Today has really been a full day. Strange? Certainly. But a very full day. I felt a bit like a pie man from mother goose. I woke very early after a dream where I was trying to find the cat box so I could keep my dumb cats safe while I escaped a zombie apocalypse that was descending on my old neighborhood on FT Hood. The kids and sewing machines were safe in the van and Stanley (my lab) was at my side, but the van was a convertible so I was afraid the cats would jump out. I ended up showing the new residents around my old house and telling the to mind the blinds. Crazy Army Wife situaltion I am sure....yes zombies are on their way to eat my brains, but I really MUST show my new best friend the quirks of the home she is moving into. I woke up with my heart leaping out of my chest. I guess my husband was having a bad dream too because we both just got up and went for a walk. I love pre-dawn walks. The birds are so loud it is like we live in a rain forest and it was a bit rainy so it was refreshing.
After that and getting the kids off safe to school I decided to go to the last spouse luncheon on post. I nominated myself to be the quilting leader and next year (starting in August) we are going to have a quilting BLAST! Not your grannies quilting around here...although any grannies are welcome- there is very much to be learned from grannies.
Then friends came home with me and I took their T-shirts to make them into quilts...I cut up a bunch of Tri Delta t-shirts to make into quilts....and then my husband and I met with an attorney about taking my business to the next level.....whatever that may be? I have such dreams, full of quilting (and zombies apparently). As soon as I find the perfect spot downtown I will be building a studio. You are all welcome!
That leads me to my next bit....I was looking at my quilting services page on my blog here. Wow! That is ever so dated. I have a very fancy quilting machine, but the picture is of me with my old Gammill Supreme in my Garage in Texas ( I think it was 115 F ) when that picture was taken. I am now much more fancy! I have a studio that encompasses my entire first floor! We live above it with our children and Zombie alert Lab.
See that is happy me with 3 of my favorite machines! My 2 Gammill Long arms and my tiny Scottish Singer Featherweight. My badass Bernina is around the corner.
I am in a quandary...How do you make a Quilt machine look as AWESOME as it is? Especially when it is getting dark out? I know I don't do much for it.
Maybe the machine and the computer? It is a fancy pants Statler Stitcher after all? I have not done much blogging at all about the differences in the two machines. I just started quilting and haven't looked back a second.
Maybe just the machine? Naa...
Just the computer? Who likes Computers? I really am not wild about them, but this one is pretty awesome. For real life.
Maybe the old machine...she is amazing as well...and I plan to get her a new table one day soon. She will love that. You can rent her to quilt your own quilts if you are near Leavenworth and have a hankering !
I don't know how to market myself. I know that I LOVE to quilt, I know that I have the best tools and machines at my fingertips, I know my turnaround is very fast. I free hand quilt, custom quilt and do a magnificent edge to edge.
I am trying to reinvent myself as a quilter instead of being just a bag maker. I am wild to design quilts, but Quilting is where my passion has always been. I need to make it so in real life!
xo, Tia Curtis
Good luck Tia! I am an avid follower and admire you very much. I have followed you since you were making so many quilts in Australia. As a former army wife of 24 years dependent service,my late hubby retired in the 90's, iknow how hard it is to pack up and move a lot and still be able to do what you do. Good luck to you!
ReplyDeleteI love this post - it's so encouraging and uplifting to anyone who is "following their bliss"! I can do w/o the zombies, but hey, we all have our own personal zombie issues, don't we? My dreams often include wild attempts to save my dog! Hmmm. Anyway, I am going to send my next piece off to you. I'm getting close to completion and should have dimensions in the next few weeks. I really NEED a Tia quilted beauty!
ReplyDeleteI will LOVE quilting your next piece! Have fun finishing it up!
Deletegood luck on the studio and I hope you keep making the bags, i love them
ReplyDeleteFunny you should say that! I am currently working on 4 of the bags. I can't get away from them!
Delete!ove the dream... you're such a detail person... mind those blinds. It'll be exciting to see where you go with your quilting. I'm glad to see you're investing in some legal advice because while we may not want to, the days of getting by without it are slipping away. Too many regulations and to much paperwork with phrases nobody can undetstand. One of the shops I've taught in for years just appealed a judgement made against them by the state which affected me as a teacher so I decided to quit teaching this year instead of in a couple years. I've been at it almost 20 years... long enough. But you have lots of years and a supportive husband and family... go for it.
ReplyDeleteOh Marjorie you have so much to share! SO much knowledge inside you. I am sad to hear that you are not going to teach anymore, but I understand. It is heart wrenching to to have to deal with legal issues when you are trying to "do the right thing, the right way".
DeleteI'm looking forward to some new adventures. I'm looking forward to making some quilts rather than just sketching them on paper and I want to get serious about the blogging with some better tutorials. I'm working part time in the local quilt shop in Yelm (only 10 miles away) which allows me to still be involved helping quilters so I'm very happy. I'm hoping to go to Wales this fall and also visit the Northumbrian Community in the northeast of England... it'll be the trip of a lifetime if it works out as I hope. As for teaching, that isn't something I can just turn off when it's been such a big part of my life. I may find a way to organize some retreats around the Welsh quilting or the free-form piecing. Who knows what the future holds for any of us but we can't wait for anyone else to make it happen.
DeleteSounds like exciting things are on the horizon for you! I'm looking to step it up a notch around here too!
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