Thursday, December 31, 2015

Got Game?

 Andreas' parents gave us games for Christmas.  They gave us the latest Dominion expansion and a new Risk Legacy.  Hopefully we'll find a group to play the Legacy with soon, and someday our HHE will get here.  So they tell me.

Quartered

This blackwork takes a lot of time!  It doesn't help that I've been distracted by work and other things, too.  I do have about a quarter of it done, though, and I think the blackwork looks nice.  My only criticism is the use of so very many reds.

Foured

Working on with number four done now.  Almost a third of the way done with the project.

Looking Like A Window

The central motif is looking like a church window frame so far...

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Chilling Sharr

Just some photos of the dog as she lazes around the apartment.



Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Not Quite Normal

Almost normal, but not quite.  I'm making a lot of progress on this.  This one word takes up almost half of the total piece.

Across The Line

I'm all the way to halfway across!  This means the second band is going much faster than the first one.

Christmas Lights

Andreas was determined to decorate for Christmas for me, even though we had none of our stuff (still don't).  So he bought some lights from the grocery store and strung them up.  Thank you, Andreas.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Holiday Door

We found a wreath for the apartment door.  I think it looks cute.  Been hanging there nearly two weeks now.

Love The Teal

I got new green!  I think it's supposed to be dragon gills when it's done, but I love the color.

A Year's Worth

Yay, I finished the whole thing on time!  Looks pretty good, too.  I'll probably make it into  table topper once we settle in some and I get my fabrics.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Time To Temari

People here have been interested in the idea of temari, and I have a couple of balls wrapped.  Got some new needles and pearl cotton from Nordic Needle, so it's time to work in three dimensions again.

Seconding

The bird on the top right now is all couched down.  I also got some of his headpiece done, and the same bird is also begun on the outlining.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Template Gifts

These will make my crazy quilting so much better.  I can't wait to use them.

Only Two Left

I only have two more panels, yay!  This is a long term unfinished object about to be done.  I feel good about it and wish I could start working to finish another of these, but they're all packed up and somewhere on the ocean right now.  It's been four months since I've seen my stuff and at least another month until I'm reunited with it.  In the meantime, I'll celebrate small victories.

Friday, December 25, 2015

On To Filling

Yay!  I have all the cross stitches done.  It's time to fill in all the little bits.  As you can see, I've started.

I See Trees

Trees are peeking out of the paper now.  

Time To Warp

It's finally time to warp up the loom.  Andreas bought me some 8/2 from The Woolery a couple of weeks ago.  Of course, we're moving next week.... I so truly want to be settled and have my stuff.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Three Little Turtles

Three turtles done.  Almost a quarter of the way done with the whole thing!

New Skirt

Bought this on the Ilha at the craft fair.  Going to have to redo the elastic, but otherwise, I think it'll work well.  Now to get the sewing machine fixed ... and to order elastic.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Rainy Luanda

We had a really rainy day a couple of weeks back.  This is how summer rain looks in Angola.  From the 22nd floor.





Still Ducky

I swear this will morph from a duck to a dragon eventually.

Monday, December 21, 2015

One For Me, One For Mom

This couple of small paintings were from the same painter.  I'm keeping the one on the right and giving the one on the left to Mom.

Going To Finish On Time

Yay, I am so going to finish this before the end of the month.  Hurrah for goals met.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

The First Turn

I am on the first turn now.  It means I'm getting a bit further along, even though I still have several whiskers to finish.  It does seem to be getting some detail, at least.

This Year's Christmas Market

After having done Vienna and Munich and other Christmas markets in Europe, we couldn't leave where we were this year.  I am very disappointed, but it is what it is.  At least we found Luanda's only Christmas market - Marche Noel, at the Lycee Francaise Luanda.  They held it on their athletic field and it was well attended.  Not much truly Christmasy, but we did find fresh eggrolls sold by a Vietnamese lady.














Saturday, December 19, 2015

First African Art

We bought this at the Ilha, and it struck both of us because it doesn't have that usual African look to it.  To me, it looks like something from the Addams Family.

Three To Go!

I have only three more parts to go now.  Luckily I had some beads on hand for this last one.  I had ordered some "just in case" for other projects.

Friday, December 18, 2015

Bits Of Bling

I bought these at the Christmas Market at the French school last weekend.  It's the only real Christmas market in Luanda and it was packed - with French speakers!  I got to practice my French.  It's still better than my Portuguese.  At least we managed to get to some kind of Christmas market this year, so we didn't break our tradition.

These two are from the same lady I bought the blue barrette from last month.  I love how lightweight they are.

Close To The Bottom

Yay, I am almost done with all the cross stitching!  Next time there will be some blackwork beginning on this.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Floral Barrette

Bought this at the market at the Ilha on Saturday!

Going Blue

I have darker blue on this now.  Hard to see all the stitching, since it's so close to the background color.