the slow stitcher

I finally took pictures of all the wondrous things that my dear stitching friends have sent me. Here’s a parade for your perusing pleasure.

Winter’s Eve mattress pinkeep from Vonna:

EEF scissor fob from Carol S:

Quaker needlekeep from Lody S for the NNC Christmas exchange:

The back side of Lody’s needlekeep:

Lody also included a pretty bracelet:

As you can see, I’ve been spoiled rotten by lovely, lovely people who stitch beautifully. It makes me feel bad that I’ve not been in the mood to stitch for the longest time now. I pick up a needle and I just feel so, so tired. Help me!

(Maybe it’s time to explore other crafts. I’ve been wanting to learn crochet and try to pick up knitting again. Perhaps change will be good.)

I admit that I have been really bad at blogging recently. I’ve not had much time or energy to stitch, beyond fulfilling exchange requirements. I might have lost my stitching mojo. I’m sorry to those of you who have sent me fabulous things, which I have not yet photographed and shared with others on this blog. I promise I’ll get down to it soon.

In the meantime, here is my Winter House exchange for Cheryl. I decided to make another felt-backed cushion and had some wintry white felt that I thought was nice for the theme. Unfortunately I didn’t have a more wintry fabric to stitch the design on!

Vonna stitched me the exact same design (she stitched all of the base whereas I shortened it as I didn’t like the swirls) and finished it as a mattress pincushion, which I will photograph and put up later tonight!

Happy New Year everyone! Please take these fabulous fabrics off my hands! In my part of the world, hand dyed fabrics don’t seem to be all that popular, so I need to clear these otherwise I’ll have to wade through my study instead of walking.

Lakeside Linens Fat Quarters US$22 each
28ct Mount Baker Blue
28ct Sea Storm
36ct Spearmint

Countrystitch Fat Quarters (US$20 each)
28ct Cashel Little Boy Blue
28ct Cashel Rustic Glow
32ct Lugana Applemint
32ct Lugana Twilight

Postage for two pieces to US/Canada is US$5, three pieces is US$6.50. Buy five or more pieces and get FREE shipping. Payment by Paypal only. Please email me at info @ needlelittlelove.com.sg (remove spaces) if interested.

Mindi posted on SBEBB that she had received the piece I made her for the Specific Designer Exchange, so here are piccies:

I stitched Ladybug, Ladybug and finished it as a felt-backed pillow:

What I included in the package:

It was my first time making a felt-backed pillow. I learned a lot from it, especially how to blanket stitch, and will be using this finishing method again!

Life has really gotten in the way of late! Here is a beautiful exchange that Edgar sent me for the SBEBB Specific Designer Exchange.

I was utterly spoilt by all the goodies he included too! Thank you so much, Edgar.

My own exchange was sent out a couple of days late as I was ill, and still hasn’t reached its recipient. I’m a little bit concerned, but I hope it’s just the holiday mail delay happening and not anything worse than that!

I’ve been pegging away at Ink Circles’ Alchemical Romance when I can, and here is where I’m at as of this afternoon:

This is stitched with DMC on 32ct Parchment by Stab ‘n’ Stash.

Christmas is almost here and I’m not sure when my next update will be, but I hope you’re having a joyful time!

I made this little lavender sachet and pincushion for the NNC group Christmas gift exchange. I think the finishing on the sachet could have been better; it’s actually my first time making one and I goofed on the stitching. Hopefully the recipient will look past its flaws, to the lovely lavender scent! The pattern is Bloom, a free one by Lizzie Kate.

Since I’ve started work, stitching time has been scarce and precious. By the time we get the kids to bed, it’s usually about 11pm and there’s not much time left for me to stitch before I have to go to bed in order to wake up on time the next day. Having said that, I was naughty and started a new project - Ink Circles’ Alchemical Romance. I’ll share a picture once I get a few more motifs done as I’ve only done three so far. I might take this to the office and make it my lunchtime/free-time-while-waiting-to-be-picked-up-by-DH project. I’m also raring to start Cirque des Cercles now that my threads have arrived, but I’m going to be good and hold off for now.

I’ve been suffering from the flu this past week, and my asthma flared up, and I lost my voice so overall it’s not been a good start to November health-wise. I hope all of you have been keeping well and stitching up a storm!

Things have been maaaad around Casa Wee in the last few weeks, hence not much stitching has been going on apart from exchange commitments. My housekeeper went home to the Philippines for a week, and DH and I just about went bonkers managing the kids, our work, and the house chores. But we survived, as we always do, and now Emily’s back and everything’s gone back to normal. Phew!

I’ve also landed a job after about three weeks of searching. I’m finally getting out of the advertising industry, which is a Good Thing. Hello, corporate communications!

In the midst of all the rush I did find time to make this little pincushion for my best girlfriend. It was pretty easy and fun to make, although I have gripes about the felt – you can’t get wool felt sheets here in Singapore that I know of, only poly felt which I find very cheap to the touch and thin to boot. But beggars can’t be choosers. I used this tutorial. Try it for yourself!

One last thing – remember I said I needed to get my hands on some MacAulvey Manor? A very kind stitcher from the 123MB managed to find me the six skeins I need, and they’re on their way to me!

Now I’ve to go take a shower and rush off to church as I’ve choir duty this weekend. Toodles!

Nicki emailed to say that she received my exchange for her safely and that she liked all that I had sent. I stitched and finished a pinkeep using a design from My Aunt’s Attic in Carrie’s Olde World Red.

One of my bugbears about crafting in Singapore is the lack of nicely-coloured pins. I’m always having to buy a few multi-coloured pinwheels to get the colours I want…and it’s hard to find pinwheels with jewel tones too. Do craft stores in the US sell packs of pins in a single colour? I wonder why they don’t do that here, at least. For Nicki’s pinkeep, I had to scrounge through my stash to find enough red pins and wound up having to use red and gold pins alternately. Which turned out OK, because the backing fabric had some pale yellow in it to match but it was still a pain having to go through all my pins. (And I just realised I forgot to take a picture of the back of the pinkeep to show the fabric.)

Anyway, here’s what I sent with the pinkeep – Needlemania’s Jardin d’Jour, two skeins of Crescent Colours and a DMC floss reminder card. This was a fun exchange!

My timing’s wonderful. Just when Needle Necessities is going out of business, I find the perfect colour for Cirque des Cercles – MacAulvey Manor (#1270). And as luck would have it, I can’t find any store that has six skeins of it in their inventory. And of course, no other thread out there comes close to it. I’ve tried Nordic Needle (no stock) and am now waiting to hear from JJ’s Collectibles. Hopefully they have some left!

Sigh. I should have been a bit quicker with the decision making. But then I didn’t think I’d be starting CdC anytime soon. Not that I will start it immediately if I get my hands on the thread, but it’s nice to know it’s in my stash, aye.

Terry sent me such a lovely piece for the SBEBB redwork exchange. She stitched and finished Eliza Jane’s scissorflat and needlekeep by Brightneedle for me. Here are the pictures:

Isn’t it gorgeous? Thank you so much, Terry. I love all the goodies you sent with it too!

My exchange is winging its way to Nicki (the exchange organiser) right now. I’m hoping to hear that she’s received it soon!