HUGE Weekend ... HUGE Fun!!!

I'm back!!! This week sure has slipped past awfully quickly again. I promise I wasn't just avoiding you! :0) But I HAVE managed to fit rather a lot into the week during my absence  so grab a cuppa and get comfy ... this could take a while to catch up! :0)

First, I had a STRESSFUL week ... some of it was my of my own making!! ... with deadlines looming for Girls Stitch In, final pattern printing etc. for GSI and trying to fit in the 'grown-up-they-expect-you-to-go-to-work' stuff too. :0) Throw in NBN technicians wanting to dig in my yard, printers that didn't want to play nicely ... and a 2am ambulance call-out and hospital visit for my Beloved Geek Boy with chest pains (he is A-OK, no heart issues at all ... the culprit was inflamed chest cartilage from a fall on wet concrete a day earlier but that didn't help MY stress levels!!!) ... you can see why I was a wee bit twitchy by the weekend. But that was OK, cos I got to PLAY all weekend at Girls Stitch In!!! YAY!!!

Marion and Steph of The Quilters Angel (AKA my home-away-from-home!!) organise the BEST stitching days and this year was even more exciting for me cos I was one of the guest designers ... I believe I may have mentioned this a time or two ... or three ... or more! Tee! Hee! Hee! I was originally sharing the designing/teaching role with Leanne Beasley, but this changed a couple of weeks out from the event. I won't say too much, except that I was disappointed on behalf of Marion and Steph who put so much time and effort into planning these events that are not only great fun for the gals attending, they're a fantastic opportunity for designers to show people what they're all about. I thought it was unprofessional of Leanne to pull out so close to the event and not follow through on an agreement she had arranged some six months earlier. BUT ... can I tell you that there was a silver lining to this 11th hour cancellation ... I got to play with the inimitable Nikki Tervo instead! YAY!! Thanks for coming to play at such short notice, Nikki! And you can imagine that poor Nikki was MADLY stitching for the two weeks leading up to Girls Stitch In to get her projects ready (many funny text messages flew back and forth over the last week!!) and I can honestly say, the gals who came along for the weekend were super spoilt! :0)

Now, I have to confess I don't have many photos for a couple of reasons ... firstly ... my camera is REALLY old and REALLY unhappy with dark rooms and since our weekend weather was more suited to the UK in the middle of winter (without the snow ... thank goodness!!! Just overcast, grey, foggy and rainy!) I got a LOT of black photos. I have to say, though, the school hall where the event was staged was PERFECT for a stitching weekend. And any of us with experience of past stitching events in the marquee with uncertain weather were heard to mutter frequently ... "Thank goodness we're not in a marquee this year!!" :0) The second reason was ... I was kept so darn busy over the weekend chatting and giving mini-demonstrations etc that I just plain forgot to take more ... Oops!! :0) I'll share what I did take!

Here's the room all set up ready for the stitchers to arrive. Pretty balloons, sweetly covered chairs ... goodies boxes!!! ... chandeliers ...

A display of some of my pattern samples on the shop table ...

... and here are the Sunday ladies listening to Nikki introduce herself and show her designs ... which were GORGEOUS ... and which I forgot to get photos of!! OOPS! Sorry!! But if you pop over to visit Noela, she has lots of lovely photos of the day, including Nikki's designs ... a writing folder/compendium with a pretty stitched flap, a loyalty card folder, little zippy pouch and small photo album cover ... all with beautiful stitchery designs on them. And my projects for the day ...

A large (and I mean running-away-from-home-for-the-day large!!) tote bag which features my 'perfect' stitching spot surrounded by birds, bees and butterflies (only in the stitchery, not reality ... unfortunately!!) ...

... and remember I said I'd used up most of the fabric? That included designing a large project pouch, a small phone/glasses pouch with a snap closure, a larger phone pouch with snap closure and a tiny drawstring pouch featuring a button butterfly that would be just right for holding threads for your current project to keep them handy and separate from other threads. I have to say, these fabrics were GORGEOUS and I had a lot of fun using as much of the fabric as possible to make pretty projects. And for those of you who were unable to come and play with us on the weekend ... I will be releasing these five matching projects as a paper and PDF pattern next week, so stay tuned! Some good gift-giving ideas there. :0)

Now ... as well as stitching, the gals who attended GSI enjoyed yummy morning and afternoon tea ... a DELICIOUS gourmet lunch, which disappeared before I could get photos! ... live entertainment during lunch, lots of prizes and give-aways ... and the chance to show off their prowess a little with a 'show and tell' time. Even Marion had something to share ... some items Steph has made for her for birthdays and Christmas, including a great tote bag ...

Its a bit hard to see in this photo (dodgy camera!!!) but this bag features some nurses with attitude ... cos in her 'spare' time, Marion is also a nurse AND studying to get her uni nursing degree!!! I'm not sure when she sleeps! :0)

Everyone had a fantastic weekend. There was lots of chatting, lots of eating, LOTS of laughing ... and a few people even managed to do some stitching! Tee! Hee! Hee! Thanks to all the gals who came along and made it such a fun weekend ... it was lovely to meet you all - some for the first time and some 'repeat offenders' from stitching days past! :0) It was great to meet up with a few blogging buddies like Noela, Cheryl and Lynda, too. Not to mention getting to giggle with Nikki 'the duck whisperer' Tervo again! :0) HUGE thanks and congrats to Marion, Steph and their merry band of workers for putting on such a wonderfully organised event. If you missed out ... there's always Stitchers Dream Day Out in September! Tee! Hee! Hee! Pop across to Quilters Angel blog to see more pics and find out more about SDDO. I'll be there ... will YOU?! :0)

Right ... well ... if you're still with me ... well done! You deserve another cuppa! :0) I promise to pop back again soon, as I have some exciting things to share with you, but right now, I'm going to be Polly and put the kettle on for a cup of tea. Whatever you got up to over the weekend, I hope there was at least a small amount of time squeezed in there for some relaxing time to create. Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS