Education Week - Day One

Day One of Ed Week is done. My head is already full!

I think I mentioned it yesterday, but the immersion blender and my little food supply have worked out just fine. I've already pilfered a banana from the breakfast buffet this morning and I'll make my shake in a bit. It's weird as I would never have thought of bringing the blender, but it's great. And I get my healthy shake. Oh yes - I know there is chef downstairs who is prepared to make me a fabulous omelet, but I'm not eating eggs at the moment and I figure I don't need all that other stuff that goes with the omelet.

I'm happy with my shake and that's all that counts.

Self-control - it's all about self-control. We got a little bag of goodies yesterday and in it, there were some bad snacks. Chocolates, some sweets, and other things. I removed them from my bag and put them on the little counter in the meeting room and I think they are already gone. Along with the bowls of "bad" snacks, there's a bowl of fruit and little bags of carrots in the fridge. So I'm good for snacks. I certainly appreciate the good snacks.

OK - so what did the day entail? It's like there's even too much to cover. A "formal" introduction to all the education team. We heard from the top people who are running education - well they're running the activities for the week. It's great to hear right from the top what the direction is and where we want to go and how it's going to happen.

It's nice to know that I'm not alone in the education world! It's nice to have this "team-building" time together.

We learned about the new classes that we'll be teaching in the upcoming year - some pretty cute and exciting projects. Yep - I get to make all of them when I get home.

We had one of the educators give us a trunk show of her samples. I'm blown away. I know this educator is good, but honestly - you wouldn't believe what she can make a sewing machine do. I took tons of pictures and now it's going to be my turn to go home and do my take on some of the techniques and stitches that are builtin to those two gorgeous machines that are sitting in my studio. If I thought I was pressed for time before? Well - let's just say that some of these ladies spend ALL their free time making samples. Yikes!

I know that many of us are itching to get back to the sewing machine, but I really think that I need to do some planning. What do I need to make? What stitches/techniques will I use in the piece? How to make some of the samples so they use more than one technique on each. That kind of thing. Then get the materials and get to work.

I need some planning time. And actually, I have planning time here. I get up at my usual time and we don't have to be ready until 8 - that gives me a couple of hours of planning time each morning.

We got a tour of the building. While the offices are just like any other office - except for the very fancy coffee machine in the lunch room. Good grief - you almost need a degree to run the thing! We did get a peek in the warehouse. HOLY! It's huge.

There are posters of old sewing machine ads (Husqvarna and PFAFF) throughout the building which are fun to read. There's a display of older machines in the lobby. Oh my - it's been 25 years this year that the Husqvarna Viking #1+ came out. The first embroidery machine by Husqvarna Viking. It's hilarious to look at how small the bed of that machine is. But hey - it did embroidery!

They also have a PFAFF 1222 on display. I laugh because this is Gail's favorite machine at The Hobby Horse. She buys one whenever she finds one. They are a workhorse for sure! They are also lots of treadles, hand cranks, and other sundry machines including a Diamond SE or one from the Diamond series. Yes - sadly retired but replaced with something that is truly spectacular in the Designer EPIC and EPIC 980Q. 

There's also a display of all the current machines both PFAFF and Husqvarna Viking. So nice to see them all in one spot. But the thing I love is that the educators are all so passionate about what we do, but almost everyone in that building knows the business side but has no clue what we do with what they sell. Isn't that just the weirdest thing? I guess not - but for some reason - it just seems weird to me. But no worse than when I worked for Northcott - few employees actually use the fabric they produce.

That's why they depend on freelance people like myself to spread the word.

After the formal day was done, we split into groups and went to dinner where we were given a topic for discussion. It was a very interesting discussion and I really enjoyed it. We're going to review the outcome this morning. It's going to be interesting to see what the other groups came up with.

But more than that - I'm learning so much. And realizing that I know absolutely NOTHING about this industry and the machines. OK - that's not true, but I feel like I know nothing. I'd better sit down when I get home and do some serious playing. I've got a couple of things that I'm going to plead total ignorance on so someone can give me a lesson while I'm here. Hey - I've got a room full of teachers so I should take advantage of that.

The only negative thing about the day - well besides that I seem to be cold. But part of that is my negative thing - I barely got any steps in. Less than 3,000 for the day and that's barely any in my world. I need to go for a walk before we meet to leave the hotel - otherwise, there just isn't time in the day.

On that note, I'm off to make my smoothie and get myself organized for the day. Can't wait to see what today brings.

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!