Spiralling Downwards

Hello! Hope everyone had a shitty Valentine's Day! Ha. No. I really hope none of you are suckers for the thing. Bloody corporates taking over our lives and lifestyles! Lol, joking. But not really.

Moving on...

I celebrated my Valentine's Day at work, and after being kicked out early for my Chinese New Year holiday, spent some time with friends, had dinner, and after watching the latest American Idol episode, I went to the races!

It was so much fun. My first time watching horse racing. I've heard that Hong Kong is unique in that we have a race track in the middle of the city. Apparently everywhere else's in out in the stick? We have another race course out in Sha Tin (home to the biggest racing screen in the world), but generally the races on Wednesdays are held in Happy Valley.

I won my first bet ever! The horse I chose to place actually won, so I didn't really cash in big.. but I didn't lose. All in all Joe and I ended the night up $19.50, haha! Good night though, good night.

Ok! On to the crafting.

I'm continuing the blanket I started in 2004 for my I.B. art exam. It's crap, but I'd really like to finish it. There are countless mistakes, and I didn't really know how to work in new yarn, so yeah.

I've also found a couple more useful sites, namely:

The Anticraft - taking the granny and perky out of crafting.
Annie's Attic - a lot of help, products etc.

Right! Wishing everyone a happy new year. Next up is the year of the Fire Pig.

It's All About the Deng Deng Duhduhduh Deng.

Ok just a quickie to let you know I'm still alive.

Have saved $1,200 bucks for a future sewing machine. So! Hopefully in the next couple of months I will manage to acquire one.

Have heard my Grandpa just suffered a severe stroke, so am now in the process of trying to get my dad to let me see him (have you ever heard of that? Pshh). So if my dad isn't a heartless bastard (all signs point to yes) I'll be going to England ASAP.

If so I'm cutting contact and changing my name.

Will update soon!

Day I Forget - Apologies!

Confession: after looking at the sad, crumply mess my first plush was, I got disheartened. I still haven't touched it since the last post.

I'm saving money for a sewing machine, my mother said she would help me buy, because I can read all the material I want, but it's nothing compared to actually sitting down and seeing it all in practice.

I have great faith that a sewing machine is something I can and will need to use. I just sit at work and stare into space and think of all the beautiful patchwork and plushies I'll be making. Pretty sad, I know. I really want to go and buy a sewing machine today! right now! but I have other stuff to do, like fix up the apartment. Only 4 months until Sian comes to stay, and the place needs to be tip-top before then. Sigh.

I've bought two more books! They are:

1. Fabric Art Journals: Making, Sewing, and Embellishing Journals from Cloth and Fibers
This is a really beautiful book, and something extremely appealing for me because I absolutely am addicted to notebooks, journals and the like. Basically if it's got a cover and blank pages, I'm there. I'm the same with organisers. Blissss.

2. The Impatient Patchworker: 20 Great Projects You Can Make in a Hurry
Also a beautiful book. I'd eyed it before, but when I saw it advertised on a craft blog, I knew it had to be mine. Plus, the chances that Hong Kong get all the good craft books are pretty slim, so whenever I get the chance, I'm there.

I now remember the name of the other book I bought a while ago. It is:
-- New Complete Guide to Sewing: Step by Step Techniques for Making Clothes and Home Accessories
Except I'm pretty sure it was published by DK and it doesn't have the word "new" in it. So... that's probably not my book. But doesn't it look pretty?

I tried out Western Market yesterday, too! By the time I got there around 3/4 of the shops had already closed, but I still managed to find some beautiful fabric. And for cheap! I will definitely try to get my ass down there again soon. Still have to try Sham Shui Po.

I think that's it for now.