Rain in March

To everyone's delight, the long awaited rain arrived this month. The road side grass and trees are beginning to green up again but not with some fatalities.

Tsuru Art

Playing with the photo editor to create these sketches. She was not going to sit still for me to photograph and the light conditions were not ideal either.

Patchwork Tatting Project 2014 (WIP 4)

The new row begins with Blomberg in Lizbeth 40 Boysenberry Dark. Blomberg has some block tatting. I tatted one earlier in green but decided to change the colour to transition to the next row. It is getting quite large which also means each row requires more motifs to tat. Is it getting too tedious? I need to tat other patterns.

Cat Nail Art

Now I wish I could get this done every week. Of course it would be different each week. There were so many nail art designs to choose from and at a fraction of the price they would charge in a nail salon here. Now can you see how much I missed Tsuru that I had to get cats painted? I was tempted to ask for yellow eyes on the cat but decided not to.

Cloudburst Pendant

Not a fan of this one. Sorry! 

Tatted in Lizbeth Size 20 in Col. 122 Carribean. Added 3 fire polished pear-shaped beads and a Swarovski round crystal. After some untatting, I forgot to add some beads here and there.

Pattern is from Marilee Rockley's latest book on page 24.

Zebra Accessories

Isn't this a cool effect? 

Eye boggling

A shop called Zebra

All accessories are 100 Baht

Toccata in Burgundy

This is Marilee's Toccata choker necklace tatted in Flora Size 20 #222. In Marilee's book this choker necklace in a fiery red looked stunning. I wanted to tat this as soon as I saw it. 

It is tatted in parts. I decided to skip the last part and added a chain with a clasp instead. Done in Miyuki Delica DB-22L beads, fire polished bicones (5mm) and a Swarovski flat briolette crystal in silver shadow. It will look different in many other thread colours too. 

As you can see instead of floatings rings as instructed in the pattern, I did SCMRs and it looks a little different from Marilee's. 

I love how this turned out. Time to start another.

Old Media

My father's old Sony radio which he lent mom when he was on overseas training. Mom said he had no worldly possessions then except for that radio.

Then came the Sanyo digital clock and radio. I remember staring at it wondering when my baby brother would fall asleep so that I could do my homework.

That Philips TV was my sister's distraction when she was living on campus.

Mom was asking who was willing to take these off her during her last spring cleaning. She even had one piece of tatting to give away. 

Patchwork Tatting Project 2014 (WIP 3)

I finished 4 Berlins in Purple Iris Dark. Added in the next row is Barntrup in Lizbeth 40 Girly Girl. The large rings look a little wonky. Pattern by Adelheid Dangela.

Mango Sticky Rice

It is mango season and I had some mango sticky rice for a snack. It is normally eaten as a dessert. Some steamed glutinous rice with sweet mangoes and coconut milk. It was a delicious snack from a street market stall. 

Flower Chain Necklace

Another pattern from Marilee's latest book.

Tatted in Manuela Size 10 thread in #159.

The beads are Swarovski crystal pearls in black size 6mm.

Added a heart clasp and an extension chain.

Chair Mat for Tsuru

I got this for Tsuru thinking that she would love this chair mat made of bamboo. It would be perfect for her favourite chair but she prefers it on the floor and sometimes she uses it as a scratching mat. 

Lilac Edging

This pattern is from Spitzen Kreationen by Susanne Schwenke. An interesting pattern. Tatted using two shuttles in Daiso Size 40 thread with Miyuki Delica beads (DB105). I am almost halfway through. What is it for? You will have to wait to see after it is completed.

Oodles of Noodles

My favourite noodles is this one called yee mein or ee fu noodles which is Cantonese egg noodles. This was fried with the duck meat left over from the Peking duck dish. It is also very delicious done vegetarian with mushrooms and chives. 

At home I have fried it in abalone stock with egg and beansprouts. Noodles are a must on birthdays. It symbolizes longevity. But we can have it anytime of the year too.

Patchwork Tatting Project 2014 (WIP 2)

I am also happier with the second Berlin in Lizbeth 40 Purple Iris Dark (#647). It looks too dark now but I am hoping the contrast will be more or less pronounced once I continue.

Welcome Home??

This is what greets me at the front door when I come home. 

It is Tsuru's way of saying 

"I'm so glad!" 

or she could be saying 

"What took you so long, I'm hungry"

What else could she be saying?

Block for Palmetto Tatters Fundraiser Quilt

I did not find an easier method to sew in the tatting so I went with using a fabric glue to position the tatting and then sew in tiny stitches to secure the tatting to the backing cloth. 
If you enlarge the photo, you might be able to see the stitches in white thread.

I wanted to try the fusible web but wasn't sure it would work and did not want a mess of melted web.
  

This has hopefully reached Georgia Seitz for the Palmetto Tatters 

2014 tatting scholarship fundraiser quilt.

Blue Skies in February

February 2014 was Singapore's driest month since 1869 according to the authorities. But it did not feel so uncomfortable as it was also the windiest month recorded in the last 30 years and the lowest ever daily relative humidity of 74.5%. The plants are parched but the humans are fine. We have NEWater.

Above is a snapshot of the Singapore Flyer in the distant, among more hotels and the Suntec Convention Centre (left side with big screen). 

Normally, the temperature is always above 30 degrees Celsius in the day and a cooler 26 degrees in the night. Sometimes windy and when it rains, it pours (most of the time). Humidity is always high. 

Sounds uncomfortable? No worries, as we have an underground shopping mall from here to there in air conditioned comfort.

Patchwork Tatting Project 2014 (WIP 1)

It has started. This project of the B series of Adelheid Dangela's Occhi-Patchwork. It is a group of patterns which can be joined together to produce a patchwork of tatting. So far I used the original Belle motif I tatted earlier in juicy watermelon, with two brand new Brabant motif in lime green medium and one brand new Brussel motif in pink blossoms. I decided not to tat the onion rings and went with normal chains around the first ring. I'm happier.

What's next to join this patchwork?

Love of Cake

A not so sweet chocolate cake with fresh berries.

Perfect!

Grand Old Dame

If you enlarge the photo you may be able to see the name of this building.

Cocoon Earrings #2 & #3

Thank you for your comments in the earlier post on these cocoon earrings. Here I made more. The green pair was made with seed beads. I think the rounded seed beads lined up better than Delica beads. What do you think?

Rare Old Photos III

My paternal grandparents.
They came to Malaysia from China in the 1930s.
Dad was probably in his teens when grandpa passed away 
and grandma did not like her photo taken. 
We hardly have any other photos of them besides these.

Patchwork Tatting - Berlin

I do not like how this is looking in variegated thread so I may have to do this again in a solid colour thread. This one is tatted in Lizbeth Size 40 in Pink Blossoms (#176). Not happy with the shape and size of the block tatting either. Another motif that is smaller than the rest which is only 2.5 inches across.

Scallops in Pastry

The texture of the filo pastry strands added a crunch to the scallops. What does the food presentation remind you of?

Ruffled Heart

This pattern is by victats and can be found on the right side bar of her blog. My ruffled chain was a little wiry because I did not take care to push the stitches together. You can see that the right ruffled chain is a little longer. I used Venus size 40 and again it may be too thin for this pattern. A lovely pattern. May try this pattern again with a thicker thread.

Patchwork Tatting - Brabant

I confess that some of the motifs which I have tatted in this series bored me. But I rather enjoyed this one, not boring at all. Maybe because of the change in shuttles.

Tatted in Lizbeth Size 40 Pink Marble (#172) measuring 2.75 inches across. Pattern in Occhi-Patchwork by Adelheid Dangela. This motif has caused me to think that the original plan may not work and I may have to do a around the world arrangement. Must think this over again.