Being Brave...... with a little help from my friends.....

It has been awhile since I posted.....  But actually it has been for a good reason.  I joined my first ever blog party (July 13-14) so I have been frantically creating in my craft room so I would have some pieces to show.  I also have been working on cheering up my home too.  So it has been for a good reason.  


As long as I can remember I have wanted to quilt... to be a quilter......


I have dabbled a bit, read A LOT of books, articles and blogs on this subject... but never ever took the plunge.  I have cut a million little squares and triangles to make a Jacob's ladder quilt, only to make two blocks because I realized I was using a fabric that was not easy to quilt with.  I made a couple of crazy log cabin blocks, but have not finished it.  


So, I started..... I just never followed through.  


I have a wonderful friend who moved out of state.  (I miss her dearly).  She  wanted to explore the medium of watercolor.  She had mentioned it a couple times when she still lived here.  So after she got settled in her new home, she found a class, joined and is now preparing for a show!  How awesome is that!!!!  She set an example for me..... if you want to learn something - go for it.  You never know what will happen if you do not try.  


Now, let me get this straight.... I am not so delusional to think that I will be as truly artistic and fabulous as my friend is with watercolors, in the quilting world.... but it is sure nice to dream....  


At church a couple of weeks ago, another friend, out of the blue, mentioned she wanted to learn to quilt.  My ears perked up and I told her that I had the same wish.  So we talked and thought it would be fun to take a class.  Tick one thing off our bucket list.  My job was to find a store in our area and see about classes.  Since I did not write it down or put a notation in my phone..... I promptly and completely forgot about it.  Yep.... it was gone!  Life has a way of getting me all jumbled up sometimes.  


So it was to my complete surprise and utter joy when I got a text from my friend telling me SHE found a store.  And it was ten minutes away from our homes and offer classes year round!  So we set up a time to go and visit the store for that Saturday.  We originally wanted to take a hand piecing class.  

Quilter's Bee.....oh that store is great.  There are bolts of colorful fabric everywhere, fat quarters and quilts - gorgeous quilts - all over the walls AND it shares a wall with a sub sandwich shop so it smells like fresh baked bread..... yes... fabric, quilts and fresh baked bread.  What more can this girl ask for.  


My friend and I promptly signed up for Quilting 101!  That's right - no arguing, no hemming and hawing... just whipped out the credit card and signed right up!  We will make a beautiful small quilt in five 3 hour classes.  I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am.  The best part is that they let us have another class "BeeCome a Sewer" for free. My friend dubbed it "Bobbin 101."  It is a class designed to help you become familiar with your sewing machine.....  


Margaret at the Quilter's Bee is a dream teacher (super patient!)   We had our class in BeeComing a Sewer on Monday night. I was pretty confident that I was threading my sewing machine correctly - but was definitely struggling with my bobbin.  Apparently I was probably only putting my bobbin in my machine correctly only about 50% of the time.  So, we learned a few tricks - like do not have your stitches so small - they are hard to rip out if needed.  So we now have a healthy partnership with our sewing machines - no more fear.  The best part was watching my friend who was super scared of her machine and struggled with it for 30 years, become confident!  It was awesome to see her light up when she was able to thread her machine without Margaret prompting her.  Pretty amazing.  


My homework is to purchase a 1/4 foot for my machine because it will make sewing the pieces together much easier.  So I was researching on the internet.... the lovely "lets google it!"  Well, in my research I came across another blogger who has the same sewing machine as I do.  I replied to one of her posts about machine feet and she sent me a note and offered to mail me a 1/4 inch foot if she had one.  How generous and wonderful is that!  I tell you - I love all my new blogger friends!  


So I feel brave, maybe still a little nervous......  but with a little help from my old friends.......and now with new ones.... I will get a little bit braver.