I have a bag packed to go spend the day with a friend tomorrow. The bag is full of some of my projects - both finished and not - and all sorts of quilty things. She is seeking my expertise as she starts her first quilt - a baby quilt. Our hope tomorrow is to choose a pattern - I've sent her several ideas to consider - all easy-peasy ones, buy fabric to go with some nursery rhyme fabric she found at a thrift store, and get her pieces cut. Our husbands will tag along and have a great day catching up with news and events. My biggest concern will be helping her choose the right amount of fabric, but ... will go for more rather than less and she can just start building her stash. :) It feels so strange to be THE EXPERT at something I've done for just a few short months, but ... I'm a teacher and in my 32 years in the classroom have found that you don't put the kid who GETS IT to teach the child who doesn't. You put someone who knows just half a bubble more than the child who knows very little. They will both learn in the process and be so proud of each other. I see this happen just about daily and hope it happens for us tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Just have a fun day!!!

We'll definately do that! Hope we don't visit too much to get her nicely started, though. She's been asking for help on this for a couple of months. We just live about 2 hours apart, but life sure gets in the way of getting together very often. The bonus is that our husbands enjoy visiting as much as we do.

Best of luck! I'm sure you won't need it though. It will be good fun and you will have quilting board to back you up if you need help. Happy planning and quilting!

the ten min block is very easy....that may be a good one for toy two to start on. I like the look of the 8 inch sqaures and not folding back the edges. if you use the center as all one solid color you can do pairs on the others...that way you can use fat quarters and not have to worry about not having enough of the same fabric.

You are going to such a fun day. Sounds like my kind of thing. Going to go sew with my mother today. Much fun to be had by all.

Sounds like a wonderful way to spend the day.

Sounds like fun!

I think you could teach her more than a so-called expert - because she won't feel so intimidated or inept. And my guess is you'll learn exactly what questions you need to ask (and can ask the board!). That will make you both better quilters! A win-win situation.

What a fun day for you both and you are a thoughtful person and a good friend to teach her a trick or two!!

Have a grand time! This now will be a good excuse to get together more often!

Have a fun day. I am sure that you will both learn things and enjoy doing it.

Have a fun day! Enjoy the fellowship and the quilting!

Sounds like lots of fun!

I love your description of pairing up the child who knows half a bubble more with the child who knows very little. I'm sure you will have lots of fun and will help your friend in the process.

Hope you both have a terrific time.

Wow, Wish I was there I would join you two!!!

I bet you have a lot of fun! :D:D:D

Okay - here's my report from our day. We picked out a pattern that had solid blocks (we'll fussy cut from her nursery rhyme fabric) alternating with 2 different 9 patches. One yellow solid/yellow gingham and the other pink solid/pink gingham. This quilt is for a grandgirl due in May.

We got the fabrics pretty easily, had a nice lunch - our husbands are flowing along with us - talking away. My husband is shopping for more fabric - he enables my habit. Got back to her house to begin cutting and .... I .... messed.... up. Big time. Someday I WILL plan carefully, read carefully, double check, double read, whatever it takes. But not today. I so carefully and lovingly fussy cut her precious fabric - found at a thrift shop so no source for more - into 6.5 inch blocks. They were beautiful to see. THen read the pattern for the next step - to see that the blocks should have been 8 inches.

Talked through several options - with me shaking I was so upset with me - then came up with sashing the blocks to make them 8 inches and continuing as planned. It worked. It may be even better as each block will be framed, but ... pooey, pooey, pooey.

Got everything cut. GOt her focus blocks laid out and bagged up so she can't mess them up when she starts putting things together. I know I'll see her often in the next couple of months. Hard to remember what you don't know when you don't know anything..... I think she'll be okay until it's time to sandwich the thing.

Check out the pics of this precious fabric. She thinks she paid 25 cents total for it - one large piece - maybe 1/2 yd, one small piece - 1/8 yd?, one tiny piece.

Cute fabric. Actually this will be the best training of all for your friend - learning to recover from a mistake, which happens to all of us from time to time.

sounds like a fun day...we do that often..have some friends over and quilt away

Cute Fabric!! Don't consider it a booboo, just a change of the design, No Worries !!

Sounds like you are going to have a wonderful day! Have fun! :)

You both have a wonderful time! As a teacher, you know that "as we teach, we learn."

Sounds like a great day. Always rewarding to be able to share knowledge!

Your friend is lucky to have you help her. I'm pretty much learning on my own. I belong to a guild but the ladys only have a short time to help.
Have a great time! :D

Wish you luck and know you both will have a fantastic day! Wish I had a local quilt buddy.

Sure sounds like a fun day. Enjoy

That is so nice, I hope you have a fun filled day, the best part is you are helpin your friend. My friends will not even consider sewing much less quilting.

so enjoy your day and have a blast! Details when you return please - we want to learn too!

oops saw your post - pretty fabrics and cool costs!

Have fun! Seems you and I have the same number of years in the classroom and the same ideas about how to pair up students! Do you have trouble fitting quilting in with everything else you have to do? By the time I get plans finished, papers graded, etc, I have very little "me" time. Hoping for a snow day this week!

Good luck and sounds like fun.

Good luck and above all, have fun!!

Finding time.... I'm a music teacher so don't have to deal with the papers to grade. But... I teach piano lessons after school - usually 2 - 3 hours Monday - Thursdays. I use Friday afternoons for make-up lessons.

The secret to having time to quilt is ... just don't sleep! I sew from around 8 or 9 - ? most nights. I try to stop at 11:00, but it may be 2:00 AM a time or two each week. Some weekends I get a lot of sewing in, but some - none at all.

I did, too! How cute! And, I think, so true! Bless you, and have a wonderful day!

Me too

:thumbup:

Sounds like you are going to have a fabulous day - enjoy

I think it's going to be adorable! I love the nursery rhyme fabric. The "oops" sounds like something I could do too! I was told to think of it this way: since you are putting on sashing, you have altered the pattern and don't have to worry about a copyright infringement! :D

Have a blast!

Hey JanTX, I know what you mean; I have only been quilting for 14 months and I have been teaching a quilting class for 8 months. My saving grace is I have been sewing for over 40 years and I am not the perfectionist I use to be (I mellowed in my old age). You can DO IT! Just have fun!