January Update

Feels like we just wished each other a happy new year and we are almost at the end of the 2nd month!!

January has been a very active month with..

The annual book fair

V and I picked up these books. We are trying out new authors and genres. I have been wanting to read more about Indian/World history. This book is my first attempt to start 

Pongal 2019 was a low key affair as it was only V and me this year. So, not much enthusiasm to cook up a feast

My dearest darling Kalima's annual Chennai visit - to get energized and soaked in pure love for 2 whole days. Fortunately this year I was able to take both days off 

Having been such an active month and a half, I could not find much time to stitch

I did start work on Summer Iris by Blackbird Designs. I am stitching this on 30ct linen with all the recommended threads

This is the first time I am working with 30ct linen and it's a little tricky.. I am having to wear my glasses while stitching, hehe. I can manage without the glasses for 28ct, but not for 30ct. 

So, that's the story at my end dear friends. More next time. Till then.. Be happy.. Keep stitching.. Au Revoir

TUSAL - April & A New Start

After finishing Sweet Summer, my next project is one of my favorites and very close to my heart!! I cannot function without this and cannot live without.. this is what I look forward to first thing in the morning - you must have guessed what it is by now.. of course I am talking about COFFEE!!!

This is a free pattern that I got from Pinterest 

Here's the progress till date on this new project. I initially started out on 30ct linen that was left over from my LHN projects. But this thread did not show prominently and almost merged with the fabric. So I switched to Aida that I had in my stash. My aim this year is to use as much from the stash as possible and not to accumulate any more stash

This is my ORTS jar till date after finish of Sweet Summer and start of Coffee

That's the update from me today dear friends. Till next time.. Take Care.. Be Happy.. Keep Stitching.. Au Revoir!!

Another cottage start

Wow, it's been over 2 weeks since my last post. I've been so busy with the festival and work that not much happened on the stitchy front. Finally now I have been able to start on July cottage

Am loving every bit of this SAL. Happy to have joined it.

We have diwali coming up next week and there is a lot of joy in the air, which is so infectious. And there's a wedding coming up in the family. Going to be really busy

Isn't that a quick update :) Well, that's really about it now from me. Till next time.. Take care.. Be happy.. Keep stitching.. Au Revoir

June start

Hello dear friends, this is going to be a short and sweet post, as there's really not much to report.

We have been concentrating more on V's school and homework. We feel she's probably getting distracted with the holiday and it has showed in her tests. Of course, this is just the first test of the academic year, and new syllabus. But we are trying to bring her "on track" if you may call it that.

So, I went easy with the baking and stayed low key. We did bake orange-choco chip muffins last weekend. They came absolutely yummy and fluffy. This was an eggless recipe that came with Goodhousekeeping India magazine. I seem to have forgotten to take any pictures of them though.
Edited to include the link to recipe - here
I did not use cocoa and used sugar powder instead of sugarfree. 

I did start on June cottage and made decent progress.

It's coming up beautifully. Love the red colors. I think of all the cottages I've stitched so far this is my favorite.

With that my dear friends I take leave today. Till next time..Take care.. Be happy.. Keep stitching.. Au Revoir

Baking and a new start

Yep, that's what I've been upto the last few days. We've had quite a lot of rain the last few weeks and it's only a week now since we've had a continuous dry spell. As a result, V's school has been closed for about 2 weeks - first thanks to the rain, second the water's still not drained from their school campus!!!

Now, how to keep her occupied?! She wanted to do something "on her own" with minimum help from me. Our first attempt was to bake some blueberry muffins

She was not satisfied as I had to help her quite a lot. So, we made some "magic" bars.

These really are magic!! It's one of the simplest and yet yummiest things I've baked. Not even mixing involved. So, this was done totally by V!! She was totally thrilled with the output

Guess what, I've joined in my first ever SALs!!! This is the cottages SAL that's being hosted by Vonna. She has started a special blog for this SAL.
 I am totally in love with the pattern and have placed an order for the complete supplies for January from ABCstitch. Am sooo excited to start on it. With my stitching "speed" I hope I can keep up with all the great stitchers.

And finally, yes I do have a new start. I have started working on "Collecting seashells" by Janlynn.

It's a teeny weeny start, but am already loving it. The aida that came along with the kit is great too.

And again.. I did it this year.. I forgot my bloggoversary!!! How could I?!?! It came and went by in November very quietly. Anyway, am really really happy that I've pulled along this long.
And this definitely would not have happened without all the immense support and encouragement from all my dear friends.
Thank you so very much for stopping by. Please do leave behind your lovely comments as a token. It's lovely to come back to the kind words.
So, my dear friends, till my next update.. Take care.. Keep stitching.. Be happy.. Au Revoir

Thank you and a new start

Yay, I have another follower!!! Thank you soo much Mylene for joining in and leaving such lovely comments :) I am greatly honoured that you added my name to your side bar. Thanks a ton again :d

I finally managed to pick up the needle again and start on the next project.

This is just a teeny weeny progress but am already loving the way it looks. Love the colours as well.

I also managed to work on a neck-piece on Sunday.

And a closer shot at the "cluster" which acts as a pendant

The design has been on my mind for a while inspired by many designs I've seen on other sites as well. So finally got to work on it when I could not fall asleep on Sunday night. I started working on this on Sunday midnight!! Crazy right. Well, by the time I finished up it was 3am Monday morning!!! Yes crazier, I know. But once I started, it was soo addictive that I could simply not go to bed with this one incomplete. Well, I had to rip my eyes open to get to work the next day, that's a totally different story - hehe.

So, dear friends this is it from me for today. Hope to have finished the design am working on now on my next post.

Thank you for dropping by. Do leave your comments and suggestions.

Till then.. Take care.. Be happy.. Keep stitching.. Au Revoir

New Start

..Literally, in many ways.

Firstly I have made a resolution !!! I know, I have never ever been one to take resolutions. But this time I thought I'd take up something workable for my own good. So, this is how it goes

1. A veggie a day
2. A fruit a day
3. A piece of choc a day (to whet my sweet tooth and not to deprive myself of anything)
and last but defffinitely not the least
4. (atleast) a stitch per day

I think (fingers crossed) that this is workable. I have not been taking very good care of my own health the last year, thanks to working in shifts. I still do work in shifts. But I don't want to be irritable all the time.

And friends, guess what??!! I do have a stitchy start too!! Great isn't it? Yes, I started working on V's ornament for her room. She changed the colour as well as pattern later!! Trust kids to be choosy. Now am doing it in pink on 18count Zweigart Aida. Am loving the way it's coming up. Sadly, there's no picture yet as I managed to do just a miniscule last night.

Ok folks, time to wrap up now. Till my next update.. Take care.. Keep stitching.. Au Revoir