How it all began

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My new passion started just a little while ago.  

The summers are gorgeous up here in the Last Frontier.  Long days and lots of sunshine.  I love working in the yard and look forward to going to the Alaska State Fair every year which is the end of August thru Labor Day. All the exhibits, shows and animals are fun to see.  I remember the first time I  saw the exhibit of all the quilts.   I was in awe of how beautiful they were and how someone could actually make them.  While engrossed in the quilts,  I noticed a name on one of the quilts, my neighbor.  A few days after my visit to the fair I went over to her house and she showed me some of the beautiful quilts she has made.   She put so much love and attention to each and every quilt she made.  I remember her telling me  that I should try it.  You'll love it she said and it will keep you busy through the winter.

A few days later,  I went down to the local fabric store and signed up for a quilting class.  The class was the following week: It's Elementary was the name of the class.  Yep that's me!  The evening of the first class I took my trusty old singer sewing machine, that I had purchased many years ago for the sole purpose of sewing name tapes on my cammies.   I remember being so happy and proud I actually had a sewing machine to take to class.  Maybe I won't look too dumb because at least I have my own machine, right.  WRONG answer!!!!  All these fancy schmancy machines.  Some even ran by themselves, how could that be I thought.  Ok be cool, take a deep breath, I said to myself and then I saw a friend.  Thank god, she came over and sat by me.  I felt so much better with my little ol' machine.  I sure hoped it worked as it had been all over the world during my travels in the military.  I was afraid to see if it still worked before going to the class because I am the type, if it doesn't work then I have an excuse not to go. And I knew I really wanted to learn how to make a quilt.   I got my machine all plugged in and ready to go.  I listened and followed the instructor, I was happy to see what we were making.  We started by cutting shapes with our rotary cutter.  How cool is this little thing I thought.  but mine isn't working very well.  Here I'll fix it the Instructor said.  You're a lefty.  I'll switch the blade around.  I cut out all my squares and triangles and was pretty proud of myself I kept up with everyone else.   Then the shock came :  Start your machines.....We have to sew the shapes together to form our finished block.  No problem I thought.  She showed us how to do this.  I heard some buzzing of machines going, ladies laughing and chatting.  I was ready machine threaded: check, fabric ready: check and foot in the down position: check.  I looked around and saw what others were doing and I knew I could at least sew two piece of fabric together, I mean how hard is that right?  Ok....ready to put the treadle to the metal!  What in the world is wrong with my machine... the noise my machine made, I was embarrassed.  Clunkity clunk!!!  Why is my machine so loud???  The instructor came over and said when was the last time you oiled your machine.  Uhhh, I dunno OIL?!?!?!  Here I've got some.  She showed me how to oil my machine.  I've never done that before.  It's Elementary, right!  Well, it was still running rough compared to everyone else's nice machines.  We had a break and I had to check out some of the other machines.  Bernina, Pfaff and, Janome...where in the world are these from I thought.  I knew of Singer and Kenmore.  My machine was like a old Pinto amongst these Cadillacs & BMW's.  


Needless to say I finished the four week class and learned a lot about sewing, binding and quilting.  Not an expert by any means, but enough to get me started on my own.  First purchase was a new machine.  I have to chuckle when I saw my friend's post "the Kingergartencrafter" about buying a sewing machine.  I remember looking for my new machine.  And I LOVE my Janome.  Got me one of those fancy schmancy machines.  My husband said if you are going to sew you might as well do it with the right machine.