Road Trip by Where Stitchers Gather

Girls from the Where Stitches Gather made another trip to a charming  little town at the foothills of Fraser's Hill known as  Kuala Kubu Bahru (KKB for short). The town began life as mining colony in the 18th Century. The original town situated by the Selangor River had a massive flood in 1883 that wiped out the entire town and claiming 33 lives including the then District Magistrate and Revenue Collector Sir Cecil Ranking.  The town was then rebuilt to this present hilly terrain surrounded by lush valleys.

Our journey's first pit stop to refuel before we embark on our journey was a venue sort of midway point between Kuala Lumpur and KKB. It's  a sleepy little village that comes alive during the weekends where food enthusiasts townsfolks come hunting for a good bowl of  their signature hand knead noodle,  Ulu Yam Loh Mee (UYL) . It's cooked in a  thick black broth of soysauce with an overpowering of black vinegar .

Thereafter, we headed to the World of Phalaenopsis, the moth orchids and be swoon over by the sea of blooming orchids in a variety of colors

 A little welcome sign at one of the Showroom entrance.

These orchids are housed in air conditioning showrooms. I have blog about this place before, each time I re-visited, there are something new, either with the deco, new pots or some new color orchids.

 A groupie for the album

Wall painted look so good with the potted orchids

Teng Wun Bakery, a small bakery on the main road are well known for their light fluffy sponge cupcakes and  Kaya puffs, a must stop for some takeaways, the cupcakes was unfortunately all sold out when we got there but the butter sponge cakes and kaya puff saves the day. Here's a slice of my butter sponge for afternoon tea.

By the five foot way 2 doors away from the Bakery, these kitties are in deep slumber, oblivious of all the noise we were making as we walked by.

 I have completed my pincushion from my last post.

It's the Nathalie Bird pincushion from her Red Home

This pincushion has a bit of everything; stitchery, applique, hexagon and even a little blue bird of happiness. I have added with a cross stitched red bird replacing the fabric bird which was the original design and a handmade fabric button with my initial on it.

The assembly part is a bit tacky for me. I had to undo twice before I got it right or rather fit the bottom square and it didn't look quite right or perfect as I had hoped for. I didn't filled it walnut crushed either, just some polyfiber and I am having some doubts over the button of my choice too 

On the drawing board now is an exchange for the Christmas In July hosted by Kim

The exchange calls for three handmade items with a specific theme.

This is my first of such exchange, so it's very interesting and exciting.

Reveal day will be sometime in the last week of  July.

Thank you all who came and took time to comment in my last post.

I appreciate your visit so very much.

Weekend is here soon and here's wishing all a wonderful weekend.

A festive February month

The new year is almost over, the last day is known as "Chap Goh Meh" in the Hokkien lingo, simply translated as the Fifteen Day falls on Monday 22nd, that is how long the Chinese New Year lasts. I had an afternoon off from work on Monday, it's a tradition to begin work on the first day after the New Year just to officiate the 'back in business' for a couple of hours and then close up to be  fully commencing work the next day onwards as usual.

This festive holidays, I felt that at some point, time stood still because I wasn't very productive enough with crafting as I had hoped, somehow my time got occupied with 'this and that',  and so the days just flew by and  the week was gone. Here are some collections of my week long holiday

This colourful platter is known as Yee Sang (Prosperity Toss) , the top platter is its condiments for the bottom platter which are shredded vegetables. Photos above from Grand Seasons Hi-Tea buffet

This is how it's served, a portion of everything with slices of the common favorite raw salmon to be added just before tossing. It's sort of an appetizer normally served at  a luncheon or dinner only on Chinese New Year where everyone is to toss the dish  as high as possible to symbolize a prosperous year before allowed to indulge. It's an expensive dish depending on what is served as the main ingredients  and  yet sometimes after tossing only half its quantity falls back onto the plate, well this happens if you dine with a bunch of people enjoying  good company. It's once a year thing and highlight of everymeal

(Image Credits to Goole Search)

A Hi-Tea Lunch at the Grand Seasons

The festive deco on the main table and some of their festive spread I managed to

capture with my cellphone

Spotted some festive cookies, Kueh Bangkit  top and HoneyComb Cookies  bottom

love those Chinese design baskets

 There's Nasi Briyani with Fish Curry Indian Style

 Braised Duck and  deep fried Crab

Condiments for Ice Kacang (Shaved Ice)

 Peking Duck

Some sweets savory

My favourite Bowl of Assam Laksa

Here's us

I baked some home favorites this year not very adventurous unlike the previous years;

Seaweed crackers, Pineapple tarts, Horlicks Doggie cookies  and Cinnamon Cookies

Visited a friend at his Cattle ranch one evening

We had barbeque and satay (like kebab minus vegetables)

We stop to smell the flowers when my cousin came visiting with his family besides exploring a Hot Spring and waterfall

The World of Phalaenopsis, moth orchids nursery, where we spent hours here, strange that the boys went on a buying spree here while the girls just went looking, well I figured that if I can't cart the biggest pot with the most flowers home nothing interest me, LOL. Hubby bought three pots while my cousin Peter bought four pots. I'll secretly keep tab and see how long their 'green hands' will work  on their orchids.

Spotted a Lily pond at the back of the nursery

and Dessert Rose in a variety of colours

 One for the album

Lunch on one afternoon after I returned home,  Dukbokki, a Korean Rice Cake. A simple and lazy cooking, cause I only made the sauce , found the rice cake at Cold Storage, I was practically grinning the moment I spotted the rice cakes.

A Valentine's Day lunch at TGI Friday's, we also watch Deadpool , gosh! laugh die me as the Chinese says; It's ROTFL) It's funny, fast and gleefully profane, glad that our censor board did a pretty good job on this, for once .

I brought with me to my In-Laws home a bag full  WIP including knitting and crochet besides a couple of UFO's plus a couple of printed chart on my todo list that I had intended to work on this year. I ended up working on my Winter Home Round Robin which I think I can come to terms with it now. I decided not to add the lace, thanks Mylene, appreciate your thoughts on this in my last post. I'll be sending this to the framer

 Love Tree by The Trilogy, my first February finished

COTM (Color of the Month) Heart Theme Exchange

The stitched piece of sweet pink  in silk floss was stitched by Zarina in Penang many moons ago , an Exchange thru our local group Malaysian Stitchers Yahoo group, sadly, now no longer active. It was a fun theme exchange as we could never tell what is coming. The theme dictates what the exchanges is all about. 

I was indecisive long enough what to finish this into, it was so sweet of Zarina to gave me extra fabrics and floss so I could make something more or to finished it with. An idea had suddenly pop-up what to finish this into. I'll reveal these two finishes in my next post and maybe a couple more.

It's Friday here today, so I'm whishing all a very good stitching weekend and thank you all who came by and commented.