Stitch gathering 2014 Workshops

Photo from Jo's site - myBearpaw - expertly modelled by Jo

The pocket on my sample has a seam in the middle - result of a silly cutting error...I'll give precise cutting instructions to everyone taking the class!



Are you free Sunday 14th September this year?  Could you make it to Edinburgh to come along to the 2014 Stitch Gathering Retreat?  I do hope that you can.  It promises to be a wonderful day.  Jo has lined up a great selection of classes - 7 in total, and you can attend 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon.

I'm really looking forward to teaching my Café Apron - this class is a great way to try out some dressmaking skills.  And the apron itself is pretty fun to wear (I'm sure it makes me feel like I'm a much more sophisticated cook when I have one on!) and it certainly makes a great gift too.

For details of the other classes have a look at Jo's blog and the Stitch Gathering website.  I do hope to see you there!

Also, still time to enter my Village Haberdashery giveaway - don't be shy, it is lovely to see some new names(I'm a dreadful 'lurker' on some blogs)!

Sewing class - making cafe aprons

Beautifully made aprons

We had such a good time last Wednesday evening when Vanessa, Cara, Susan and Eileen came over for an evening of sewing.  I was a little daunted by the fact that Cara and Susan had to be shown how to turn their sewing machines on - but, haven't they all done well?  Eileen had to leave early but I talked her through the last few steps and, with the tutorial handout I had prepared, she has finished hers at home since.

This was my first time using our dining room as a classroom and my lovely friends were the guinea pigs - just to see if the room would work, test my teaching skills, how many can comfortably work in the room and so on.  It seems that four is a perfect number and that I can set the room up as a classroom fairly easily.  And I enjoy teaching so much - it seems that my 'students' enjoyed their lesson too as we're now planning a get-together every few weeks.

I'm going to carry on working up my plans and hope to be able to offer small classes and bespoke tutoring in the future.  All very exciting.  I get such a buzz from helping people learn to work with fabric.

My first sample apron was made more-or-less to an Amy Butler pattern but I found it overly complicated and was concerned that it would take too long to make.  Plus, I feel more comfortable teaching something that is more 'mine'.  So, I adapted the pattern considerably to simplify it's design and also the amount of fabric required.  I have plans for the apple apron, which was to the original pattern, and I have been enjoying using the second......a little treat for myself.

Grannie and Grandad on top of Nape's Needle

Grannie and Grandad preparing to climb the Inaccessible Pinnacle

Grannie climbing the 'In Pinn'

I noticed that the dining room photos showed a glimpse of my three climbing pictures.  They are photos of my grandparents and are among my favourite possessions.  My grandad was a really keen climber and walker and enjoyed an adventurous bachelorhood until he met my grannie.  And grannie must have been quite some girl because she was prepared to learn to climb for his sake.  They spent their honeymoon on Skye and the second and third photos show them climbing the Inaccessible Pinnacle on the Cuillin Ridge.  The first photo shows them on top of Napes Needle in the Lake District.

I have walked and climbed on the Cuillin Ridge and my dad and I climbed the Inaccessible Pinnacle together.  I can't imagine what it must have been like climbing with hemp ropes tied around your waist and hobnail boots too.  Sadly I didn't ever have a chance to talk to them about climbing and their adventures - but I love to look at their photos and imagine their trips.

The Stitch Gathering - A Gathering of Stitchers

Wow - I am still buzzing, really, from Sunday.  The Stitch Gathering was such a  special day.  It was a truly lovely mix of people who all had one thing in common - a love of crafting, and especially stitching.  We were such a mix of ages and interests and the day felt very easy and friendly - especially once my class (thankfully in the morning) was underway.....then I relaxed a bit more and began to properly enjoy myself.

I didn't remember, or really have much of a chance in among all my chatting, to take any photos so those from the day shown here are all taken by Jonathan (Jo The Stitch Gathering organiser's photographer husband) - I would have dearly liked to show more, and tell more, and mention more people but really I think there's going to be enough going on below.........I loved meeting you all and just wish I could mention and link to everyone.

We started off the day, which was held at Napier University's Merchiston Campus (just round the corner from Jo's treasure trove of a shop) with tea and coffee and lots of meeting and chatting - it got really noisy once we started swapping our name tags - I got the most beautiful one from Fiona at Poppy Makes (and she got mine), it even has trees on the back, just for me.  Thanks Fiona, I love it and it is hanging on my sewing table lamp........just in case I forget who I am!

Then it was off to the first classes. I had a great group in my Patchwork Bib Class and everyone, despite some being quite new to machine sewing, finished their bib.  I was very proud of them!  Look at those beautiful bibs.

We had a yummy buffet lunch and got the chance for some Show and Tell, a lucky dip (fat quarter of fabric for me, yay!) and time to admire the wonderful embellished tickets - it is going to be quite some quilt once Jo has found a way to sew them together.

How's this for a first quilt? - in progress by Emily

Lynz's Around the Block and Across the Pond Quilt - I really really love it

In the afternoon I got to attend Katy's Foundation Paper Piecing class, something I have wanted to try for quite some time.  It isn't the easiest technique to teach and explain but Katy did a great job*.  I don't have much to show for it.....yet.....I did get a fair way through but it really isn't worth photographing for public viewing yet.  Have a look here at Carol's which she finished on Monday night.  I think I might have made better progress if I hadn't taught in the morning - but I'm not complaining as I really enjoyed my teaching and am sure I learnt enough from Katy to be able to finish off my teapot mat and tackle other projects in the future.

Then it was off to Jo's shop to view the quilts in The Modern Quilt Exhibition.  It was part of Edinburgh's annual International Arts and Culture Festival.  I had a quilt in the exhibition which was completed just in time to enter and will be blogged about shortly (along with many other things on my ever growing list!).  My quilt paled into insignificance alongside some of the beauties on show.  Find out more here.  Jo and her lovely colleague Sarah were handing out fizzy and nibbles and it was a lovely way to end the day (some carried on for a meal out but since it was our anniversary I thought I ought to head home and see a wee bit of John!).

My 'Free As A Bird' Quilt - it will get a post of it's own

We were given bulging goody bags too from a wonderful range of sponsors.  Highland Spring water; biscuits from Nairns; a bag from Liberty and a Liberty Fat Quarter too; a Pilot frixion pen (I use them a lot so know it will be very handy); ten pretty spools of thread from Sewing Machines Direct; beautiful wee hexies from webfabrics; lots from Coats Crafts including embroidery thread, fat quarters and a tote bag; some beautiful liberty from Very Berry Fabrics (who I have wanted to buy from for quite some time); buttons and thread from  The Button Company; fat quarters from Jo's Avery Homestore; and lastly contact information for Beechwood Quilting services (tempting!). 

I can't wait for next year.  Maybe you'll be able to make it?

* I now know that Katy had a pretty long and stressful start to the day - which involved an early-hours-of-the-night drive to Glasgow and back.  But it was all part of a very good cause.  To look after Sarah and her lovely mum.  So good to see them both after their dramas!

The Stitch Gathering - only 1 week to go!

The Stitch Gathering is almost upon us.  Typing 'only one week to go' in the blog title was rather scary.  I still haven't prepped for Katy's class - I took one look at the instructions a few days ago and decided to leave it for later......never a good sign or good idea.  Still, assuming I manage to get the prep done I may come away from next Sunday knowing how to paper piece, and that would be a good thing.
I have at least ticked a couple of things off my rather large list.  The fabric ticket was one of Jo's genius ideas.  Each person attending will be embellishing their ticket, any way they like, and Jo will make them all up into a quilt*.  It will look fabulous.

And there is also a name tag swap - we'll be finding our secret partners on the day and handing them over in person which I think is a lovely idea.  I know the person that I'm making for and really hope she'll like her tag - I certainly enjoyed making it.  I can't wait to see what mine is like**.

* I suspect some may be easier than others (i.e. mine) to incorporate into a quilt. I made up my ticket embellishment as I went along - I knew what I wanted to do but had never tried it before.  I got the effect I was hoping for, but if I was doing it again I'd trim more as I went along............it is quite thick in places - but Jo is so talented I'm sure she'll have no trouble at all, especially since I included a wee owl especially for her :)
** I'm not sure what happened but I didn't receive a name tag for the FQR (which I will blog about, in brief since so many others are weeks ahead of me, at some stage) - it doesn't really matter, just one of those things, but I am looking forward to having one this time!

The Stitch Gathering preparations - patchwork bibs

I have been busy preparing some samples for the Patchwork Bib class I'm teaching at The Stitch Gathering.  The first bib has a cute wee patchwork strip across the middle and the second, as well as a patchwork strip, has some applique and embroidery.........I'll be teaching how to make the first one and the second shows just a couple of examples of how easy they are to personalise.

I had a 'meeting' with Jo a few weeks ago (well, lunch with a bit of work chat in among the general blether!) and Jo very kindly gave me the fabric I have used for these bibs - so if you're taking the Patchwork Bib class, and can't decide what fabric to bring, you can make yours just like mine by visiting Jo's shop!

:: the linen is a beautiful linen/cotton mix - Essex Linen in Natural and is lovely to work with, Jo has several linens which you can find here
:: the printed fabrics are all Nested Owls prints from the ADORNit range (this link will take you to Jo's ADORNit collection) - these fabrics are classic Jo - she loves owls!
:: the back of the bib is flannel (soft and absorbent so perfect for bibs), Jo has some flannels here (I also like to use this flannel)

I know that Jo is close to getting out class information to all The Stitch Gathering attendees which is very exciting news.  One of Jo's brainwaves is fabric tickets - perfect.  Take a look at them here and read about how they will be turned into a charity quilt here.  I really love this idea but, so far, haven't had any flashes of inspiration to suggest how I should personalise mine.

I'm really looking forward to The Stitch Gathering - it is set to be a great day.  And my class is in the morning so by lunchtime I can relax and really enjoy the fun!  What about you, do you take this sort of thing in your stride or would you, like me, get a little nervous before-hand?

The Stitch Gathering - tickets and teachers

The tickets for this summer's Stitch Gathering are now on sale.  Yay!

I can now tell you who the teachers are - and one of them is me.  Double yay!  

The other teachers are Jo, Fiona, Katy, and Sheila.  They are all very talented and will be teaching some great workshops.  There'll be goody bags, swaps, discounts - and generally a day of lots of fun.

Jo has a limited number of tickets.  Far fewer than the number of people who have registered interest.  So if you want to come along best to book now.

I am getting very excited (and a little nervous).  It would be wonderful to see some of you there.