A giveaway to share the love!

So the retreat starts today - in a few wee hours in fact, and we couldn't be more excited. Each year brings new joy for us and we can not wait to meet everyone!!

We know that not all of you can join us this weekend, and we also know that many of you live across many seas. So we thought we would grab a few of the gorgeous presents that our supporters have sent us over the last few weeks, and squirrel them away as a giveaway for you. The giveaway includes all the good things you see in the photo above, plus some other special goodies that I wasn't organised enough to take photos of yet. How is that for slack? You'll love them though! Promise. We are calling it the Share The "Craft Sessions" Love giveaway.

To enter the draw just leave a comment on this post,  on the corresponding instagram post (which I'll post when I wake up!), or the Facebook post. Or all three. You can comment on each one once - meaning you can enter three times each. International friends are welcome to join in as we are happy to post anywhere. I'll close the comments at 9pm Melbourne time on Sunday the 13th - and announce the winner on Tuesday. Don't forget to include your email address when you make your blog comment (it is hidden!) so we can find you.

We will be sharing photos all weekend on instagram (hashtag #thecraftsessions2015) and will be back in this space early next week with some photos. 

Wish you could all be here with us! Another year perhaps....

Felicia x

Intention

This time of year, I think about intention a lot. In the busy last few weeks of throwing this thing together, I spend a lot of time thinking about the people who are coming; where they come from, why they come, what we can do to make this thing as special as we can. My gorgeous women and I spend a fair bit of time together, doing the bits and pieces that need to get done, to make it happen. And there is real intention in that. There is quite a lot of hand making that goes into putting this together. We hand sew the programs, we hand make your gifts, we forage for the flowers. We do most of it ourselves. We could outsource it but we choose not to, because the beautiful thing about it is that we get to do it together. The five of us, sitting around, chattering, making and sorting out the detail. It's like my community sits in the intention around the intentional bringing together of our larger community. And to me this makes it really special.

A big part of the joy of putting this together for me, is the fact that we get to sit together making. And that I can feel everyone else remotely making, whether you are pinging me on instagram about your preparations (which I love!), or watching from afar, I can feel the excitement around the fact that we are coming together to share. I treasure those nights with my girlfriends in the leadup to the event. 

I also spend a fair bit of time thinking about mistakes and imperfection. And how intention is way more important than those two gems. In the leadup to the retreat I miss the odd email, the odd seam on a gift is a little wonky, this blog post is a day late, and there is a typo in the program (don't tell Anna!!). Because there is a temptation to get stuck thinking about that stuff. About the fact that what we are making isn't perfect.

But then I come back again to intention. We could style the shit out of this event. We could spend time making it perfect down to every minute detail - but then the event would have never got off the ground. Our focus would have been in the wrong place and we would have been stressed, and anxious, and got stuck.  The joy would be lost. Instead I remind myself that the intention of this event is to "bring together people who craft for joy and foster a love of hand making". That is all. Not to create the most perfectly styled event ever seen. Perfection would destroy the spirit of the event. A spirit where we celebrate community and learning, rather than doing things perfectly. 

Anyway - coherant post this is possibly not, but I wanted to share where my head is. Outside of worrying about whether I can find all the power boards for the sewing machines that is. They are in the shed somewhere....

See you Friday either in person or online. And if you are only able to join us online then we have an ace giveaway to make up for it. Details will be in Friday's post. 

Felicia  xx

12 Days to go

So we are totally full!! And we are totally busy preparing. Last night - when I normally write the blog post - was filled with wine and making. Making for the retreat, running through the details. So I have no words for you as I am a little tired and have a head full of busy.

I do, however, have some pictures from last year. There are so many of them that I never get to share them all. As I know you guys like to see them, then today seemed like the perfect day for it. 

See you Friday xx

Saying goodbye at the end of 2014's retreat.

One spare spot at this year's retreat!

Great News! A single spot has become available to this year's retreat in the beautiful Yarra Valley. We know it's short notice, but we wondered if any of you would like to come along? 

If you were interested (and available on the weekend of September 11th to 13th) then we have spaces available in the following workshops only. 

Friday Arvo
Patchwork Pattern Play with Anna Farago
Smocking with Anna O'Brien
Knitting Your First Sock with Georgie Hallam

Saturday Morning
Handquilting with Anna Farago
Overnighter Bag with Beattie Lanser
Design Your Own Hat with Georgie Hallam

Friday/Sat All Day
Kid's Wardrobe in a Day with Felicia Semple

Sunday All Day
Beattie Dress - Sewing with Beattie Lanser
Textile Collage - with Elizabeth Barnett
Embroidery 101 - Project Bag with Melissa Wastney
Knitting - Introduction to Lace with Ophelie Lechat
 

You can find full details of all those workshops on the workshop page. For the Friday afternoon/Saturday morning classes then you need to either choose one workshop for each time OR you can choose the "all day" class.

The Price
The weekend is all inclusive - great food, twin-share accommodation, yoga, workshops and great company - and costs $869. And then there is all the extra stuff that comes along with it; a gorgeous handmade gift from us, a welcome drink, cosy fires, and lots of joy! It starts at 2pm on the Friday the 11th and finishes up at 4.30pm on Sunday the 13th. 

As there is only one spot, we are offering it on a first come, first served basis so you need to get back to us quickly. 

You can grab the spot by emailing us first at admin@thecraftsessions.com with the subject title "I want the spot!"

Hope you can join us for this very special weekend.

warm regards

Felicia x

Simple Sewing 101 - I'm in love with Lou!

I LOVE this pattern - the Lou Box Top by Sew DIY. I made one the other day in the gaps between the washing and cooking and my goodness it's simple. In the original Simple Sewing 101 - Tops post I gave you my six step program to building your simple sewing skills. Step 2 was the simplest garment. My suggestion was a woven version of the free Hemlock Tee by Grainline.  The Lou Box Top is the same stage of sewing. Super dooper simple. 

Now you all know I love my Hemlocks but The Lou Box is something else. It has this really neat shoulder shaping that just adds a little zing. Simple zing but zing none the less. And the shape falls beautifully, especially in the linen. I was originally inspired to make one because of this lovely specimen but now that I've made one myself I'm already planning about 4 more. 

The plan for the next one is to use a fabric I've been saving (hoarding) for the perfect project. I have some of the linen that I used in this quilt left. It's going to be lovely. The only thing I'll change is the neckline. I already hacked it a little with this version but next time I'm thinking of doing a hack - a Lou Box with a Wiksten Tank neckline raised by an inch or so. I love the scoop of the Wiksten and as it stands the Lou Box is showing just a little too much boob for the school run. In my part of town anyway.

The photo isn't really showing the boob flashing as I pulled it up a little for the photo.

Let me walk you through how simple this thing is to put together and then I'll sign out because there really isn't anything more to say.. 

• Two pieces - a front and a back. If you use the larger neckline then you don't need the split in back of the neck. So a front and a back. Can't get simpler than that.
• Sew together your shoulder seams and your side seams.
• Finish your seams - I just used a zigzag. Nothin' fancy here.
• Hem the bottom and the sleeves using my super hem trick.
• Bind the neck using Jenn's binding tutorial for perfect binding. 

Make a Lou Box. You know you want to!

Felicia x