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Saturday 26 May 2012

Pre-FQ London Linky Party!

Well I am not the first to the party by any means, but I am here now after an exhausting day 'doing it for the Queen' - more on that tomorrow.

Fat Quarterly

So as is the case with many of the Retreat-goers, it took all of one sleep to purchase my ticket after they went on sale at the beginning of December; (I just checked my emails - tickets on sale notification 2pm on the Thursday, hotel reserved before 5pm, and ticket bought before 7am on the Friday), so to say I was eager to be there is a bit of an understatement!

I have literally been counting down the days and can't believe this time next week I will have met so many of my online friends for the first time!!!  I have only met Terri out of any 'friends' that are going, and she is the only one who has met me ;)

For those who are popping in for the first time today, I look a bit like this...

OK, maybe more like number 4's Mum!
I actually hate having my photo taken!

I am 41, have a long-suffering husband who is also my best friend and will be responsible for keeping the kids, (7 year old son and 5 year old twin girls) alive all by himself for 36 hours!

We live in a pretty village in West Sussex, (fortunately for the small folk, it has a Fish & Chip shop, Tesco Express and other necessities for survival), and I will be coming to Retreat by train early on Saturday morning, meeting Nicky on the way.  Hello Nicky!

I have been 'preparing' for months, literally...

Look there's snow in the background!
I will be wearing this...

And I am still trying to figure out just how to get all this...





...plus my old sewing machine up to town in the least ridiculous manner.

I have been sewing since school, Dress 'O' Level to be precise, stopped whilst I had way better things to do like drinking and travelling, but took up quilting and making lovely things, or maybe just buying lots of fabric, almost 2 years ago.  I had to make a few samples for my C&G Interior Design and got the sewing bug again.

I work part-time as a Civil Servant, but you are likely to find out that I can be most uncivil and will probably be found swearing in a corner with Susan and being asked to 'keep it down a bit'.

Can you believe we have not got a single class together, I cannot think why!

I am a Brit Bee and proud, also a Stitch-Teaser and all-round gobby cow, (well, when the nerves have subsided).

I will be paper-piecing with Kerry, embroidering with Aneela, making a Union Jack cushion with my old mucker Lynne and finally making frame-purses with Katy (which reminds me, our idea of fancy dress and jubilee hats seems to have fallen by the wayside!).

I am equally excited and silently freaking out about being there, I know I am not alone in that.

I am staying at the Radisson, and kind of thinking they do not have a clue what is about to descend on their beautiful hotel!

I just need to try and work out if I can email/blog/upload pics to flickr and here by phone along with making a few more bits and pieces, going to work, packing and shopping for some clothes that won't make me look like a Russian Eurovision entrant, even though I love their aprons!

So that's me xxx

48 comments:

  1. eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

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  2. O.M.G. LOVE how organised you are with your checklists and zippy bags. Mine's all higgeldy piggeldy at the minute. Must go buy more zippy bags!!! See you soon!

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  3. Oh you're definitely not last, I missed the memo and haven't even written mine yet lol We have the first class together, I think the powers that be must have thought that was enough to cope with ;o)

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  4. I might be last! :) Aaaaaahhhhh! another day gone and only very slightly getting to my list! See your there!

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  5. Mmm nice name tag, planning on wearing screamadelica too? Think I'm 'doing' frames on Sunday too! See you Saturday.

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  6. Don't laugh at me, but I'm all excited for you even if I cannot be there this time (next time, hopefully...)

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  7. Oh maaaannnn, you're soo organised! and I am so behind! very looking forward to meeting you :) I am planning on finding our hugest wheelie suitcase, putting the sewing machine in first and then the fabrics and other paraphernalia, and then stuffing knickers and a toothbrush in the gaps :) x

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  8. lol, your zippys are like mine with the ticked off lists :) where in WS ?? I used to live in Horsham, got married near Henfield, worked in Haywards Heath, lived in Upper Beeding and Shoreham :) ohh and Patcham...

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  9. I soooo wish I was going! Have a really great time and throw out a few extra swear words for me. :-)

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  10. I am certain you will manage all the stuff and it will be fun to meet you finally. I need to write post too, was out all day and now finally sleepy.

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  11. I'm packing like Pippa then the priorities will be in the right order! Di x

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  12. I've just realised I'm NOT doing wonky log cabin and all my prep so far is wasted! Looking forward to swearing with you and Susan

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  13. I'm in embroidery with you and I can swear just as much as Suse, just ask her!! So so so want to make a comment about "doing it for the queen" but shall bite my virtual tongue out of respect for your poor poor hubster.... see you soon!! xxx

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  14. I thought I spotted your twin on stage tonight! Bringing my ear plugs for when the air turns blue! Jxo

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  15. Can you come pack for me please? I've not a clue what I need and will probably arrive missing half of it. But will be happy in the corner swearing and been goby with you.

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  16. Gobby cow?? please! Can't wait to hear the stories you ladies come back with!

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  17. I'm sure you all come back with stories that will last you til Christmas! Have fun!

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  18. I'm doing the union jack pillow too. There is definitely WIfi at the Radisson for a bit of blogging. See you soon.

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  19. I have to say I cannot wait to meet you next week and find out if you are as mad as a bag of scanners in real life too. Of course auto correct turned spanners into scanners.

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  20. I'm jel not reen. Have a great time!

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  21. oh Hadders, how I wish we were sharing a train compartment (clearing it, more like!) next weekend.

    Your organisational skills make the OCD fragment in my brain absolutely sing. Some days I pack my work bag like that, just to make it feel like I'm going somewhere more exciting than a classroom! Hope you're also squeezing in a laptop so that you can live blog! LOL ...

    Have a fantastic time and I can't wait to hear and see all about it!

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  22. I can't wait to read everyone's accounts - you have to record *everything* for those of us who won't be there

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  23. Oooh excited! I just hope I can find you on the B***** train! Getting in some practice for when I see you! Will the guard try and throw us off?? Well he can try!

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  24. considering that I only just found my supplies list about 5pm yesterday, you can imagine how unorganised I am. I am dispatching eldest daughter to get my supplies this week, with very specific intstructions(she is on study leave but this is more important) Can't wait to meet you!

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  25. Ah I am so jealous of ye all!!! I even dreamed I got over at the last minute last night. Enjoy!!!! I will be straight on the phone to Cindy when it's all over for a full report :-)

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  26. Can't wait to meet you. Not in a crazy stalker way. Cus that would be weird.

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  27. Really excited to finally meet you Hadley!!

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  28. I had pictured you as a brunette! how wrong can you be? Be great to meet you at last!

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  29. Oh, I hope you can upload photos and blog from your phone - I'm relying on people tweeting, etc. so I know what's going on! Have a great time!

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  30. Oh my! you are so organised. Wishing you would come and sort out all my supplies so beautifully.
    I can't wait to meet you at the Retreat.
    xxxx

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  31. Really looking foward to meeting you next week. MY trusty list of to-do's has fell on the 'can't be arsed' wayside today - it;s toooo hot ;-)

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  32. How excited is everyone? Blinkin. Loads. 5 sleeps to go!!

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  33. Getting excited now, really looking forward to it and meeting everyone!

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  34. Group picture with names attached? Pretty please with lots of rum?

    I read several of the blogs you read and picturing bloggers - kind of a shy lot- is going to be worth money one of these days, if only I knew what they looked like.

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  35. Do you think if I introduced myself in a blog post and said I was a wanna be FQ Retreater, anyone would notice? Oh how I envy you all!

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  36. I thought the same about the hotel... They're most likely expecting a group of quiet grannies. Won't they be surprised?

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  37. Really looking forward to meeting you Hadley, sounds like we might all make quite a raucous bunch!

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  38. I think we in the same classes together (a few any way), and I'm staying at the Radisson too so we will certainly meet in a few days time! See you there :)

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  39. See you there!!!

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  40. what a scream this is going to be, can't wait!

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  41. SO SO SO excited to meet you, we are going to have THE best time!

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  42. You are one crazy woman and I'd love to meet you; in fact, we probably will!

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  43. oh have a fantastic time! I can't wait to see all the pics etc x

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  44. I am so disorganised in comparison. It just pulled out a load of fq's and will sort them out on the day!

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