Sunday 3 June 2012

FQ retreat

Well, yesterday was an AMAZING day - and very surreal.  Sitting next to someone that you chat to over a blog and suddenly you find yourself on a Saturday in June chatting away with them in real life whilst you sew.
 
getting to know everyone

The morning started with everyone trickling in to the main hall after having received an amazing goodie bag.  There were lots of squeals and hugs and peeking at name badges to check that it really was who you thought it was!  I got to meet all my bloggy friends, some just for a few minutes, but mostly I got to have a good chat with them all! And I met new people, some of whom don't blog, some who do. And I got to know others a whole lot better than I did
 
lots of chatting



the FQ team
There was lots of time for sitting and chatting between classes. My first class was frame purses with Katy, which started at 11, so I sat with Fiona (Poppy makes) and Jo (life in lists) :two lovely lovely ladies, while we waited for the class and we sewed and chatted, while others around us did their classes

Freezer paper class (look theres Lucy!!)
 Fiona and I did Katys class.  We got to chose a FQ of Libertys new fabric: there was a lot of oooohing and aaaaahing.  This was my finished article
 
finished purse


finished purse
  Katy was an amazing teacher and Fiona was very helpful, showing me where I had gone wrong when I couldn't figure it out!!
 
everyone threading their purses


Its not a neat job

 I also got to know Di a lot better yesterday. I only discovered her blog recently and it transpires that she lives about 10 mins away from my brother and her son and my nephew go to the same school!!  It was great getting to know her and chatting away, it really didn't seem like we had just met!  

The afternoon class was Lynnes paper piecing.  This was fun and once I got my head around cutting pieces to size rather than using scraps I was fine.  There were some amazing finishes (which of course I didn't get pictures of!!)
 
Lynnes class


finished article - well, a quarter of it anyway
 
My day was topped off by this win in the raffle

I won a jelly roll!!

 The raffle was the most generous one that I have ever taken part in, and I didn't have to purchase the ticket! 
I left at about 7ish.  The journey home was tedious as I don't like the tube and caught the bus, which took forever as London was beyond heaving!

The day was amazing, I really hope the FQ team do it again next year.  I would really like to thank them for all their hard work because without them it would never have happened and I hope they know just how successful it has been

27 comments:

  1. It sounds like you had an amazing time! They'd better do it again next year because I want to go :-)

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  2. It looks like such a wonderful day - thanks for all the updates yesterday, I really enjoyed it! Any chance of a photo of the goodie bag? So I can see what the rest of us are missing?!!

    What are you doing today? Resting?!

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  3. Oh wow it looks like a completely amazing day! So glad it exceeded your expecations and I hope they do it next year because I want to go!

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  4. Great update - just over here from Flikr and now your newest Follower xxxx

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  5. lovely post ... I'm loving reading and seeing what everyone has been doing ... next year I'll be there! thank you for giving us stay-at-homes a glimpse of the fun!

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  6. Glad you had such fun Catherine! Your frame purse is beautiful - love the lining fabric!!

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  7. Oh it looks like lots of fun. I love your purse. I wish I could make one of these.

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  8. so glad you had a good time xx

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  9. So sorry not to get to meet you but sounds like you had such a fab time!

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  10. Looks like a great time! Glad you had fun and even did a little winning!

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  11. So great to hear you had an amazing time! Love all the pictures you managed to get =D

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  12. It was such a good weekend and I so enjoyed chatting to you too. Di x

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  13. very jealous!! - excellent you had such a good time :)

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  14. After you all left last night, Tacha, Katy and I all bawled our eyes out! We didnt want the weekend to end. Thank you so much for coming. Xxx

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  15. It was lovely to meet you at last! Next time it will be less manic and we might get to chat longer xxx

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  16. It was lovely to meet you! Wish you could have stayed longer - next year ;-)

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  17. Great to meet you. I look slightly demonic in that photo me thinks!

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  18. Oh Catherine - I've been reading the other blog posts and managed to keep my ridiculous tears in but you've set me off again! You lot were the reason the weekend was such fun, everyone was beyond amazing. I've never enjoyed myself as much! Thank you xxx

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  19. Lovely post - it was such a fab weekend wasn't it, here's to next year!

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  20. Thanks for being such a fun & kind wee neighbour in Lyns class - it was so lovely to spend a wee snippet of time with you :)

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  21. Sad you were only there for the day but glad to have met you! Yes we want more!

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  22. It was the best fun- I like how your pics go through the day too!

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  23. It was lovely to meet you Catherine, next time we must both stay for the whole weekend!

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  24. We didn't connect even tho we were in the same classes... But I am just up the road from you in Suffolk..

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  25. So thrilled you had a lovely time and hope to see you next year!!

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  26. Love all your pictures - I was so excited that I took just a few....

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  27. It was just THE most amazing weekend - thank you so much for being a part of it. And see you next year !?!

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