Thursday, September 30

a perfectly peachy weekend...


my dearies were everything my high hopes could wish for
and so much more...
they came from illinois, california, texas, montana,
louisana, canada, hawaii and even old blighty.
suitcases crammed with their own
high hopes,
vintage fabrics,
sewing machines,
yarn
and
crafty souls.
it would be quite true to say,
upon the moment i met
jessie, rita, debee, lou, diana, lyn,
i knew the handcrafted gods had smiled down on me.













as the weekend past,
holed up in our big old house on capitol hill, seattle,
we not only spent our waking hours wisely,
crafting apron wraps, vintage slips, bags, wall hangings and stools the dottie angel way,
but we also learnt
* everyone is important, even chickens
* random and wonky but never squiffy
* it is okay to keep canned pumpkin in vintage suitcases
* it is okay to be a vintage fabric geek
* granny chic is grand
* there is method to the madness
* never look left when going through customs



for me this has been an incredible experience
and one that i will never forget, a bit like a first love.
to be given an oportunity to meet like minded crafty souls en masse
after years of living in cyber world was such a treat.
since returning home to the shed,
i have been experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
for in the space of a few days,
my 12 'dearies of the utmost kind'
filled my world with their uniqueness, kindness and craftiness.
it would be quite true to say,
now they are gone,
i feel a little lost without them by my side...

of course we could not have 'beavered away' without nourishment.
angela, along with mary, whipped up a storm in the kitchen
and to everyones relief, not an orange meal insight.
indeed when mary was not in the kitchen
then she was my trusty assistant.
i think we all secretly wished to take mary home after the weekend.
even three days on,
i am still working on a cunning plan to have her move to mossy shed

there are plenty of photos for those that may wish to ganders.
i am quite sure many more will appear over the coming days
but for now you can take alooky
and

i am still a little gobsmacked even after a few days of being home...
to think so many lovelies took a chance on me and my dottie angel ways,
packed up their high hopes along with their imaginations
most peachy perfect indeed


she is thinking a nice dose of quality time with Miss Ethel will help cure her symptoms ~ Tif

39 comments:

Suz said...

I would say that Dottie Angel Camp when swimmingly. I thought everyone had traveled to England until that end. That would make it an even better treat, though nearer has its advantages.

Hopefully, I will be able to sew by the next one!!!

Suz

Victory Garden Yarn said...

Ah, such a lovely weekend you had! I love seeing all the different interpretations of granny chic in these pictures. All of the different 'apron personalities' definitely shine through in each piece.

Rita S said...

Hi Tif,

I am still on a Dottie Angel high. It was an incredible weekend. Thank you again!

Greedy Nan said...

Tif, I've been looking in regularly to see if there's any news on your weekend and feel just the teesiest bit [well quite a lot really] of envy that I wasn't one of your dearies. Wonder if I could be an honourary one please as I'm sure it would make me into a much better person?
Glad it was such an enviable weekend though.

Sandy said...

I had a very similar experience last summer (with many gals that Debee knows actually - crazy!). I know just how you feel. People who haven't experienced it don't get it, but it's so special, these relationsips, the kindred friends. (-:

Lola said...

very cute post!

Francesca said...

hurrah for you! sounds like a dream come true. the photos are fabulous too. x

Carol said...

Dear Tif, so pleased your special weekend turned out so well for you and your lovely crafty ladies. I'm sure I'm not alone amongst your readers in wishing I could have been there too.
Life can sometimes be so peachily perfect.
Carol xx

Arthur Ransome said...

Hi Tif

So glad to hear the retreat went well. What lovely photos. I bet the retreaters are missing you too - Arthurxxx

Anonymous said...

well said tif. i'm holding this experience so close to my heart. thank you. xoxo

Snuskebassa said...

Fantastic!
I need to come back tomorrow and read the story. Now I need to close my eyes and memorize all the gorgeous thing you have shown us tonight. :-)
Thank you :-)

Pia K said...

wow, it sounds absolutely fantastic! and looks to match!! top notch weekend indeed:)

Regina said...

I have been impatiently waiting for photos from your crafty weekend. It looks like it was lovely! :)

Sharon said...

Oh, charm galore! What a fun, bright group of crafters you've schooled. Thank you for sharing their goodness.

Anonymous said...

Your dottie angel camp looks just lovely and such a blast to have by many! xoxoxo ~Ashley

gypsysticks said...

how lovely, just lovely. the photos are so tender. looking forward to seeing and hearing more...

Chloe said...

I am . . . beyond jealous. And also filled with a strange glee. Dottie Angel, you are an enigma.

Ann said...

A goodly crafty crew Tif! A time to remember and smile over in the cold dark days coming soon - if you do have cold where you are.

Elaine from L.A. said...

That looks like it was SO MUCH FUN!!! Maybe you can come to Portland someday and hold a Dottie Angel Camp~~hint, hint :~)

jen storer said...

Wow. Absolutely categorically WOW! jx

Tonia said...

We need a Dottie Angel camp in England! If only to blow away the gray and rainy skies that are plaguing us today.

Outi said...

Oh my, oh my! Just looking at these amazingly beautiful pictures taken from your perfectly peachy weekend makes my heart cry a little. It is a good cry though. A cry saying how I wished I was there, even if just as a fly on the wall.
Lovely!

Serenata said...

What a lovely fun weekend that was had by all.

I've just posted about the Utmost Challenge for me one year on!

marian said...

what a perfectly wonderful time you & your lovelies must have had..it has left me utterly green with envy lol! now i'm off to see all the delighful creations on flickr :) x

Thea said...

I'm so jealous. If I lived closer I would have so been there too. Lovely work everyone! x

Unknown said...

Wow and Wow again, what creativity.. and what great stuff you made! I love the photo's.
Keep up the good work!

Greetz

Angie D said...

Oh, how fun! I SO wanted to do this...maybe next year?

Dani said...

How cool!

Btw: it was also very cool to see you in the Dutch magazine Flow :-)

Lots of greetings from Dani

Planet Penny said...

This all looks like so much fun, I would have loved to have been there. I have taught courses and know all the agonising beforehand, and the mixture of relief and amazement at the lovely things people produce, and the fun we all have. Hope Miss Ethel gets over her hiccup,
Penny x

marisa said...

best post ever!

katie bee said...

I would really like to come and live in the crafty little world of that weekend. I may have to sew an apron and imagine I was there.

dottie angel said...

oh thank you my lovely readers! indeed it would have been wonderful to have us all beavering away together... with a bit of high hopes there will be another camp in the future :)

and serenata, well done my dear, i have been to take a looky and i am so proud of you my dear!

wishing you a peachy weekend my lovelies...

NatureGirl said...

LOVE IT! What fun! My thoughts were with you all. Any advice for planning my own little crafting retreat with local church gals?

Ahipara Girl said...

this is so inspiring. how brave u are! how creative and generous. i'd do ur workshops if u ever came down under. i'm in new zealand. xxx

dottie angel said...

nature girl, just be yourself and let your crafty soul shine...
i hope you have a wonderful time with your crafty pals!!

ahipara girl, well who knows perhaps one day i will get to new zealand and australia, both places would be mighty fine for a visit!!

Michelle Clement said...

he he - Oh, how I love all of our Dottie-Angel-esque pictures! So cute, all in a row. And I, too, went through a little withdrawl - of both crafty company & Angela's yummy food! It was so great to meet you & the other dearies & sew the day away, Tif. :)

Jill said...

I don't like feeling envious and must say rarely do...but, you are pushing me here with all these photos of what appears to be an incredible weekend! I will choose only to be inspired instead! Thanks for the post!

Stacy's Designs 88 said...

It was a Workshop that I will remember forever! It was like beavering away in Dottie Angel land with all of Dottie's own furniture, tablecloths, knick knacks decorating the lovely large house...LoVed every minute, Everyone was so Special and Friendly, Dottie aka Tif was the perfect Hostess/Teacher who spent quality positive time with each and every one of the 12 of us, and we completed at least 4 - 5 vintagey lovely projects. Thank you Dottie Angel! Aloha from Hawaii, Stacy

Ahipara Girl said...

I am enamoured with your work. I will never attend a workshop because we are on miles apart so I have started to make my own Dottie inspired pieces for my home and now I'm getting requests from friends. Thank you for showing me what to do with all these textiles I have collected over the years and moreover I am inspired to make this a Dottie-like Christmas this year. Thank you for your Angelness.