On-line classes

Although I LOVE to teach, I am NOT a good student myself. I know - that is VERY BAD advertising. And one of the reasons for being a bad student - I am often not prepared. Case in point - yesterday!!!


I had signed up a couple of weeks ago for an on-line class with the Long Arm University. It is a mystery in the sense that you do not know what you will do until you sign up. The class fee is VERY reasonably priced and while you take the class online, Cindy also sends you a DVD and all the printed materials (and this year - we also got that little template I showed you yesterday).

I got the instructions, I printed them out, but that is as far as I got. Anyway - I chose my fabrics when I was in the US the other day and I spent a good part of yesterday sewing the darn top together. It took a bit longer than I thought - but then doesn't everything??????


I started out in the morning with this...................

Partially sewn components

Then I got ONE block done - only three more to go

And at last around three PM, the finished top. Grabbed some fabric to make the back and thew it on the machine.

Whew - that is done. The class only started at 11:20 AM so I wasn't so far behind.

The class is pretty neat - you watch the video (very well explained video) and then you go and do the stitching on your quilt. Part 1 was ONE HOUR of video (you get your moneys worth).

And this is what I did with Part 1 (there are SIX parts in total)

Hard to see the stitching as I used matching thread

All free hand

LOTS and LOTS of swirls

I go half way through Part 2 of the class and then I knew I couldn't go any further. I was so tired from the night before - had to pick M up at 1 AM and that just throws my entire schedule out of whack. I am TOO old to throw my sleep schedule off.

I notice in the class photo album this morning that one lady has hers quilted, washed and BOUND!!!!!   Obviously she got a good nights sleep the night before!

So I curled up in my big comfy chair (actually the Lazy Boy is MUCH more comfortable) with a BIG quilt and I was out!!!!!  


Of course when I woke up at 10 PM, I couldn't go right to bed, so I read for a bit and then did my education for the day.............................

First - The WORD OF THE DAY. And if I had to make a sentence using this word - I am an autodidact (for the most part) when it comes to quilting!!!!   Now the trick for me is to REMEMBER these words so I can use them in Scrabble or in day to day conversation since the calendar tooted that it would boost my IQ. Well - if you have no memory, no amount of word learning is going to increase my IQ!!!!!!

Next - we have the Scrabble question of the day.   Do you know the answer - well I actually knew all the values of the letters (maybe I am not so forgetful after all), but I made a fatal error with the calculation - so I was only partially right!!!

And let's not forget the Happiness Project Journal. 

This is the one sentence a day journal. It is neat the way it is set up - all five years for the same date are on the same page. The yellow dot is where you put in the year. That is so cool - then when you write in the book next year - you can see what you did one year previous. I LOVE this little journal. I got one for Christmas and had bought myself one - so I am good for 10 years. Then I will be too old to write or care about my day!!!!!!   (Just kidding!!!)

Let's not forget the quilting journal. OK - this is just a journal. But my intention is to write what I COMPLETE this year. Add pictures or whatever, but I think it would be fun to see how much one can actually accomplish in a year. Otherwise I may just have to sell everything I own since I don't finish much. This book will be the proof!!!!!   Of course - I haven't got anything to put in it yet but that is OK. 

Now a BAD thing happened yesterday - well two bad things. First Larry went home and I didn't even get to say good-bye. M tells me after they took him. Oh dear - Larry will be so upset!!!!   It was only a week, but I miss talking to him while I make breakfast!!!!   I hope he likes it at home!!!!

Second - and this is REALLY BAD. This past summer was a family reunion of my mom's family. One of my cousins took it upon herself to make a book with stories and pictures of what we know of the family history.

Family History book

Shannon did a great job, but I want to take it further. OMG - what is WRONG WITH ME??????    After talking to my parents in the morning, I dug out my Family Tree Maker software. OK - have a look at this picture - what do you see??????????????????

CAN you SEE the date???????   

OMG - I got excited about this family tree stuff in 2009!!!!!!!   Bought the software and it was NEVER OPENED. OK - I am pathetic - just pathetic!!!!!  


Anyway - I have now installed the software, my parents have sent me TWO family member contacts who are also searching this stuff out and could be valuable sources to get more information. One of them is here in Toronto - the other is in England. Ah - a trip to Scarborough is easy - but England will be more fun!!!!

The system is telling me that I am already signed up and is trying to send me the password I used, but no e-mail. I guess I will have to call them to see what is going on.

This is a HUGE can of worms - I just know it. When do you stop collecting pictures, information, arranging trips to visit the HOMELAND - well you get the picture. There are books to read, people to talk to (JOYCE - I need your help!!!!!). So you see how BAD this was!!!!



Back to the organizing - as I said - everything is put away, and MOST "like" things are together. I was trying to figure out how to deal with all the paperwork spread on the table. I need fixes that make it easy to whisk stuff away when people come over. While searching through some white plastic drawer units that I think will be perfect (6 drawers - would be good to sort this paperwork stuff) and it is on wheels. But have to figure out what to do with the stuff in the drawers - well a lot of it is projects, so technically they can get moved to the project closet and free up some space. But I find this - (there was more perle cotton in here and it got moved to the perle cotton container)

Drawer of crochet cotton

Hmmm - now what can I do with this?????   Obviously I am NOT going to be crocheting doilies, but I must find something CREATIVE to do with it. There is a LOT - or I could simply donate it to a senior group or something and then it is gone. I'll have to contemplate that. And I think I need to buy one or two more storage containers and then I need another shelf to put this stuff on.

We are going to start taking Christmas decorations down today and that means that storage room is going to get hit. Oh dear - it has to be done. Actually it is not in bad shape, but just need to get a bit more organized.


Well - that is it for me today. I got a TON of stuff on the agenda list (oh yes - as I rip those calendar pages off - I feel bad to throw them away as the back is blank) - well they make good TO DO lists for the next day or GOALS that one can paste up some where. Oh - I know where I can paste them.

Have a great day!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!