We started what we hope to be an annual event with 4-5 of us, 1st week or second week of December. We gathered at a friend's home who has a big basement and a DH who set up good strong work tables and extra power outlets. We each brought a dish of food or treats and we sew and eat and sew and laugh all day, listening to Christmas music. For 2010, we picked the same pattern (a tote bag) and had it all cut by the time we gathered, then sewed on it during our special day. It was so much fun to all be working on the same thing. It was fun to see what different fabrics our friends had chosen and it was great to have each other there as you got to a phase or step in the project. Only one of us finished that day..miss speedy pants who always finishes first..haha but I know I finished mine a few days later, and might never have had such a great bag if I hadn't been a part of it. Great fun.
All it took was someone saying, "hey why don't we get together and just sew all day?" Oh and I just realized.. its one of the bags in my profile pic... the bigger one was the Christmas 2010 bag, so there you go.