Social Sewing

Hi peops, hope you had a creative weekend. I must admit mine was spent pretty much neck-deep in creative individuals. A very pleasant situation in which to be. Let me illuminate...

Saturday: Oh, looky here! Some gorgeous sewing ladies who have come out to play! On Saturday I was lucky enough to spend a lovely day hanging with these hotties right here in B-town.

Left to Right we have Shivani, Stevie, Jane and Karen. I've only experienced it a few times previously, but I find it both strange and thrilling meeting people in the flesh that I've e-met beforehand. Of course, we all have one massive hobby (read: obsession) in common, but that's not a guarantee that you will get on. But I can honestly say these are some seriously nice people and really lovely to be around.

Shhhh! Sewers in their natural territory...

There isn't much point in me giving a full account of the day's proceedings, because Karen has already written the perfect summary in her post here. But as Gin O'Clock was fast approaching, I was sad that the London-based ladies had to high-tail it back to the big smoke. All I can say is that I'm super-vibed about the next meet-up, Karen is rapidly becoming the Pied Piper of sewers!

Sunday: Patty, Lisa (my Colleague in Craft and fellow Craftaganza organiser) and I hit up the 1st Birthday celebrations of Handmade Brighton, a very awesome shop which sells and supports local creative talent. I've recently become one of the sellers myself, but I'll expand on this fantastic enterprise in the near future because it really does warrant its own post.

A lovely time was spent supping cava, nomming cake and chit-chatting with heaps of interesting local designer/makers and their lovely plus-ones in the newly refurbished basement of the shop. Evidently I was too busy with the aforementioned activities to remember to document the event, so only managed to grab this one pic (of Lisa and myself above) as everyone was being hurded out into the night towards the next venue. Which turned out to be a great Blues night (although it was actually pretty green):

This weekend was the perfect counter-balance to a working week spent in studio with just one other person generally focussed on the physical activity of sewing. Personally, I need near-isolation to be at my most productive, but spending time with people who regularly engage in creating is such a boast to my own drive to create. If I worked in a big busy studio with colleagues flitting here and there involved in different tasks, I wonder how much (or, I suspect, little) I would get done. But the time I spend in the company of other makers is so valueable to me, I realise I must make more of a conscious effort to make these connections. It's akin to cake. I'm not sure I'm eating enough home-made cake either (enter 'food for thought' pun here).