Checking in

Hello everyone, it's been many, many months, like almost two years since my last blog.  Seriously, I haven't been crafting much after that last blog entry except for a  Halloween Exchange with my local stitching group that year and a meetup was held in October for the exchange..  And that too I procrastinated alot with my choice,  being fickle minded with my handmade criteria . There was four category to fulfilled; handmade, store bought, stash and food

Finally I decide to stitch Mr Baron Von Bat for the exchange. That bat was like calling to me

        My exchange package ; sew a Vampire teabag with a packed of tea and some bloody finger cookie to fulfiled the food category. My halloween store bought item was a frog ( a tissue case)  to denote a witch's familiar and  fabric and zipper for the stash.  

And with the exchange done with, the year just ended and begins a new one so quickly I just don't know where the time went. 😄

MIL had a fall  twice in the beginning of the year whereby the second fall gave her some serious issues and she had to go into nero surgery in February, a time when I first heard news of the pandemic Covid 19 had landed on our shore,  the  day MIL went into surgery in the same hospital.  I was still in a blurry state with no knowledge of how deadly the virus could be then.  

Thereafter the surgery,  several  medical visits followed which during the early stages was kinda hectic and took a toll on my me life. Six months later,  things have settled down a bit but C19 has already spread like a wildfire  and we went through several stages of Movement Control Order (MCO) , an effort  to curb the spread until some three weeks back, we  had another major spike. I shall not go into it further .

My priorities now is  finishing the UFOs including crochet knitting and some patchworks,  some dating back to upteen years ago. 

Two biggie achievements this year which are stitching related are two SALs I took part in and manage to complete. Something which is a rare, LOL  - Universal  Monster  SAL which I found myself not able to resist by The Witchy Stitcher fb group. This was  fun to stitch as Meg offered so many options and choices so every stitcher can personalized it and there were so many ideas and lots of creativity from everyone in the group doing the SAL

A freebie Garden SAL so generously offered by Durene Jones during the pandemic .  I made my choice of colors to compliment my blue evenweave.

I stitched up a small from the Be Well freebies. This is by Cottage Garden Samplings. 

Actually I had a few other choices I would love to stitch but ...later

I finally jumped into the bandwagon to sew some fabrics face mask too after some months of pondering

 For now,  C19 don't seem to be that easily eradicated and eliminated from this earth for the time being  and face mask are significant in our lives now 

Sew a matching face mask to go with a tote bag for DD. The tote bag was a long overdue project from last year which I only completed in August this year in time for her birthday. 

That's it for now. Back to some knitting and crocheting in the evenings. Work is still full time for me during this time . Currently, my state is in the second phase of  Control Movement Order till November 9 , which I foresee that this will be further extended looking at our current cases.

Wishing everyone good health , Stay Safe,  Be Safe and Be Well

 

A bit of everything in May

I thought the month of May would be quieter to allow me to ponder on a few things. First, the Birthday exchange with the girls at WSG is still pending, the exchange due date is in December and believed me December is not very long these days. Just look at how the days goes by week after week and June is up next.  Lucky that this round we only had one partner and I assured you with one partner it's not an easy task either.

May Wedding - we were flooded with a total of  six wedding invitations and what a coincidence that non of these weddings had dates that clashes as if 'they' had planned out. Just saying other wise it will be hard to decide which to forego . The Chinese believed that May is an auspicious month for marriage but six in a month is well a lot where the pocket is concerned since we are giving 'Angpow' as the wedding gift.

A lil' fun read that I stumble upon about the monthly bride
A January bride will be a prudent housekeeper, and very good tempered.
A February bride will be an affectionate wife, And a tender mother.
A March bride will be a frivolous chatterbox, Somewhat given to quarreling.
An April bride will be inconsistent, or forceful, But well-meaning.
A May bride will be handsome, agreeable, And practical.
A June bride will be impetuous, And generous.
A July bride will be handsome, But a trifle quick-tempered.
An August bride will be agreeable, And practical as well.
A September bride will be discreet, affable, And much liked.
An October bride will be pretty, coquettish, Loving but jealous.
A November bride will be liberal and kind, But sometimes cold.
A December bride will be fond of novelty, Entertaining but extravagant."

and the monthly Wedding
Married in January’s hoar and rime,
Widowed you’ll be before your prime.
Married in February’s sleepy weather,
Life you’ll tread in time together.
Married when March winds shrill and roar,
Your home will lie on a distant shore.
Married ‘neath April’s changeful skies,
A chequered path before you lies.
Married when bees o’er May-blossoms flit,
Strangers around your board will sit.
Married in month of roses- June-
Life will be one long honeymoon.
Married in July with flowers ablaze,
Bitter-sweet memories in after days.
Married in August’s heat and drowse,
Lover and friend in your chosen spouse.
Married in September’s golden glow,
Smooth and serene your life will go.
Married when leaves in October thin,
Toil and hardships for you begin.
Married in veils of November mist,
Fortune your wedding-ring has kissed.
Married in days of December’s cheer,
Love’s star shines brighter from year to year.”

The UFO Basket - I have a number of  knitting and crochet projects in the UFO basket which haven't seen light in a very, very long while plus a couple of stitching projects that I seriously need to look into. But I am currently low on motivation and the "calling"

A little peek - Slow like tortoise is a couple of crochet doilies in the making , this is new, I'll need to make a few or until I run out of threads.

I have been crocheting this Granny squares for ages, can't even recalled for how long it hasn't seen light and I am currently working slowly on this. Will see what it will become when I am done since I am so fickle minded and can't really decide.

Festival - Chung Chow Zie, Dumpling & Dragon Boat Festival, a  day when we celebrated the day with wrapped bamboo leaves dumpling of glutinous rice. I like mine the Nonya Dumpling. Not making any for now, since my quinea pigs are all away from home. I received a few dumplings when I attended an event for the dumpling festivity last weekend, so that will do for any cravings.

Weather - Currently we are experiencing inter-Monsoon weather which will bring afternoon showers and thunderstorm rain especially  in the early evenings and when it's hot, it humid and sunny and skin piercing, average 32C/23F.

 Thank you for coming by and leaving me your comments in my last post. Wishing all a wonderful month of June.

The new journey

A Red Hexagon SAL for year 2015 with some ladies in my group, it's been an on and off topic for quite a while before this came into action. One per week was the deal and I am waaaaaaaay behind. Here's my stuff at 3rd week.

 I have five sets waiting on my palate,  I should get ahead  I know, I shouldn't have put it down...you know how one can get drawn away in a split seconds

 Attended an Indian wedding, a long time friend and personal Maths tutor to my kids.

This is where the wedding was solemnized 

The blessing ceremony

Mr Avinash or 'Ane' as he is fondly known to his kids..err...his students I mean, hahaha, 

and his lovely bride

The location of the Wedding where the tallest Lord Muruga stood in front of the iconic Batu Caves Temple, a limestone cave  with its 272 steps behind

The temple where the wedding took place in the vicinity 

- stepping up to the temple hall where the wedding took place -

When Indian wedding is held in a temple, the food has to be vegetarian

 Lunch reception accompanied by Indian musicians

When this is served  at a dinner, it means non other

that Chinese New Year; the festivity is in the air

This dish is only available during Chinese New Year

"Yee Sang" a dish to begin with tossing with a pair of chopsticks as high in the air as possible before one eat denotes prosperity and raising to the higher level in whatever one ventures into

one must also make sure that the Yee Sang falls back onto the plate with every tossing

or there will be nothing to munch

*  At my Company Dinner last weekend  *

Desserts was Chinese pancakes and Osmanthus Jelly with wolf berries

the inbetween meals are like Shark fin soup, Steamed fish, a Prawn dish, Baby Abalone with Broccoli and shitake mushroom , Duck and Chicken platter 

and Steamed Glutinous rice with Chinese sausages and shrimp

I have this in mind for someone, been stitching this from last year with my dateline  by Christmas but no, only got to what you see here, so close to finishing. A design by Lizzie Kate, just love this design when a stitching gift is needed. I've change the color for the house as my 28ct evenweave is actually creamy, almost the same colour with the original thread colour it called for the house and the grass to compliment the house.

Thank you for coming by and for all your wonderful comments on my last post. Sorry if I didn't get to thank you with a personal mail but do be known that I read each and every comments and all are appreciated dearly.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, take care