Better Late Than Never!!

OOPS! So much for popping back in a day or two to give you the wrap up of last weekend's annual Girls' Stitch In. Sorry about that ... someone seems to have hijacked my week ... AGAIN!! How does that keep happening?!?! Lots of other things to share, too, but I thought I'd stay in chronological order. So ... grab a cuppa and sit back in a comfy chair, cos this post is going to have a LOT of photos. Brace yourself, Chooky!! I'm giving you a run for your epic post! :0)

Righto ... Girls Stitch In is organised and run by the Magnificent Marion and Stupendous Steph of The Quilters Angel ... AKA my "Home-Away-From-Home" and just like Stitchers Dream Day Out, it's always a hoot! Imagine a day where you grab a couple of friends (or come to meet new ones!) and enjoy having yummy morning and afternoon teas laid on for you, lunch on DELICIOUS roast chicken, ham and roasted veges, tuck into plumb pudding and custard, get to chat to two lovely and talented Aussie designers, receive two not-yet-released patterns, have one of those patterns all prepared ready for you to start stitching, browse around the goodies at a mini-shop all in a beautifully decorated space hung with gorgeous samples of projects created by the guest designers ... in fantastic company!!! What more could you ask for! :0)

Nikki Tervo of Brandy Gully Designs and Linda Blake of Bella Embroidery were this year's guest designers and they came up with some GORGEOUS designs with some shabbily pretty Tilda fabrics ...

Saturday dawned beautifully sunny and fine ... a perfect autumn day and the fun got under way! :0)

The tables and chairs were decorated, and since this year's theme was "Christmas Comes Early", we had a shabbily chic Christmas tree to help us feel festive.

The mini-shop was stocked with lots of yummy goodies ... ooh! Can you see a certain Bauble Bag, Stocking and Christmas Bunting on display there?! :0) More on that further down ...

... and the stitchers gathered! :0) Oh ... a little reassurance ... your eyesight hasn't deteriorated overnight ... a few of my pics are a bit blurry. I'd LIKE to say it's because I was using my iPhone ... but the reality is ... I was probably jiggling around cos I was talking, laughing or just having an A.D.O.P moment ... those of you who know me in 'real life' or have been reading for a while will know what that means! :0)

Another table of stitchers all hard at work ...

Well ... almost all!!! There's one on every table, isn't there?! My mad ... but GORGEOUS! ... mate Fiona from Bubz Rugz. She loves to photo bomb! :0)

Here's Linda showing us how to use the scallop ruler. I have to say ... I am NOT a gadget girl, but the scallop ruler was pretty cool and so simple to use ... when you disregarded the markings on the ruler and did it the way Linda showed us! Tee! Hee! Hee! Lots of gals were entranced with the scallop ruler and all stock flew off the shelf, but Marion is getting more into the shop soon, if you'd like to make super sweet and simple scallops. :0)

And it was fantastic to catch up with Nikki again ... who insisted that I take my very first 'selfie' ... something I've resisted because you see so many unflattering versions. This one didn't turn out too bad ... apart from being blurry cos I was giggling! :0)

Stitching sisters Jean and Joyce come to every stitching event Marion hosts and always join in the fun of it all ... do you like the Christmas shirts they were sporting?! :0)

Laurel is another 'repeat offender' and look what she brought with her! This is the stitchery I designed last year when I was a guest designer for Girls Stitch In. This was the original project ...

... but Laurel decided she had enough bags, so made the design her own by playing and turning it into a stitching cushion, complete with storage pocket on the back for her scissors, threads and project. Well done Laurel!! :0) And there was another lovely lady who had made up the "Life's Good" bag beautifully ... even if she thought it was one of Nikki's projects! :0) But I forgot to get a  photo. :0(

So ... I suppose you'd like to see the projects Nikki and Linda designed? OK ...

Nikki designed a Dresden Plate table centre with a pretty star stitchery that you could leave out all year round ... and she showed everyone how to use the Dresden Ruler ... which Marion will be getting more of for the shop very soon after selling out. :0) Some things are just so simple once you're shown, aren't they! :0) And being the queen of using up as much fabric as possible, Nikki also included the GORGEOUS star banner ... I might just have to add this one to my own "To Do" list. :0)

Linda's wall hanger included several cute stitcheries to show off the pretty fabric colours and since this project wasn't overtly "Christmassy", she had another little play and designed ...

... a table runner ... with scallops. ;0) Like most designers, Linda ran out of time to write the instructions, but will be doing so soon, so stay tuned if this project tickles your fancy. Now ... I shared with you that I had also had a little play with the fabric bundle the designers worked with ...

"Sweetly Shabby Christmas" pattern is now available from The Quilters Angel and will soon be available from my website ... as soon as I find a moment to upload it. :0) Now this pic doesn't really show the stitcheries well and I promised to show some close ups, so here they are ...

This is the stitchery on the front of the bauble bag ... designed to protect and store your breakable, precious and heirloom decorations.

Sweetly Shabby Christmas Stocking. This little project was fun to make and so quick! A great idea for swaps ... and room to hide little surprises inside. :0)

Sweetly Shabby Christmas Bunting stitchery no.1 ...

... stitchery no.2 (although I should be like a parent and not have favourites ... this is one of my favourites!! Tee! Hee! Hee!)

... stitchery no.3. A friend saw this and said ... "Oh! That's YOUR Christmas Tree!" ...

Yep ... my inspiration! :0) (don't be alarmed by the countdown board ... it's from a couple of years ago ... and was probably wrong then too cos I keep forgetting to update it and drive my OCD mate mad! Tee! Hee! Hee!)

... stitchery no.4 a Christmas lantern ...

... and of course, some Christmas gifties. I had lots of fun designing these projects in a COMPLETELY "Not-Me" colourway, but confess that I'm hoping to make some up in "MY" colours one day. :0)

So ... wrapping up ... a HUGE thank you to Marion and Steph and their merry band of helpers for putting on a fantastic and relaxing day out for everyone ... we were VERY spoilt! :0) Sadly, due to declined numbers, Girls Stitch In won't be happening next year. :0(  Marion said it may make a return in the future, but for whatever reasons, numbers are too low and running costs too high for her to be able to continue to run it. HOWEVER ... if you missed out on all the fun of Girls Stitch In ... never fear!! You can come and join us in September for  ...

... on Saturday and Sunday September 13 & 14. Guest designers for this year are Libby Richardson of Art Smart Cottage and Debbie Magee from Always Stitching. OOOOHHH!!!! I am VERY excited about that as I LOVE so many of Libby's and Debbie's designs. If you want to come and play with us the cost is just $100 per day, which includes morning and afternoon teas, lunch, goodies bag with two not-yet-released patterns from each designer, plus a kit and prepared stitchery for one of the projects ready for you to just sit and stitch away. WOO! HOO! What a bargain!! I've already booked myself and a few friends for this weekend ... we'll be the ones at the "Naughty Table" having a blast! Tee! Hee! Hee! If you'd like to come and join the fun (or book a seat at the naughty table! Tee! Hee! Hee!) you'd better get in quick, cos places are starting to fill up for this fun event. And if you ARE coming to play, let me know so we can catch up. :0)

So ... I think that's finally it from me ... did you stay with me to the end?! Chooky ... are you still awake?! Tee! Hee! Hee! As I said, I still have lots more to share with you, but I think I've made this an epic post already, so will be back soon to share more ... promise!! :0) Including the OPAM prize winners for March. 

In the meantime, I hope you're all enjoying a relaxing and/or productive weekend ... I'm off to grab a bite of lunch before heading into my sewing room to play. :0) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS