Handmade Getaway

09/01/2019

just made a really fun set of Framed Napkins from the book. She took it a step further and adapted the instructions to make a matching set of coasters. Both feature the cutest prints mixed with Kona Solids.

08/31/2019

It’s Handmade Getaway week at the place where it all started. We keep a couple copies of the book here at the cottage and we have been referring to it all week for various projects, which is always surreal.
Hope you’re having a fun long weekend wherever you are and whatever you’re making!

02/21/2019

has officially started and we’ve already had so many fun visits! Come see and the book in booth 1012 while you’re here at the show!
We love how our new backdrops turned out! Designed by and printed by

02/21/2019

Sneak peek at our new booth graphics for - looking forward to seeing you in booth 1012 tomorrow.

02/15/2019

Though we love our summer getaways there is something wonderful about heading up north for a snowy weekend.
Our winter cottage in the Halliburton area is generously lent to us by ‘s sister and offers us more indoor space to layout quilts and spread out. The menu shifts to hot soups, fresh baked cookies and lots of steamy drinks. Our outdoor adventures might involve a walk on the frozen lake or nearby forest. Our quilt projects will almost always outnumber us 2:1.
We’re in planning mode right now for this year’s winter getaway. March can’t come soon enough.

02/15/2019

Not convinced Handmade Getaways are for you? Check out this great article. Apartment Therapy is on board!

Grab your BFFs and hit the road.

02/11/2019

Today is the one year anniversary of hitting our original goal of $50k. We were hopeful we would make that during the thirty three day campaign but our community pushed us past this milestone in just ten days.
We will never forget the exhilarating feeling of support that you gave us to reach even further to make this truly the book of our dreams.
Before this day we hadn’t even considered the option to do a hardcover edition (it seemed so out of reach) but we wanted to give something extra special to our Kickstarter backers. We’re so thankful to each of you!

02/09/2019

So much of what we learned over the years is purely practical. We are so happy to pass along these pro tips and projects to save you some of the experiences we went through.
We used to pack a full sized ironing board into the car when we went to the cottage until one year when we totally broke ‘s ironing board by jamming it in with all the machines and bags of fabric in the trunk. Lesson learned. After that we came up with these portable ironing stations that are so easy to pack and take anywhere.

02/08/2019

Improv.

When I realized it was going to be a thing, this, ‘having friends at the cottage’ situation, I immediately took to making placemats for the outdoor table.

I had gathered my favorite scraps and prints, saving them for a special project. You know the ones, the prints in your stash that are so unique they need to live on their own? I had lions, foxes, butterflies and stripes. Each with their own personality and coordinating palette.

I began to measure old placemats, analyzing size, shape and variances. I had my ideal rectangle identified. As I worked with my fabrics, I began, without rhyme or reason, to sew, cut, turn and repeat.

All of a sudden, I had panels I had created did not resemble the size or shape of placemats at all. I was confused, even frustrated.

Until I realized that there wasn’t any need for all of the placemats to be the same size, or the same shape. As long as they fit the basic dishes, I could let the fabrics and my improv patchwork guide not only my process but also the final forms.

Before I knew it, I had six unique placemats. Each one loved more than the other.

The photographs from the book Karyn Valino captured are from years ago, from the first year we used those original placemats. Long before we ever imagined our book. When getaways were just getaways.

If only they could talk. Those six placemats hold all the great stories of friendship, life adventures, both happy and sad, throughout the years.

More recently we all made placemats together, to celebrate
Elizabeth House’s print making fabric.

Whether you make a full set yourself, or with friends, I guarantee they will guide you to your friends, around the table for years to come.

02/06/2019

Fabric, Friends & Food - were always the essential ingredients for our getaways.
We used these categories throughout the entire book to organize all the planning, tips and resources.

02/05/2019

Handmade Getaway was written, photographed, designed and printed here in Canada. We are so proud of that detail. 🇨🇦
We’ll be sharing more about some of the special locations featured in the book. We have always found our local landscapes to be especially inspiring places to create in when we can get out of the city together.

02/02/2019

Our first Handmade Getaway happened in August 2011. invited The Workroom Studio Gordon and Maisy to her family cottage for a weekend of sewing. Most of us were still getting to know each other and that trip began our tradition of making time to sew, eat, rest, laugh and cry together. Over the years our core group grew with and
We did a lot of things right from the beginning. We set up our machines out on the deck to be outside as much as possible. We were each responsible for a meal. Katrina blew our minds when she made gyoza from scratch. Jacqueline made pizza on the old bbq with leftover veg for our last lunch. We’ve always gone all out with our meals and snacks.
Karyn brought her camera and snapped shots (a few of which you’ll find in the book). We celebrated our finishes with high fives and photos.
We learned quickly about logistics - we each brought corn and eggs that first time - and then we all brought them home. Our food chart was born. We laughed together on the last day as we laid out all our tools and rulers and saw how much we had over brought. We added a tool list on our next getaway!
We are celebrating the anniversary of our amazing Kickstarter campaign with 33 days of posts, stories, behind the scenes and prizes! Be sure to follow along here, and The Workroom Studio to catch them all.
@ Bala, Ontario