Big week ahead

Well it's finally time for the celebrations to start.. Severn Valley Quilters will celebrate 25 years this coming week, with not one but 2 celebrations, tomorrow 23 members are attending a workshop to be held at the local Golf club (the room we are booked into has stunning views across the course!) with the lovely Clare Kingslake who will be teaching us how to appliqué in her own Folk Art style, most of us including me will be making a 'sheep' wall hanging/picture which looks like great fun, others will be working on one of her 'basket' projects, while 1 or 2 will be working on their own projects. The day kicks off at 9.30 with coffee before the workshop, a buffet lunch is too be served at around 12.15 pm then we will sew again till 4pm. when tea and cupcakes (made by the lovely Anne) will be served, after tea we can sew for a bit longer if we fancy it, or just chill out in the bar before a 3 course evening dinner at 7 pm.
Next on 25th (our usual meeting night) we are hosting a Members Past and Present social evening with light refreshments (YES! including cake!!) quite a few past members are joining us which includes a few founder members. There will be a display of work by the current members plus the unveiling of the entries for the 'Silver Challenge' set by me in January, our photographic archive will also be on show. Following this all the committee will collapse in a big heap to regain our breath before we hold our Exhibition in February 2014.

I have assembled my requirements for the project, it was good fun finding some 'woolly' fabrics plus some sky and grass fabric as you can see my sheep will be varied including a proverbial 'black sheep' or maybe a brown one.

 I'm not sure yet which 'sky' fabric I shall use but will decide when I get there! I have also included some embroidery threads to work some embellishment in the form of flowers/birds etc.

Over the past few evenings I have been busy working on the Victorian Crazy piece I started at WPQ last week (see previous post) and this is what I've done so far

General view

narrow ribbon couched down 

Wider ribbon held in place with Fly stitch and Herringbone stitch

Narrow ribbon threaded through the braid which is held down by 2 styles of buttonhole stitch

I now have to decide how to attach the old narrow lace (top right in first picture) I found in the drawer and which stitches to use on the rest of the seams, but so far I'm quite pleased with it and as French knots are a particular favourite of mine I'll throw a few of those in somewhere too. Now all I have left to do tonight is finish packing and make sure I have all I need to take with me, and get a good nights sleep (as long as the anticipation doesn't get to me first)
So its goodbye from me as I head off of to pack my bag(s)!!!Whooo Hooo!
L