where are we from or where we live

Mr. Posto knocked on the door...

On Saturday morning, Mr. Posto knocked on the door to deliver this:


Yippe! I had been eyeing this special issue for quite some time and asked my hubby to look for it when he was in Paris, unfortunately his numerous visits to the bookstores and magazines kiosks were fruitless. Thanks a lot to a dear stitching friend, Aw, who kindly brought in some French cross stitch magazines (hors serie - special issues) for us.

Mains et Merveilles L'art Postal - special issue on cross stitched Mail Arts. It is a worth purchase for art mailers like me. 17 charts from various designers including Isabelle Vautier.

To cross stitch art mailers/mail artists or anyone who is interested, you could also read an article on mail arts in Quick & Easy magazine issue October 2006 and this month issue of Gift of Stitching online magazine.

Needlecrafter RR 2007 - another progress

Just to show a picture of mes croix on my own Round Robin (RR) piece. DMC Sunshine Flowers is a big chart and for this Round Robin each person is required to stitch merely the maximum stitchcount of 60X60 on 14ct aida (approx. 4.25" X 4.25") which is equals to 3600 stitches. I determined to use the pattern as my RR pattern b'coz I really like it, furthermore I've never stitch a big ones. It made me actually stitched one third of pattern and the rest is equally divided into 5 portions. Other participants have to stitch approximately 3600 stitches ea.

However, I couldn't finish stitching my portion before sending it out to the next participant, there is another 20% to complete. I have to resume stitching and finish it off soon after the RR piece comes back to me - which is I'm really looking forward to.


* Needlecrafter RR 2007 - 6 participants Round Robin

Mail Art from Penang

I received a mail art from Penang nearly two weeks ago. Initially I was puzzled to receive a mail art (MA) from Zarina coz we hadn't arranged any personal swaps for the month of April. We actually had done 2 personal swaps before.

Finally it came to my senses that the MA is meant for Around the World Exchange. A note in the envelope had confirmed it. I called Zarina up and we giggled over it. She really knows how to keep it a secret!
For this exchange, we were required to stitch something about the place where are we from or where we live. Zarina stitched a butterfly and a pair of cute flutterby buttons on the front of the envelope. Penang Butterfly Farm is one of many attractions in Penang.
And she stitched a row of starfishes on the back of the envelope. What do you think about when you see a picture of starfish? ....You are right! It reminds us of beaches and sea. A strip of beaches is simply another Penang attraction. Batu Ferringhi is one of the famous beaches - look closely at the postcard in the picture.

Thank you Zarina for the Mail Art and giftie. To receive a mail art from you had made this exchange is more like a 'surprise me' themed exchange to me... hehehehehe

Currently Stitching...

Apart from working on the two stitching obligations which are going to be sent out by end of this month, I have another four stitching projects on my rotation - one is a stitching obligation to finish by May deadline and the rest are stitching smalls for me to keep.

Here are some progress pictures of stitching smalls, I took earlier this week.

I love Ladybug - SanMan Originals

petite envelope : De Fil en Aiguille