Integrating myself in my new land

An old friend of mine have asked me via email. What on earth keeps me busy here in Belgium. Why I am not working. It is also interesting to note that lots of people who haven't seen me awhile ask the same question whenever they see me.

People just don't understand why I have so much to do all the time. The truth is whenever I am not busy with my own world. I tried to mingle with the people around here. Especially with the women whom I believe that I can learn a lot. There is nothing as interesting for me as learning new things, new culture, and meeting interesting people. Here with me are the lovely ladies of Sport and Steun Cycling club, where my husband is also a member.

Thanks to the 'Obamania'

Courtesy of the 'Obamania' and all the exciting TV marathon regarding the inaguration of the new american president, I got a chance to sit before the television longer than I did in the whole year.But I also had more time browsing the mode magazine that I have in possession for quite sometime already. And guess what.... I've found a pattern of a tunic that I have long ago wanted to sew, which i did. And I did sew it in record time. I love tunic's blouses, its my kind of casual ready to go outfit.

My projects for this year

1. Finishing secret garden
(at least 2 patterns)
2. Finishing Prisana's foto

3. stitching a pattern for a wall clock

4. remaking my wedding pictures

5. Continue blogging

How in God's name can I finish all of them this year is a challenge. But somehow, I am often times surprised by my own guts. What scares me to death is the fact that my husband is already putting me in stress. He likes me to begin driving this summer. Yes! that's what I am scared to the bones. I don't can pretend that I am sick all the time you know.

My classmate Prisana & her beloved son.

This is one of my projects this year, stitching a foto of my friend Prisana and her son. I am kind of experementing on how long or how fast I could be able to finish a pattern with a size of 252 x 196 stitch count in a 14 count aida cloth.

I stitch this foto 4 hours per week.

Something I am not satisfied

It doesn't have to be perfect all the time. But sometimes it is also frustrating if you don't get it right the way you wanted it. I was not able to stitch my own wedding foto the way I wanted it. This is one of my works that I am not really proud of. My husband finds it ok, and says why don't post my foto in your blogger? (uw vriendinnen zal mij knap vinden).

Actually I am planning to redo it, maybe next year when I go vacation in the Philippines, I let a new pattern be done.

My wedding foto

It doesn't have to be perfect all the time but, I am terribly unsatisfied with the result of my wedding foto when I stitched it. That 's why I decided not to let it framed already. I am planning to do it again in colors or maybe in sepia. I find it not really good but I post it anyway.

Cape ( pattern from burda)

This is the cool cape that I sewed last December. I got the pattern from Burda. It is really beautiful and the color is really chic.

Finished product

This is a corduroy A line skirt that I have recently sewed. ideal for between seasons. I can wear it with a leggings in the winter. It is also good with ballerina shoes in the summer.

Ginette Poelmans-Helsen

This is a perfect choice of black and white cross stitch. Very economical because there are not so much color, thus, not so much different DMC to buy. Colors that I normally buy randomly.

By the way, the lady in the picture is the first wife of my husband. She died young from cancer. I find her very pretty and content in this pic. that's why I did it.

kleine geordi & geofri

This is one of my finished works a picture of my husbands klein kinderen. It is originally colored but I dare to make a difference so I decided to stitch it in sepia.

It is absolutely a perfect choice.

something to do

Doing nothing often leads to nothing, the tendency is to think too much, eat too much, spend too much and get bored of course. For those who are not the type who can spend hours home, its another story. That is something I dont can talk about. I am a homebody type, that's why I can make the most exciting nothing to something as long as I have the necesarry energy, guts and patience. Thank God, most of the time I did have all of it (lol).

I always have a new years resolution and contrary to what my horoscope says that gimini's do things all at the same time and not finish all the time. I am an exception to the rule. I did finish what I started always and that includes my new hobby which is sewing.

In fact it is almost half semester and I have had a few projects ready to show of. But right now I am still busy with my latest cross stitch project which I have started late november. as you can see I have almost finished 1/3 of the pattern.