Thursday, November 17, 2011

{Blogiversary Week} From 1 to 59: The Year of Meet-ups

One of the best parts of this last year has been all the fabulous people I have met both online and in person!

Eight months into my first year of sewing/blogging, I had the chance to meet up with one of my favourite bloggers, Tilly from Tilly and the Buttons.  It was the first time for both us meeting someone from the blogosphere. I was very nervous but Tilly is so lovely and we had so much fun.

During this second year of sewing/blogging, I've had the chance to meet-up with 59 people! WOWZA!  I just love it! It's so much fun to be able to connect in person.  My first set of meet-ups this last year happened on the same weekend.  First, I was able to meet the lovely Solvi who blogs over delfinese and Kristen from Kristenmakes.  Kristen lives in Edinburgh and it was so great to meet her (and we've met up subsequently--though Kristen, we should do it again soon!) and Solvi came over to Edinburgh from Sweden!

I just love the picture below of the three of us bent over a pattern box at a local vintage store:

The following day, I was super excited to hang out with Sofia and Jen.  Sofia is an amazing seamstress, which must be a family trait because she just so happens to be Tasia the Sewaholic's sister.  Sofia and Jen were touring around Europe and were in Scotland for a couple of days and I was super happy to be able to show them around one of my favourite towns--St. Andrews.

 Just a little over a month later, I had the chance to meet-up with Elise who blogs at Chez Napier
while she was vacationing in Scotland:
We went to my favourite fabric store (Edinburgh Fabrics--and where I love to take people) and then out for a cup of coffee!  I was even one of the first people to find out that Elise was pregnant! I kept it a secret and I can't wait until the baby comes--I just might have to send him/her a little something from Scotland :)

Later that very same week was the Blogger Meet-up of the Century in London.  This was the most epic blogger meet-up I've been to yet!  It involved 1 fashionable exhibit at the V and A museum, 10-12 fabric stores, 38 + sewists, 1 bar and a six hour train journey (on which I finished my dress that I wore to the meet-up! lol).  It was so big, I didn't even have a chance to properly meet everyone!  I had so much fun and I hear there might be another London meet-up this next spring organised by Tilly and Zoe from So Zo...  Though this time I'm definitely spending the night in London so that I can spend more time with everyone!

Look at all of us chatting away when our two big groups met up at Goldhawk Road Station at the exact same time:

This was my first ever large-scale meet-up and I just *might* be addicted.  I got to meet the ladies who blog at: Did you Make That?, Charlotte and Victoria from the Sew Weekly Sewing Circle, Beebee's Vintage Dress, Sew Far Sew Good, Heart's Cottage Vintage Sewing, House of Pinheiro, Marguerite Designs, The Reel McCoy, Space Craft, MagpieMimi, Diana and Me,The Needle Diaries,Tuppence Ha'Penny Vintage, Midnight Betty’s, How To Use Your Time, So Zo, Tilly and the Buttons, Dibs and The Machine,Scruffy Badger, Miss P, Made In Oxford, All Style and All Substance, Catherine Daze, Pimp My Curtains, A Sewing Odyssey, Oobop, Blondon Daze, Pin Cushion Treats, Handmade By Freya, Tea and Crumpets Vintage, Little Miss Twitchy, Cyberdaze, Handmade Jane, Eugenia’s (fabulous) world of fashion, Molly and Mango.  I hope I didn't miss anyone on from that meet-up! Like I said, it was huge!

In early June, I got to meet Jane who blogs over at Daisy Donut before she set out on a wonderful European cruise.  I was also able to set Ted off on his excellent adventures across the UK to help Jane Jane fundraise for the Macmillan Cancer Support charity.

Just a few months ago I was able to coordinate visiting my family in the States with meeting lots of people!  First off, I was so thrilled to be able to meet Mena, Christine, Shannon and Xandra at the Gatsby Summer Afternoon event in California! What a treat that was--we all got dressed up in our me-made 30's dresses and Mena had a lovely picnic spread and lunch for us!



Mena also took me fabric shopping and to some of her favourite local stores the following day!  It was great to meet Mena and see the woman behind The Sew Weekly!

On this trip, I also got to meet the lovely Solanah from Vixen Vintage who just so happens to live in the same part of the world as my family!  Solanah and I spent a Saturday going to some amazing estate and garage sales!

I was hoping to meet-up with Sarai from Colette patterns as well on this trip but I ended up canceling our arranged meet-up so that I could spend some time with my Grandma.  I'm hoping I can catch Sarai again in the near future as it would be loads of fun to meet her and Caitlin and to get a peak at their creative space!

Later in that trip, I was able to stop in NYC to co-host with the amazing Oonaballoona, Meg the Grand and Mena another EPIC meet-up.  I had been wanting to meet Oona and Meg since I started interacting with them on the Sew Weekly community site!  I knew I would be flying through NYC on my way back to Scotland, so I seized the opportunity and emailed Oona about my plans! Several emails, blog posts, and a youtube video later and we had quite a gathering in the big apple!


At the meet-up, I got to meet Vicki, daughter fish, Cindy, Mena (in another city!), Oona, Meg, Lisette, Nettie, Marina, Puu and Peter. We started with a sangria lunch, exchanged patterns, shopped our hearts out, went to dinner and then Oona, Meg, Mena and I continued onto a super secret venue that involved colour-coordinated dresses.  Needless to say I had a blast!  Why can't every day be like a fabulous blogger meet-up day? 

As if it couldn't get any better...Oona and I also had the chance to take a class with the one and only Gertie.  The class was amazing and SO MUCH FUN!  I highly recommend taking a class with Gertie if you ever find yourself in NYC! 

Fast forward to this very last week and my most recent meet-up with Miss Katie who blogs over at The Little Red Squirrel.  We had so much fun shopping and gabbing up a storm! It was lovely!

Phew! What a social year, eh?  I just love meeting fellow sewists and have been so delighted to meet everyone this year! I'm looking forward to many more social gatherings next year!

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pattern Giveaway
What better way to celebrate all the fabulous people I've met this last year than to host a pattern giveaway!  This is not just any pattern--but a traveling pattern!  This lovely Butterick re-issue pattern from which you can make a sheath dress, full overskirt, sash and cape in sizes B30-34 (just a note that the size 34 has been cut out but the other sizes are still included)! 
 I originally got this pattern in a swap back in February with Adey from the Sew Convert.  She made lovely hot pink dress and a 1950's Sabrina inspired cape from the pattern.  I made this pattern up into a teal dress for my meet-up with Oona, Meg and Mena.  Oona very kindly even let me use Kenny for some last minute sewing!  I ended up leaving a few of the pattern pieces at Oona's place.  So I'm sending the pattern to Oona who is going to make her own delicious version but at the same time will send the pattern along to one lucky winner!  We hope you'll keep the tradition going and send it along to someone else.  It would be great to document where this pattern goes in the next year! 

To enter:
This giveaway is open to all my readers anywhere in the world. To enter, just leave a comment on this post and tell me about your most memorable meet-up!  If you haven't had any meet-ups, let me know who would you most like to meet?  I can't wait to hear your stories.  Enter your comment by midnight (London time) on Saturday the 19th for a chance to win 'the sisterhood of the traveling pattern'.    
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14 comments

  1. I haven't done a meet-up yet, but I was super bummed that I didn't get to attend the NYC meet-up in September.

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  2. Wow. What an exciting year its been for you. That's what I love about sewing and blogging. You get to meet really cool people. So sad the Scotland trip could not take place. But we should try to do it still. Bump or bump, I will be there. Lol.

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  3. It was fabulous to meet you too Debbie! Your so lucky to meet so many people!
    I'm running another Goldhawk Road London Trip on Saturday I can't wait!
    Lots of lovely memories from that day! Hope to see you on the next one! xx

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  4. I can't believe you've met so many bloggers - it's amazing! I'd love to meet up with you, and I only live in Glasgow so I'm not far! I met up with Kristen for the first time a few weeks ago so it's my turn to visit Edinburgh next. Let's do an Edinburgh meet up!
    (p.s I'm not entering the pattern competition as I used to have the same pattern but gave it away)

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  5. Best. Day. Ever. Seriously loved hanging out with you for an entire day - you are a total blast to be around!!!!

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  6. Debi, what an amazing year. So many amazing people ....

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  7. I haven't met anyone in real life, it would be wonderful to go fabric shopping and chat away with someone who 'gets' the whole sewing thing. That's a huge number of sewing bloggers to meet in a year, and you managed to cram a fair few of my heroes into that list! I'd love to meet up with some brit stitchers as well as meet some sewing heroes, namely Tasia, Gertie, Casey and Liz of Zilredloh as that woman is some kind of fibre fiend - she sews and knits all sorts of wonderful!

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  8. I haven't done any meet ups, but I think I would most like to meet Tasia of Sewaholic, because I am so impressed with the fact that she launched her own pattern line. Making a career out of something you really love is very impressive.

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  9. It was great to meet you, too! I've been totally surprised and tickled by the amazing sewing bloggers I've met this year. A totally unexpected gift:)

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  10. I so wanted to make it to the Gatsby picnic to meet you and Mena but I was costuming a play down here in Ventura and that was opening night. I was in Portland too but I never thought o get in touch with bloggers up there. I would have liked to meet Sarai too. It would be really fun to meet the actual humans whose blogs I love!

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  11. I'd love to meet Gertie! I love her attention to detail.

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  12. You've had an amazing year Debi and it was really lovely to meet you waaayyy back in June! Ted says hello and thank you for raising his profile - he has been having a fantastic time since meeting up with you and raising lots of money.

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  13. debi, i am LOVING these posts!!!!!

    (word verification : spree!)

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  14. Busy gal! Loved meeting with you! Can't wait to meet up again!

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I read each and every comment--thank you so much!

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