My Messy Sewing Room

Remember a few weeks ago when I said you should see my sewing room? What a disaster it is whenever I have a Demo in the offing? Well, a very good friend gave me her old digital camera so I could post pictures on here and so I am! Below is a photo of one corner of my room (it really doesn't do the mess justice...) showing my piles - they actually covered a space of about four feet by six feet and averaged 18 inches high throughout - and that was just one corner!

After much tidying!

It took several hours but the end result was well worth it and now I can create in comfort.

Speaking of creating, the store needed to know what I had in mind for teaching on the Fall schedule so I finally had to put thought to paper. Jill's Christmas Cupboard is a go and will have all sorts of classes covering items you might like to have in your Christmas cupboard to decorate your home for the holidays. We're partnering up with Culinary Inspirations (the cooking store next door to the Sewing Basket) on this as well so food will definitely have a place in the Christmas Cupboard as well! 

Summer Vacation Starts

No more Demos until the Fall - at least not official ones! My classes are finished until then as well so I really feel like I am on summer vacation... if I remember correctly though, when I was the a child, one of the first things we did after school was finished was play school! And so - you guessed it - I am still coming up with demo ideas. It may not be a bad thing though as I just might be supremely organized when September rolls around - unlikely, but maybe!

We are already mulling over the Fall classes as well as a possible Challenge. We have had many people asking about the next lineup of classes already so it sounds as though it will be a busy time. I have been thinking about what I would like to teach and may have come up with a plan. Yep, a plan albeit a rudimentary one, but at least it gives me a starting point. Let's just say "Jill's Christmas Cupboard" seems like an appropriate title! More to come....

Dandelion Girl

The next Demo is tomorrow and I am in high gear this morning! Diamonds have indeed made the final cut and they are certainly an interesting shape to work with - so much scope for design possibilities. The challenge was fabric choices, which I usually love to play with but frankly, I am a bit behind the 8 ball here!

I was thinking about what I should be doing (which was weeding - ugh!) and remembered a Jelly Roll I had bought last Fall called Dandelion Girl. As it was still intact (opened of course, but not used) I had a lot to play with and choose from. And have I been playing.... the first thing I should do when I get a camera is take pictures of  my sewing room the day before the Demo! 

New Skills

Today I am learning a new skill - how to post a picture on here - the only trouble is I don't have a digital camera as yet and so this is the only picture of one of my original designs that I have on my computer (sent to me via email courtesy of my good friend Val!). So, although this is not the season for this design of mine, I do think the blog needs colour - and now I am excited about this so I believe I am going camera shopping soon. Then I will be able post "teaser shots" of upcoming Demo ideas....

A Great Day!

Charm School was a great success - we had almost twenty participants, three separate demos (which naturally offered up way more than just three ideas!), lots of prizes and gifts, splendid desserts and -saving the best for a last - a "Buy One Get One Free" sale on Charm Packs, Jelly Rolls and Layer Cakes! I'm especially glad about the sale because of course, now that we have sold so many, we have to get new ones!

Seriously though, the Challenge was great and the quilts were lovely; it really is amazing what you can produce with the pre-cuts! 

I am now thinking about the Fall and the classes I would like to teach. We have so many people ask about smaller projects for Christmas decorations and/or gifts so my thinking is going along in that direction. It might be fun to have something a bit more structured than a class (think "series"), and perhaps bring in some other aspects of the holidays (like baking!) to add to the fun. A series of classes would require a name, and Jill's Christmas Cupboard is coming to mind as a possibility. Might be more like Pandora's Box though..... I seem to have a bit of a knack for no sooner getting myself  through one "brainwave" and then immediately landing squarely in the next!

Busy As A Bee!

Every single time there is any hope of getting caught up (I gave up hoping to get ahead long ago and now strive for just getting caught up!) I go and get a new idea..... you would think I would eventually run out room in the old noggin but apparently not - at least not yet! Let me just say this one will require a huge amount of work and a lot of time to bring to fruitition, but might just end up being my best achievement yet! 

Charm School at the Sewing Basket is this Sunday and I am mustering up all the prizes, give aways and goodies. We have planned several project demos and everyone will get kits for each project - how great is that! (Really, it's just so I don't have to be alone with a growing "To Do" pile!) Jan has also hinted at an amazing sale for the participants and I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve!?!?

And of course, come Monday, it's on to the next Demo. I thought by now I might be stumped about what to offer up but as we all know in there is no shortage of new things in the quilting world. I found a new diamond ruler in the store as well as diamond-shaped papers, and may just have to prove that diamonds are indeed a girl's best friend. Stay tuned....