Who has time for quilting?
I am currently wrapping up details for the Heart of Ohio Quilters Guild Retreat with co-chairs Denise and Rosie. We take off for Coshocton on Thursday, February 5th, and won't be home until Sunday, February 8th. It takes a huge amount of planning and thank heavens for Denise who keeps us on track. It will be great fun - "Aloha! Welcome to the Isles of Coshocton" is our theme and we have had such delight finding Hawaiian banners and decorations. If the members don't have fun, it's not our fault -- we have really expanded activities to include different things, like massages. We are looking forward to it as well. Being in charge has not spoiled our own pleasure in going on a quilting retreat.
Then, in my other free time, I am working on the Guild 2009 Quilt Show. My official job is the Show Book and its advertising so I am sending out letters now. Our quilt show in 2007 was a great success with about 1,000 visitors so we are trying to outdo ourselves. This will also get more intense as we get closer to our October dates.
Also I volunteered to work on the Guild website, www.heartofohioquilters.com. I don't know what I was thinking. Fortunately, my cohort Jen is much more computer literate that I am and we are charging right along. I now know what JOOMLA means as well as many other tech terms so it's all good.
Oh, yeah, the shop. I am getting about one quilt finished every three days -- Not as quickly as I should. I am hoping after the retreat I will speed up. After all, the more I quilt, the more money I make, and the more retreats I can go on.
For example, I have been drooling over the National Quilting Association's information on their show in June. I already have my reservation for two days in Columbus at the Drury Inn and will be making up my mind soon about events and classes. Last year I took classes in longarm quilting from my hero, Linda Taylor, the most amazing longarm quilter ever. This year I am thinking of something a little more fun.
Back to work or I don't get to do any of these fun things!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Snow Bound
Brrrrr. Brutally cold weather outside but it's warm enough inside the shop to still have Friday Night Free for All. I imagine it will be a small group of diehards who will come tonight to sew.
Binding is my job tonight -- two Guild baby quilts to bind by machine and a larger quilt to finish the hand binding. Making the binding, pressing it, sewing it to the quilt, and then turning it, either by hand or machine, is the process that sews together the three layers of the quilt. It is the last step, and for some people, the step most often procrastinated. Customers often pay me to bind their quilts because they say it would neve get done otherwise. I don't mind taking any quilt all the way through that final step. For me there's a real satisfaction to it.
Being fascinated with words, I can't help but think about giving the quilt away as a binding as well. The quilt connects the giver and the receiver even if they don't actually know each other. I feel enhanced by the knowledge that some of my quilts have gone to soldiers returning from war, to babies being helped in our local hospital, or to women and children in a battered women's shelter. I feel bound to them and hope there is an intrinsic warmth for all of them in the quilts that I have given.
My friends and I will be bound together tonight in our quilting, and not all the warmth will come from the electric heaters. Stay warm!
Binding is my job tonight -- two Guild baby quilts to bind by machine and a larger quilt to finish the hand binding. Making the binding, pressing it, sewing it to the quilt, and then turning it, either by hand or machine, is the process that sews together the three layers of the quilt. It is the last step, and for some people, the step most often procrastinated. Customers often pay me to bind their quilts because they say it would neve get done otherwise. I don't mind taking any quilt all the way through that final step. For me there's a real satisfaction to it.
Being fascinated with words, I can't help but think about giving the quilt away as a binding as well. The quilt connects the giver and the receiver even if they don't actually know each other. I feel enhanced by the knowledge that some of my quilts have gone to soldiers returning from war, to babies being helped in our local hospital, or to women and children in a battered women's shelter. I feel bound to them and hope there is an intrinsic warmth for all of them in the quilts that I have given.
My friends and I will be bound together tonight in our quilting, and not all the warmth will come from the electric heaters. Stay warm!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Taken for Granted
I love being taken for granted -- especially on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.
Every Saturday evening, my grandchildren have dinner and spend the night. The den gets an inflatable bed with quilts and pillows and they settle in to have an evening of being spoiled by being allowed to watch almost whatever they want on tv and have a kid-friendly dinner. Once in a while what I think is a kid-friendly meal is a flop, but I try to always have bologna and hot dogs in the frig-a-frater. I made my version of the Duggar's Tater Tot Casserole(half the tater tots, double the ground beef), and it was ok with Kai but made a bigger hit with the adults who sampled it.
After dinner, Joe plays games with Quinn in which she makes up all the rules to fit her fancy; and Kai talks about football and Bakugan and I nod a lot while he beats me at chess, which I never was good at. They race up and down the hallway to see what's on tv in the den, to check out what PapPap's doing in his bedroom, and to wonder if I have a snack for them in the kitchen.
Later Quinn snuggles in to read books and fall asleep while her older brother checks out the football playoffs. Sound asleep by 10 and looking like angels, they have no trouble getting up to go to 8:30 am mass with us where we hand them off to their mom.
"What are you cooking for Sunday dinner?" is a question my kids often ask me. It's not whether I am cooking but what. Lisa and her husband and her chocolate labs usually can only come a couple times a month as they live an hour away but I love it when they do. Fortunately, the back yard is fenced and Daisy can go out on her own, although Lily isn't quilte old enough and ends up cuddling with anyone who can get his hands on her. She's still enough of a puppy to crash about every two hours and whoever ends up with her sleeping on his lap usually gloats.
Laura and her family live so close that they rarely miss a Sunday meal -- after all what working mom wouldn't take advantage of not having to cook a meal and occasionally getting to take leftovers home for lunch next week.
It isn't just having my family over that makes Sunday dinners so much fun. I inflict upon them new receipes and honestly they handle it pretty well. I don't worry about it being kid friendly on Sundays although Kai and Quinn know there is always lunchmeat or bread and peanut butter available. This week it was Paula Deen's barbecue pork roast and some Hawaiian type baked beans -- pork was a hit; beans were probably too sweet for most of them. But no one over the age of nine complained. They didn't have to cook it or even do the dishes.
That's another perk of Sunday dinners; Joe usually goes into the kitchen and proceeds to make so much noise no one can hear themselves talk, but he gets the dishwasher loaded and the "big" stuff washed by hand. He and I disagree on loading the dishwasher. I cram every single thing in, big and small, until there's no room left. I will even run it twice if necessary. He will not put large items into the dishwasher even if there is plenty of room; he'd rather wash them by hand. I really don't mind as long as he's doing the dishes and I'm not.
So being taken for granted isn't all bad, I feel very fortunate that it results in such warm and fun family times.
Every Saturday evening, my grandchildren have dinner and spend the night. The den gets an inflatable bed with quilts and pillows and they settle in to have an evening of being spoiled by being allowed to watch almost whatever they want on tv and have a kid-friendly dinner. Once in a while what I think is a kid-friendly meal is a flop, but I try to always have bologna and hot dogs in the frig-a-frater. I made my version of the Duggar's Tater Tot Casserole(half the tater tots, double the ground beef), and it was ok with Kai but made a bigger hit with the adults who sampled it.
After dinner, Joe plays games with Quinn in which she makes up all the rules to fit her fancy; and Kai talks about football and Bakugan and I nod a lot while he beats me at chess, which I never was good at. They race up and down the hallway to see what's on tv in the den, to check out what PapPap's doing in his bedroom, and to wonder if I have a snack for them in the kitchen.
Later Quinn snuggles in to read books and fall asleep while her older brother checks out the football playoffs. Sound asleep by 10 and looking like angels, they have no trouble getting up to go to 8:30 am mass with us where we hand them off to their mom.
"What are you cooking for Sunday dinner?" is a question my kids often ask me. It's not whether I am cooking but what. Lisa and her husband and her chocolate labs usually can only come a couple times a month as they live an hour away but I love it when they do. Fortunately, the back yard is fenced and Daisy can go out on her own, although Lily isn't quilte old enough and ends up cuddling with anyone who can get his hands on her. She's still enough of a puppy to crash about every two hours and whoever ends up with her sleeping on his lap usually gloats.
Laura and her family live so close that they rarely miss a Sunday meal -- after all what working mom wouldn't take advantage of not having to cook a meal and occasionally getting to take leftovers home for lunch next week.
It isn't just having my family over that makes Sunday dinners so much fun. I inflict upon them new receipes and honestly they handle it pretty well. I don't worry about it being kid friendly on Sundays although Kai and Quinn know there is always lunchmeat or bread and peanut butter available. This week it was Paula Deen's barbecue pork roast and some Hawaiian type baked beans -- pork was a hit; beans were probably too sweet for most of them. But no one over the age of nine complained. They didn't have to cook it or even do the dishes.
That's another perk of Sunday dinners; Joe usually goes into the kitchen and proceeds to make so much noise no one can hear themselves talk, but he gets the dishwasher loaded and the "big" stuff washed by hand. He and I disagree on loading the dishwasher. I cram every single thing in, big and small, until there's no room left. I will even run it twice if necessary. He will not put large items into the dishwasher even if there is plenty of room; he'd rather wash them by hand. I really don't mind as long as he's doing the dishes and I'm not.
So being taken for granted isn't all bad, I feel very fortunate that it results in such warm and fun family times.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Business as Usual
I have spent a great deal of time on the computer lately and not doing the fun stuff. I have been finalizing my 2008 records and preparing the 2009 spreadsheets which, because I am self taught at all this technical stuff, takes me longer that it probably should. Every year I say I am going to take a course, but I think I have probably figured out most of the basics by this time and what else do I need.
When I started Heavy Metal Quilting eleven years ago, I had no idea of how much paperwork would go into running a one-person shop. I have gone through two PC's and now have a laptop which I like best. I use Word, Publisher, and Excel for most things with the help of a scanner and a printer. I have always appreciated technological advances; for example, I was delighted when I first had a program to figure students' grades when I was teaching so I didn't have to spend hours with a calculator. And yes, I am old enough to remember when it was an adding machine borrowed from the business classes and even paper and pencil before then.
My Gammill Premier is showing its age but still stitches great and produces a nice product. However, my Gammill and I are falling behind the times in the technical aspects since she is not computerized. All the newest machines offer the ability to regulate the stitch and to push a button and have the machine take off on a particular pattern without much aid from the operator. Now if I had $20,000 or so, I would certainly be sure that I owned one of the top new machines with every bell and whistle, but it's not happening. I wonder too how much the owner of a twenty to thirty thousand dollar machine has to charge customers to make it pay for itself. My prices are reasonable, I think, for the product that I produce and enable me to pay the bills for my small studio in Hebron. My Gammill is long paid for; but I am sure most of the purchasers of new machines are paying monthly bills for the machine alone that are larger than my entire monthly nut.
So, as much as I admire technological advances, my trusty Gammill and I will continue to work our way through over 150 quilts a year and to pay the bills on the studio.
When I started Heavy Metal Quilting eleven years ago, I had no idea of how much paperwork would go into running a one-person shop. I have gone through two PC's and now have a laptop which I like best. I use Word, Publisher, and Excel for most things with the help of a scanner and a printer. I have always appreciated technological advances; for example, I was delighted when I first had a program to figure students' grades when I was teaching so I didn't have to spend hours with a calculator. And yes, I am old enough to remember when it was an adding machine borrowed from the business classes and even paper and pencil before then.
My Gammill Premier is showing its age but still stitches great and produces a nice product. However, my Gammill and I are falling behind the times in the technical aspects since she is not computerized. All the newest machines offer the ability to regulate the stitch and to push a button and have the machine take off on a particular pattern without much aid from the operator. Now if I had $20,000 or so, I would certainly be sure that I owned one of the top new machines with every bell and whistle, but it's not happening. I wonder too how much the owner of a twenty to thirty thousand dollar machine has to charge customers to make it pay for itself. My prices are reasonable, I think, for the product that I produce and enable me to pay the bills for my small studio in Hebron. My Gammill is long paid for; but I am sure most of the purchasers of new machines are paying monthly bills for the machine alone that are larger than my entire monthly nut.
So, as much as I admire technological advances, my trusty Gammill and I will continue to work our way through over 150 quilts a year and to pay the bills on the studio.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Christmas Flu
Whew! Christmas is over; all Christmas guarantee quilts were finished by December 21st, and I have stopped throwing up! Yep, the flu. It went through the family like dominoes falling. First Kai, then me, then Laura, then Joe, all down with the intestinal flu. Kai's continued on into the chicken pox - what a bummer. In spite of being vaccinated, he hadn't had the booster and somewhere was exposed to it. He had a light case; and if he hadn't had the flu first, probably wouldn't have felt so bad. Missing Christmas mass and the choir and program performances that he had worked so hard on was probably his biggest disappointment. Fortunately, Quinn got her booster early and will not be getting the chicken pox, and Kai has bounced back and is allowed to go out in public tomorrow!
In spite of our illness, Christmas was great. It was our turn to have both daughters, husbands, and family for Christmas Eve and Day! Fortunately, I cooked the easiest and best Christmas Eve dinner, Paula Deen's No Fail Rib Roast. I would put something in the oven, go lie down, turn something off, go lie down, etc. I skipped mass so I wouldn't spoil it for others and was drowsing in front of the tree when everyone came home starving for dinner.
It's become my tradition to give everyone in the family pj's on Christmas Eve as well as a game or something to keep people occupied -- we also exchanged family gifts that evening so Santa wouldn't be overshadowed on the next day. Torn paper, empty boxes, and satisfied children were the result.
Everyone enjoyed seeing Lily, the chocolate lab puppy, and spoiled her with lots of hugs. It was great to see Daisy and Lily interact - Daisy really has taken an almost maternal concern for Lily and since Daisy is the best dog ever, there's hope for Lily, who right now plays for an hour, sleeps for three, and according to Lisa and Jeremy she also eats nonstop and pees every hour. Maybe Lily's middle name is Marley. All I know is I got some great pictures of Quinn and Lily!
I hope everyone who reads this had a great holiday and is looking forward to the New Year!
In spite of our illness, Christmas was great. It was our turn to have both daughters, husbands, and family for Christmas Eve and Day! Fortunately, I cooked the easiest and best Christmas Eve dinner, Paula Deen's No Fail Rib Roast. I would put something in the oven, go lie down, turn something off, go lie down, etc. I skipped mass so I wouldn't spoil it for others and was drowsing in front of the tree when everyone came home starving for dinner.
It's become my tradition to give everyone in the family pj's on Christmas Eve as well as a game or something to keep people occupied -- we also exchanged family gifts that evening so Santa wouldn't be overshadowed on the next day. Torn paper, empty boxes, and satisfied children were the result.
Everyone enjoyed seeing Lily, the chocolate lab puppy, and spoiled her with lots of hugs. It was great to see Daisy and Lily interact - Daisy really has taken an almost maternal concern for Lily and since Daisy is the best dog ever, there's hope for Lily, who right now plays for an hour, sleeps for three, and according to Lisa and Jeremy she also eats nonstop and pees every hour. Maybe Lily's middle name is Marley. All I know is I got some great pictures of Quinn and Lily!
I hope everyone who reads this had a great holiday and is looking forward to the New Year!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Puppies
Technology failed us on the way to Malta. Lisa and Jeremy have decided to add a chocolate lab puppy to their family for Christmas, and because it was a surprise for her husband, Lisa asked Laura and me and the grandchildren to ride along and see the puppies when she put down her deposit. Sounds great! A fun Sunday afternoon ride with squirming puppies at the end -- what could go wrong?
Lisa mapblasted the directions (this is the technology part) and we were off - a winding up and down trail over three counties, going back and forth and looking for places that went straight (I swear that's what the directions said). It was enough to make some stomaches queasy, and we were lucky that the kids fell asleep. On Saturday there had been snow, but it had all melted at home. The further south and east we went, the more snow was left on the countryside and back roads. Our progress became slower and slower. Of course, we missed a turn or two and resorted to looking at the map and coming onto our final road from the opposite direction. But we were there, almost.
As I turned on to the road, Laura yelled, "Stop." We were at the top of a steep hill, covered with snow and cinders. I cautiously backed up to the berm while Lisa called the owners of her puppy who explained we were almost there --take a right just halfway down the hill. I put it in low and we cautiously descended and turned into their large clear driveway. And then, in the yard, there they were, ten black and brown puppies tumbling about in the snow. Even 4 year old Quinn who's a bit nervous around dogs was thrilled at the cold little noses and warm fur. Kai tried to act like he wasn't interested, but soon even he was out of the car to check out all the excitement.
Lisa's new puppy was inside, staying warm and clean for her new owner to check her out. She's adorable and her name will be Lily. Lily will be coming home on Sunday to meet Jeremy and Daisy, a 2 year old chocolate lab the kids rescued last year.
It was definitely a fun day and I chuckle every time I think of it. The owners are going to meet Lisa halfway when she picks up Lily so it won't be quite as much fun. Even if she were to have to travel all the way to Malta again, we now know it's not near as difficult as the mapquest program made it. If you want to get to Malta from Jacksontown, take route 13 south until it intersects with route 37 east. Turn east on 37 and it will take you directly to Malta. Go figure. We came back that way on Sunday. It was a pleasant trip home but not worth any chuckles.
Lisa mapblasted the directions (this is the technology part) and we were off - a winding up and down trail over three counties, going back and forth and looking for places that went straight (I swear that's what the directions said). It was enough to make some stomaches queasy, and we were lucky that the kids fell asleep. On Saturday there had been snow, but it had all melted at home. The further south and east we went, the more snow was left on the countryside and back roads. Our progress became slower and slower. Of course, we missed a turn or two and resorted to looking at the map and coming onto our final road from the opposite direction. But we were there, almost.
As I turned on to the road, Laura yelled, "Stop." We were at the top of a steep hill, covered with snow and cinders. I cautiously backed up to the berm while Lisa called the owners of her puppy who explained we were almost there --take a right just halfway down the hill. I put it in low and we cautiously descended and turned into their large clear driveway. And then, in the yard, there they were, ten black and brown puppies tumbling about in the snow. Even 4 year old Quinn who's a bit nervous around dogs was thrilled at the cold little noses and warm fur. Kai tried to act like he wasn't interested, but soon even he was out of the car to check out all the excitement.
Lisa's new puppy was inside, staying warm and clean for her new owner to check her out. She's adorable and her name will be Lily. Lily will be coming home on Sunday to meet Jeremy and Daisy, a 2 year old chocolate lab the kids rescued last year.
It was definitely a fun day and I chuckle every time I think of it. The owners are going to meet Lisa halfway when she picks up Lily so it won't be quite as much fun. Even if she were to have to travel all the way to Malta again, we now know it's not near as difficult as the mapquest program made it. If you want to get to Malta from Jacksontown, take route 13 south until it intersects with route 37 east. Turn east on 37 and it will take you directly to Malta. Go figure. We came back that way on Sunday. It was a pleasant trip home but not worth any chuckles.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
December Rush
December is a great month. I love the anticipation of Christmas and the holidays. Trained by my many years as a school teacher, I close the shop for two weeks around Christmas and New Years and spend my time playing with my family and quilting friends.
With so much to get done for others and myself, I have scheduled Friday Night Free for Alls for the first three Fridays in December and I will actually have everything done by Friday, December 19th! Yippee!
There's another kind of "rush" I feel for December -- It's the joy of watching: my grandson Kai carefully placing ornaments on my tree so the Santa Clauses face outward or serving at Mass and trying not to yawn or sneeze, my granddaughter Quinn climbing into my lap with a book or seriously coloring a picture with only one crayon, my daughter Lisa's chocolate lab Daisy plopping herself at our feet, Lisa and Jeremy together and still obviously in love, my daughter Laura and her love for her husband and children, my husband Joe bonding over football with his sons-in-law.
I have never had any trouble finding the real sentiment of the season -- it's all around me -- I just have to look.
With so much to get done for others and myself, I have scheduled Friday Night Free for Alls for the first three Fridays in December and I will actually have everything done by Friday, December 19th! Yippee!
There's another kind of "rush" I feel for December -- It's the joy of watching: my grandson Kai carefully placing ornaments on my tree so the Santa Clauses face outward or serving at Mass and trying not to yawn or sneeze, my granddaughter Quinn climbing into my lap with a book or seriously coloring a picture with only one crayon, my daughter Lisa's chocolate lab Daisy plopping herself at our feet, Lisa and Jeremy together and still obviously in love, my daughter Laura and her love for her husband and children, my husband Joe bonding over football with his sons-in-law.
I have never had any trouble finding the real sentiment of the season -- it's all around me -- I just have to look.
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