This quilt was made for a reason.  I just don’t really know what it is.  The quilt isn’t finished, but you can read about it here.

Published by Caron Mosey at Michigan Quilts! 2010

Have you ever had your computer crash, and lost your iTunes in the process?  My hubby’s died last November.  We had to take it to the computer doctor (to whom we will never go back) who proceeded to wipe it clean of everything, and oh, forgot to save his iTunes library. 

Today, we finally restored his iTunes to his computer, half a year later.  The songs were on his iPod, so he could still listen to them (all 28 days worth), but he couldn’t add any new music to it. Should you ever have this problem, I strongly recommend using iGadget software, which you can download from the Internet.  It was SO easy to use!!!

I finished the August calendar block today, and I love it!  It just might be my favorite so far!  You’ll see it in a few days… I’m working on the directions.

Hope you had a great weekend! 

Ask yourself this question:

Why do people take quilt classes?

Is it because they…

A) Like to learn new techniques to help them become better quilters

or

B) Have a desire to be around quilty people and be entertained?

Before I begin, let me get this out in the open so that it is already discussed and we can put it past us.  I firmly believe that it is possible to want to do both.  And I believe that a good teacher… a really good teacher… is capable of teaching new techniques effectively in an entertaining manner.    There.  That’s done.

Now, really, think about it.  If you go to any quilt class you will see people from both sides of this discussion.   You will see A) people who really are serious about learning a new technique and want to incorporate that learning into their quilting, and B) people who really don’t care what they learn as long as they are entertained by joking, laughing, giggly, goofy quilt instructors. 

Are you a quilt instructor?  If so, it’s important that you understand that within your classroom, wherever that may be, you WILL have people attending who seriously are there to learn.  They have paid good money that they may have saved a long, long time, and they are serious about their financial commitment.  They will have a notebook with them to take copious notes.  They may sit as close to you as they possibly can, so as not to miss a single word you say.  They will have their camera at hand to take photos of you demonstrating techniques.  They’re probably not as likely to take cute photos of classmates or hand their camera to someone else to get their picture taken with you.  Their goal is knowledge, and you better give it to them.  Lots of it!

Also in your class, you will have students who really believe you are a comedian.  That’s what they want when they come.  They love quilters and anything quilty.  They want to talk fabric, four-patch quilts, and whatever “flavor of the month” pattern is circulating around the Internet and LQS (Local Quilt Shop).  They expect jokes.  They expect silliness.  They are counting on you to be on your best performance in the classroom.  They have a bag of sewing supplies, but their goal really is a good, funny, social atmosphere for their day/evening/week away.  And you better give it to them. Lots of it. 

I’m going to sneak one other person into the mix, just because.    Just because, while you will have both the serious learners and the giggly girls in your group, you are almost always guaranteed one person in the room who knows more than you.  That person will keep you hopping.  S/he will explain to everyone other techniques that might (in his or her opinion) work better than the one you are demonstrating.  S/he will talk about different types of fabrics, where to buy them cheaper, what the other teachers’ philosophies are, and yank your conversation out from under your chin before you can even say “whole cloth trapunto quilt.” 

If you’re a quilt instructor, spend some time before your next class planning for these two-plus-one more scenarios.  A good teacher always prepares well in advance, not just for the lesson itself, but for possible behavioral issues that may arise.  Behavior problems aren’t exclusive to children.  Adults are just children with more practice. 

Too much preparation is a very good thing.

Caron Mosey, Ed.S.

Caron is a former K-12 classroom teacher, elementary principal and university instructor.  She has taught quilting nation-wide, including several years at the AQS shows in Paducah.  

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Published by Caron Mosey at Michigan Quilts! Copyright 2010

Do you have problems being productive?

I’m amazed when I surf through blogs and see the amount of projects some people are able to accomplish.  Here are some suggestions to boost your productivity and squeeze more into your day.

• Get up earlier and start working.  Author Nikki Arana http://www.nikkiarana.com/ and I emailed back and forth a few years ago, and I learned that she is up before the birds, sitting in front of her computer writing.  By the time her husband and family are up, she’s put in 3-4 hours of undisturbed work time.  This doesn’t work for everyone, but you can see the dedication she has for her writing. 
• Keep a list of your projects.  I keep my list on iGoogle.com,  but you can keep yours anywhere that works for you.  I find that by really limiting my list, I stay more focused.  I will not let myself add a new project to the list until something that is already on the list is completed and crossed off.  This really seems to work for me.
• Prepare ahead.  During the last year of my mother’s life, I spent a lot of time by her side.  I had prepared ziplock bags ahead of time.  Each bag had precut pieces for one scrappy Bear’s Paw quilt block.  I made sure I always had a bag with me, and
• inside the bag I would tuck a smaller ziplock bag with a few pins, needle, thread, thimble and  scissors.  Whenever I visited mom, at home, in the hospital or later in her hospice room, I could sit and sew while we talked.  Whenever I’d finish a block, she wanted to touch it, look at it, and rub it on her cheek.   That is a special quilt for me now that mom is gone.
• Establish goals for yourself.  I wanted to force myself to try new things and be more productive, so last fall I decided to do the Block-of-the-month calendar.  That decision has forced me to produce something new every month for one year. While it’s been stressful at times, it has also helped me complete something every 30 days. 
• Don’t watch television without something to do on your lap.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a sewing or knitting project or a laptop computer… if you’re going to sit in front of the T.V., multi-task!
• Keep your main sewing area neat and tidy.  Do as I say, not as I do.  If mine were neater, I would get more done.  Trust me. 

How do you stay productive?  Share your ideas with us by leaving a comment below.

Published by Caron Mosey at Michigan Quilts! 2010