Be Love and Something Blue

IT'S September and I'm still fat. Slowing metabolism is one of the hardest things to handle, mentally more than anything, as we age. I'm trying to keep up with the long walks and the light to moderate weight-training in the gym but boy, it seems like this life is hell-bound on giving me tests, one after another. The bootcamp had to be stopped five weeks ago, as my Chronic Extertional Compartment Syndrome had been causing me more pain and numbness with increased, very visible muscle herniations on the lower limbs. Next week, I'm back at a sports injury hospital here for a run test, to see if the pain which had gone up to the pelvic area from the lower leg is more than just CECS. 

On the bright side, I'm keeping busy with projects that demand my full attention and concentration. I'm loving the embroidery stitching works that I've been doing. At the moment, I'm collecting small pieces of designs, inspired by the things and issues that are going on in the world around me. When I've about 20 to 25 of these little pieces done using a four-inch hoop, I plan to put them together into a quilt for a sofa throw or a blanket. 

Although embroidery isn't something I've done before, it's proven to be addictive and therapeutic as I pull in each stitch and watch them turn into something pretty. It's also been a great learning experience as I discover new stitches and technique from videos, books and other professional artists I follow online. While I love stitching classic flowers like daisies, sunflowers and roses, and lapping them up with leaves and patterns, I'm also keen on experimenting with landscape and portrait embroidery. For now though, I have to say that the hardest thing I've done is a banana. It's a task to make a banana to look like a fruit as it should be if you know what I mean! 

Below are some patterns I've completed. I shall post more of my work in the following posts, and you can also follow me on Instragram @choc_smurf for some visual progress I've made on the project! 

Be Love. I had intended it for my mom but decided to keep it
for the quilt project. To be love,  I don't know how to even begin.
It's such a simple thing yet to be that much or kind of love
demands a degree of divinity from us. Can you be love ? 

My first time ever experimenting with french knots. It took me
a few hours to complete the frame. I felt efficient doing this and
it was a great confidence booster as I went onto other
 projects from here. There must be like 4-5 shades of purples here
and I caught myself constantly threading colours. 

A head full of flowers, inspired by a recent wedding of a
dear friend, who was such a beautiful bride with large orchids
adorning the side of her head. I couldn't attend her wedding in
Singapore but her photos were beautiful and awe-inspiring I
almost cried looking at them.  

Apart from the outline of the head and shoulders, the florals
 were all done completely freehand. Not the neatest of works but
I should get my hands on sharp tip transfer pens. The only craft shop
 I know in Doha hardly sells any of that. Pity. I was also nervous
trying to make the hair look like studio- groomed hair of a bride.
In the end, I was quite pleased with it. 

Something Blue. The card we gave her during her hen's night
 in Doha was blue and had Something Blue printed in glitters
on the front. This is also the first time I'm experimenting on
this stitch for the words, done almost freehand
because the chalk pencil is really good for nothing. 

xx