Quilting Blessings!

I am so blessed, I had a class this weekend teaching longarm quilting.  One of my students said to me "what a great job"...I have to completely agree! 

I love teaching, I love quilting, I love quilters and I love longarming - it doesn't get any better than this for me.  My quilting classes are evolving and every time they get better and more fun - if that is possible : D.

I have received several quilts to longarm in the last week and I am over the moon excited to quilt them!

In my down time (as if I ever have any) I get to look at quilting magazines and decide what we are going to do for next month's classes and what we are going to do for next month's events.  I get to  give back to the community by doing charity work (never as much as I would like), I am involved in the community where I interact with great people like in my Women's Small Business Group "Connected - Women in Business".

I am starting a new venture with a few other quilters - our Commission Quilt Division...they do the top and I quilt it for one wonderful low price : D... YAY!!!  I love to collaborate and I love to see others succeed in their own businesses at something they love too!!!

I get up every morning happy to go to work, which I was never able to say before no matter how much I liked my job.  Now, I get such satisfaction/fulfillment out of my work everyday...sometimes I just look around my new studio and I cannot believe this is my life!

I am so blessed to be doing what I love as my job, I have a loving and supportive husband and a normal 5yr old kiddo!

I am just so very blessed (I know I already said that...but felt like I should say it again!) : ) 

Another successful Longarm class completion!!!!

If It Is Meant To Be, Then So Shall It Be...

So here is how it happened...

I was quilting away in my basement studio - happy as a clam.  I started teaching a few classes, was doing some "hands on demos" and selling the machines.  It was getting a little crowded down in my 500 sq ft studio.  So, about a month ago...a friend of mine let me know that a mutual friend of ours was looking to rent a commercial space.  I contacted her and looked at the space...I did my homework and realized that moving into a commercial space was VERY doable and would be good for me and my family (it would be good to have a "workplace"...so I am not constantly working). 

Well, that space ended up being too small and I was VERY disappointed.  In my head I had already moved out!  So, I kept looking to see what else was available...

Then, I found two other locations that might work and the landlords were able to work with me on the lease and rent etc...  However, one ended up needing a lot of build out (I don't have a lot of money up front - need to save it all for inventory etc.); the other the lease was unacceptable...ugh more disappointment!

However, I saw another location right across the parking lot from the unacceptable lease and it had a different phone number, owner and LEASE - YAY! 

After a little back and forth with the lease, lots of money to the lawyer - I just signed it today!!!  Whoooo hoooo!!!  I got the key and everything!!!

During this entire process I have had many ups and downs, but just kept telling myself that if I am supposed to have this it will be mine...if not then it wasn't meant to be...I kept looking for signs and tried to make good decisions and it has happened!!!!  So, I feel very blessed and VERY lead to this opportunity.  I truly feel like it is meant to be (during the moments that I am not nauseous with fear and doubt : D) and plan to do all that I can to take advantage of it!!!

Of course it needs to be painted and needs flooring.  So, now my head is swimming with turning on the power, color schemes, classes and events etc...so much to do - I can't wait!!!  I'll keep ya posted!!!


I will post pictures soon!!! 

What a GREAT Quilt Show by Cabin Branch/Stone House Quilt Guilds!

Wow!  I had a blast this weekend!  I was at the Cabin Branch and Stone House Quilt Show in the Virginia Longarm Booth!!!  They had AMAZING quilts on display; AWESOME vendors (which I was on of them); the volunteers were WONDERFUL and they FED us breakfast and lunch!! 

There were tons of people who went through there and I got to demo all weekend!  I LOVE to demo the Innova Quilting Systems!  I met so many nice people and want to shout out to a new personal friend Julie - she is now the proud owner of a new machine too!!!  Yay Julie!!!!!!!!!!!!!  She contacted me through my website too, so that we can stay in touch throughout her longarm experience! 

Here I am in front of the booth!  We quilted charity quilts for the Cabin Branch Quilt Guild all weekend too.  It is so nice to quilt philanthropy quilts to help out the less fortunate - I am so happy to do it!

We were right by the demonstration booth where they showed all kinds of tips and tricks from everything from cutting to binding : D. 

It was just a GREAT experience and I am so glad that I got to go!  See you there next year!

Tidy Studio - Paralyzed Quilter, but Happy Customers

Recent events have energized me to maximize the space I have in my current studio (I am looking at commercial space for the near future)...love it when the studio is nice & tidy!!!  However, it makes it hard for me to work, because I am NOT a tidy person and I don't want to mess it up - ugh! So, I am usually paralyzed for a while until I just dive in and get busy.

I realized during the last few days that I have quite a bit of space and I need to utilize it better...so I took my weekend and de-cluttered/cleaned/organized my studio...LOVE the results.  However, I had a customer come over today and it was still a little awkward my sitting arrangement...gotta work on that, but I think she enjoyed seeing my studio and I am SUPER excited to work on her quilt for her    : D.

Hopefully this will also encourage others to come and try out the machines.  I have opened up a big space to "hang out", some places to sit and have a door that they come in (so they don't have to walk through the house).