Road trip!!!

So you want to know about my road trip!

I taught a class on curved piecing at the Chatham-Kent guild.   So yes - had to get on the road early which was a problem with the car issue, but I made it although a few minutes late.

It was a gorgeous day for a drive and on my way - I noticed this in the sky.  When I was the closest I was going to be - I found a place to stop and took a picture.

Hot air balloon - I bet it was a tad cool up there as it was cool on the ground!   But what an awesome morning for a balloon ride!!!!

This is the class sample.................

Curved piecing sample

I think I have mentioned the story of this piece before.  I have been teaching curved piecing for many years. Initially the class made samples of each of the three types of curves - then I noticed that the students were incorporating ALL three styles into one piece.  What a brilliant idea!!!   And so I made this sample.  I tell you - I often learn as much from the students as they do from me!!!!   That is one of the things I love about teaching.   And wouldn't it be neat to have some stripes in those circle insertions?????



OK - let's have a look at what the ladies accomplished.  The nice thing about this class - when you are done - you are done. There is no UFO to take home.  Well - it has to be quilted, but the piecing is all done.

And which way is UP???   I just randomly took these pictures and did NOT rotate them.

Elise

Sarah

Shirley

AH! Forgotten her name!

Jayne

Joanne

Eileen

They did an awesome job considering there was some confusion about what exactly they were going to be making.  Apparently they did not get to see the picture of the sample that was sent to them.  I think they all did a fabulous job!!!!  And we learned that if you really really screw up the circle insertion - just cut a bigger hole and eliminate the bad circle and insert a new one!!!!

Here is another super tip.  So your smaller sewing machine will NOT hold a cone of thread.  Why not use a cup??

Cone of thread in a cup!

And this is the genius part - Shirley put an empty bobbin on the bobbin winder and ran the thread from the cup around (but not completely around) the bobbin and then into the threading mechanism!   Awesome!!!!!

 I was the guest speaker that evening so got everything set up.  I met up with Lisa whom I have known through an on-line quilter's group for years and she and I and Sarah went for an early dinner.

Then back to the church for the guild meeting. I have to tell you that this facility is the most amazing facility I have ever seen.  It is a large church - St. Paul's Congregational Church.  The guild has been meeting there for years and they use the facility for their meetings, their work shops, their community projects, and their guild show.  They have room for storage and it is HUGE and BRIGHT.   They are a very lucky guild.

This is the meeting area.  There is even a stage that they can use to hold up the quilts.  Oh my - it is fabulous!!!!

On the far wall in the previous picture - those quilts on the wall are their show n tell.  They use these $ store pulleys to get the poles up and down to put the quilts on.   A bit labour intensive for a system, but a nice way to display the quilts. 

I didn't leave until 9 PM and had a BIG drive ahead of me.  I didn't want to stay over.  Got everything packed back in the car.   Stopped for a break about half way - at Tim's of course and then back home around midnight.  Yep - I was glad to arrive in the driveway.

But it was a fun evening. Excellent guild - extremely friendly - great ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit with them.   Thanks to everyone for the great reception!!!!

Oh yes - and I got to shop. Sarah works in a shop in Dresden called Verna's Sewing Center.  She brought a whole pile of fat quarters for us to peruse and that is where I got that beautiful batik with the hearts on it.

And during the meeting, Lisa set up her store for us to shop.  I like that idea of shopping at a guild meeting. Lisa's business is called Soft Impressions by Lisa.   She does a lot of quilt shows and will be at the Mississauga Guild Show next April.



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!

My quilts and their stories................

Last night I was the guest speaker at the Markham Towne Quilter's Guild. In preparation, I dug out and pulled off the wall a LARGE number of my quilts..............

My LARGE pile of quilts. 

This isn't even half of the stuff I own. Hmmmm - I always wondered how much I have. Well - there are a LOT of finished projects, and a LOT of unfinished. Imagine if all those UFO's (just even those tubs of tops got quilted) - wow - that would be something.

But when I do a trunk show - I tend to take those quilts that have a story. And on my way there (after filling two suitcases with quilts), I started to think about the stories. Now these quilts have labels on them, but a label doesn't always tell the story!!!!!!!!!

So now I have to think of some way to properly tell the stories of those special quilts. I already have an idea - the big question - how to find the time to make that happen. I will make the time because I think this is important. Oh boy - I am my own worst enemy. But you wait - it will be an awesome project.


Then the bad news - the guild was selling off their older books. You know me - I am a sucker for books. Especially the older ones. Since the older ones were only $2.50 each - I walked away with FOUR interesting books. I did ask because I didn't want to appear pushy!!!!

Older quilt books that I acquired last night.

I love love love talking about my quilts. You know when you have a passion - it is so easy to chat and get excited. Well - we had a wonderful time at the guild last night. I could have gone on and on, but I didn't - I like to respect my time and the guild's time. So people came up at the break to see what I didn't have time to show. I guess I get the gift of the gab from my dad!!!!   Thanks Dad - yep - I could talk for hours and well- I try not to...............

It is a really great thing to dig out your quilts from time to time and remember the stories. I think I need to do that more often.


Got another customer quilt done.

Customer quilt

Got another one ready to load this morning.

We had the MOST amazing class at the gym this morning. There must have been at least 30 of us in the class. Friday is the treadmill workout. We were on the set of treadmills that face each other (there are at least 100 treadmills at this gym - maybe not quite that many but LOADS.)  Well - despite getting a great workout - we had a lot of fun. Poor Maria (the instructor) - we love her - she is great, but we really give her a hard time. I hope she knows we love her.

But I also have learned something this week. My personal time each day was from 5 - 6:30 AM. I would get some sewing done, putter in the studio, clean up or whatever needed doing that day. Since I started this class - well I do not get that time THREE times a week which is a lot. I wasn't happy. But now - if I am organized the night before with my clothes, I can still have one half hour in the studio BEFORE hitting the gym. And you know what - I go to the gym a MUCH happier person. So glad that I got that figured out.  I just need to figure out how or when to give the girls their walk that they miss. That will be an afternoon thing I guess.

So while it is 9:44 AM at this precise moment - I have already trimmed a customer quilt, worked out at the gym, been to physio (not in my own city and there was loads of traffic this morning), been to Tim's, not once, but TWICE). And now I am behind so I had better get a move on.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   (remember if something isn't working in your schedule - try to find a way to fix it)



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!