June WIPocalypse Stitching Get-Togethers

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi of Measi's Musings.

The main focus of my WIPocalypse this year is my "14 in '14" a list of 14 projects I wanted to complete in 2014.  In the last month I have worked on four of the list.  Here is the current stitching status of each one:

6. Primitive Hare - Spooky Countdown

7. The Little Stitcher - 12 Days of Christmas

9. Just Nan - Winter Typography

12. A Mon Ami Pierre - Noel Blanc

Measi also gives us a topic to discuss:

June 13      
Have you ever been to a stitch gathering such as a retreat or a festival? If so, tell us about it!

I have been on two quite different gatherings.  The first was a Re-Treat with the emphasis on the treat.  Two sisters owned a converted barn where they held the retreats for only 6 other ladies at a time.  One sister taught the stitching and the other sister did the cooking and also the pampering in the evenings.  I had a wonderful time!  We spent three days just stitching, chatting, eating, having our nails done and shopping in the pop-up shop they had there.

The second gathering was more formal, based in London at the Imperial College in Kensington I signed up for a goldwork course.  This was fascinating but sadly I never finished the project...

Since having children it has been impossible to get away for such luxuries as stitching weekends.  However I did manage a day out in London to meet up with Nicola and some of the Scarlet Letter Ladies earlier this year.  Full report here and group photo here:

 

There are a number of get-togethers I would like to attend, the Mira Minions have one organised for next year already and Dawn from Crafty Kitten is also organising one for her 5th birthday (the company's, not her's!).  The ladies from Needlecraft Haven also get together regularly and it would be great to get to either Ally Pally or Harrogate for the shows there one day.  I used to love going to the big show in Olympia too.

Maybe I should organise my own retreat so you could all come to me!!

Finally, since the demise of the Google Reader I have been using Feedly which I really like.  Until this week when it has been cyber-attacked!  It's called a Denial of Service attack and the baddies flood a website so it crashes and then demand a ransom to leave.  Each time Feedly fixes it they get attacked again and off it goes.  I could read blogs via my Dashboard but when Feedly comes back they will show as unread and I'll have to mark them all off again!  Oh, the problems of the First World.  So if you miss my comments now you know why.