The last hurrah!

So, where were we....

Oh yes, Sunday.  I didn't get to hang out with everyone on Saturday evening for various reasons, but I was back bright and early on Sunday morning for my foundation paper piecing class with Lynne.  Now, I have done some of this before, with the double wedding ring wall hanging I made for my sister and her new husband, and my Good Friday wrestling match with my beach scene mini.  We had a choice of 3 patterns and unknowingly I picked the 'advanced' option!  Yep, I've done it before but I'm far from advanced level.  So, double circle of flying geese it was...

Anyway, I'd chosen Countdown to Christmas for my fabric and after a really tricky initial hour trying to manipulate my brain into the backwards thinking necessary to work out how the heck* (insert own expletive here) to accomplish this method, I managed to block out everyone else and concentrate hard on getting my first 1/8th of the pattern done.  When it came to starting the second eighth, though, my brain got a bit complacent and I made more errors. In the 3 hours of the class and part of lunchtime I managed to put the two triangles together and make a quarter of the full design.

I'm determined to finish the full cushion cover before Christmas, although I may need to spend a lot of time asking Lynne for help!  Just so you can see how tricky the pattern was, here's a glimpse at one part - admittedly this picture is upside down, but don't let that conceal it's complexity:

Anyway, lunch provided a welcome chance for the grey matter to recover, and to catch up with the LMQG girls and compare notes on our morning's achievements.  After lunch was the class I was secretly looking forward to more than anything, which was wonky log cabins with none other than Quilt Dad himself, John Adams.  I loved John's tutorials when I first discovered them, they were so clear and detailed, and it's my comfort block - when I want something easy, fun and enjoyable to make, it's a wonky log cabin I turn to.  Again I used Countdown to Christmas and actually put a bit of thought into the arrangement of the fabrics rather than the more usual freestyle choosing from a big heap!

I was really pleased with how this turned out, and am looking forward to adding a solid border and quilting it ready for a jolly festive sofa in a few months!

All too soon, it was time to hit the road, cram myself into a packed tube train and head home.  It was sad to say goodbye to all the lovely people there, some of whom I didn't get anywhere near enough time to talk to.  And I cannot wait till next year and have started putting my pennies in my piggy bank to save for my ticket for 2013. 

As promised, more on the FQ Retreat

So I promised to tell you more about the weekend, and the best place to start seems to be with the brilliant name badge made for me by Kelly who is one of my fellow LMQG members. 

As anyone who reads this blog may have noticed I'm a big fan of American Jane's Pezzy Print, and Kelly came up trumps.  There was a great selection on the front, funky tube map fabric for the lanyard and wonderful Melody Millar viewfinders for the backing.

It was perfect and exactly what I would have made (if I'd had the fabric!) and I love it!  I am getting some funny looks wearing it all the time, mind.....

On arrival at the retreat we had to pick a raffle ticket and we were given a goody bag.  Now, I never win at raffles... actually I never win anything - raffles, giveaways, lottery tickets, bets on the horses... - so I nearly didn't even bother leaving the bar for the draw!  I'm so glad I did in the end as I won a jelly roll.

Cosmo Cricket's Salt Air is about to be one of my covet's of the week (yep, it's being dangerously reinstated, so my favourite fabric shop can start stalking my choices and stocking them in time for me to purchase!)so to be able to choose the circa 1934 roll was great.  I can't wait to make something with this, but it's going to be a winter project, and I have a potential recipient in mind for it....

I'll tell you more about the goody bag later - don't want you getting overloaded with jealousy! 

I took 4 classes altogether, and they were all fantastic.  Two were trying something I'd never done before - one of which I really loved and the other I will probably not be trying again.

I made this little pin cushion in the freezer paper piecing class.  It was hand sewn in my beloved pezzy, although it did have a slightly psychedelic effect.  This wasn't my favourite technique to be honest.

In the afternoon however, Aneela had the pleasure of trying to teach me and 34 more competant people, the delights of embroidery.  Reader, I loved it!  I'm so proud of my little robin, and loved the packet of flosses which Cosmo were generous enough to send to Aneela for her willing pupils.  Here's my attempt.... 

Aneela laughed when I told her I intended to make this the central square of a wonky or crazy log cabin cushion with her gorgeous Cherry Christmas range which is featured on her blog today - go and have a look, it's scrummy - Santa's laundry, snowglobes and snowman teapots, roll on July! 

Anyway, it's bedtime now, so Sunday's excitement will have to wait until tomorrow....

FQ Retreat

..... and a GREAT time was had by all!

Firstly, before I say anything else, a huge thanks has to go to the Fat Quarterly team, for the fantastic job they did this weekend.  Not only was it superbly organised, the team were soooo friendly and approachable and it really felt like we'd known them for ever. 

I nearly hyperventilated on arrival, coming face to face with John Adams, or QuiltDad as he may be better known!  John is the reason I signed up for the retreat - one of my first 'modern' attempts at quilting was a wonky log cabin cushion cover from John's tutorial.  It was the first thing I ever posted on flickr, and I think John's was one of the first comments - my first feedback from a professional!  

John's welcoming speech

Lucie Summers, designer of the fantastic Summersville range, Katy 'I'magingermonkey' Jones and Tacha Breucher were also on the reception desk with Lynne of Lily's Quilts and Brioni Greenberg loitering nearby. There were also some truly stunning quilts which had been made by the team decorating the area, but I have to confess to being so overwhelmed I didn't actually notice them till later! Somewhere amongst the throng was Kerry who was also teaching a class, and Aneela joined us later for her embroidery lesson.  

(I think I've mentioned everyone, but if I missed anyone, I'm so sorry!  And thank you, too!)

Anyway, after a quick game of people bingo which got the ice well and truly broken - 100+ women & 2 guys wandering round staring at each other's boobs in an effort to match name tags to lists...! - John opened proceedings with his welcoming speech and away we went.

Now, at this point, my brain pretty much went into shock.  I completely forgot I had a camera except at one point in the afternoon when someone reminded me to take a picture of my embroidery efforts.  And so because there was so much going on.... and there's so much to tell you ..... and I can take retrospective photos at home this evening.... I'm going to blog about the classes, the goody bag, the ironman challenge, the real pleasure of meeting other bloggers etc etc etc..... later!

I'm sorry - I hate it when bloggers do that - they've been to a brilliant event and then come back and tell you NOTHING!  But honestly?  It was fantastic, it was stimulating, it was inspirational, and if you didn't go, book next year's as soon as it becomes available.... and it was exhausting!  There was just so much to take in, and process, and enjoy, and I will share it with you..... tomorrow.

I'll be there......

So this time next week, I'll have been up since 5am, have travelled into London via East Finchley, have taken part in Lynne's cushion workshop (union jack or circling geese?  Can't decide) and the lucky Aneela will have been trying to teach me to embroider for about an hour. Edited to add - got my schedule completely wrong!  Kerry Green has the pleasure of my half awake Saturday morning post travel traumatised self, Lynne doesn't get to wrestle with my 'skills' till Sunday!

I will also have finally got to meet those fab people who's blogs I've been reading over the last however many months, who have made me laugh out loud, wonder at their amazing creativity and curse them for their ability to make my own attempts seem so second rate..... :-)

Let me introduce myself though, to those of you who haven't yet met me or read the blog before now.  I'm Pennie, I live in Reading with my lovely partner, 2 springer spaniels and a cat.  I run a wedding catering business with my chef other half, and spend most of the rest of my time (I'd say spare, but it never seems to be!) bemoaning the fact I don't have anywhere near enough time to sew.  I was initially going to put a picture of my beautiful dogs here, as they are so much better looking, but then realised it would prove difficult to recognise me next week....  hint - just look for the orange haired lunatic covered in dog hair!

Before Saturday I have to make a name badge, finish getting my supplies together, make a sewing kit and pin cushion, choose what to take for show and tell (not been doing this long, so that bit should be easy)... oh, and finish the 9 pairs of curtains and pelmets I promised in the last blog post.  I also have a big jubilee lunch event to finalise and hand over at work, and a 50th birthday party to arrange for the 4th June... so I'll have loads of time for the other things.....

I'm using the retreat as my opportunity to premier my lovely 241, and my fab Sweetwater tote will be loaded to the gunnells with all manner of sewing stuff. 

I really can't wait to meet everyone...

oh, and for those of you who'd rather see the good-looking ones, here they are :-)