Classes are done!!!

Yesterday was the final day of three days of classes. I love teaching and because the embroidery machines are somewhat new to me - I'm learning loads. Exactly the same way it was when I started to teach quilting. I'm dying to get home and fire up the machines and explore a whole lot of other things. Samples to make and options to try. Different ways of showing different features. So much!!! I'm super excited about what I do and can't wait to do it again.

The classes the last two days were hands-on which can be a bit tricky because there are a lot of variables that you have no control over. (Day one was lecture/demo)  Like, do NOT leave your scissors on the bed of the sewing machine when there is an active hoop. And there are times when you're doing a demo and well - it just doesn't work as well as it could. All in all, I'm quite happy with the end results and all the students were able to finish the projects on all the days!!!  That's HUGE. Thankfully we didn't have 10 people in the class because that's just crazy.

I was tired of talking when it was over. We were in the new classroom which is beautiful and bright but the walls are bare at the moment (the store JUST moved) and so talking over the embroidery machines can be a challenge and nothing to absorb the noise. It all worked out and that much more experience tucked under my belt.

I do have a couple of events locally to me in September. I'll provide more info when I'm back but they should be loads of fun.

It's about 1 1/2 hour drive to the store from my brother's place so I had to get up early so I could arrive at the store around 8 AM to get things set up. The temperature here is fresh!! It was 8 degrees Celcius in the morning and I see that it's even a bit cooler this morning. Yikes! I like the cool, but that's pretty drastic! And for some reason, I could NOT get the heater to crank out tons of heat. I survived and all is good.

I plugged my audiobook into the car and away I went. It's one of the Sue Grafton books - I'm on U is for Undertow and soon, I'll be finished the series. I'll be sad to see Y is for Yesterday as they are pretty neat books. Not the usual high graphic crime but a fun read with lots of side plots and twists. I arrived at the store, not quite finished the chapter. I parked in a different parking lot so I could finish the chapter. How bad is that???  I was deeply engrossed in the book all the way home as well. Not able to finish the chapter so I hope to find my earbuds and do that this morning while everyone is still asleep.

I arrived at my parents to have a huge family dinner. One of my aunt and uncles who lives near here were there for dinner along with M, my parents, my brother, and SIL. Oh and my aunt from out west. It was positively loads of fun!!!! It's a shame that we can't (or don't) get together more often. It really is quite simple. You buy a ticket, get on a plane and VOILA - in a few hours everyone is together. I've made it back home at least once (mostly just once) a year for years. As Mom and Dad are getting up in years, it would be nice to make it back twice a year and hopefully by working in a teaching engagement for one of the trips, that will happen.

I have to figure out a better way to travel with my big suitcase. I was in a bit of a hurry when I left the class, so things did get thrown in and several times during the day, I had to dig through the suitcase to find something. It's a disaster!!!  Thankfully we have Ziploc bags. But I need to go through it before I go home and try to sort it a wee bit. I also know more things I want to try to get (and stay) better organized for classes. It's easy when you do one class in your local area, but to do six events away from home - well that's a different story. It's all a learning experience.

Now that the work part of the trip is done, I can relax and enjoy the last couple of days that we have here. As nice as it is to get away, it'll be nice to get home, although I get home to an extremely busy week so I'm not sure that's going to be a whole lot of fun!!!

On that note, I'm out of here. I need to finish that chapter!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!