WOW! What a day!!Today I was incredibly lucky to attend a workshop by fantastic Kerrie Padmore from Living in Loveliness to make a block (which we eventually made into a cushion) from ‘The Hannah Quilt’ as part of the Lewis and Irene ten year anniversary celebrations. Firstly, I can’t believe Lewis and Irene are TEN already!! I remember drooling over their first collections all those years ago when they first came out. Secondly I can’t believe how quickly the day went. We all had a fantastic time and it was such a giggle!
The workshop was set in the beautiful Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Romsey which any Lewis and Irene mega fans out there will know was the inspiration for one of their first collections, ‘Arboretum’.
The day began at Jermyn's House with tea, coffee and pastries. It was a fabulous opportunity to get to meet/ catch up with everyone. It was really lovely to have everyone in one place as the team are from all over the world. After a lovely welcome speech by Hannah, Bryan, Ben and Jackie, we split off into our workshop groups for the day. As well as making a block with Kerrie, there was EPP with Arne and Carlos, applique a panel with Delphine Brooks and bag making with Stuart Hilliard. We strolled through the gardens to the Visitor's Centre where we were going to be based for the day with Kerrie and had a chance to ask her questions about the day and get to know her. It was especially nice as Kerrie and I have been saying for so long we'd love to meet up and get together and it was really great to finally meet her in real life.
When we arrived at the Visitors Centre, everything was already set up for us ready to start. The lovely Jen and Sally were on hand to help and supply drinks. The morning whizzed by and as we were a small group it meant lots of one on one time with Kerrie. She was very patient and talked us through each step, helping where other's weren't sure. We also had a physical copy of the quilt pattern in front of us, which helped. At the end of the day, we got to take this home in case we wanted to complete the quilt at a later date. By lunch time, we were all sewing our blocks together ready to be quilted after lunch.
Over lunch I took a stroll around the gardens, which are truly stunning. With only half an hour, I didn't get a chance to explore a fraction of the 180 acre garden and arboretum, however I did manage to get some gorgeous photos in the Hydrangea Walk, Education Garden, Spring Walk and Centenary Border.
After lunch, we were straight back into finishing off our blocks. There was a really informal atmosphere as everyone had got to know each other and settle in. Hannah, Ben, Bryan and Jackie popped in through out the day to see how we were getting on and keep everyone on their toes. By the end of the session almost everyone had completed their cushion and most of the group had also completed a drawstring bag as an additional project. At half past three our sewing machines were taken back to the main house on a golf buggy whilst we meandered back to where we had began the day.
Back at Jermyn's House the staff at the café had put on a fabulous afternoon tea spread with cake, scones, cheeses and so many other glorious goodies. While everyone was enjoying their afternoon tea there was an opportunity to ask the workshop hosts questions and we got to show off our creations from the day. Finally Bryan and Hannah thanked us all for coming and on the way out we got given some fabulous Lewis and Irene goodie bags, which included fat quarters, charm packs, jelly rolls, and some amazing Lewis and Irene merchandise.
A massive thank you to the whole Lewis and Irene team for the incredible amount of hard work and effort that was put into making today so special. The attention to detail was amazing. It was lovely to see how much Lewis and Irene means to so many people and to have (nearly) the whole team in one place.
I’m so proud to have been a part of Lewis and Irene for 3 years and I’m forever grateful for Hannah, Ben and Bryan giving me a chance all those years ago. I honestly have my dream job thanks to them and am just so thankful.
Here’s to the next ten years of Lewis and Irene beyond.
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