February 29th ~ Happy Leap Day!

Ah ... It's February 29th and Google has a tribute to

 "Gioachino Rossini — the famed Italian composer behind The Barber of Seville"

Gioachino Rossini turns 220 today, or, depending how you’re counting, he is 53 today.

As many Leap Year babies know, your 'real' birthday only happens every 4 years.

I could not resist the cuteness factor of the day with this Google Doodle. I hope you are enjoying your 'extra' day today :)

So it has been a very quick, less than 24 hours, since my last post. Thank you all for the emails of encouragement! My mom called me to offer encouragement, congratulations, and support for both the interview and the teaching the mini workshop last night. Yes, my mom does read my blog... :)  I think it is wonderful. 

So I was the 1st candidate interviewed for the position yesterday, so it will be a while before I hear back from them about the job. In the meantime, I did get a chance to network about my fiber arts passion while I was there. That will also take some time to develop. 

I did not get a chance to take any pictures last night at the Guild meeting. Ms J picked me up and we arrived a bit early, but that was wonderful. I grabbed a corner table, away from the 'maddening crowd' and set up to get ready to teach. As the guild meetings typically start at 7:30 pm and we where there at 6:45 pm I started giving my mini workshop at 7, much like the others. There where 8 of us teaching workshops last night. There was something for everyone. 

It went very well :) Ok, yes Ms G and Ms J it was fantastic, while I did not see everyone who was there at the meeting last night, those who have daughters and granddaughters with AG where the 1st to come over. I think I taught the workshop about 5 times last night. The feedback was fantastic, and I had a fun time. 

I had made the jacket an exact replica of what I do for a full size jacket, so the details that I explained to non-seamstress could be translated from quilting terms easily, giving many the opportunity to contemplate making a garment. Those who all of a sudden had a 'light bulb' moment (eyes open wide with realization that they can really do this themselves) where enough that it really registered with me that I was able to pass along something that is fun. 

 I had cut up a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt to make the different samples and the visual teaching aids.  These are the main parts that I had in the box above.

I also brought along a crew sweatshirt, a hoodie sweatshirt, and this jacket that has not been completed as of yet. This is the front...

 The back...

 The sleeves...

Having the examples, the sweatshirts, the miniature pieces done up at the different stages, all equaled being able to teach this in about 8 minutes or less. Explains how I taught it at least 5 times last night :)

So, yes I did have fun, I would do it again, and I would teach it as a full length class if asked. 

I was also encouraged to make a dozen or so of the doll size jackets for the boutique shop at the guild show in October... hmm, while it took about 12 hours to do the multitude of version that I made, it would not take that long to make a dozen over time... need to think about this some more. It would end up on my WIP list if I was not careful.

Now it is off to finish the baby quilt for baby M, who will be appearing in less than 35 days. Also need to finish off the basket liners...

Thank you for stopping by! Ciao for now!

J :)  


P.S. A quick reminder to all that you will be able to follow via Google Friends Connect as this is a Google supported blog. So join in and click to follow, you don't have to make it public, you can follow privately, if you wish. Thanks for stopping by :) 

Among the missing this weekend...

I mentioned that I was under the weather last week... enough that I did not go out until Friday morning for a little bit. Well, I was slammed with the flu, flat on my back slammed, coughing so hard that my lungs are sore and I can't speak to long before I start to cough again. Really not a happy camper here... 


I was so medicated on Friday at my interview I did not cough the entire time I was there... stepped out the door and I started up right away. 


So how sick was I? I missed out on a lot of goings on that I normally do on the last weekend of the month... But more than anything I really missed seeing my mom, my daughter, my step-son, my daughter-in-law, the grandkids, and my 'people' since I got sick last week, Monday. Major bummer :/


In the meantime, I am trying to fit in finishing up the sweatshirt jackets for the mini-workshop I am teaching on Tuesday night. I have cut up a few sweatshirts, divided them up into sections of the instructions, and now have to finish the last of the American Girl Doll size jackets that I am making. I was going to try to make one for each niece, but being ill has prevented that from happening.


I need to take pictures of the set up on Tuesday night. I did a very quick run thru with hubby and it was less than 5 minutes long. This will work as the workshops need to be within a 15 minute window.


I almost forgot! The Blogger's BOM which posts on the 25th and the Blogger's are...

September - Sherri McConnell - A Quilting Life

October - Vicki Welsh - Field Trips in Fiber

November - Stephanie Dunphy - Loft Creations

December - Pat Sloan - The Voice Of Quilting

January - John Adams - Quilt Dad

February - Amy Smart - Diary of a Quilter

March - Allison Harris - Cluck, Cluck, Sew

April - Amy Lobsiger - Mrs. Schmenkmen Quilts

May - Cathy Underhill - Cabbage Quilts

June - Pam Vieira-McGinnis - Pam Kitty Morning

July - Victoria Findlay Wolfe - Bumble Beans Inc.

August - Amy Ellis - Amy's Creative Side

September - Sarah Fielke - The Last Piece

October - Jackie Kunkel - Canton Village Quilt Works 

So I need to go and check out the blogger for February Amy Smart - Diary of a Quilter . Her BOM block is too cute...

 

I also need to pop over to the FREE Craftsy Block of the Month with Amy Gibson and finish the blocks for February before March are posted on Thursday.


Thanks for stopping by! Ciao for now :) Off to take some more meds :)


J :)

Amazing story from Texas

On Facebook today I saw this amazing story from another quilter, who shared this story The Blind Quilter. Really inspiring story.


On another note, I am trying to finish up the B-day quilts. As I went to pin the binding onto the photo quilt, I noticed that I am shy by about 3/4 of an inch of fabric in one corner and I have over 2 inches of the same block on the opposite corner... yep, it has been 'cut & pasted' and doesn't show (that much...). It is after all the bottom back of the quilt... maybe nobody will notice... yea, right, my sister (who reads this blog on a regular basis) will be checking to see if she can spot it...

So, I need to get finished on this quilt. And the WIP's are piling up and I need to have the American Girl jackets cut and sorted for the class in less than two weeks, I need to have at the very least 3 jackets. I think I'll make it into a tutorial... and share... I'll have to check that out...


In the meantime... today has been one of those gloomy winter days, typical New England weather in February... so I was thinking about sun, and sun catchers... and I cam across this idea for some sun catchers... 

You can purchase a sun jar here, but you can make your own for much cheaper! i am not good with technical things, like putting together a solar power cell, so i found the easy way :)what you need:a mason jar with a clear glass lid like this one from ikea, a solar garden light like the ones pictured above, which i found here, adhesive and glass frosting spray.start by spraying the inside of the jar with the frosting spray – this will help diffuse the light and give it a warm glow. don’t spray the lid though! it needs to be clear in order to work. next you’ll need to take apart the solar lamp – apparently this can be a lot easier than it sounds, depending on what kind of lamp you purchase.  certain kinds can simply be unscrewed and the solar/battery pack remains intact, whereas others will require some reassembly with adhesive. see here and here for examples.glue the solar cell, or the parts you’ve harvested from the garden lamp, to the underside of the jar’s lid, and you’re done! close the lid, put your jar in direct sunlight, and it’ll glow all night long!

More from Free People: http://blog.freepeople.com/2011/03/wednes-diy-63/#ixzz1mU3o5AAS

I think I might just need to make one or two of theses... 


Thanks for stopping by, Ciao for now!


J :)