Teaching and Learning

There is a very fine line between teaching and learning. Sharon and I had a lovely and full day teaching and learning from each other.

There is hope

I've been working on my statler fear and anxiety disorder and happy to report making some progress. So much so, that I invited a few friendly souls to allow me to test my statler 101 class and quilting . . . as in my business model, I plan on offering statler classes and rentals in addition to quilting services.

I been very busy developing a class outline and all the other supporting materials (service order form/invoice & pricing). I am in major ramp up mode. As I am trying to learn about quilting in general, thread, machine maintenance and Creative Studio as well as all the stuff needed to start any business (in our case: PVM, AutoSketch, Accounting s/w, sales tax, business licensing, DBA, and resale, web development and yada yada ya)

Some days I ask myself "Now why am I doing this, I still haven't completed piecing my first quilt?" and the answer is I have no idea, I just know I am suppose to! The call is very deep inside and loud, so I am just following it.

I have always had an intense fear of failure, well hidden in some cases and under control now, but present and under the surface. Yet there is joy in long-arm quilting for me so that the fear is balanced and not overwhelming (though probably very valid in this situation).

Last Monday was my first run at it, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. I managed to crinkle the backing on the first row (luckily discovered during the first advance . . . so I picked it out. It was isolated to the first repeat. I was able to toggle it as unsewn and restitch it. There were a few other oopsidoodles and yet it was a good experience for me and my guinea pig!

OK one more thing . . . I've been reading about the history of quilting dating back to Egypt and through European, Asian and American history. I read that many families on the Western Frontier used quilts as insulation (hung on walls and over windows) and also for doors during winters.

In late July, our family did a little family history tour and visited the location where my fourth great grandparents lived. I came home and reread some of that particular grandmother's journal (approx 1845). She wrote about a winter wherein her husband was called away. He hadn't time to finish building their home. She was left with two small children. That winter she wrote about using a quilt for the front door. At reading that my heart melted regarding quilt piecing, I am going back to the quilt I haven't been able to finish and finish it in her honor.