Lets Get Stitched - part 1

It has been a challenge to know where to start to blog about our wonderful Lets Get Stitched weekend in Melbourne.  It was the most amazing 5 days of excitement, fun, shopping, friends, hugs, food, laughter, (a little) stitching, more shopping, more food, and definitely more hugs.

(thanks to Jenny - Elefantz for this wonderful photo of all 50 of us at the stitching day.)

After travelling from all parts of Australia and New Zealand, we booked into our accommodation at the Rydges Bell City at Preston.  I had the loveliest Roomies, Christine and Vicki.  How come we didnt take a photo of the 3 of us??? Massive oversight.

Friday saw 32 of us on a bus trip which took us to........ surprise surprise........  quilt shops.  Wow, did we help out the Melbourne economy on that day.

I can share only a part of my goodies as there were some gifts as well.

We had lunch and time for shopping at Sassafras, a small town in the Dandenong Ranges.  Lunch for us was pumpkin and cauliflower soup, and the nicest chocolate-est hot mocha I have ever tasted.  It was made on lindt chocolate.  Wendy (on the left) had iced chocolate, also made with lindt chocolate, and you can still see all the chocolate in the bottom of her glass.  Talk about decadent !!!!!

Friday night was our traditional pizza and games night, which caused much merriment and noise - so much so that security knocked on our door to say "too much noise and too many people in the room".  It did break up the party rather abruptly, but we would have to agree that it would have been way too noisy for the neighbouring rooms.

In the photo above we had to draw on that paper plate on our head, without looking at it, a sewing machine, scissors, cord, table, fabric, needle, etc.  Miche'le's drawing is below - she did very well, much more organised than mine turned out to be.

Here, these two are working out who has the largest shoes - part of the next game.  Jen was hopeful that her boots (background) would be the winner.   hmmm.  What do you think???

After our sudden interruption it was off to plan our "free day" activities.

(Thank you to other LGSers who posted photos, which I have used here.)