Friends, valued customers, fellow crafters and textile-workers,
The “re-building” of Flax Mill back to working order is half-way finished, the last remaining visitors (about 6 now) are slowly getting ready for their journeys home….
We will be dealing with this year’s Open Day, Fest and Fashion Show in detail and reveiling our plans for the future of the event in a detailed newsletter towards the end of this year.
But after dozens upon dozens of mails (all saying thanks), many phone calls and (we love them especially) the first cards coming to the door, I think we need to say a few brief words – be sure to pass them on to people you know who have been visiting last Saturday (we don’t reach everybody) or stick the little mail on your internet – presence(s) if you like what you read.
The Thanks:
An event is only as good as the people at it – last Saturday’s very large numbers here were superb folks, interested, open – minded, kind and in powerful good spirit. We learned a lot from them – the “thanks” has to be redirected, it has to go to you!
Special Thanks has to go to our visiting and demonstrating crafters, that’s Louise, Will, Gloria, Charlie, Ruth, Helen, Frank, Heather, Franziska, Emma Lorna, Sarah, Christine, Hester, Rosemary.
Wherelse would you get a gathering like that?
Very Special Thanks to our incredible helpers, they worked to exhaust and made up for a (too)small number of helping hands in the fore-run. Too many to mention them all but all phantastic!!
The Catwalk: Superb and beyong compare on these shores! Many thanks to the models and special guest designers Aisling, Briege, Fiona, Toni, Florian and Lorna. Ruth Walker’s jewellery was magic, the “main” creation (the yellow dress at the end) was bought on the spot and the rest of the pieces is going to Germany to be shown shortly. Incredible!!
The Artists: Despite the rain the concert was top class, the audience as warm and knowledgeable as ever and the session superb! I went to be at 2 am(!!) while the fiddles, guitars, etc..wer still pumping it out.
Special thanks to: Isa, Bernard, Joe, Florian (sound) and to all our participants in Ireland’s best session beyond doubt.
What do we learn from that?
– We can do things if we “go for it” – difficult times or not!
– If you fight you can loose – if you don’t fight, you have already lost!
Finally a word for (to) those who didn’t make it, were worried, thought it wasn’t going to happen….:
Our thoughts were with you, and though we were sad not to be able to welcome you: Comne and see us soon, our door is open. Flax Mill dind’t and won’t shut – people who like good fabrics and want to mind like-minded folks are welcome here at any time.
Our favourite mails so far have been: A poem, written after the Open Day by a lady from Lisburn – anyone who would like to share it, let us know and we will.
And a little quote from a family who were first time here:
“A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it’s not open!”
(Frank Zappa)
Hoping to meet up soon,
Love over Gold
Marion
p.s.
Friends,
an unforgivable mistake has crept into this mail: Under “The Artists” special thanks has of course to go to Aoibheann and family who started the gig in their own uncomparable way.
This mistake is particularly “touchy” (it was just forgotten and because we are so busy, no decent proof reading was done) because Hermann argued “blue murder” to have Aoibheann on stage, he is convinced she is the best fiddle-player in the world. Judgeing by her performance, he was proven right one more time again.
Maybe you’ll pass this on to the same people you passed the mail on?
Thank you and best regards
Marion
p.p.s.
the mails of thanks are still coming – we try to answer them all with this bit of writing. Several (4 to be exact) were about how we manage to be so healthy, not afraid of illness etc., one visitor asked us about “the recipe” for our normality.
We have a principle never to do “sickness talk” or “virus talk” in any publications by Flax Mill. If you want to discuss this subject, you are welcome to visit us and do so.
Just one sentence at this point:
The fact that we aren’t ill, won’t be and won’t pass illness to our guests has deep reasons, the energies of this place and the surroundings have to with them, our “mental and physical immune systems” more so.
That goes for Hermann, myself, our kids and the team here. This has to do in a publication like this one.
M.