Down Memory Lane

Hari ini ada email bertanyakan how i started with embroidery work from "cempaka rindu":

"Assalamualaikum! Salam perkenalan dihulurkan sempena ramadhan almubarak ini,boleh sy panggil akak as K.G? or any nickname to get close to u?sebenarnya sy amat berminat tentang embroidery work tak kiralah apepun,jahitan all kind of jahitan ,pakaian,langsir,hiasan and byk lg lah kalau nk dicrite,sulaman tangan,manik and so on...... Sy berminat nak tanya yr experience about getting involved with embroidery...can u tell me how and when u start....saje la nak tau...ok ..jumpa lagi"

K.G, that's a new one for me. Short for Kak Gi lah tu from Zihan? Boleh lah tu. Dalam penulisan kat internet ni, die macam SMS jugak. Nak cepat guna pependek je. Ok, KG is fine.

So Feb '08 is when i started with bead embroidery. Tapi yang i ingat the first hand craft yang i buat is tie and die, i must have been 15. (Teknik from kelas melukis kat sekolah, APGS, Air Panas Girls School, KL) I even made sepasang baju, a simple blouse and a qeulotte from the finished fabric. I was so happy with the outcome dan selalu pakai blouse and seluar kembang ni (paras lutut.) I've also done tie and knot buat beg. Then cross stich, crochet - ni ikut kakak sulong i yang at that time suke kait stocking first baby die etc.

My arwah mom, minat, rajin dan pandai menjahit. Tiap2 tahun, she will jahitkan baju kurung utk anak2nye (there's 5 of us girls and 2 boys) for raye. She also jahit langsir and sarung kushen. I yang selalu tolong masukkan benang dalam jarum kat mesin singer die (hitam, bermeja, yang kene pusing dgn tangan bila nak start and guna pedal kaki utk gerakkan mesin.) Bile dah besar sikit we have to help her with the kurung - jahit sendiri kelim tepi, tulang belut and kainnye. Siapa nak pakai kain getah kene jahit sendiri. Kalau tidak pakai tali pinggang besi utk ikat kipas.

Masa kat U (early 80's) i masih lagi pursue my minat in stitching. I buat selimut (mcm comforter) chicken scratch belajar dari buku. Beli template try buat blouse, jadi tapi potongan tak cantik. Buat jubah, tak cantik pun pakai aje. Buat embroidery poster gambar kerang from template and kit. Yang ni siap dan cantik tapi i must have left it kat US masa balik, tak muat beg. Buat quilting utk bed spread size queen (tgk buku.) Berhajat tapi tak siap sampai ke la ni.

Masa kerje (late 80's) i beli mesin jahit elektrik singer. I try jahit baju kurung sendiri, potongannya tak cantik.

Lepas kahwin (early 90's), I jahitkan baju melayu (top) utk new hubby. Dia pakai - I was so proud. Masa kahwin banyak jugak projek menjahit yang jadi, alas meja; dan yang tak siap, sarung sofa, sarung kerusi makan. Lepas tu lama tak jahit. anak pun dah empat and growing up.

Then I got retrenched (May '06). I started blogging sambil2 cari kerje. Konon2 nak make money from on line marketing.

Then I got a job (Apr '07) then I quit my job (Oct '07), then Feb '08, I started bead embroidery and this blog Sulam Sayang. Blogging and beading are such good theraphy apart from spiritual theraphy from solat, zakat and zikrillah.

I will add photos as relate to this post when available. So check it out sekali sekala.

Love, KG :)