Busy, busy, busy!

I knew it had been awhile since I’d posted anything…my mind, and my fingers, have been racing around!

So, what have I been working on?

DH and I have signed up for a series of Community Education classes on Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights.  It’s taught by one of the local patent attorneys in town and has been very enlightening.  I have some ideas for patterns and I want to make sure I have an idea of what I might be getting myself into!

Homework, of course.  Two weeks ago the teacher assigned FOUR chapters for one week’s worth of homework!  AARGGHH!   I read 1 1/2 chapters, but have not turned in the assignment; this was the week that my middle stepdaughter went into the hospital unexpectedly and had abdominal surgery for an infection, and my DH flew to Seattle to be with her for a few days.  You know the saying “when the wife is happy, the husband is happy”?  Well, same for the reverse, and he was understandably stressed.  I didn’t expect it to affect me quite so strongly, but it did, even messing up my diet for the past 3 weeks.

I also got the tax information in to the accountant; now I have to work on this year’s information, because I messed up my inventory file by trying to adjust it to a new method.

I finished my customer’s quilt this weekend, it’s a simple meander on a purple and white gingham top.  I’ll post pictures soon, just haven’t taken any yet.

I haven’t installed the Pre-Design Studio software yet; I want to be able to spend some time with it and I know I will not get anything else done once I look at it.  I also would like to get some specs for a new computer; of course, then I have to build it and install my OS….

I’ve also been working on my mom’s Grizzly quilt, so I have lots of pieces and partially finished blocks done.  I figured out a really fun, easy way to put it together and it’s going to look so much more difficult than how I actually get it made!

And, I think I’ve finally narrowed the other Bronco quilt selection down for my customer, I just need to send her the photos to choose from.  That means I have another one, maybe two, quilts in progress.  I got some great ideas at my longarm networking group last week on where to show them off for sale, so need to work on that next.

Guild meeting on Thursday…

School Has Started!

Well, school started this week, and I already have too much to do... but then again, that's nothing new!

One problem, though, is that the instructor refused to post the online course until the middle of the week instead of the beginning of the week when school actually started, so I've already lost time, and I'm not very happy about it.  Mentally, for me, it's a lot like that bad dream where you show up for an interview without having taken a shower, brushed your hair, or pressed your shirt.

On a brighter note, though, my DH surprised me yesterday with a Kindle!  Actually, the one he purchased hasn’t arrived yet, as it was just released this week.  He gave me the leather cover it will go into as I was ranting about being behind and the possible scenarios for managing this class, one being to purchase the Kindle edition of one of textbooks.  He wanted to know if I’d like to keep it, or go with another technology…that guy!  I’ve been wanting one of these for awhile now, but just couldn’t justify the cost, and now it will help with school, too.

Last weekend I started 2 new Bronco quilts.  The tops are together and now I'm ready to put the borders on them and decide what the backing should be.  I’d love to get them quilted this weekend, but I suspect that won’t happen for a couple more weeks, if I’m lucky.

My mom also commissioned me to make a quilt for her so I've been picking out the fabrics, washing, and ironing.   Now it’s ready to cut.  We picked a lasagna quilt pattern, so at least that one's a pretty easy one and it should go together quickly.  I’ve been planning more of these for Bronco quilts, too, I’m just not convinced I’ll get them ready any time soon.

Innovations, the machine quilting conference in Tacoma, is coming up in less than a month, too.  I’m planning on being there, but I need to hurry to get signed up for my classes; the deadline has been extended to September 1st.  Oh, and book my flight….

So, I’m making my list and checking it twice.  Hmm….that sounds familiar, somehow…..

Not quite caught up…

I haven’t posted in awhile because I’m just finishing up the semester, and I’ve been working on getting my final done.  There’s still a 7 page  research paper due that the teacher has been gracious enough to give me an extension on.  For today, I’ll be sending in the final and taking a break!  Interesting to me that even though I never thought I’d post a blog, I’ve missed it;  there simply has been no time.  I’ve been sick the last couple weeks, too, which doesn’t help a bit.

I haven't exactly completed the quilt class that we started for my school project in that the blocks aren't all done and we haven't covered all of the material, but we certainly have had fun and learned a lot!  We'll be continuing the class after the holidays and I'm really looking forward to seeing what my students come up with.  I did however get the school project turned in and have had some good comments from a teacher.

 Oh, and I had a great business idea come my way….making Boise State University Bronco quilts! I’m not sure if you remember that I made my mom a University of Montana Grizzly quilt? Well, I had started a Bronco quilt before that, just hadn’t finished it because I wanted to create a pantograph design of my own, as I couldn’t find anything out there that I liked. That hadn’t come to fruition and I found a football design so I used that instead and started showing people. They LOVE IT! Now, I don’t think I’m being modest, it’s nice and all, but really, there are much nicer quilts out there….

Anyway, I’ve started the process to get a crafter’s license from the school so I can officially start selling them. I already have an order for 2 quilts, which are roughly 75” x 54” and I’m charging $200 each. They have a fleece back with the Bronco logos all over.  Another customer wants a king sized quilt, but I haven’t worked out a price with him yet. I bought a bunch of blue and orange fabric on Thursday on my way home from work, they had a 50% off sale and I’m going to buy the fleece from my wholesale vendor.

We got a birthday coming up next week to celebrate, and then I’m quilting a customer quilt on Sunday.  I'm really looking forward to seeing how this one turns out; I'll let you know!

Midterm completed!

Wow, I finally finished it!  My midterm ended up being 20 pages long…and am I glad it’s finished!  I even took two hours to sew!

Yesterday I found the most fabulous fabric for the borders on my baby quilt sampler!

 

  I started it when a friend of mine, Laura, asked me to teach a basic baby quilt class that had gotten cancelled at the local quilt shop.

The more I look at the class components, though, the more I think this needs to be a beginning quilt class, though.  Neither my friend, nor her friend, know how to quilt, so even the basic 9 patch, which is what this other quilt is, are going to be that easy.  And who wants to go around in life not knowing how to do a half square triangle? ;-)

So, I talked to Laura today and she reluctantly agreed to a longer class schedule for a sampler class.  I will help her get the 9 patch baby quilt completed if and when she still wants to do that project, but since she said she wanted to cover the basics of quilting, I really think the sampler will accomplish what she’s looking for in the long run.

Now, I am compelled to finish this project, then I can focus on my next round of homework!  Let’s see, two chapters plus two write-ups, more chapters for the class I just finished, a paper due in a couple days, and starting the outline and journal for the quilt class.  Oh, and don’t forget, I have to work and try to exercise, too!…  OK, now it’s time for bed…

Teaching a quilt class!

As I've mentioned before, I signed up for 2 online graduate courses. One of them has a requirement for 12-15 hours of field observation that I'm supposed to journal about. That's a lot of watching!

One of my friends had signed up for a quick baby quilt class, but it was canceled due to low enrollment and my friend asked me if I would teach it to her and to her friend. My mind immediately started in on working out the details of the quilt. On Friday I found out I can teach the quilting class as a replacement for the field observation, and even use the experience towards applying to the program!

I started, and have almost completed the top for, the quick baby quilt pattern that was the inspiration for the class and it is so darn cute! It’s pink and green, and I pulled most of the fabric out of my stash, although I needed a border and backing so I went to JoAnn’s last night because it was the last day of their 50% coupon sale. We have a new superstore in town, although, unfortunately, it does not have the variety of fabric that one would expect with the square footage available, and very long lines just to get your fabric cut...over a half an hour!

I got the most wonderful light green fabric for the back, I think it's considered a fleece. It's very soft and has a nap, with the bubbled up dots as a part of the fabric. Well, it was a bit expensive for a baby quilt, but it is so cute! I may have to keep this one for myself!

I was talking to Marian from CuddleTime Quilts, who not only has a teaching background, but also quilts and teaches for her own business. I really value her advice and she suggested that rather than teaching that specific quilt as a class, to change it to a beginning quilt class that covers more information and extends over a longer period of time. I tend to agree, considering the people who will be taking the class hardly know how to sew, but that will make the class hours longer and increase the preparation time. It would be a better class, though….

I just need to figure out where to hold the class. My teacher doesn’t want me to have it at my home, since that is somehow less professional. Sigh.

I’m also very behind on my schoolwork, have a midterm due and the teacher even extended my deadline but I am still scrambling not only to finish that project but to keep up in my other class. I do NOT like taking 2 classes at once, and it is definitely interfering with my quilting!