Ladies and gentleman, may I present this blob which is officially the start to Kinuko Y. Craft's Turandot. Dad is going to love it when it is done ... hopefully it won't take too long.... the chart is only 42 pages... yicks!




I am also stitching their 38th anniversary sampler, which will go into active rotation once the Name of God is finished. THe Name of God has officially past its 50% mark.

And the Madonna of the Garden is now like this:

Boy.... pick up a hobby 5 years ago and it is a downward spiral (when it comes to managing projects, sleep time and stash) but what fun. I'd never have made friends with some of the best people in the world if it wasn't for cross stitch. I think you all know who you are, from all parts of the world!

Anyway, I have been remiss in posting updates but I have two new ones to show. Apologies for the long-ish absence in Blogspot but there's just been a lot of personal stuff I had to deal with. For one, my dear dad had to undergo major surgery, which was stressful for everybody involved. He is now recovering and is back to his old jovial self, for which I am so thankful.

Anyway, on to WIPs. For some reason, while I am not the religious type, I have been working on religious cross stitch! Here is a stitch I am doing for Joyce. It was meant to be a secret but we are like sisters and we can't keep anything from one another (must be a Malaysian-living-in-the-US thing... or maybe we're just so close)... So she outed herself on a secret project for me, and what do I do... I do exactly the same.

Now that it is no secret, this is for her. I do this 1 strand a day minimum, so it is a slow and steady progress. My Big Toe's The Name of God:



And my first Mirabilia. OMG why did I wait so long to stitch Mirabilia... they are super easy and fun. Madonna of the Garden. Dunno who is gonna get this one... I might just keep it for myself. This is the bottom left corner.




Now, I have a few projects lined up for 2010 (about 12 to 15, honestly... this is so screwed...) but to help to herald in the new year, I have been given encouragement to start Turandot, for my dad. He's had a rough enough year that I want to stitch this for him. It's going to be a HUGE undertaking, and I don't have all my floss yet but Hobby Lobby is opening in January and I will make a trip out there. (or since they also go online, I might just order online when tax season hits).

This is what it will look like (below, lah!) the artwork is by Kinuko Y Craft. Why Turandot? Well... my father loves music... and what better way to remind him of me than to put a difficult, crazy, unpredictable (but hopefully unforgettable) Chinese princess on his wall?




I hope I can finish it quick (or at least, reasonably promptly). God knows I can't afford the real thing. The original painting, done oil on canvas, sold for US$60,000.

Here she is, a happy dance! Designer is Indigo Rose. Special thanks to my pal Magi who introduced me to this amazing sampler designer!




And here are some more progress pix...

St Sylvestre. I am stitching this, Rosemarkie and St Georges and I'll be presenting them to my brothers (2 of them). Then we'll each pick the one we want the most... so it symbolises us being part of the same family but all so very different. I have a sneaking suspicion that Bro no 1 is eyeing St Syl





I have also started my parents' wedding anniversary sampler, which I want to give to them in time for their 38th next year. I think it is in April. I think. Err.





Oh, and have I shown the latest pic of Peregrination yet? I am not sure but here it is anyway. Nine Lives (picture over it) is my half of the sampler, Peregrination is R's.

It starts with two people talking. I can't say that any good sense or brains may have been involved. And it always starts with one of my closest stitching cohorts. Joyce is the culprit, of course.

After unsuccessfully trying to get her to start her Chatelaine Japanese Garden... my god, the woman already owns chart and kit and fabric is no issue, ... and she is waiting on Jan 1 before dipping her hands into those silks and beads???

She is now concentrating on stitching Mirabilia's Circle of Friends in 10 days. That is, start, finish, bead, Kreinik, everything. Then I made the mistake of suggesting that I stitch alongside her for something.... couldn't decide so that woman named Peregrination.

At first (in our excitement induced stupor) we thought we could do it... well, after 4 days, we are seriously rethinking it...there is less time than we thought and I think our efforts may be valiant, but... I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

The before pic is below. THis is the pic as of yesterday afternoon:

Well, I was meaning to update and blog sometime last week -- but work and an active schedule and a workout routine somehow takes the wind out of my sails and then the next thing you know, you defer blogging until a full seven days has passed... but I guess better late than never, right?

Here she is, finally finished. I might send it off to my mother before the year's end... maybe she can frame and hang it for Chinese new year? (but I am willing to bet the unframed stuff I have already given her is still.... unframed....)

It is a bit sad that my mom doesn't really understand the immense therapeutic value of stitching because I think she could get into it. But she prefers to sew curtains, etc, so I guess it is ok. My mother isn't very crafty... she prefers TV or books. My grandma is amazing... she could sew, embroider, crochet and she's handed me many a useful tip even after her needlework days are over. (And my god, can she cook)

Anyway, here is Joan Elliott's Fans of the Far East. 4 years a WIP, teehee. but a WIP no more.



And then after all these finishing, I was just itching for a new start. So, I begun a project ... St Sylvestre, Rosemarkie and St Georges are going to be stitched. Then I'll present them to my brothers, and we'll each have one of them. This is kind of to show we are so different, yet so much alike, hehe. (btw, they are all designed by Longdog Samplers)


This is St Sylvestre, just a small start:



And Indigo Rose's My Michelle. I renamed it My Brenda. Brenda is one of my best friends.

I guess I have not posted here for a few weeks, though the stitching mojo waned ever just so slightly... the blogging mojo has been down even worse, and while I used to access blogs constantly about 2-3 years ago, these days there seems to be little enough time.

Anyway, Ink Circles stitching is going strong.... Nine Lives is now done. It is the East part of my East and West sampler (both of them in different styles but by the same designer, going on the same piece of fabbie).

Here is the West part, as a start: PEregrination



And the finished East Part. Ink Circles' Nine Lives.



And a badly lit pair of WIPs, from Joan Elliott.... Fans of the Far East.

Here is the middle fan, all backstitched:



And the last fan, not backstitched. You can definitely see the difference!!!



I need to go strong to finish as many WIPs (the ones about to end, etc) in order to end 2009, so it's really time to be determined and focused. Wish me luck!

ALL DONE! NUFF SAID!



Here's some scrap blanket knitting that I am also doing. IT's just one row a night, normally while watching a bit of TV... hopefully I can knock this one out before it gets too cold.





So... what WIP would we like to work on next? A tiger? Hmm.