In My Hoop...
CrossStitcher reader Michelle Yeoh enjoys taking part in the online stitching scene in Malaysia, and has her own design companies too…
Michelle Yeoh caught the stitching bug when she was just 12 years old and taught by her mum. She now runs her own stitching companies which she juggles with family life…
Stitching since she was a child, Michelle has evolved from stitch addict to creator with not one, but two, stitching companies to her name! “I used to stitch from counted kits by Pinn and Dimensions,” she recalls. “Joining the rat race forced this hobby into the backseat, and I eventually came back to it when I became a full-time mum in 2015. I picked up some unfinished kits and found myself designing custom portraits for friends before turning it into a business which includes Lile Pink Factory (@lilpinkfactory) and MiRuMakes (@mirumakes), which I co-run with my best friend, Ruzanna). I’ve been stitching ever since! “Lile Pink Factory is more focused on custom orders. MiRuMakes is intended to introduce Malaysian themed designs to local and international stitchers.”
Michelle lives in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, which is close to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. She’s involved with her local cross-stitch group on Facebook. CrossStitch Malaysia, where stitchers will share their progress and finished pieces. “We have Stitch-A-Long Tuesdays and WIP Wednesdays to encourage the group to stay active,” she explains. “Before the pandemic, we even had mini competitions and swaps amongst members.
“We did have several prolonged lockdowns throughout 2020 and 2021 and stitching definitely helped me. It helped to pass the time and being able to finish a few of the work-in-progress pieces that I started years prior definitely felt like major achievements whilst being cooped up at home. I’m a serial starter so I’ve been working on finishing up my WIPs. It was definitely heartening to see a number of people who have rediscovered their love of cross stitch or trying it out for the first time during the lockdowns.
“I have a particular fondness for stitching kitchen and food or dessert themed designs. They always call out to me, and lately I’m also attracted to travel themed and Harry Potter inspired ones.
“One particular piece that I’m proud of is ‘Quotes To Live By’ by Emma Congdon. It was a charity SAL in 2017 which a few of us had started on but shelved due to time constraints. With the prolonged lockdowns, a SAL was organised in Cross-Stitch Malaysia at the start of 2021, with the aim to complete stitching by the year end. This motivated me to pick it back up and it’s now finished and still my biggest piece of stitching to date. Though I have the patience for stitching, unfortunately, I don’t have the requisite amount required to stitch large, full coverage pieces.
“This year, I’ve stitched House Proud by Faye Walsh for my mum’s Mother’s Day gift, from CrossStitcher issue 341, a Harry Potter blackwork for a cousin’s birthday and a Parisian scene.
“I have several other projects now on the go, but this year I had planned to get a start on the Harry Potter Stitch Your Own Adventure by Cunning Cross Stitch (it’s massive!) but with the school runs, this is proving to be challenging. If time permits, I’ll attempt it towards the end of the year, otherwise, I’ll be content to start some of the smaller pieces that I’ve got my eye on – Lumiere and Company by Maria Brovko, French Fancies (from CrossStitcher issue 303) and High Street by Permin.
“I would also love to try my hand at more hand embroidery projects and pick up some basic sewing so I can finish off my projects differently.”
I’m a serial starter so I’ve been working on finishing up my WIPs