Wow – what a year 2015 was! Those of you who know me know
that I am useless at looking back – I usually can’t even remember what happened
last week – I love looking forward - I love new ideas new fabric and all the
promise of a new year. But on the eve of the end of 2015 I love to reflect on
everything that’s gone before. I’ve added lots of pictures of our PlainStitch year
– most of them I can’t believe they were only in this year – time moves superfast
and super hand sewingly slow in The Workroom!
This year we started the year making Sausage Dog Pin
Cushions, we threw a Comic Relief Crafternoon, we expanded into the BackRoom
and knocked down walls in the Workroom, we made Log Cabin Quilts, amazing
Simple Samplers, intricate EPP quilts, our Bee in Your Bonnet Class finished
their fab quilts, we enjoyed our Spring Retreat Day, we threw a first birthday
party and ate the most amazing Modern Applique inspired cake! Our Sewing Bee
went from strength to strength – this year we undertook the huge project of a
community wall hanging and our members went over and above, sewing with 6 year
olds to 96 year olds and we had such fun doing it.
Claire’s Free Motion embroiderers freestyled so much fab work
from tea cosies to Christmas cards, Vic got us all hooked on hand embroidery
and we all started stashing those wooden spools like squirrels! Victoria’s Miss
Stitch kids made the most gorgeous stuff and the Teens raised the sewing bar,
taking on many of our adult makes and showing us how it’s done, nonchalant! We
made Sewing Machine Covers and all wanted a zippy pouch for our embroidery
threads!
In the spring we all flew our Union Jacks for Baby Charlotte
up and down the High Street, our Modern Applique class were quilting high
achievers turning out works of art, and we opened the studio for Bucks Open
Studios and met so many lovely new people, we took PlainStitch out and about to
Fairs and exhibitions from The Quilters Guild to local sewing groups and got
such a fantastic response, we love meeting new quilters and sewers!
We had such a laugh at our Farm Girl Vintage Day in the
summer where we rocked our Stetsons and sewed patchwork strawberries in the sunshine,
we all went a bit mad for the PlainStitch Bunting Quilt Kit with its icecream
colours for high summer. We started to learn to Crochet with the lovely patient
Jo. Then this autumn we welcomed Julia to the Team PlainStitch, and turned our
attentions to seasonal sewing and embarked on the first class of Arendelle,
designed the most fabulous Wholecloth Quilts, we made Christmas cushions, Bauble
Quilts, Stockings and wreaths and we all went even more mad for Christmas
Pillowcase Kits!
We stocked the shop to the gunnels with the most tempting
and delicious fabric all year, we kept watching favourite bolts sell out over a
weekend, we love a text print don’t we?!
We got nominated for a National Sewing Award and our Sewing
Bee was a BBC Get Creative! Community Champion, we just can’t wait to see what
2016 has to bring! From Clamshells or Trip Around the World, Alphabet Embroidered
Sampler, Learn to Knit with Janet and so much more that we have up our patchwork
sleeves for next year, we know it’s going to be even bigger and better for 2016!
