Let Me Tell You About My Weekend ...!

Here I am, as promised to tell you about my busy, busy - but fun! - weekend. Hmmm ... this could take a while (sorry Chookyblue!!) so go grab a cuppa and come on back and sit a spell!!

It all started a few months ago when Marion from Quilters Angel asked me to be the guest tutor for her Girls' Getaway Weekend, where it was all about the girls kicking back, relaxing, stitching and not having to think about cooking, cleaning, running after anyone but themselves. Now I put my thinking cap on to come up with a fun, funky, but functional project to share with the Getaway Girls (hmmm .. sounds like an all-girls rock group! Tee! Hee! Hee!) and I've been teasing you all for a while, so FINALLY, the big reveal ... drum roll ....


TA DA!!! These bags are my new pattern, which I'm calling "Girl Stuff", cos the little girly bear in the stitchery is in girl heaven surrounded by some of our favourite things like, coffee, stitching, chocolate, quilting, cake, fabric, tea, lunch, stitching ... not to mention her VERY fashionably chic hat and bag ensemble! Tee! Hee! Hee! The pattern includes a large tote bag with a stitchery pocket to pop your keys, sunglasses, mobile phone etc into, while the "Mini-Me" version of the bag was designed as a mug bag to keep your fave coffee mug/tea cup safe when you run away from home for a day of stitching, but it is also just the right size to be a project bag (just ask Joy!!) with a smaller stitchery pocket with the same cute bear to pop your teabag or scissors into, depending what you use it for. I don't recommend dangling your scissors in your mug of hot water or trying to snip threads with a teabag - cos that would just be silly! Tee! Hee! Hee! Here is a photo of the bags from the back ...


You can see stripped piecing and the yummy fabrics better in this shot - you know I'm not normally a PINK person and I'm not a cat person either, both of which feature in that patterned fabric, but the teapots, shoes, handbags, hats and other girly stuff were just right for this project, so I balanced it up with some of my magic signature colour and ... Robert's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt!

OK ... back to the weekend ...! The girls and Marion all arrived Friday afternoon, but I had my beloved Geek Boy down with a nasty head cold, so stayed home to sympathise and cook him dinner, joining the ladies at the James Byrne Centre at Highfields - one of the most GLORIOUS settings and views you could care to enjoy! - on Saturday morning. Here's the view from our 'classroom' ...


Valley views, magnificent gum trees and LOTS of peace and quiet ... how's that serenity!! (Sorry! Australian movie quote moment!!)

Marion had provided the girls with a wonderful grab bag of goodies ... which I forgot to get a photo of, sorry! And that bag included the kit to make the tote bag version of "Girl Stuff". The kits were in several different colourways, so it was fun to see how they each came up. Now ... some of the girls had WISPs they were working on, but six of them tackled the bag, deciding to make the bag first while I was there to help them get into trouble ... oops! Of course I mean OUT of trouble!! Tee! Hee! Hee! Here are some action shots ...


Here's Kim, furiously machine stitching. That's Marion's Mum to the left and Marion measuring and cutting in the background.


A couple of the ladies working on WISPs.


Tracy concentrating hard as she sews on the rick-rack. (just heard several heads snap up at the mention of 'rick-rack'!!)

And after lots of measuring, stitching, chatting and a couple of 'left-handed' sewing decisions (you had to be there for that one!!) the bags began to emerge.


Here's Kim with her left-handed bag all done and just waiting for the stitchery pocket. She used the same kitty fabric as I did, but with a complementary print from the same range in the yummy aubergine colour. (Marion still has some if you'd like some for your very own self!)


Here's Lyn with her bag - hers is made from the blue and green version of the kitty range (it probably has a real name but I don't know it - sorry!) I LOOOOOOVE the green jumbo rick-rack, think I'll have to get me some to play with!!


And here's Tracy with her pretty shabby chic version of the bag - love that green! Marion also made her own version from my fave fabric range, "Oh Cherry Oh" in funky yellow and red with the sweetest looking cherries on it, but I forgot to take a photo - oops!

Now Joy also started her bag, but began with the stitchery - after highlighting it with her trusty watercolour pencils and it was JUST GORGEOUS!!! Take a look ...


It changes the look completely to something a little softer - got me some pencils and I'm gonna play! The fabric around this stitchery is one of the two Joy's bag will be made from. And Joy was kind enough to give an impromptu demo on using the water colour pencils ...


That's Tracy beside Joy taking notes, cos she had a Libby Richardson bear hug stitchery she wanted to colour! And I just HAD to show you the FABULOUS autumn shaggy quilt Linda put together during the day ...


Here she is modelling her beautiful creation! :0) Do you see those yummy autumn colours?! Made me remember that my shaggy quilt is still waiting for me!! (I haven't forgotten, Peg!!)

So there you have it ... lots of fun stitching and chatting and it was all perfectly finished off with a delicious roast meal prepared by Marion's Mum! Thanks for a fabulous day, Marion and thanks for inviting me to be part of the Girls Getaway!!

So, Sunday was then a major catch up day - that housework won't do itself - worse luck!! And this week is a busy one of comings and goings, so I thought I'd better post all of this now in one hit in case I get completely sidetracked!! So if you're still with me - well done!! You deserve another cuppa, so go make yourself one! Tee! Hee! Hee! "Girl Stuff" will be available in a week or two as a pattern for purchase on my web site ... which of course means there'll be a give-away, so stay tuned! And it's my turn to choose the end-of-month winner for the OPAM Challenge, too, so it's all go here at the Meares' Madhouse!!

Hope you've had a great start to the week and that you're finding some time to stitch. If you've got a couple of minutes, pop across to visit my mad mate Deb who has just joined blogland - and I'll try to get the right link this time, Deb! Oops! Til next time - Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS