Great Weekend of Feasting and Fabrics = Fun Hangover

My friend Nora and I escaped for a great weekend sewing workshop with Gail Doane this weekend and now I'm definitely suffering from a fun hangover! Getting up at 5:30 am has been a real struggle the last couple of days. 
The workshop was held in Richmond where our friend, Pat Goldman, sponsored the workshop at her beautiful shop, Chadwick's Heirlooms. 

My friend Nora and me with the very talented Gail Doane

Day 1 was a white pique dress with embroidered flowers.  That is Gail holding the sample dress.  All of the flowers are hand embroidered around hand-dyed buttons.  Many of the stitches use a casting on technique, so the flowers have a 3-D feel.  

Making a detached buttonhole flower

I'm hoping this doesn't become another UFO!

Here I am stitching away at a purple detached button hole flower.







Day 2 was a "notebook" class.  Gail made up some amazing binders with all the supplies we needed to learn a bunch of new and/or improved techniques from everything from adding smooth pipings and bindings to entredeaux and sash carriers.

Attaching entredeaux

We stitched from 9 am to 5:30 pm with just a 30 minute lunch break!  My head was about to explode with all the info!

Attaching piping to a curved yoke so that nothing stretches.

Gail has amazing energy!  Day 2 was mind blowing!

Gail Doane class at Chadwick's Heirlooms

Look at all the adorable embroidery and the scalloped binding!

Day 3 was a bit more relaxing.  We were working on this beautiful embroidered wool baby jacket.

Aren't these bullion roses so cute!!!

Making bullion roses with pearle cotton is so much quicker than making them with one little strand of floss.  I think this was my favorite part of the class!

But, even though we were very tired after all that learning and sewing, my friend and I had some time for after-class fun too.  There are so many great little restaurants and shops in Richmond to discover!

Can you even see me in this dark picture?

On the first night, after a shopping at some of our favorite haunts and a few new-to-me stops, we went to the Capital Ale House and enjoyed some delicious German Food.  On our last night we discovered a wonderful little gem called the Blue Goat which had a delicious and eclectic menu.  










So you can see that the "Fun Hangover" was well earned.  Feasting and Fabrics!!!  I went to bed on Sunday night dreaming of beautiful fabrics, sweet embroidery, delicious food and precious friendships.  

What a wonderful hangover!  :-)