Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

DineHear by Knuaf – 40 seconds in Brisbane’s Lychee Lounge

by

lycheelounge

When DineHear.com.au asked us to review the noise level in 3 random restaurants we were excited. Not excited because we were going to eat out, excited because we were going to call it work and leave the kids at home.  🙂

Obviously not taking our children decreased the volume level at our table dramatically and we were in fact able to talk. Granted we had nothing to talk about but the children, but we could hear each other. Or could we?

Lychee Lounge in Brisbane’s West end is famous among locals for its cocktails so we thought we would combine an early cocktail with an early dinner. When we were seated under a loud speaker I thought – Oh No! Epic fail! Because all we can hear is music.

It wasn’t until we sat and listened that we noticed we could STILL hear lots of things from the bar and the kitchen.

Here is our 40 seconds of noise. You can hear chatter in the kitchen and the fridge door being opened and closed.  There was also some crashing of plates from the kitchen but I failed to press record in time.

Click here to hear the audio from the Lychee Lounge.

Well what do you think? Can you hear the Kitchen stuff? We sure could.

DineHear.com.au (Knauf ) put together their own funny noisy restaurant video.

[vimeo 67695954]

The Break Up from Talking Brand on Vimeo.

You can review your local restaurant and go into the draw to win 1 of 3 ipad Minis!

(perfect for bad dates and entertaining children at overly loud restaurants)

Visit the DineHear Website for all the details on how to win.

Have you read?

Christmas Stick and Stitch Embroidery Pattern – Etsy Review

I am a little bit in love with these kinds of stick and stitch embroidery designs, because they are exactly the sort of project that gets you started straight away instead of sitting in a pile while you overthink thread colours and transfers for three weeks. The Christmas Stick and Stitch Embroidery Pattern from HoopArtStitch is a water-soluble peel-and-stick hand embroidery transfer, not a machine embroidery file, and Etsy lists it under craft supplies with fabric stabilizer and ink as the materials.

What makes this set especially appealing is how approachable it looks. The listing images show a pack of 12 Christmas-themed designs including a tree, ornaments, mug, pudding, reindeer, presents, mittens, mistletoe, bells, a poinsettia, and a car with presents on top, with the motifs shown at around 1.5 to 3 inches. That size feels very manageable, which is often exactly what helps people stay motivated. You can actually finish one, feel clever, and then want to do another instead of burning out halfway through some giant “character building” hoop.

I also think these are a great option for beginners because the hard part of getting the design onto the fabric is already sorted. You just peel, stick, stitch, and wash it away when you are done. That simple setup is a big part of why stick-and-stitch packs are so satisfying. They remove a lot of the fuss, which means you get to the fun part faster, and that alone can make hand embroidery feel much less intimidating. This is an inference based on the product format shown in the listing.

The shop side looks reassuring too. HoopArtStitch is marked as a Star Seller, which Etsy says means the shop consistently earns 5-star reviews, dispatches on time, and replies quickly to messages. The item reviews shown on the page are also very encouraging, with buyers calling it “very easy to apply, good designs for a first timer,” “exactly what I needed and excellent quality,” and “I really love this product.”

Another nice little sign that people are genuinely drawn to it is that the listing was posted on 15 January 2026 and already has 1,585 favourites, which is a pretty good indication that this style of project is resonating with hand stitchers.

Overall, this feels like one of those easy Christmas embroidery projects for beginners that is genuinely motivating rather than aspirational in a stressful way. It is cute, practical, and has that instant-start appeal that makes you actually want to sit down and stitch. And honestly, I completely get why you are in love with them. Sometimes the best craft supplies are the ones that make it easier to begin.