My big day

I felt like I hadn't slept all night. I started watching the clock around 6 because light was coming in around the edge of the curtains. I don't know if it was the thought of teaching the class, or caffeine in the tea they served with supper. At 6:23 I got up to take a shower. After dressing I went to the hotel restaurant to get a spoon to eat my breakfast mix. The event organizer was there and she gave me two meal passes, one for me and one for Lisa. I ate in the room and gave Lisa the passes. I read e-mail until 7:30 when I loaded all my class stuff on a cart, some of it hanging on my shoulder. I was halfway to the elevator when I realized that I had forgotten my shoes. When I got to the room, there were women setting up their machines. Apparently they come early to get a good seat. I set up my display and looked at the outlet situation. I did not want any power problems during class. I put my samples on a piece of flannel thrown over my whiteboard. But even though I leaned the whiteboard against a box, it was not stable, and just the moving of pieces knocked it down. I introduced myself and how I came up with my quilt design. Then I passed out the handout. During the night, I tried to console myself with the thought that even if I lost the power of speech, it would be ok because everything they needed to know was in the handout. But I don't think they read it. Over and over I was asked questions that were clearly explained in the text. Ok, so I don't mind feeling needed. But how will I know if the instructions make sense to them? Anyway, when I wasn't answering questions or trimming someone's block, I walked around the room to check on each person's progress. I learned to do that teaching high school math. I spotted a few potential problems. I made mental notes to address those in the handout - in case someone might read it. My focus was on teaching them how to make this particular quilt. But some ladies needed to have the very basics explained - like quarter inch seams, lining up the edges and matching the corners. I made a note to be prepared for that next time - if there is a next time. I was mortified when I cut someone's block wrong. Somehow the cutter did not stay next to the ruler. She was very gracious about it and there was nothing I could do. But I made a note to bring fusible interfacing next time. Lisa sat in on the beginning of class, and then left. Her daughter drove in from Nashville to have a free breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Class was officially over at 11, but some of the students stayed to work and that was fine with me. I really thought most would leave with a finished quilt top, but no one did. Part of the problem was that there weren't enough large cutting mats and rulers. It created a bottleneck at the cutting table. I did take a few pictures of finished centers, which a good handful did finish. Theresa used black and yellow fabrics for her background. It was striking and I can't believe I did not get a pic of it. One lady 'audited' the class. She had cut out the piece, but inadvertently left them at home. I can understand that. What I can't understand is why she cut them out. She told me at least twice that she thought the pic of my quilt in the flyer was ugly (black and white) so she didn't want to take the class. But she said she liked it when she saw it in person (in color). Ok, so when the last student left, Lisa gave me her keys. I went to the room to pack up, eat my packed lunch (eggs and an orange), and put my stuff in her vehicle. I also checked out and turned in the room cards. I helped Lisa set up for her class. Dad had called during my class when I couldn't answer. So I called him back just before Lisa's class. I wished him and Mom a happy anniversary. It was a day late. Then I got a chair so I could sit on Lisa's class. She had 25 students so the room was really full. After her intro, she passed out her handout. It was only two pages. One had a pic and a few paragraphs. The other was hand drawn diagrams. She got so few questions that she got out her machine and started making another quilt. I did not sit for a moment during my class. I walked around her class, looking at what the ladies were choosing for their strips. Some had been in my class, too. I talked to Theresa, who had the neatest folding sewing table. Like me, she washed her fabric because of the chemicals in it. A lady visited from the class next door. She had taken the bargello circle class and was able to explain to me how it was done. I was excited to try it. Class was officially over at 4. But the ladies stayed to work. We stayed for a bit, then packed up and left at 4:45. On the way home, Lisa told me that people don't read handouts and that mine had too much text. Even she couldn't read it. She recommended relying on the diagrams. I didn't know what to think because everything I wrote down was something they needed to know. Maybe her quilt was just that much simpler to make than mine? She dropped me off at home just before 7. Chris helped me bring the stuff in. I told him about my trip. I read e-mail and ate supper. I picked a cucumber. We went downstairs to watch Forever Knight. I had seen it years ago, but did not remember that it was so 'suggestive' and disturbing. I nearly fell asleep watching, but rallied to stay awake until the episode was over. I should have accepted the gift of sleep when it came, since later we went straight to bed. But then I could not sleep.