I was determined to learn how to operate my 2 new gadgets. Typically, I expect to attach the gadget and produce perfect results without practice. The reality is that it all takes a little getting used to. I bought some long template boards for quick and easy customer quilts and to show beginners how quickly they can get going. These were easy to set up but I had the occasional wobble and being a bit of a perfectionist, was a bit put out. I decided that if I was a complete beginner I would have been quite happy and on a busy quilt this would be completely unnoticeable. I decided to get a shorter stylus to eliminate any “play”. The other contraption that I played with was the Quiltazoid. At first I felt like I was learning how to drive and wondered if I would be able to remember all the steps of putting it all together but after a few spirographs, I was having great fun. The designs are fast and accurate. I especially want to produce Celtic looking patterns. I have even ordered a Spirograph kit from Amazon to fiddle about with some doodles.
I am irritated that new licensing laws in Scotland mean that I can no longer go shopping before 10am. Well, I can go shopping but I can’t buy any wine. I really feel that this is a penalty that the Government is imposing on housewives in particular. I want to go for groceries first thing then get on with all of my other activities. Hardened alcoholics won’t be up and about at that time of day…!
The registration opened for classes at MQX in Rhode Island on Monday. I sort of knew it was coming but hadn’t really been thinking about it. When I received the email notification I felt like a rabbit caught in headlights – what decision to make? MQX or elsewhere or Houston? If I did decide to go how on Earth would I decide which longarm classes to book? Several emails flew between Ellen until we decided that Boston or New York should be the easier and cheaper flight from Scotland. I asked my husband if he would mind me going to USA for 2 weeks next April and before he had time to really consider it, booked 4 classes. We only have to sort out the accommodation, flights and the rest of the trip! It will be great fun. We are wondering whether to make a mini trip to New York while we are at it.
My first longarm pupil came to stay this week. Breda arrived from Ireland and we got along very well for her 2 day visit. She wanted to see if she should invest in a longarm machine for her small business making baby quilts. We discussed business strategies, suppliers, varieties of thread, techniques, gadgets and everything else under the sun. We went to visit a George machine in a table and she established that it would not be a realistic solution for a quilting business. It was a very packed couple of days. I was a bit of a slave driver and kept Breda practising so that she began to feel more confident with the machine. I have officially sold a Millennium on behalf of APQS this week so now anxiously await its safe arrival in the UK and need to schedule in a teaching weekend before Christmas.
It must be a sign that I have been rather busy and have not taken any pictures this week apart from Breda’s cat quilt. I managed to get it done on time so that she could see how various different patterns can be used.
I did some more piecing on the enormous Christmas mystery bargello for the Aberdeenshire Area Day but it is still a long way off being finished. Another week has gone by without any yurt progress and the forthcoming week is filling up with commitments, meetings and distractions. If I don’t make any significant progress by Christmas, I will have to batten down the hatches in January – refuse all customer quilts, not switch on the computer and stay in the workshop until I have used up every spool of thread and piece of tweed!
thequiltquine 