I had the BEST weekend in London, attending the first Fat Quarterly Retreat. I met so many talented, friendly, creative, inspiring and funny people and attended some brilliant classes and generally had an amazing time!
I didn't take one single photo the whole time I was there! (I'm known for being rubbish at remembering to take photos. I'm always too busy having fun to remember to take any!) There are loads of people who have taken lots of great photos. You can see lots in the Flickr group and the Fat Quarterly Blog has a Kinky
Now that I'm home I've taken some photos of the amazing goodies we received and the stuff I made in my classes, and I'm doing a little giveaway for those who didn't get to attend the Retreat.
The Fat Quarterly Team had organised some brilliant sponsors for the Retreat. They included Pfaff, Moda, Robert Kaufman, Aurifil, Oakshott, Abakhan, Korbond, Sizzix and the fabulous Liberty Lifestyle Fabrics.
When we arrived we were given a fantastic goodie bag full of treats, and in some of the classes we were lucky enough to get goodies too, including some gorgeous Cosmo embroidery floss, and some beautiful Liberty fabric.
I may have hyperventilated a little bit when the lovely Liberty ladies gave us some of their fabric. I think it was Katy who organised this. Thankyou Katy, I think you may have seen how excited I got when you offered me a FQ of their beautiful new quilting cotton ;)
In Kerry's class on Sunday we were offered a beautiful little bundle of Liberty silk scraps. I have plans for these and I'm so excited! I'm hoping to make up some things in the next couple of days, and then I'll do a post all about my Liberty love! :)
Here is the stuff I made in my classes. I made a frame purse with Katy (and used some of my beautiful Liberty for the lining!) Embroidery with Aneela where I stitched a sweet robin, Freezer paper piecing with Kerry where I made a spool and a house block, and portholes with Lucie, where I made a couple of circle portholes and a flower using her lovely Summersville fabric :)
Now on to the Giveaway! I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the amazing goodies we received and I've decided to share some of it with people who couldn't make it to the Retreat. If you didn't attend the Retreat and would like one of these fantastic Robert Kaufman FQs, please leave a comment on this post letting me know you'd like one. If you want you can tell me how you spent the weekend :)
If more than 4 non-attendees would like a FQ, I'll do a draw next Monday. I'm happy to post internationally, and please make sure I can contact you. If you are a no-reply blogger please leave an email address in you comment.
A huge Thankyou to the Fat Quarterly team, the teachers, the sponsors and everyone who attended the Retreat. I had a brilliant weekend and can't wait to do it again next year!!!
Now I'm off to feed my children and play with some Liberty scraps!
Happy Tuesday!
Fiona x
Oh, bugger comment #1! Oh well, someone has to be first! I spent the weekend feeling neglected and very lonely down here near the South Pole! I'd love one of those fabrics with a red London bus on it! How cool!
ReplyDeleteIt was so good to meet you at last - I took so few photos, there was so much else to do!!!
ReplyDeleteOooo fab fabrics! I was inLondon last week, would be perfect for a memento bag.
ReplyDeleteGemma
X
It was a joy to meet you Fiona - love to hear a Scottish accent to remind me of our lovely homeland!
ReplyDeleteI didn't remember to take many photos either!
OOoh great giveaway! I got to see these fabrics in person because yesterday I had an email from Katy C saying she'd broken down near my house so I spent the evening with her! It was a little surreal because if it hadn't been for the retreat (which I didn't go to) I'd have probably not got to meet her as Glasgow is hardly on my doorstep!
ReplyDeleteWow Fiona that's really generous! I'd love one :-) I spent my weekend stalking twitter to see what was happening at retreat. Hope to meet you there next year :-)
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for the retreat edition of FQ so I can make a purse to match the 241 bag made from the fabrics from Fluffy Sheep.
ReplyDeleteThe retreat looked amazing, I can't wait to see/hear more. Your projects are so productive for all the fun you guys were having.
ReplyDeleteLove those kaufman bold prints! Would be very happy with one.
ReplyDeleteOoh I'd love a London themed FQ! Last weekend we did a lot of reading out in the sun, and I worked on a summer bag.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a great time. I spent my weekend finishing up some crafts around the house and cleaning. Not nearly as exciting.
ReplyDeleteLovely fabric - I spent the weekend in bed with a stomach bug (joy!)
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely to meet you Fiona, and thank you so much for my fab swap doodad (armchair pincushion organiser thingamabob - whatever you call it, it is wonderful!)
ReplyDeleteR xx
You were very productive in your classes, look at all those portholes, I guess I might have done too much chatting! Lovely to meet you (and I'm not here to win).
ReplyDeleteWhat great makes! I loved you spool and house, the fabrics were such great choices
ReplyDeleteIt looks like such fun. I spent the weekend in various undignified positions having tests in hospital. Not much of a laugh! Thank you for the chance to win a little something ...
ReplyDeleteI wanted to go so badly, but unfortunately could´nt make it. But after seeing all thes fabulous pictures and reading all the posts about the retreat. I will start saving money for next year. If there will be a 2nd round... Until then, I also would happy (at least a little bit) with some cute fabric ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt must have been such fun! I wish I could have been there!
ReplyDeleteWe spent most of the weekend celebrating the Jubilee!
What lovely things you made. Those portholes look beyond me. I'm a relatively new quilter, but would love the chance of a FQ :o)
ReplyDeleteI love the things you made! The Liberty FQ you chose is gorgeous! (Mind you, it all is!) I spent the weekend afternoons alternating between my sewing machine and ironing board, all the while keeping an eye on twitter, and I spent the evenings channeling Aneela and doing some embroidery (whilst keeping an eye on twitter!). Please don't put my name in the hat - I think I'm getting a parcel... (yeah!)
ReplyDeleteIt was soooo lovely meeting you in person Fi! Hope the journey home wasn't too arduous! Here's to 2013! Jxo
ReplyDeleteit was fantastic to meet you Fiona and thank you for help with my purse! How was your trip home
ReplyDeleteIt was great to meet you at the retreat (I'm the other Fiona). It was an amazing retreat wasn't it? Can't wait for the next one.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like you've had a great (if busy!) weekend! Loving all your loot and I would loooove a FQ. No preference for me, they are all fab! I spent the weekend cleaning and doing chores but the last 2 days with blog friend Dee!!
ReplyDeleteI was so pleased to meet you, even better that you didn't snore! You are such a talented lady. Xox
ReplyDeleteI spent the weekend doing the list of things my wife gave me to do, and luckily one of those was to bind a quilt so got some sewing in.
ReplyDeletehttp://richardquilts.blogspot.com
would love to win i spent the weekend with family
ReplyDeleteBrilliant meeting you. Can't believe how quickly you cab turn out fabulous makes though. Makes me wonder what I could manage if I ever shut up!
ReplyDeleteLovely giveaway. I spent the weekend in sunshine and on the beach at Arisaig in the West .
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely to meet you finally! I love the products of your classes, you were super productive (as per normal). Obviously don't count me into your giveaway, since I am lucky enough to already own those prints! x
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely to meet you Fiona. I hope that the bus journey home wasn't too gruesome and you got some sleep. Di x
ReplyDeletePassei o final de semana começando um grande trabalho para postar no primeiro dia do meu blog,(eu só tenho conta)então vai demorar um pouquinho.Obrigada.tiacarminhapezzuto@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThe things you made are lovely! I would love to win a goody! Last weekend I chased my two small children around and dreamed of sewing! Today I prewashed some fabric, later I'll press it, and then naptime tomorrow I sew!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a ball. We spent a lot of the weekend watching the Jubilee pageant on the TV feeling slightly glad that we were in sunny Riga not rain-soaked London, but wishing we were there all the same!
ReplyDeleteOh Fiona, you lucky thing. I am so jealous seeing all the great write-ups o people's blogs about the FQ retreat. I spent the weekend here thinking about how I wanted to be there and consoling myself with the fact that hopefully I will get to the International Quilt Festival of Ireland next weekend and doing some sewing while I was being jealous.
ReplyDeleteSewing retreats are so inspiring. We have a much bigger show here in the Pacific Northwest called Sew Expo (www.sewexpo.com) which is full of classes, vendors, and fellow sew-ists.
ReplyDeleteI came to your blog because Fluffy Sheep took photos of the participants. Now I can visualize who is writing the blogs I like to read.
Thanks for the giveaway.
How I wish I could have gone...instead we did have a good time. My coworkers and I held a fundraiser for a one of the ladies in the office who had a fire a few months ago and lost everything she owned. She and her two teenage sons have been staying with her father temporarily. We managed to raise $4600 for her. The weather was beautiful and everyone that came had a good time. I'm still tired LOL...it was a lot of work but worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance
shel704 at aol dot com
Looks like you had a great time at the retreat, you deserve it! Love the goodies you made there and the others you brought home!
ReplyDeleteThe Next Stop London fabric is so cute! Add me to your give-away, I'm a true anglophile!
I spent the weekend cleaning my house and my kids, sewing capes, and reading a book.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had fun and learned a ton! I recently had my baby girl so the weekend is now a blur but I'm pretty sure we spent a lot of time nursing and cuddling!
ReplyDeleteSounds fabulous! We spent the weekend looking at houses in the town where we want to live, and making an offer on one.
ReplyDeleteWow the things you made are great - I only managed a spool block and a circle porthole. Really generous of you to have a giveaway too.
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