Lizzie is crowned and ...

Measure of a Year is back from the framers - Happy Dances all around.

First up, here is Measure of a Year all framed - it is actually lying on the bed in this pic as I have not yet decided where to hang it.

... and here is Lizzie in all her glory!

 Happy Dance all over the house!

     Isn't she gorgeous?  I am so thrilled with her.

The Queen's Sampler

Plum Street Samplers

28 ct Flax linen

Suggested DMC floss

She has been taken straight to the framers, so there will be one last update pic in a couple of weeks.

Hmm!  What Tudor design to concentrate on next for my Tudor Tuesday SAL is my big question now.

Off to bookclub shortly - where Emma Viskic , the author of this month's novel, Resurrection Bay, is coming along to talk to us - how cool is that?

Have a good evening, everyone, 

hugs, 

By the way, I really enjoyed the novel, so I am really looking forward to meeting the author.

Still reading.....

after 17 years, my book club is still going strong.

Here is our 2014 Xmas photo, although a few ladies were missing due to illness.

Sorry, I am looking a bit stern in the photo, as one of my girlfriends had just been talking about all the sucking in, sitting up, jutting your chin forward, etc. that you should do to make yourself look better in the photo (when you are our age), so I was so busy doing all that, that I forgot to smile and look happy - lol!

We had dinner at the home of one of the ladies, doesn't the table look pretty?

The meal was fully catered by this most amazing cook. First course was a delicious array of canapes (no photo, sorry), ranging from smoked salmon on mini rosti to the most delicious minced lamb filo parcels.


For main I had the poached salmon ....

Whilst the other choice was Duck with Asian salad.

... and dessert was so gorgeous.... Passionfruit souffle!

There was also a choice of a lemon ricotta cake but again, sorry no pic.

Oh, amongst all the laughter and reminiscing, we did manage to talk about the book!  It was Indelible Ink by Fiona McGregor, if anyone is interested.

All in all, a fabulous evening.

Love you, book club girls.  Here's to another 17 years.

Christmas Festivities

Hello lovely bloggers,

Not much stitching has happened this week.  Partly because I have had a sore neck, partly because I have caught up on some reading today, partly because it has been rather a hot week here in Melbourne and partly because I have been busy with some Christmas functions.  I just love this time of year - although I must admit it is not great for the waistline.  And because my neck is playing up I have not been able to go swimming this week.  Had another trip to the Osteo today and she thinks that I will be right to go back in the water on Monday.

So, no stitching pics but I do have some other pics for you.  For our Bookclub Potluck Christmas dinner I made a Ginger Passionfruit trifle.  It was a really easy recipe to make - it is one of Nigella Lawson's Express recipes.  You can find the recipe here and here is my finished trifle:

But first I had a helper - can you just see Furio's little ears showing over the bench?

He is really into it now:

 The following are some lovely photos of my Bookclub friends (not all of them, though) - we have been meeting every month to discuss books for over 14 years now!

We had a really fun night.  

Well, off to cook dinner now and then out to see "Moneyball" with DH and some friends - so no stitching tonight either.  But tomorrow it is definitely on my agenda.

Merry Xmas hugs, Kaye xoxox