Thread Catcher Lesson from Jo

After our NnC Anniversary (read my last post), Nik and I made a date with Jo to give us a lesson on how to sew the thread catcher that she made for the exchange gift. So right after work yesterday, I drove to Jo's place. I arrived about 2.30pm, the same time as Florence, Jo's friend, who was there to join in the lesson too. Nik arrived a short while later.

Nik and I had so much fun doing the thread catcher together with Jo guiding us. I was forever going, "Nik, wait for me. Don't go so fast" and "Oops, I pressed the wrong button again, Jo". You see, I'm so kiasu and Nik was always a step ahead of me so I have to ask her to slow down. Besides, I'm not familiar with the Rolls Royce of a sewing machine that Jo allowed me to use, her Bernina!!! I went pressing all the buttons except the correct ones so it kept beeping at me. I could have used my Janome that I had brought along but since Jo offered the use of her machine, I did not hesitate. I wanted to try it out.

We were so engrossed in finishing the thread catcher that we lost track of time. It was fast approaching 6.30pm so we decided to continue working on the thread catcher at home. With Jo's explanations, we were pretty sure that we could finish it off on our own. We packed up and Jo brought out some Malay kuih for tea. Before we both hit the road, we went through some stash that Jo wanted to let go. You see, Jo had just re-organised her sewing room earlier in the day and decided to give up cross stitching, stamping and macrame for good. What a pity but that's to my gain. I off-loaded some items from her at a real bargain.

Today, I continued to work on the thread catcher and am glad that I managed to finish it. I had initially intended to RAK someone with this but I'm gonna be a bit selfish. I'm going to keep it for myself.

thread catcher - full view

thread catcher - close up of pincushion

Category: [needle work]

Two in one... post

1. NNC's Card Swap Exchange - September 2007

In September, Ying organised a card swap exchange and rare as it seems, I signed up for it. Card making is not my forte but the challenge was hard to resist as Ying provided all the materials. I'll do anything for free! The twist to this exchange was that each participant received identical materials except for the colours and we were only allowed to add on three items of our own to complete the card. There were thirteen participants in all and my partner was Usha.

What's fantastic about exchanges is that most often, we receive more than what was called for. As you can see, Usha has sent along with her card so many printed stickers and tags. I have not put to use any of them as yet but you know me, I'm a stasher.

from Usha to me

from me to Usha

2. NnC's 1st Anniversary Meet-up

Months back we were highlighted by Margaret that NnC will be a year's old on 30 October 2007 and she (did I get this right?) mooted the idea that we have a meet-up in celebration of it. We settled on 3 November 2007 and Nik is to be the hostess of this event. To spice it up, we'll have an exchange as the finale. Every participant is to stitch and finish something and we'll do a lucky dip to see who gets whose. What is a meet-up without food and we settled on having a potluck so as not to burden Nik with the cooking. She does not have a maid and it won't be fair to have her slaving over a stove. The excitement builds up during the last week prior to the meet-up when Margaret got online to say she has received exchanges that came in from both local and overseas participants that were not able to attend.

The day came and I scooted off from work an hour earlier. En-route to Nik's place, I picked Rose up from her apartment at Kelana Jaya. Locating Nik's house was no problem. We just followed our ears to the din that was created by this one house. Drumroll... and the culprits were Nik, Margaret, Jackie (Margaret's sis), Emily, Diyana (Emily's DD), BJ, Usha and Janet. Anna was there too but I didn't name her as amongst the culprits as she's the quiet one. I guess she felt a bit shy as this was the first time she got to meet anyone of us. After doing my round of 'hello-ing' I zoomed in for the food as I was famished. I did not have breakfast and it was way past my lunch time. I wasn't disappointed as Nik's dining table was filled to the brim with food brought in by the participants. There were lontong, rendang, nasi briyani, kesari, dhall curry, pizza, yam cake, carrot cake, banana cake, brownies, longan, sotong sambal and Ipoh mari's white coffee. Jo and Faizon joined us later and we had to pile their jellies and macaroni & cheese on top of others. Last to arrive were Linda and Azie with their kueh raya.

In between eating, I caught up with the girls on their latest pursuits, walked to the display cabinet a couple of times to admire the exchange gifts that were piled on top and wondering which one will be mine. I did a tour of Nik's stitching room. My! Nik has her stitching room so well organised that every nook and corner is stacked so neatly with her stash for cross stitching and stamping work. Margaret summed up our envy of Nik's stitching room. She took the tour three times to look-see and appreciate. I'd also managed to see Margaret's much talked about 'tai pau' pincushion. I do not foresee anyone of us ever making a bigger pincushion than hers. Its a record she's bent on holding as she said, whenever someone comes up with a bigger pincushion, she'll make a bigger one. Lol!

NnC's 1st Anniversary - exchange gifts

Margaret's famous 'tai pau' pincushion atop Nik's quilted bags

Some of the members made extra gifts for the attendees in addition to the exchange gift. Usha worked till the wee hours of the anniversary day itself to finish her crocheted hearts. She gave each of us two plus some Christmas gift tags. A pincushion came from Nik and another pincushion from Margaret that has my initial on it, and yet another pincushion from Rose that has a roll of ribbon stuck in a side pocket. And I gave the girls each a tagalong pincushion.

Gifts

from me to the girls - tagalong pincushions

4.00pm came and I was egging Margaret to have the anniversary draw. Once Margaret had the numbers in a bowl, we gave Nik the honour of drawing hers first. I drew no. 5 and that came from Jess. In the parcel was a red and white patchwork journal cover, two packets of Madeira floss, three choc koalas and a tin of scent. As you can see, by the time I can take a shot of the gift, my DD and I had each consumed a koala. Lol!


Usha drew my gift and in it was something real naughty. I stitched this chart by Pique & Pique called 'petite Lingerie'. I went through a gamut of emotions stitching this piece. Most times, I felt cheeky like Nik said, both sexy and melancholy when reminiscing about the body I once had, and naughty when I thought of how my partner would react upon opening the gift.

petite Lingerie - front

petite Lingerie - back

Time flies when you are having fun and all too soon, we came to the end of the meet-up. We bid our adieus knowing that we'll meet again.

Category: [cross stitch]