Winter solstice and snowman

It's Winter Solstice festival today where we associated it with the Old Chinese Calendar which is still celebrated today. Traditionally, the Dongzhi Festival is also a time for the family to get together. One activity that occurs during these get-together is making of Tang Yuen, the sweet/savory Glutinous Rice Balls and eating dumplings and a family feast.

We are not allowed to celebrate this day last year and the two previous years to mourn the passing of my FIL. So this year, we are having a little feast within the family and enjoying a bowl of Tang Yuen (Glutinous Rice balls cooked  sweet or savory ) to symbolize completeness. There are many versions of cooking this Tang Yuan.

A bowl from my kitchen this year

White Fungus and Longan sprinkle with Osmanthus Flower with 3 varieties of Glutinous Rice Balls.

plain for the smaller ones,  a slightly bigger balls with a hue of green is filled with Sesame paste and Adzuki Bean Paste in white. Why three varieties? Well, initially I wanted to cook two version of tang yuan, the other with Soy milk but the idea got toss out when my home was hit with two days of water disruption due to some maintenance work by the Water Works Department and that eventually just kills the mood.

Chirstmas is just round the corner and these are what I initially planned for my cruise  stitching which I didn't get to stitch until  two weeks ago when I had a three days weekend. I wanted  something that would provide a less physically demanding and concentration while on the cruise and I didn't get to put in a single stitch.

I only got to put in the finishing for four.  Here's two more

This is from the 2016 JCS Christmas Ornament Issue which I finish only about a week ago

Here's wishing all a Blessed Merry Christmas !

May the sweet magic of Christmas

Not only fills in your heart and soul

May you experience laughter and lots of joy

and spend many moments of glee with your family

Wishing you and your family

Merry Christmas

and

A Happy New Year !

Its the year of the Rooster in 2017

in accordance to the sequence in the Chinese Calender

A new month has come

The weeks has flown by so fast and just like that, August is here. It certainly didn't take long for the weekend to wrap up week after week. The last two weekend of July had me attending two weddings. We just celebrated the first birthday in the family and more to follow soon from now onwards. 

Christmas in July - My swap partner hasn't a blog and I have been contemplating if I should post what I have sent to my partner. I have no news yet since I mailed out on 16 June, it's been over a month but where it went I supposed it might take awhile to arrive.  These are what I've sent to my partner  hosted by Kim

The work in progress - For my swap partner

Choice #  One

INSPIRATIONAL WORD

(words are choice of the stitcher)

Felt Hoop Art

Here's all done

"Bless Ewe"

I had a thing with  "Ewe", sheeps are simply adorable in designs. I had to remind myself constantly that I was working on "Inspirational Word" and not the sheep because "sheep" was not listed as the theme. This is my first Hoop Art working with felt and applique on a hoop

SANTA

Choice # Two

Project zipper pouch with Santa design fabric

the work in progress

The linining on the inside

Added a pocket with a Crossed Stitched Santa

(sorry just can't recalled Santa design)

This is my first flat pouch sewing with a zipper.

It took me two nights just to figured out how to put the lining on the pouch so the seams are all on the inside of the pouch sandwiched between the outer fabric and the lining. Of course I had to tweaked a little and cheat a little to get this successfully done, a bit not so perfect thou. It's a bold move to embark on this pouch. I had second thoughts so many times of abandoning this project.

What holds in the pockets are the extras that I've sent along too

 ANGEL
Theme choice # 3

A crochet Angel

Angel was my first thought for this swap. For this,  I went rummaged my local LNS near me  and found this Anchor thread which is slightly stiff to handle but still manageable.

Angel wing in a pineapple pattern
Drying out in the kitchen

The Angel waiting for her wings

Angel all completed. Am super happy with how this Angel turned out despite me not having any chart but simply working on my intuition.
To give it a bit of color I added a gold ribbon with red rose and red bell and some pink seed beads

I doubt that I can ever crochet another exact replica of this angel again.

I didn't take notes while work in progress.

Swap thoughts - I had  fun working on my swap gifts. Selecting the theme wasn't hard, there's ample choice to choose from. The moment I scroll through the list, my mind started computing the possibilities of what I can and would like. This swap gave me an opportunity to try some new craft that I had so wanted to embark, like the Hoop Art but never did because I was always so preoccupied with my current affairs. This swap literally took me out of my comfort zone. I was so excited for days, planning and reading up tutorials , there was so much to see and read and sourcing for materials. No doubt I had my hair pulling moment especially with the zipper pouch. I just couldn't sew straight along the zipper and then I had problem with the lining. Crocheting the Angel was a sheer challenge. Seriously, my craft table hasn't been so messy for a very long time

About stitichin' - A small stitch finish, a freebie from The Nebby Needle which I never knew of Nebby Needle until now. Thanks to Vickie who posted the link, you can find the freebie  here . I thought it would go pretty on a card for a GF

Another Hoop another art. My second piece for a girlfriend who just moved into her new home

I think the hoop bug had gotten into me. Here's another one. I stitched this awhile ago. I found the perfect size hoop to finish this into.

Another one finished from stitching awhile back

Weather -  We had a gloomy morning when  Typhoon Nida swipe across Hongkong on Tuesday morning.  I though it would rain but it didn't, the air was a little chill but then I am near a hilly area.
By mid morning, the sun was shinning brightly.

Tete-a tete - Another round of meet-up with the girls from college over an Afternoon Tea at Majestic Hotel . We had so much fun chatting not of the old times but what lies ahead and a possible trip somewhere

Late Nite Out - Actually not really late, just after work but I rarely ventured out to town after work these day. But that Thursday evening I went out to meet up with DS, Vincent on his way back from his coaching class and we had dinner at Franco in KLCC, our iconic Twin Towers

Salad Francais at Franco

Network Issue - I had some issue with my cellphone some days back after I received a notification to update which I did. Thereafter, I got this pop-up text that something has stopped working. As a result I had to switch "off and on" my cell which will only allow me to use one apps at a time and that was driving me crazy. To resolved the matter, I had to factory set my phone and whatever that I haven't saved is all wiped out clean. On the other hand, I am still having issue with posting comments in blogs, although I could still post a comment but  a notification  "Delivery Status Failure" text will pop-up every time . Now that I have not figured out what went wrong. I thought by resetting my phone the problem would go away but apparently it did not. So it had to be the desktop pc I am using. Now that's one problem, I do not where to begin to look for the source.

Hope you a had had  lovely weekend and here's wishing you a great week ahead

Farewell 2014

One last post before a new year unfolds. My last Christmas package for Jess W

 A prim design by Pineberry Lane

Stitched on 32 ct linen

When I had given up hopes and was certain that my HOE Christmas Ornie has gone  MIA, I found a packaged in my mailbox  yesterday afternoon. It came all the way from Netherlands. It's gorgeous and perfect, finished into a pinkeep so beautifully by Mylene. Thank you so much Mylene it's just worth the wait. 

Design BBD from JCS 2013.

It's been weeks of gloomy and wet weather here. We had so much rain that floods have hit at least six states with deaths reported and more than 250,000 flood victims evacuated from their homes. 

While the flood crisis are still ongoing, another air tragedy struck when another jetliner, Indonesia Air Asia #QZ8501went missing with 162 people on board.   SAR are currently on going as well as sadly for MH370 . My thoughts and prayers for the families in the tragedy.

I know it is easier said than done, life goes on

Have a great 2015

Thank you everyone who came by in my good times and bad times, 

Thank you for all your words of encouragement,

Be known that your presence  are felt although we may have never really met

and I may have failed to make my presence in yours, 

but you are always in my thoughts and

your words will always be my source of inspiration

that I appreciate so very much..

and that

I Thank YOU

Christmas tyme

Hard to believed that it's eve of Christmas and the New Year is now only days away.  Time really flies by  and sometimes I wonder where did the days actually went. I began my first Christmas stitching for HOE Exchange. This is my exchange piece for Karen in the land of Oz

One part freebie design by Sub-Rosa, Tree and Deer and the other if I am not wrong a design by Gazette. Finished it into a house shape with tiny pom-poms that I thought it look like snow. I was rather surprised that it arrived in less than 10 days when I had expected it to arrive nearer to Christmas or even feared after Christmas. While mine arrived, there still no sign of my Ornament from the exchange. 

More Christmas ornaments stitched thereafter.

Faith - JCS Ornament 2014

Nikys Creations stitched on Linen 32ct  teadyed for Barbara J

I had to steal the photo from BJ as it looked much better than the one I took.

Noel 2008 freebie design by Ravenelle

Stitched on Aida between 18 or 16ct white. Simple finishing as I simply got lazy.

Lizzie Kate Up on the tree

32 ct Linen

JCS Ornament 2014

 Snowflake finished on a mini picture frame. I know now I should have stitched  it in red

Some two weeks back, I help a friend set up her tea table at her son's wedding to welcome the bride and her entourage for the tea ceremony.

and finally, I know I have not visited anyone lately, but here's me wishing everyone

HAVE A JOLLY GOOD CHRISTMAS 

& HAPPY HOLIDAYS

thank you for your friendship in blogging and inspiring words in your comments throughout the year. I appreciate it a lot. 

Halloween finishes

I had vowed last year that I shall not pile up more UFOs. While I did managed quite well with finishing up a couple from my UFO stash last year,  I failed miserably this year. I won't go into it, as those of you who has been reading me will know why. So, when I finally picked up my needle last month for Halloween, I finished this a couple of days ago.

Witch - Prairie Schooler and Witch Boot from a Russian Blog

Another local dessert suitable both for breakfast or afternoon brunch from last weekend

Seri Kaya (should I translate it as "Rich Radiance ?") It's a Glutinous Rice cook with coconut milk based with Custard Pandan  toppings (All natural colorings. I blended the Screwpine (Pandan) leaves to obtained its juice for the toppings in green ) The kueh has a sweet salty taste. A very popular must have at weddings especially for the Nyonya.

The colour blue on the glutinous rice is derived from the Sweet Pea Flower from  MIL's garden.

Apparently I had too much water for the flowers which diluted the blue a little too much

That's all for my November first posting.  It's been raining here daily, without doubt, the raining season has began. The days can be a little chill and I guessed some parts of the world will be snowing soon.

Take care everyone and keep warm. Have a good weekend.
Thank you to all who came by and left comments in my last posting about Little India. Appreciate your visits.

The Witch flew

Now that The Witch has landed, it's time to reveal.
Halloween Exchange Round 4, my favourite season. Not wanting to stitch something in silhouette this round, I found this design was calling out to me.

Finally finished stitchin', after many many days

but I was missing one absolutely necessary part that it can't do without
It looked so weird even here
The witch had two strands of springy curly hair that stays curly
a thread that has a "memory" to stay put, I need to get that

Exploring for some alternative embellishment for my ornament for the just in case.

Took the wire binder off an old table calendar in the office..yes, in the office..and  took it home. Sprayed it  Orange as it should be one morning, dried it and had it hanging somewhere that I will not forget where it will be when it's needed , just in case ...

This is the result after it's dried. it looks good. I have no complaints for now but not without worries since it had to fly on it's own at high altitude

While waiting for my order to come,  an idea was playing  for a Halloween Theme Card. It was the weekend I was home at my In-laws, our visits went weekly after news of  my FIL became seriously ill. I took with me enough supplies, or  whatever I thought I would need and obviously,  I han't brought enough, that happens...always

  My first popped up of a Ghost and two mini note inserts. One slotted into the pumpkin on the right while the other into the spider Halloween greetings on the left.

Then I waited for the 'thread'. 

A week went by, another week came and gone and I can't wait any longer

FINISHED
HOE Halloween Ornament Exchange Round 4

The Witch...Is Me !

Design by Amy Bruecken Designs

Halloween Collection Magazine

I have converted the threads to all DMCs, my choice

Replaced DMC Memory Thread with the wired binder.
I hope it will sustained the journey

32 count Linen from my stash
For Marie P in USA

My sincere apology to  Marie for the extremely late mailing out of her exchange.
Up to the time of my mailing, I have yet to receive my order of the Memory Thread.

HALLOWEEN ORNAMENT that came
My exchange ornament came from Nicole S in Canada a week earlier before I mailed mine. She wrote that the design is from JCS 2014 Ghosts.  Adorable design! Thank you so much Nicole, love your choice of design for me.

Thank you all for taking time to visit me and leave a comment in my last post. Big hugs to all of you.