The Birthday Exchange

Where Stitchers Gather (WSG) meet again, we are definitely a bunch of procrastinators , LOL . We are only a handful of ladies who shared, enjoy and supportive of each others creative endeavors and are much comfortable with each others antics.

So it has been decided that we are meeting in March for the 2017 birthday exchange. We are assigned to one "secret" partner by drawing a single name, unlike stitching for everyone like the years before. The highlight of the event is of course the pressie, it has been a well kept secret for over a year and I am pretty sure everyone is  excited that it is finally the reveal day

The exchange packages (top )with the bonus gifts below look  just like Christmas minus the tree

The Exchange Gift - Procrastinate I did, it was hard to decide what to stitch for my partner who is  a crème de la crème needlewoman, actually it was never easy to stitch for any lady in the group, its very stressing, cause whatever I had in mind, it had to be something special and it has to be perfect. Thus, visiting L'uccello on my trip to  Melbourne last July  was like hitting a jackpot. That was where my exchange items materialize and I am glad I could stitch something within my comfort zone for Margaret W

The Gift : ONE Handmade item

Vintage French Seed packet Needle Keep by L'uccello.

It's a decorative two-way folding needle keep, I called it the magic fold,simply because it opens both ways.  I have never done such finishing before, yes, I have seen it as a purse, Diane has one which she enjoyed playing tricks with her younger cousins.

Construction with the written instructions was excellent, but my mind kept playing tricks on me and I kept having this thoughts and doubts. The hardest was positioning the tapes, I resolved to whip stich to hold the pieces together after I fail to hold it in position with just  glue as per the instruction, yet it didn't quite aligned the perfect way.

Another doubt I had was what and how to finish  the  seed pocket design cover. There is no specific given instructions how it should be done, basically no right or wrong and one can embroider as much or as little as you desire and any way you like it on it's pre-printed fabric.  Froggy visited me three times, before I finally came to terms with my embroidery. I did better with the last Zinia flower, not the first two as I was trying to imitate the colors on the pre-printed fabric, before OCD sets in. Actually I almost gave up on this thinking twice maybe thrice over.

One Stash - Antique Mannequin 

We are to include one stash item . This is another one from L'uccello. Unfortunately I didn't realized that this was not a kit and thus, I made this into a kit by adding the required item;  fabric and lace

An extra item -  An embroidery pinkeep from L'uccello, simply because I was sure that the second item can be  a stitched item or store bought ,  not just stash. I was wrong.  So since I have already bought the item meant for the gift, I might as well gifted it.

Exploding Box -  I made the Birthday girl an exploding box in lieu of a card containing a page of the birthday  month which dated back to 2017 where I am leaving it as it is and will not replace that  with current year since this is an exchange meant for that year .

Would you agree ?

We have agreed that we will take a break from an exchange this 2018 year so we may concentrate on what need to be done with or finishing whatever on our priority list. For me that will be my  Hexagons SAL and the Birthday Exchange quilt blocks from previous years. Let's see if  I'll manage to kick myself out of this stitching slump and get some progress done this year. We needed the break just to distressed too, just thinking about the exchange can be very tiring.

From my partner JUNE this is what I received.

FABULOUS little sewing kit, so intricately and elaborately stitched one over one with tiny little needle rest and thimble complete with a scissor's pocket. Looking at all the tinniest stitching left me breathless

The cutest turtle tape measurement and scissor is to go into the pocket on top of the sewing box and a FIRST DAY COVER in conjunction with the Dog Year

She also included in her package a fabulous rolling pin from Goody Woody with a pineapple print design. Think I am keeping it for display with my collection of wooden cookie molds.

The BONUS Gifts

A secret project from Margaret with little pieces of fabrics from each of us she requested

where it's incorporated into the spool and finished off as a pinpillow. 

How cleaver of her and gifted back to us.

Jess gave us each a pineapple scent soap 

From me to everyone
a little teapot ceramic teabag coaster for all
While June gifted everyone a crocheted tape measurement which I forgot to take a photo
but if you scrutinize  a few photos here you might have spotted some turtles crawling

A peek at what  the rest of the ladies received from the  exchange on that day and the photos said it all. We did not set any particular theme for the exchange and thus all of us went with our partnered favorite things or subjects.

June received from Barbara

Blue her fav color

Barbara received from Jess

Doll Quilt

 Margaret's from me 
Needlework accessory

Jess from Margaret

Mini Quilt with a PS cross stitch piece

Where we meet, food is always and never far from our thoughts.

Poppy seeds loaf

A little festive mood  still with  a platter of Yee Sang 

Blooming Tea

A very messy table only a crafter will appreciate, LOL

A little show and tell there
Conclusion, I am pretty sure everyone went home happily, I am indeed happy
It was a lovely day and a we laugh at our silliness, put up with each other's antics,  shared some crafty and craziest ideas and that the day ends amazingly
We even got to stash a little from the LNS where we meet

March 8 - Celebrating Women Day with the State Assemblyperson for Kuala Kubu Baru Madam KH Lee, (in White). She hosted a mini dinner for us and later gifted the ladies with aprons  while the men who took a piece home may give  it to  the women in their life .

Sorry the photos here look blurry, it's due to the lightings I supposed. 

Thank you to all who visited me in my last post and left comments. Glad you enjoyed my short break to Bangkok .

A little bouquet in March from Diane shall ends my post for now . 

End of the first quarter

First quarter of the year is always busiest of time for me at work plus it's tax month and a festivity known as Tomb Sweeping  Day - Qingming in Chinese which is like All Souls Day, only we actually go to the tomb to sweep and clean and finished with prayers and offerings.

Times have changed, even the departed ones get a  Gift Box of offerings, like a luggage ?
All the necessities  required for the afterlife are  packed or boxed and sealed with name tags
Before the box came into existence, we used to drag bags and bags of "hell money" and "joss papers" and "paper clothings" and whatever deem necessary, deem necessary today included; can you believed ? mobile phones, besides houses, cars, plastic cards (all paper made and in 3D)  etc..etc...etc...for the dearly departed ones to enjoy in the afterlife .
How do we deliver the stuff ?
To be burnt by their respective graves on this day.
It's a hand-me-down tradition, we just follow no questions asked or bad omen befalls
However, we believed we, those born in the 60's; the baby boomers II and a little in the 70's will be maybe the last generations to follow such rituals. We do doubt the Gen Y 's will ever bothered.

It's the only time of the year where the otherwise eerie looking cemetery, comes to life, so to speak. .  It's also a day where family gathers and believed me or not, it's where an opportunity to spot a long lost neighbor or childhood friend who had moved away but now returns for this customary ritual. In total from hubby's side of the family, we attended eight graves.

Moving on to my Spring Challenge with the All About Smalls from the FB group
I've completed stitching  Quaker Birds, LHN design. It took me three separate nights of stitching to complete. As of March 28, I've selected the backing fabric.

This is what I finished into

Call it a sewing box with a pincushion

Hippity Hop Hop

A little bunny finish from stitching a while back was next

Priaire Schooler Rabbit Run Booklet

A day's tour - I went on a day's tour with mom to our Silver State, a costal town in Setiawan and Sekinchan . Silver State (Perak our Malay lingo)  it is so called because that state is our major tin mining land once a long time ago. The once isolated township is now booming for tourism.

First stop , Tua Pek Kong Temple. Giant rows of white statues, with Tua Pek Kong seated in the center is 48 feet tall greeted us as we entered the grounds

it faces the Straits of Malacca flanked by the Godess of Mercy

One of its attraction is this Large Dragon with it's belly interior walls are lined with illustration  scenes from the Ten Chamber of Hell, the warning of sinners and their gruesome fate in hell for the offenses committed during their earthly life. Have no fear, do more good deeds and earn good merits and you will be saved from hell. So the saying goes.

 The famous deities, The Eight Immortals

A memory shot with mom in front of the Gigantic Laughing Buddha

The grounds are beautifully landscaped with water fountains, ponds filled with carps and path ways lined with the 18 shaolin monks, if I got that correct. I am not very well verse with this Chinese mythology or folklore, so pardon my ignorance.

Our next stop, Sekinchan about two hours drive from Setiawan

The name literally means village suitable for plantation, thus paddy is the main produce and also well known as a fishing village

The paddy fields

had me humming the "Green Green Grass of Home" :D

Crunchy Nutty Rice Cracker produced at the paddy mill

The fishing village

Pick the catch of the day

There was a beach nearby known as Pantai Redang (Redang Beach) This beach is not for swimming or picnic. There are many stalls nearby for a get-to-gether to chat and munch on some prawn or squid fritters and sip on some fresh coconut or cold drinks or cola instead .

 Another pit stopped was the Nan Tian Temple, the temple of the Nine Emperors God situated in the middle of the luscious green paddy fields. With the signature yellow and and red  against a green backdrop it's a sight to behold.

A view from the 3 storey pagoda.

Mom looking happy to have made an incense offering

It was a hot long day for both mom and me . We haven't travelled just the two of us in a very long while and we ended our day with a seafood dinner before we headed home to rest our tired feet, for mom especially. At 84 this year,  well I noticed she is not that enthusiasts with long walks and tires easily. Lucky me it was a three day weekend.

I hope we will have our next adventure soon.

Thank you all for your coming by and for your sweet thoughts on the Teacup/Mug Swap revealed.

I enjoyed visiting and looking and in awe with all the wonderful and fantastic swap received and sent too. It was indeed a brilliant idea by Stephanie.

Wishing all a wonderful Spring and a fantastic month of May and I will be having another three day weekend to start my month of May being the 1st of May is a Labour Day for us here and I will be taking a short break away from the city.

August full of happenings

Lots happened in August.  I had good days and bad days, but I shall keep only to happy thoughts for my  August roundup post.

 A 3-D Birthday wishes is in a little treasure box/closet of  her favourite things

with a sneak peek of her college mates on their colour theme day; Red for girls and Blue for boys

 The last book on the shelf actually open up to pages with written wishes from everyone at home.

My first attempt at baking a Rainbow cake, doubt I'll ever bake a second one after this.

All I can say is that it's tedious and took me a day to bake and in a rush I forgot the flowers for the cake top. The blue candle is a musical candle that plays Happy Birthday when twisted

The next card for Mom in a flatfold finishing
Mom shared the same birthday month with Diane with only a day apart.

The Workbasket Freebie - Pink Flower

32ct Linen. Thought this would be a quickie but stitching this felt like forever. I had an on off stitching affair since I started it on June 26. Threads all original DMC colors it called for.  Finishing will be later .

A secret stitching project in August
I need the grids to stitch this, yet I kept getting cross-eyed.

"Au nom de la Rose" design adapted from driada7.ru

The Spider Web Rose Stitch is so intimidating, while the  Rhodes Heart stitch, my first attempt is so daunting. Can you imagined I even thought of replacing Rhodes Heart stitch with a button ?

Somehow I gathered enough courage an attempted the Rhodes Heart with not so satisfying result  nor did I perfected it. So MW, please pretend you didn't notice 'wink'

My first such finishing yet cheating the finishing on the inside of the stitching pouch.

Replacing the needle section with felts instead of more Rhodes Heart which I have no confidence of attempting successfully

Fabric Linen 32count

 Margaret's  Birthday card with her favourite item; pincushion, only that it's barely visible

Margaret's Birthday package

I was days late in mailing this out, needed a bit more time to finished the pouch 

I received words of its arrival a couple of days ago.

With left over batter from the Rainbow cake I made some half a dozen of Ferrero Rocher cuppies. I think I am loving this more.

Thanks so much for stopping by, hope you have a great weekend.