Woo Hoo! I just bought my first bolt of batting! Not exciting, you say? To me it is almost as exciting as when my first grand child was born! I used a 50% off coupon from Joann's so I could afford it. I now have enough batting to make any quilt I care to make!
If I felt like somebody just because I was asked about wanting paper or plastic, imagine how I feel now! I have inventory to start my business! Now, I just need to get some more thread and I'll be all set....or will I?
My plans still call for me to start taking customer quilts in June. I'm hoping I will be ready. No, I KNOW I will be ready! I'll be ready to knock their socks off! I'm working on some marketing ideas right now. A couple of them should produce at least a few quilts, but the others I'm not so sure about. I want to make sure my marketing time and dollars are put in the best place (more time than dollars I'm afraid).
I've gone upstairs twice since I've gotten home. Just to touch the batting. I have no idea where I'm going to put it. It takes up quite a bit of space on the roll, but still, looks so cute!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Mindless Ramblings
Well, here it is, almost the end of January, and I've finally started feeling like I was beginning to get back to normal. This cold/bronchitis/whatever it was has finally started showing signs that it has left the building...or at least has started thinking about it!
Friday afternoon was the first time I had been back up to the studio since the beginning of January. I was supposed to be cleaning, clearing and organizing my fabrics. I discovered I had a lot of blues, maybe even enough to make a baby quilt...hmmm.... after cutting some strips I discovered I had enough to make TWO baby quilts. Perfect, I have two baby boys on the way (one in a week or so and the other in a few months). I sat down to start on the rail fence pattern. I discovered I really like this pattern...I mean REALLY REALLY like it! In only a few hours I managed to get both tops pieced. It was almost mindless work...if the machine had behaved itself it would have been completely mindless, and went extremely fast. If I had the batting and backing in the studio they both could have been finished by now, or at least ready for the binding by now.
Speaking of binding. I've GOT to get the binding sewn on Tasha's two Christmas throws I made her. They are both sitting in my studio (actually on the steps to the studio) mocking me each time I look at them. I really hate putting on bindings. I keep hoping the binding fairy will come and do it for me, but so far I haven't been able to entice the binding fairy to visit me...
I know I promised to get a picture of the quilt my daughter finished just before Christmas...but she still hasn't sent it to me. I asked her about it again last night and she kinda tried to ignore me. So I will publicly ask her for a picture of the quilt so I can post it here. Amanda, consider yourself asked!
I'm back planning our next trip to Disney...January 2010...can hardly wait! We had hoped to get the whole family to go, but it looks like it will just be the four of us. We will be having Brianna do most of the planning. I'm working on some ways to work some studying into the process. You know, things like budgeting, planning, and trip routing. As well as the regular learning about the different countries you get to explore in EPCOT and the animal at Animal Kingdom. It should be fun. Damien is already looking forward to learning about the animals!
Well, I guess that is it for the mindless ramblings for today. Hopefully I will be feeling better in the next few days to actually get some work done in the studio. Who knows, I might even post a few pictures.....
Nini
Friday afternoon was the first time I had been back up to the studio since the beginning of January. I was supposed to be cleaning, clearing and organizing my fabrics. I discovered I had a lot of blues, maybe even enough to make a baby quilt...hmmm.... after cutting some strips I discovered I had enough to make TWO baby quilts. Perfect, I have two baby boys on the way (one in a week or so and the other in a few months). I sat down to start on the rail fence pattern. I discovered I really like this pattern...I mean REALLY REALLY like it! In only a few hours I managed to get both tops pieced. It was almost mindless work...if the machine had behaved itself it would have been completely mindless, and went extremely fast. If I had the batting and backing in the studio they both could have been finished by now, or at least ready for the binding by now.
Speaking of binding. I've GOT to get the binding sewn on Tasha's two Christmas throws I made her. They are both sitting in my studio (actually on the steps to the studio) mocking me each time I look at them. I really hate putting on bindings. I keep hoping the binding fairy will come and do it for me, but so far I haven't been able to entice the binding fairy to visit me...
I know I promised to get a picture of the quilt my daughter finished just before Christmas...but she still hasn't sent it to me. I asked her about it again last night and she kinda tried to ignore me. So I will publicly ask her for a picture of the quilt so I can post it here. Amanda, consider yourself asked!
I'm back planning our next trip to Disney...January 2010...can hardly wait! We had hoped to get the whole family to go, but it looks like it will just be the four of us. We will be having Brianna do most of the planning. I'm working on some ways to work some studying into the process. You know, things like budgeting, planning, and trip routing. As well as the regular learning about the different countries you get to explore in EPCOT and the animal at Animal Kingdom. It should be fun. Damien is already looking forward to learning about the animals!
Well, I guess that is it for the mindless ramblings for today. Hopefully I will be feeling better in the next few days to actually get some work done in the studio. Who knows, I might even post a few pictures.....
Nini
Thursday, January 1, 2009
I AM SOMEBODY!!!!
I know, I sound like a bad tele-evangelist, but bear with me it WILL make sense!
When I grocery shop, I go to the usual suspects in our area, Wally World, Kroger, and a place called Quality Foods (not a bad place if you can stand the smell...) Yesterday, we were shopping in Athens (Georgia, not Greece) and decided to go to the commissary.
Now, let me tell you for those with no military background, Before we moved to Georgia, I NEVER shopped for groceries in a regular grocery store. No matter what was available in whatever town we were living in at that moment, it was ALWAYS the commissary. Then, once Sam's came on the scene, I would go to Sam's once or twice a year to stock up on a few things, but always had to be careful not to get too many things (never knew exactly when we were shipping out!)
I managed to feed my family of 5 for way under the 100 a month we had budgeted for groceries. I had a plan of attack, each child under the age of 6 had to be in a buggy so my oldest son would push one buggy and I would push the other two. My daughter would be in one of my buggies and younger son would be in my older son's buggy. We had a list and stuck to it.
The baggers worked for tips only! They would unload your groceries for you at the check out, bag the groceries, and take them to your car. If you had an ice chest for the meats, they would empty the ice into the chest and make sure all the meats were in there nice and snugly! At Christmas time they always had candy canes to give to the kids (we always managed to let the baggers know our kids did NOT get the canes!)
All that work, with a big smile and only for tips. Just like a waitress.... they usually got 10% or so of what I spent at the grocery store...
Fast forward to yesterday, New Year's Eve...
The commissary at Athens Naval Base (no, there is no water ANY where around there) is kinda small. Actually we had larger shoppetts in many places we were stationed (shoppett - convenience store type place), but I had high hopes for saving money! The shopping choices were kinda limited and not that great price wise, but I trudged on. I only ended up with a few bags of groceries (around 23.00) but did I ever get a surprise when I checked out!
I had forgotten about the service in commissaries! And get this...they asked me if I wanted paper or plastic! Granted you may have that option all the time...but Wally World Never asked me if I wanted paper or plastic! I don't even think they have the option of paper at any of the Wally Worlds I have been to lately!
How about that! I was treated like I was a Somebody! At a grocery store no less! I stood there with my mouth open, letting all the glory sink in... when suddenly I heard myself saying those magic words..."Paper, please". How glorious!
When we got home, I unpacked those two bags of groceries as ceremoniously as I could. I folded those two bags as gently as if they had been made of gold instead of brown paper. My husband had a smile from ear to ear, he just kept grinning like the Cheshire cat. I made a silly remark about how thick the paper was, and he said something about how strong those bags were...before he could explain his plans for them, I quickly took them upstairs to my studio...(I'm not sure what they will be used for, but they are not going to be used in anything as mundane as carrying stuff around!) My kids kept looking at us as if we had lost our marbles (they were not around when we went to the commissary in the past!) Finally, Damien said "they are just BAGS!", threw his hands up in the air and walked out. Brianna just shook her head and walked out of the kitchen.
Kids these days, they just don't get it!
I know, I sound like a bad tele-evangelist, but bear with me it WILL make sense!
When I grocery shop, I go to the usual suspects in our area, Wally World, Kroger, and a place called Quality Foods (not a bad place if you can stand the smell...) Yesterday, we were shopping in Athens (Georgia, not Greece) and decided to go to the commissary.
Now, let me tell you for those with no military background, Before we moved to Georgia, I NEVER shopped for groceries in a regular grocery store. No matter what was available in whatever town we were living in at that moment, it was ALWAYS the commissary. Then, once Sam's came on the scene, I would go to Sam's once or twice a year to stock up on a few things, but always had to be careful not to get too many things (never knew exactly when we were shipping out!)
I managed to feed my family of 5 for way under the 100 a month we had budgeted for groceries. I had a plan of attack, each child under the age of 6 had to be in a buggy so my oldest son would push one buggy and I would push the other two. My daughter would be in one of my buggies and younger son would be in my older son's buggy. We had a list and stuck to it.
The baggers worked for tips only! They would unload your groceries for you at the check out, bag the groceries, and take them to your car. If you had an ice chest for the meats, they would empty the ice into the chest and make sure all the meats were in there nice and snugly! At Christmas time they always had candy canes to give to the kids (we always managed to let the baggers know our kids did NOT get the canes!)
All that work, with a big smile and only for tips. Just like a waitress.... they usually got 10% or so of what I spent at the grocery store...
Fast forward to yesterday, New Year's Eve...
The commissary at Athens Naval Base (no, there is no water ANY where around there) is kinda small. Actually we had larger shoppetts in many places we were stationed (shoppett - convenience store type place), but I had high hopes for saving money! The shopping choices were kinda limited and not that great price wise, but I trudged on. I only ended up with a few bags of groceries (around 23.00) but did I ever get a surprise when I checked out!
I had forgotten about the service in commissaries! And get this...they asked me if I wanted paper or plastic! Granted you may have that option all the time...but Wally World Never asked me if I wanted paper or plastic! I don't even think they have the option of paper at any of the Wally Worlds I have been to lately!
How about that! I was treated like I was a Somebody! At a grocery store no less! I stood there with my mouth open, letting all the glory sink in... when suddenly I heard myself saying those magic words..."Paper, please". How glorious!
When we got home, I unpacked those two bags of groceries as ceremoniously as I could. I folded those two bags as gently as if they had been made of gold instead of brown paper. My husband had a smile from ear to ear, he just kept grinning like the Cheshire cat. I made a silly remark about how thick the paper was, and he said something about how strong those bags were...before he could explain his plans for them, I quickly took them upstairs to my studio...(I'm not sure what they will be used for, but they are not going to be used in anything as mundane as carrying stuff around!) My kids kept looking at us as if we had lost our marbles (they were not around when we went to the commissary in the past!) Finally, Damien said "they are just BAGS!", threw his hands up in the air and walked out. Brianna just shook her head and walked out of the kitchen.
Kids these days, they just don't get it!
Happy New Year to all!
Nini
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