Weekend goals...

This past week has been another "full" one. There were times I could have blogged, but seriously, any little bit of free time I had, I tried to get downstairs to continue working on the C'mas list.

Scot's Camo quilt top is about half done. The flying-geese border is complete, and another border has been added to that. More to come later....maybe by the end of the weekend I'll revisit it.

Yesterday, we had the day off of school. I've never quite understood why we have that day off, when we go back for Monday and Tuesday, and then we're off again. Many of us staff have the "gripe" session by saying..."good golly! Let's have school on Friday, give us Monday and Tuesday off (therefore have the whole week off for Thanksgiving), and then we'll find some other time in the year to make up the other day."

Anyway---back to yesterday. I had high hopes of accomplishing LOTS of quilting.....BUT......
the day started out by dropping the two little ones to daycare. (YUP! I'm trying to justify that by saying I'd have to pay for the day anyway since I've used up my 5 "free days" she allows us. I figured I'd get more accomplished without the two little ones underfoot----I hope you all understand that I DO Love my children and don't just mean to "pawn them off," but it's just "easier" some days by taking them to daycare EVEN when I have off. Judge as you wish.....)

THEN, my DH pleaded with me to take a drive with Cass to pick up the last batch of Pork meat from the butcher. *sigh* A whole hour away! So, there went 2 hours! By the time we got back home, it was almost 10:30, so.......off I went downstairs.

The other night, I pulled out Jan's Family Gems blocks and sewed them together into rows. THen, two rows at a time, I started piecing the top together. I HAD complete intentions of sewing the entire top together, get borders on, and then quilt. HOWEVER, as I was piecing the rows, I started brain-storming about the quilting. Simple meanders was what I initially was planning, however, suddenly the quilting pattern came to mind......

Inward "triangles" for each of the white tri's, and looping meanders for the white 4-patches. And, as you can see from the top picture, I'm using Quilting in Sections again. It is SO MUCH EASIER to work with the smaller sections under the machine rather than the whole thing! I never would keep it so smooth and pucker free----it's worth it (once again!) to put the extra time in.

So, I was able to quilt until about 12:30 when Cassie wanted some lunch. And, STUPID ME! I turned the TV on while lunch was preparing and while we were eating, and Cass and I "got into" a movie that started at 1:00. *SIGH* We don't have the DirectTV wired downstairs, so it wasn't as easy as "continue watching downstairs." Nope, nope, nope. So, I coudln't tear myself away, so........no more quilting happened (FOR THE WHOLE DAY!)

The movie ended a bit after 3:00. I needed to pick the girls up by 4:00, but wanted to hit the grocery store before that. So Cass and I bundled up, headed out, and make a quick stop at the Movie Rental place as well. We picked out 5 "oldies" and when I went to the counter the lady informed me we had a free rental coming so was wondering if we wanted a New Release as well. Well, golly--yeah! So we also rented Wall-E. AND OF COURSE, once we picked up the girls, came back home, had some dinner, all THREE of them were almost to the point of chanting "Wall-E, Wall-E, Wall-E." So.......I "got into" that one too.......and just didn't make it back downstairs, because directly after Wall-E, we watched Scooby Doo.

So......TODAY.....Goal: QUILT JAN'S QUILT! I have two sections basted and ready to go---the third section will need some finaggling to get a piece of batting cut to size as well as the backing.

OH!!!! I ALMOST FORGOT! One night, I DID have quite a bit of time to dedicate to quilting, BUT that was also the day that our Community Education coordinator talked to me about offering a quilting class or two come January time. I have never taken a class before and don't know much about all the whats/whens/wheres/etc. So, I researched "quilting classes" online for a couple of hours to get a base. If any of you have any tips/suggestions/info for me, PLEASE think about emailing me (or commenting). I'm thinking of Quilt Piecing Fundamentals (terminology, tools, perfecting that 1/4 inch!). BUt I don't know what to charge, what I should be providing (fabric, tools?), how many sessions I should have, evening classes? or a couple of saturdays?...... Lots of questions! I've also thought of basic quilting, but I don't think I'm to that point. However, I have also thought of offering a shorter class just on Quilting in Sections since I use it so much.

Anyway......time to start the day, have some coffee, and head downstairs......