Rooster and Sweets~

Hellooooooo~~~~~ My darling friends!!!!!! I’m still here!!!! Just been very busy, therefore very little time to stitch. Nevertheless, I managed to finished a second image from the County Fair series. Let me introduce you to the Rooster!!! I really like this one, isn’t he handsome?! Can’t wait to start the next one, just wish I have more time to stitch!!!

Pattern: The Prairie Schooler “County Fair I – Rooster”
Thread: DMC Cotton Thread
Fabric: 28ct Irish Linen in Color Tea
Stitched Size: 5” x 5”
Completion Date: 11-13-2013

One of the reasons that I was so busy, was because my sister came back to Taiwan for a short visit, and I played tour guide and took her sightseeing, taking the advantages to visit some new places. There is this one place in Taichung that is very famous, it’s the Miyahara Eye Clinic. Don’t be fooled by the name, it is not a place that deals with eye ailments.It is actually a newly-revamped ice-cream parlor and pastry/dessert store that was converted from an old clinic. This store was established as a flagship store for “Dawn Cake”, which is famous for their pineapple cake and cheese cakes. Their ice-cream parlor has more than 54 flavors of ice-cream!!! From fruit to coffee to chocolate, almost every flavor you can think of.

This one below is just the chocolate selection!!!

We had to order one!!! I think we ordered some kind of coffee and sugarcane flavor, with their famous pineapple cake and cheesecake and nuts as sides. It was delicious!!!!

Not only the building and décor inside was amazing, their packaging are also a state of an art!!! I also found this box of chocolate which is molded as buttons!!! Aren’t they beautiful?!

I’m so happy that I found this place. Now you’ll know where to find me when I am craving for sweets!!!

Cow

Thanks for all the encouragements on my big color screw up. Now that I’ve finished the whole thing, I think overall it looks pretty good. And once I finished the entire series, it won’t be so obvious in the mix of things… I hope (fingers crossed!!).

Pattern: The Prairie Schooler “County Fair I – Cow”
Thread: DMC Cotton Thread
Fabric: 28ct Irish Linen in Color Tea
Stitched Size: 5” x 5”
Completion Date: 10-02-2013

I did changed the original colors a little bit due to my linen color. This is really a pleasant stitch, and I’ve already started on my next animal. So what’s on your hoop lately?

Pumpkins for Cathey

Source: Seven Clown Circus

Happy blogoversary, Cathey~~

We are thinking of you!!!

OOXX

Source: Lilac & Lace

To see more pumpkins, please visit Daffycat’s blog.

Black on White or White on Black?

Has it been a month already?! Time really flies by when things are super busy. I did start on a new project, it is Prairie Schooler’s County Fair. I was so happy when I started this cow and just kept on stitching and stitching without even checking the legend. Only two colors, how difficult could it be, right?

It is not until when I was almost done with the body did I noticed something was wrong. Have you noticed it? I totally got the two colors backwards!!!!! Where is dark should be light and light should be dark….

So I had a dilemma. Should I scrap it and totally start over or just keep on going? Since I was so far along already, I decided to just keep on going. So instead of a white cow with black marks, I have a black cow with white marks. I guess it is not the end of the world. But next time, I’ll remember to read the whole instruction before I start anything – even it’s only two colors!!!!

A Big Finish!!!!!

Happy dance!!! Happy dance!!!!! I finally finished Mary!!!!! YA!!!!!! Checking the date, I first started this sampler on Aug 17, 2009. and I finished it on Aug 19, 2013, a full four years of work!!! Sure took me long enough to finish it!!! I have to admit I kicked myself for deciding to do this in one over one, but after seeing the result, it is all worth it. Will I do it again? Not for a long while…. :-p

Pattern: Needleprint “Mary Wigham SAL”
Thread: Hand dyed silks from Hand Dyed Fibers
Fabric: 28ct light mocha cashel
Size: 10.25” x 10.25”
Done in One over One
Beginning Date: 08-17-2009
Completion Date: 08-19-2013

This is also my first time using silk threads. I like how it kind of shines, and the color variation just adds to the sampler feel, it’s also very nice and smooth. I will sure be using silk again~

Well, since my WIP basket is empty now, what should I work on next?

Summer!!!

Hello my darling friends!!!!! Anyone still there?? I can’t believe I haven’t post anything during July, and now we are already entering August!!!!! Besides being busy at work, the main reason I haven’t updated is because there’s nothing much to report. I was constantly working on Mary and I’m finally done with all the motifs!!!!! YA!!!!!! Now all is left are the initials~~ I can finally see the end!!!

To reward our hard work, hubby and I went for a short vacation in the mountains. Central Taiwan is known for its beautiful mountains, and we enjoyed waking up in the forest and the fresh air.

In the mountains laid the gorgeous Sun Moon Lake. This is a very famous tourist destination. The last time I was here was more then 20 years ago!!!! Although the Lake is as beautiful as before, the surrounding areas are now filled with hotels and small tourist towns. I can’t say this is a good thing or a bad thing, at least right now it all seems well organized.

In one of the aboriginal towns that we stayed in, owl is their guardian, so you can find many owl themed ornaments in this town. But what caught my eye is this quilted owl bag, isn’t this the cutest thing?!

So how is your summer going? Went on any trips recently? It is soooo hot here lately. Stay cool!!!!!!

Life!!

My dear cousin just had a baby girl~~ She is as beautiful as her mother. Although they are on the other side of the planet, I made a baby blanket for her as always. I just love the patterns on both these fabrics, and I hope they will like it, too~~ 

Pattern: Sew Much Ado "Ric Rac Receiving Blanket"
Size: 42” x 42”
Completion Date: 05-21-2012

I’ve also found these cutest baby socks in the store the other day~~ I knew I had to include them in the package. I hope I will be able to meet baby Cadence in person soon!!!

May and June is the season of Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula). This is one of my favorite trees~~ Just like its name, when its in full bloom, the whole street is showered in gold. Such a beautiful sight!!!!

Since having a yard is such a luxury here in Taiwan, I’m enjoying my little garden on the balcony. Most of the plants I have right now are second hand plants left there by the previous owner. They were not in the best shape when I took over, so you can imagine the joy when I saw the orchid budding!!! Right now it is blooming so beautifully and its such a joy to see it everyday~~

Another one was a mystery plant…. When I took over, it only had some dried leaves left. So I put it in the corner but kept on watering it. To my very surprise, it bloomed last month into this flower I’ve never seen before!!! I Googled and learned that this is a Blood lily (Scadoxus multiflorus). What a wonderful surprise~~

These are some wonders in my life lately. How about you?