In praise of a hack job!

So things have been a little busy around here. With workshops being finalised, and this year's retreat to be launched, and registration to be opened. Which means the normal rambling that goes on around these parts has been a little bit sparse. But hopefully I am back.

The point of today's post is to talk about an oft overlooked tool in your crafty arsenal - the hack job. Loud and proud, I want to say that in spite of my perfectionist tendancies that I LOVE a hack job! Not as an everyday way to operate but as a way to move forward in times of trouble. Let me explain....but first a definition.

The Hack Job: A project in which the finish is the only goal and to get there there is only one speed - fast, and only one direction - forward. While achieving a wearable/useable outcome is still a priority, finishing is the true destination. 

With all the busy around here lately, has come some frustrating times re crafting. I have found that either my head is too full to start something. OR if I have a project on the go, then it needs to be simple, or it sits there and sits there and sits there. So what to do....

The first thing I've done is gone back to old favourites like Granny's Favourite and the Geranium Dress because I can make them without-a-single-thought. Because really that is where it is at at the moment - there are no brain cells left for crafting. What is needed is totally craft as comfort!

But I have another tactic that I use in tricky times I thought I would share today and that is where the hack job comes in. It is the perfect antidote to the perfectionist procrastination. Hack job energy often comes on suddenly after a long period of thought/stalling. All of a sudden you just want to get it done. It's almost a feeling of exasperation that I have let it sit for so long. I just want to get it done and out of the sewing room. All the normal rules get thrown out. No going back to fix things, no worrying about a beautiful inside, no worrying about doing my best.  

Inside of Eva.

I've talked about my ability to do dodgy craft before, but today I'm going to show you just how dodgy my dodgy craft gets. There are those of you out there who would not feel at all satisfied doing this kind of craft. It would make them twitch. Actually sometimes it makes me twitch... but for those of you who like the idea, I want to say that this kind of sewing is valid. The projects that come out of it are valid and can sometimes be just as satisfying and fulfilling as ones where you have laboured over every stitch. 

Two examples for you today. 1. Although things are hectic, I really need some clothes and really really want to finish a dress that has been sitting in the basket for probably six months. Eva is a lovely newish pattern from Tessuti that is an unusual shape for me. One that I hoped would be flattering, loved but after cutting it, felt nervous. The procrastination has been due to fear mainly - all about the perfectionism. Fear that I will have cut the Nani Iro, spent the time sewing it and then won't like it. Fear about the unusual shape. I guess it is about stepping into the uncertainty. And so to get it done I got to the point where I just needed to get it done. I started and was super careful not to loose momentum. I didn't neaten seams. I didn't worry when the pockets were a total mess. I didn't unpick and I didn't redo. I did grimace and occasionally I had to shield my eyes from the mess. But Eva is now a totally wearable garment. A gorgeous dress that has got compliments wherever I wear it of the "what a gorgeous dress" kind. Win.

Total hack job of the pockets. They are actually appalling.

Visible holes if you look up close - but who does that?

Inside of the dodgy pocket. See the big lump....play on!!

And the second example is the tutu in the photo at the top of the post. It sat in the basket for a good few months. It was an old tutu given to us by a friend, that my small person kept trying to wear and get to stay up. She loved it but it was totally unwearable. And I kept thinking I had to fix it properly - maybe redo the shirring and put on some delicate straps before I realised that was insane. And really all I needed to do was to put something together so the kid could wear it. I decided to do it there and then. And all I had on hand was this rather wide elastic.

But it works so well. She loves it. It is super comfortable, super wearable and perfect for twirling. This project has the added advantage of providing joy to others around her. Anyone who sees this schmozzle smiles at her. What is not to love about it.

Perfect for dancing.

Now a hack job is completely contrary to how I normally sew. but it is also an incredibly good way to get going again after getting stuck. It ensures that the stuckness doesn't linger and turn into a drought. Performed once in a while, a total hack job really shifts something in me. It shifts the fear it won't be perfect. It gets me sewing again. It reminds me that it doesn't need to be perfect for me to love it. It is incredibly freeing. It is sewing with no rules (other than seam allowances obviously ;)) and sometimes it is what is needed.

Dodgy iphone photo of the half finished frock. 

So how about it? The hack job  - something you might try? Something you find horrifying? Love to know your other strategies for continuing to craft in times of stress and busy....

Felicia x

PS. I just want to say thanks for all your registrations. I have been blown away by the response. It is going to be a special weekend. x

Registration - Opens Tonight at 5!

So today is the day. We will open registration tonight from our registration page at 5pm.

Now for a quick bit of housekeeping -

• The registration page has also had a bit of an update to include information about how we organise your preferences and also our cancellation policy. Please have a read if you are thinking of coming. 
• This year's retreat is running from 2pm Friday 5th September until 5pm Sunday 7th September with a slightly different format to last year based on some wonderful feedback from last years participants. More information about the changes is also on the registration page. 
• Please be aware that we assign workshop preferences based on the order in which you register (it was the fairest way we could think of!!) so if there is a class you really want to do then the sooner the better. 
• For those of you that missed it yesterday - we have posted our workshop schedule here and for a full list of the nineteen workshops we have running this year please have a look on the workshop page. 

I have heard via email from some of you enthusiastic lot, that you are planning to register at 5pm on the dot which is pretty exciting. It will be great to see who is coming this year!

Felicia x

P.S. For those of you that come to the blog for other reasons we will get back to normal really soon. Promise!

More (new) teachers and a workshop list!

I'm so chuffed to be able to finally tell the full lineup of teachers joining us this year. I have updated the Teachers page with the new bio's so go have a look....or stay on this page and I will tell you about them....

I announced yesterday via facebook that the very talented Georgie Hallam is joining us again. Her classes were much loved last year and this year we have topped them. She will be teaching three classes - something for each level of knitters. For beginners/intermediate knitters she will be teaching The Secret To Becoming A Great Knitter which is a whole class about learning to read your knitting. For a taster of the types of things she will be addressing have a look at this post. But she will be taking you through it personally - the best way to learn! - and she will be taking it to a whole new level. 

Georgie Hallam is teaching our brand new workshop on Grading. Knitting by Me. Pattern by Veera.

She is also teaching two knit design classes - The Beauty Of A Circular Yoke - of which she is the master - and you will be too after doing her class. Have a look at the little mustard cardy on our instagram feed on the right. It is one of my all time favourites. And the next one is for people who are looking to really skill up their pattern making skills. She is doing a class simply called Grading. The trickiest part of design is often not coming up with the idea for a pattern but it is translating into different sizes. This class takes you through the process.

I am also thrilled to announce that Sophie from Cirque Du Bebe will be back. And I love what we have come up with for her to teach!! Two beginner type projects - one with knits Leggings. So practical especially as you often can't get what you want in the shops. She will teach you the skills to make them! And because we have this class scheduled for the Friday afternoon then you can wear them to yoga on Saturday morning. Talk about a winner!

The other beginner class is the Grainline Scout Tee. I have been on a bit of a Scout kick lately and I need to tell you that these things are a beautiful everyday garment. The kind of thing that you will wear every-single-day. And you can do this if you are an adventurous beginner. Really you can!!

And the final class Sophie is teaching is the beautiful Wiksten Skirt. I LOVE this pattern. It is the most worn handmade thing I have ever made - really flattering. Beautifully finished details, button placket, waist ties, hand sewn waistband and pleats. This is pitched at the intermediate sewer who wants to try some garment sewing or wants to improve their skills.

New Teachers 

Belinda Evans

I first came across Belinda via her stunning instagram feed and quickly went to have a look at her beautiful website and shop. I LOVE her feed and find her overall aesthetic one of calm beauty. Good for the soul methinks. And she has agree to come and teach!

An exceptional weaver, I am thrilled that she has agreed to come on board. Weaving is one of those things that I would love to try but don't feel confident to try alone. You really need a good teacher and Belinda really knows weaving. And making in general for that matter. I am so very very excited about her workshop Weaving - Modern Weaving using Traditional Techniques. More information is available if you follow the link but I really love the fact that you leave this class with a beautiful loom so that you can keep weaving as soon as you get home.

Mel Tonzing

I came across Mel when I was looking for a crochet teacher for our 2013 event. Unfortunately at the time she had just started a business and had a baby and so turned me down. And so I waited - which makes me even more excited to have her on board this year!

She is a beautiful natural talent. Again have a look at her instagram feed if you want to be inspired. Not just by her crafting and her crochet but by her photography. So beautiful.

She is teaching two classes - Beginner Crochet where she will be taking you right from the very start. Then for those of you with some experience we have planned a full day of making one of her favourite patterns - the Blossom Cowl. The full day format will enable you to really get into the swing of things. 

Anyhoo. It is very late and I need to get to bed. But I wanted to add one final exciting point. The full workshop list has been posted. Go have a look. I know you will love what you see.

Next week I will post the class schedule - and then registration opens on April 2nd at 5pm. Exciting times!!

Felicia x

Registration dates, new format and 1st class announcements!

So today is the day my friends. We are organised. Classes are locked down, teachers are locked in and we have dates for registration! Pretty exciting for us and I hope for you too.

Rather than giving it all to you in one go I'm going to release information over the next few days to give you some time to think about it before we launch registration next week - more details about that at the bottom of this post!

So where to start....maybe some classes? The full workshop list will be up on the web on Friday, along with some new teacher announcments, so today I am just going to give you a bit of a taster. 

We are very lucky to have many of our teachers from last year joining us again - the feedback we got about them was just so good, and we had more we wanted them to do. So with the exception of two classes (Embroidery from the Natural World and Block Printing) we have all new classes.

I did wonder whether it was going to be possible to beat what we put together last year. I loved the workshops we ran. But, I really really think we have topped it. My class-idea-tester friend Jenn did the "and I would do that one", "and I'm going to do that one", "and that one", "oh oh oh and I really want to do that one"...."and I might try that"....

Ever done a "steek"?

I'm going to start with Julia from Woollen Flower - those of you that have had Jules as a teacher know just how well prepared and organised her classes are. And man is she clever. And lovely and ever so encouraging.

So this year she is going to be running three new classes. A dyeing class which is a full day where you have a single dyepot and get 25 colours out of it. That is right - 25 Colours From One Pot. This extended dyeing class will allow you to really get into the process under Jules' expert guidance. This will be a very fun day.

I also asked Jules to redesign one of her classes from last year (because it was just so popular) but in a different half-day format. So Knitting - Colourwork is now a half day class. She is designing a special 10ply colourwork hat pattern for those of you that want to try colourwork. 

The redesigning of colourwork was so we could fit other things in - Julia's other half-day class will be on Steeking. For those of you that don't know what this is - it is the process of cutting your knitting to make a jumper into a cardigan or for armholes or a neck after knitting in the round. There will be a better description in the workshop page on Friday, but if you are a curious kind of knitter and haven't yet gone to the knitting extreme's of steeking then this is the class for you. I have done it once many years ago, and I can't tell you how much fun it is. To knit a jumper and then pick up your scissors and start cutting into it - well it is one of the biggest fibre thrills around. Can't beat it.

Freedom patchwork - I'm so loving the name Melissa gave this class.

So the lovely Melissa from Tiny Happy is joining us again from New Zealand, with her wonderful Embroidery from the Natural World class. The photos from this class, and the feeling in the class for that matter are one of my favourite things from last year's event. The results were just so varied and so very very pretty.

Her second class I love - Freedom Patchwork. It will be a day for exploration - of colour, form and shape - starting with a classic star. We are going to be bringing it back to the basics and then expanding on them. This class if for beginners who want to try to put together their first quilt block but also for those of you that love to patch in a group environment. And you will come out with either a cushion cover or a set of quilt blocks. Up to you!

Next up we have the lovely Leslie from Maze and Vale - have a look at her new website. Super pretty. Her block printing class last year was so popular we are putting it on again for those who missed out. But then we are taking it a step further. 

We have a second half-day block printing class that is specifically about how to create a repeat of your print. Leslie will lead you through the process of making a repeat fabric design and you will come away with fat quarter samples of each different type of pattern. Whether you did the Block Printing class last year or you plan on doing it this year - the second course will extend your skills way beyond simple block prints.

Leslie's final class is one I asked her to do after seeing a tote she had made on her blog. You will be making a beautiful foldover tote bag using Leslie's pattern, with an internal pocket and leather strap. If you are a bit unsure of your sewing skills or simply a bit rusty then this is the workshop for you. Or if you want to know how to work with leather or you just want to make a beautiful bag. Bring a beautiful fabric of your choosing and make something you will wear everyday. 

So .....I think I have talked about three of them. Maybe one more for today?

Sev[en] Circle Neckpiece by Kirsten Johnstone

OK. So what about we talk about knitting superstar Kirsten Johnstone. Kirsten will be taking two classes for us this year. A full-day relaxing and enjoyable, technical knitting class where we will be making a seamless hat, working with a new pattern she is designing for the class. The workshop will cover skills such as seamless knitting, provisional cast-ons, i-cord bindoff (one of my favourite finishes) and shaping the crown of a hat. If you are an advanced beginner and know how to knit and purl, cast on and off but are wanting to extend your skills a bit further then this is for you. 

And the second class she is running for us uses her Sev(en) Circle neckpiece as a basis. This wildly popular pattern will see you create a neckpiece, or bracelet using your own special yarns, colours and ideas. Under Kirsten's guidance you will learn some technical knitting skills while creating something unique and very wearable. We can't wait to see what you come up with.

Format change - more time!

At the end of last year's event we asked everyone who came, how long they thought the event should be - and the resounding majority wanted more time. More time to be in the space. More time to relax and more time to spend with their new friends. 

Around half of the people who came last year, came by themselves - and the resounding feedback was that wasn't at all how it felt. It was such a friendly group that it felt like people already knew one another. 

So we have made a change. This year we will be starting at 2.00pm on the Friday afternoon. After afternoon tea, we will have our first workshop on the Friday afternoon and the second on the Saturday morning. This enables us to have all of Saturday afternoon free for relaxing in the beautiful surrounds of the Yarra Valley, crafting and spending time with friends, new and old. We have arranged activities - bonus workshops and yoga - if you are the kind of person who likes doing stuff. But if you want to do some relaxing, the time and space are now there. Sunday will consist of a full day of workshops before we say our goodbyes at a late afternoon tea. 

Registration Information

Registration is an all inclusive package that includes

• Two nights accommodation in the stunning Yarra Valley
• Two full days of workshops (over 2.5 days) with our very talented and super encouraging teachers
• All meals including a delicious organic afternoon tea each day
• Morning yoga on Saturday and Sunday 
• Free time on the Saturday afternoon to spend time with your new friends relaxing and crafting in the beautiful environment OR partake in activities including optional extra workshops or restorative yoga
• A gorgeous arrival and departure gift

Registration will open on April 2nd at 5pm through the registration page on our website. 

Lots more to tell you later on this week. We have four more teachers to tell you about including some new (super talented!) teachers and many many more classes.  The full workshop list including descriptions and photos will be up later on this week, as will the workshop schedule. So keep popping into the blog....

Sound good so far?

Felicia x

Filling in time

So I am working really hard on nailing down the last of the details for this years class list and registration details. And we are so close. So very close and so very excited. Big announcements will start early next week including some new teachers and all of the new classes. (Many pretty pictures...) Jump on our mailing list if you want to be kept up to date. 

And so things have been a little quiet here on the blog......my apologies but unfortunately there aren't enough hours in the day and also I have no words left. None.

So I thought to fill in a little time I would throw you a few photos from last year's event that I haven't published. Just to get you in the mood.....

I do just want to add one caveat before we begin with the photos (where it looks like everyone knits). There were people at the event that couldn't knit. Lots of them. It isn't a prereq!! 

Getting the dyebath ready with a nice cuppa tea.

Blankets ready to warm the knees of the people doing the natural dyeing 

Leslie doing her thing in Improv Patchwork

The beautiful Yarra Valley Conference Centre

Stitching around the fire pit.with teachers Anna and Jules

More stitching

The lovely Martine learning to sew with knits - all about the joy!

Registration with Claire and Leslie

Fireside knitting.

Sketching

Cutting some gorgeous oldschool Ink & Spindle fabric.

Another gorgeous view at YVCC.

Casting on for a cowl

Kirsten Johnstone - one of our super talented knitting teachers - the only good photo I got of her....

One of Melissa's beautiful books.

Colourwork class with Camilla in her Agnes

Improv Patchwork

Georgie Hallam teaching Intro to Design

Heads down in Sophies class

Old school machines meet washi tape.

Anatomy of a Quilt with the lovely Anna

Block printing with Leslie

Wishing you a lovely weekend. 

Felicia x