Quiltingboard Forums - Hi from New Jersey

I am a complete newbie to quilting. I have had a machine for years but was too busy with kids and a business to even sit and try to see where my interests would take me with it. However, I just completed the front of a jelly roll quilt and will be "sandwiching" it soon to finish. Let me say that just in doing that little bit of sewing, I am hooked!! I never sit still that long and was surprised how the day flew by. I really didn't even want to go to bed.
The main reason I started the quilt is because a very good friend who is involved in Golden Retriever Rescue with me just lost everything they own in a fire out in Montana. This dear friend only attends two fund raisers a year for her rescue and that is how I met her.
Every year she customizes a quilt for raffle with photos on it of everyone's dogs from camp the year before. I think the first thing she said after knowing they had lost everything was that she was devastated that the quilt was gone. Our rescue, camping event is next month and I was hoping to at least finish a project or two to add to the auctions so it would benefit her rescue.
I am excited to be here and have already found where I will be taking lessons this (nasty crappy) winter. I think I even talked my daughter (26) into joining me which will really be neat.
Reading through the posts here has already helped me many times..
Back to the machine I go..
Debbie
aka Dog Nut
New Jersey