FQR Goodies and UFOs

So, some of you were nice enough to be curious about my FQR classes and shopping.  Those who are FQRed out can skip this post with my blessing - I know there's a lot of FQR rumbling about this here blogisphere!

I will be brief, if such a thing is possible for me.  Okay, so I tried to be brief and it just wasn't happening.  Hope you won't be too bored with more of my ramblings!!

On Friday afternoon I went to John's embroidery workshop and was ever so grateful for the air-conditioned seminar room!  Needless to say, amid the chatter there wasn't a huge amount of stitching done, but I did make a start on a pattern I had brought with me (available as a free pdf download from nanaCompany).  

I even tried a wee bit of (slow) stem stitch which was new for me.  Nice workshop = UFO no 1.

Lynne's Touchdraw table top session was really informative given that prior to the weekend the only thing I could manage on touchdraw was to draw a square and I'm not even sure how I did that!  So, with great  patience for the numpty at the table (me)  I did manage to draft a churn dash quilt

and had a go at making a paper template pieces (less successfully)

I suspect Touchdraw just needs a lot of practice and then it will finally click with me and actually be one of those things you can do quite quickly.  But maybe not today, nor tomorrow ....

UFO nos 2 and 3 (I'm not counting that unfinished touchdraw drawing - ahem) came from Lucy's portholes class.

This was lots of fun, though I am a wee bit frustrated by my wrinkly circular porthole.  Still, I foresee two cushions from these lovelies (with some gentle persuasion of the wrinkles) when I ever get the time.

Probably the least impressive of my unfinished items coming home from FQR (yes, that's 4 UFOs from 1 weekend!) is my needleturn applique block.

I had to put Mandy's illustration in the photo so you could see what I was supposed to be doing.  I have all sorts of excuses for this one.  1) It was Sunday and I was only just about awake at 9am! 2) I did a lot of hanging about for an iron because those at the cathedral windows class were pressing their little lives away, bless them!  3) It was only an hour and a half session, and most of all 4) when I had a spare hour after my session I didn't continue with the applique as planned, but allowed myself to get distracted by a hop over to the V&A Museum shop!  Oops!!

I did like learning this technique and would love to pick this up again and have a go at finishing it.  I need to learn to make that bias strip curve!

As well as the classes, of course, there were freebies to be had and I even won a book in the raffle draw

All for free!

Lots of lovelies from the generous sponsors and a few goodies from Emily too!

And, of course, in spite of my best intentions, I did succumb to the temptations of quilt market wares.

Fab reds from Eternal Maker.

Key fobs from Hadley.

Random pretties from Tikki, London.

and

Liberty Blues from Di - v generous fqs!

So, that was it.  Great classes, fun shopping and brilliant friends!  Do I need to do more to persuade you to go sometime?

And, just to round of all this FQR news, I'm showing you where my name tag (liberty hexies) is now proudly on display on my sewing room notice board.  It's much too fab to get chucked away in a drawer!  Thanks again Justine (who by the way is just the nicest person, with a fab laugh)!!

Phew!  If you hung in there, pat yourself on the back and go get a cup of tea, or a medicinal brandy!

Hugged Out!

My hugger is burned out after all the squeals and squeezes incurred in the meeting of bloggy buddies at this past weekend's Fat Quarterly Retreat!  What a fab lot you all are and how brilliant it was to meet so many online friends.

Warning - long and potentially rambling post ahead.

Di, Me and Catherine - so great to meet up with them again!

Di, Judith and Me - yep, we had a photographer swap!

Di, Me, Catherine, Judith and Jan
We must have nabbed somebody passing to take this one, so thank you whoever did!

I look so cheesy with my big grin in these pics but it was a good time and I just couldn't stop myself smiling!

So, as a newbie FQRer, what can I tell those of you who didn't make it this year?

Most importantly, start saving your pennies and go next time if you possibly can!

You will get to be inspired by fabulous quilts at the Show and Tell like these -

Nicky (on the right) made this massive beauty with Oakshotts.
My son thinks this quilt is amazing, Nicky! (He's right!)

Jan's Road to Tennessee quilt from her Bee A Brit Stingy bee is a glorious riot of summery scrappiness!

Catherine's Lynne Bob Square Pants Quilt is fabulous - wish you could see her gorgeous handquilting on it.
She's smirking behind that quilt, you know, because she had the hipBees do all those HSTs for her!!!

Di's sprouts quilt is nothing like the manky greens on your Christmas dinner plate.
It's totally gorgeous and has been stunningly quilted by the uber talented Trudi.

Just so you know, there's no gain without pain and the downside to Show and Tell is that you might get to be the quilt holder while photos are being taken -

Poor Catherine - she's about to drop under the weight of about five quilts in 28 degrees of sunshine!!
She's a trooper!

Then, there's the handover of all the quilts that have been made over the year for the Siblings Together charity which Delma came to collect.  I am going to be honest with you and say that I found this time really touching.  So many amazing quilts were passed on for the kids who will be going to the Siblings Together camps this summer.  As I know from Bee Blessed, there is truly something special about a quilt that is made and gifted with love, even when we don't know the recipients personally, and I just know that kids are going to be really blessed by the quilts they receive this year.  Here are just a few, but I promise you Delma (on the left in purple in most of the pics below) went home with a humongous pile on Friday night!

All the way from Canada -
Leanne's Octagonal Orb extravaganza of a quilt - she is just such a lovely person too!

Susan handing over her daughter Helen's brilliant quilt.

Susan's own quilt for ST.  I LOVED getting to meet Susan.
We've been blog chatting for over two years now and it was great to finally give her a hug or two!

Hadley delivered this very pretty girl quilt.
She snuck out from behind the quilt and for once I got the timing just right, though I'm sure she won't
thank me for this pic.  She is beautiful, so I don't know why she shies away from piccies so much.
And, she was wearing that fab tunic she made herself!

Catherine used her raffle winnings (Salt Air jelly roll) from last year's retreat to make this smashing Lonestar quilt.
I am really inspired by it to want to try a lonestar myself sometime soon!  (Dreaming on ....)

I handed over the Bee Blessed collaborative Funky Wrench quilt which so many of you contributed to making - thanks again for all your efforts.  Doesn't it look great finished?

Of course, there was a myriad of other things going on too - the classes, the Quilt Market, the swaps, the chatter and laughter of old friends and new meeting up.  I will spare you those pics, mainly because I don't have any.  Seems I was so busy on Saturday and Sunday that not a single pic was taken - oops!  Anyway, I'm sure you'll see more on many other blog posts this week.  I cannot imagine there will be a shortage!

I think for patchwork and quilting bloggers FQR is an experience you really should have at least once.  It's fun, fast and fabulous.  But now, I am totally wiped out - can you imagine how good I was at work this morning having to design a new set of financial reporting spreadsheets on an FQR (non-alcohlic) 'hangover'?  Yep, I shall be spending some time making up for my fuggy brain action tomorrow!

I might come back later in the week to tell you about my classes and show you the new UFOs I have accumulated as a result, if you can take more FQR news by then!  Promise not to labour it too much.

If you were there this weekend I hope you had a great time too.  If not, I hope you enjoy the tales that will be told on blogs this week and maybe be encouraged to consider planning ahead for a visit yourself next year.

Adios!

Simply Stunning!

Very cute postcard!

When Mr Postie popped this familiar pink baggie from Simply Solids through the door this afternoon,  I had a moment or two of panic that in my week of very late nights I had at some stage placed an order for fabrics and not remembered.  But, oh my! Look what was inside.  Not fabrics, but ...

... my utterly amazing FQR Name Tag from Justine at Simply Solids/SewJustine Sew!

If I didn't love hexies with all my heart, I wouldn't know where to start enthusing about this gorgeous Name Tag.  But, luckily I do, so take a peek at those 0.5" hexies of Liberty lusciousness and tell me you're not jealous!  Justine has really put lots of effort into those wee beauties and I love the grey sketch fabric she has used for the background and for stamping too.  Oh, and I must point out the measuring tape ribbon that she used for the lanyard.  Isn't it brilliant?  (Added to my mental shopping list.)

If a superduper name tag wasn't enough, Justine sent me the cutest little purse absolutely bulging with liberty scraps. The purse is just big enough for some pocket money for FQR, methinks ;-)  Maybe a proplus or two as well, to keep me up for the partying!

Oh, I am a happy bunny tonight.  Thank you ever so much Justine for all your hard work and for making something so beautiful!  Can't wait to meet you and say thank you in person!

Revealing Me - FQR London 2013

The FQR folks have suggested that those of us heading off to London in a few weeks post a wee self-intro here on our blogs.  So here goes...

This is me.  I'm Sarah and I live in the countryside (read backside of nowhere really) in Northern Ireland and I love it!  I work part-time, and have the best hubby and son a girl could ask for (well, unless Pierce Brosnan wants to make me an offer).

I sew when I can (but you'll have guessed that already) and love the community of blogging where there are other folks out there interested and excited by similar things to me.

This year is my first trip to FQR and I am approaching it with an equal measure of excitement and trepidation, I think!  I'm sure once I actually find my way to where I'm meant to be it'll all be grand!  Most of all I am looking forward to meeting my bloggy friends, some I've met before and some for the first time.

You will find me hanging out at the portholes, embroidery, needleturn applique and touchdraw classes.  Maybe I'll see some of you there.

If I show you a photo of my FQR project pouches you'll be looking at a lot of Ikea self-seal baggies rather than wondrous handmades.  But I was the very blessed recipient of an amazing mini-weekender handmade by my brilliant friend Di, so I will have somewhere fabulous to stow all those Ikea project bags!

I'll be the one carrying this beauty, so please say "hello" if you see me!

Linking up with the FQR linky party.