I'm Going!!!

It's official...I got my ticket for Sew South 2014!!!

I consider myself to be VERY lucky, because the dang thing sold out in less than 2 minutes!  How crazy is that?  I'm sure Jennifer Mathis, founder of Sew South Retreat and designer/author at EllisonLane.com already has a waiting list a mile long.  Many lovely ladies did not get a ticket, and they will be sorely missed in March.  It was only a stroke of luck for those of us to managed to obtain one.  I think I may have scared Mr. Sexy Pants when I came barreling through the door this evening bouncing up and down with delight!

Di & Amy in our Skirt Block Class

On another note, I recently returned from Sewing Summit 2013 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  It was a valuable educational experience, but also loads of fun.  I got to reunite with some of my friends who attended Sew South earlier this year, as well as make a few new gal pals.  The bonds that can sometimes be forged between people in such a short period of time truly amaze me.  I highly value the friendships I have been fortunate enough to develop with these incredible women.  We all have in common a passion for sewing and creativity.  The community of sewists of which I have become a part is inspiring and wonderful.  These ladies make me smile all the way to my soul, and I look forward to traveling across the country to spend bits of time with them whenever possible, as well as keeping up with them through their blogs and Instagram.  The internet has completely changed the world and allowed people worldwide to connect in ways that are magical.  We are lucky to live in such an age.

I used my iPhone to take a few pics at Sewing Summit, so the image qualities are not perfect, but here a a few glimpses:

Swap Gift

This is the awesome secret swap gift I received from  Christina.  She was so very generous and thoughtful.  Upon giving me the gift, she mentioned that she had a hard time figuring out what to give.  She definitely hit the nail on the head!  Her feather theme delighted me.  She obviously did her spy homework well.  Besides picking up on my love for my bird, Keef, she also saw that I have been dabbling with hexies and that I have a "slight" affinity for all things pink.  Well done, Christina, and a million thanks!  Check out Christina's awesome blog & patterns at http://sometimescrafter.blogspot.com .

Modern Baby

At one of our lunches at Sewing Summit, we walked into the dining room to place settings with sample batting and a single book as the center piece.  It was subsequently announced that the gal with the ticket under her bread plate at each table won the book.  I never win anything!!  But I did this time.  :)  What makes this book even more special is that it features quilts from two of my Sew South friends, Dana from http://oldredbarnco.blogspot.com (hers is on the cover) and Lindsey from http://lrstitched.com .  The book is Modern Baby, and here is a link to it on Amazon.

Booooooo!

It just so happened that my birthday fell while I was at Sewing Summit.  I don't care much about birthdays anymore, since nothing good comes from birthdays after 25 (insurance goes down).  I was determined to get by undetected.  BUT I WAS BETRAYED!  My Sew South 2013 roommate and friend, Cindy from http://cindyloussouthernsewing.blogspot.com, wasn't able to make it to Sewing Summit unfortunately, but she DID manage to spread the word from GEORGIA along to our friend, Di of http://www.randomthoughtsdoordi.com .  On the evening of my (what I will only admit to as another 25th) birthday, a group of us were finishing up a fantastic (best Mexican food I've ever had) supper when the waiters arrived in all their accented sing-song glory to embarrass me.  At least the cake was delicious.  :)   If you're ever in SLC, you must try out the Red Iguana.  The food is rockin' and the wait-staff is wonderful.  And P.S...the Margaritas pack quite a nice punch.

Since this post is all about my lovey-dovey feelings for my sew-ey friends, I can't end without mentioning my fabulous Sewing Summit roommate, Andrea, who flew all the way from British Columbia to attend.  It was great to have a fellow Canadian around!  (In fact there were quite a few.)  We got to talk about fun stuff like good ol' Canadian beer, funny accents, in-climate weather, and the problems that face Canadian sewists, eh?  Their fabric prices are ridiculously high!  Poor souls.  I admire their dedication despite the annoying obstacles and over-priced everything.  Even though I'm really only a half-breed, it's amusing to talk about all the differences between here and there.  It's funny how two countries can be so close and similar, but also so very far apart and different.  Check out Andrea's blog, http://doonbug.com .  She also makes beautiful high-quality, hand-crafted couture purses that you can purchase through her Etsy Shop .

Last but not least is my favorite shot from the entire weekend:

Much love to my friends.  Can't wait to see some of you again in March!