Monday, April 10, 2017

To say I am exhausted would not be an exaggeration. I think since Thursday I have averaged about five hours of sleep each night, and at least one of those nights I was battling a stomach bug (or just a case of being over-the-top tired).

Friday was set-up day and I was at the hall by eight in the morning. My first job for the show was to get the coffee and tea on for the crew who would start to arrive around 8:30. The Boutique check-in didn’t start until ten but up until them I was shifting tables, moving chairs, sorting quilts and helping out wherever I could.

We only had 14 people with items to sell in the Boutique but some of those members had up to six pages (with 18 slots on each page) of items that each had to be numbered and checked-in. It didn’t help that we had one member (with six pages) who didn’t show up until after noon (which was supposed to be the cut-off); she didn’t have her items tagged or her inventory sheets written and, as you can imagine, her name was mud for the rest of the weekend.

After check-in was done we had to wait until the sales tables were draped (to make them look pretty) before we could start arranging the items for sale; I made a quick trip home to bring some baskets to corral some of the smaller items. We finished setting things up about 2 PM but I had to wait until the Merchant’s Mall was more or less finished so I could clean up the tea and coffee (we needed the urns for the House Concert on Saturday). I wasn’t home until about 5 and then I had to make some last-minute changes to my transportation list as the numbers kept changing for who needed rides to and from the ferries. When that was done I was able to start on my cleaning for the House Concert. I completely ran out of energy about 9 PM and left Pat a few tasks to complete in the morning (and I didn’t particularly care whether or not they got done).

Saturday morning I was at the hall by 9 to do last-minute tags on the quilts that were for sale but were also hung in the show. We were open for business by 10 and the crowds arrived as soon as the doors opened. We were selling steadily all day Saturday; I worked the Admissions table from noon until 2 PM and there was no slow down at all. At the close of the show (5 PM) my Boutique partner and I did some bookkeeping work. I came home, emptied the cash box, and got our float ready for Sunday. By about 6:15 I was finally able to sit down for a sandwich before folks started arriving for the House Concert.

Had the performers not been so great I think I would have resented everyone even being in the house. We had a couple of no-shows so I snagged quite a comfy chair in one of the corners for the first half of the show. There was no way I could trust myself to sit there for the second half as I was afraid I would fall asleep; I sat on a stool in the corner of the kitchen. After the concert I did as much clean-up as I could and then ran a load of dishes through the dishwasher. Although I wasn’t adding much to the conversation I sat up with Pat and our guests until about 11:30; once one of them headed to bed I felt it was okay for me to do the same.

Sunday wasn’t as busy at the show but it never is. I was in the Boutique for two shifts and did a mid-afternoon shift at the raffle table. It was a scramble after the show to get all the items that didn’t sell checked out of the Boutique, a job that wasn’t made any easier by the crew taking down drapes, quilts and quilt stands. It was after 6 when I got home and I can assure you I didn’t do anything for the rest of the evening. I had an early night and felt ready to get up at 6:30 this morning. I may not have been as rested as I thought though; I caught myself putting the cream for my coffee into my water glass!

My Boutique partner and I met this morning to finish the bookkeeping and sort out the money. We panicked a bit on our first run-through as we were “out” by a lot of money. However on the 3rd time through we had everything sorted out and we balanced. We were both a little giddy when we realized we didn’t have the shortfall we thought we did; neither of us know why or how it eventually worked out but we decided not to try to figure it out.

As I was packing up to come home from Kathleen’s she gave me this lovely bag in thanks for all of my help. Aren’t I the lucky one? Oh, and speaking of luck, I almost forgot for a second time. I won one of the raffles for a bundle of fat quarters; when they announced me as a winner I was involved with sorting out the Boutique and it wasn’t until I got home and was sitting in the chair that I realized I hadn’t gone to the prize table to pick up my bundle. I’ll get it tomorrow at the bee.

For the rest of the week – or for as many days as it takes – I’ll put up some photos from the show.

Thursday, April 6, 2017

I’ve just finished itemizing and pricing my items for the Boutique. I only have ten items – not what I thought I might get done but at least it is something.

I also have all my show items labeled and in the bags ready for transport. We are supplied XXL zippered plastic bags with strict instructions on how the quilt label goes on and what shows through the plastic. It seems sort of silly when all you are putting in is a 5″ x 5″ fabric card, but they asked for it so they are getting it.

My car will be full tomorrow. I already have two tables loaded and a box of White Elephant items from a Guild member who won’t be at the show. I’ve got several bags full of items and lists on top of each of them so I know what to add at the last minute. I have lists for Friday, I have lists for Saturday, and Sunday I will have to reverse all those lists to make sure I bring everything home again.

I went out just before lunch and got the coffee supplies (both for set-up and the House Concert) and the float for the Boutique. I’ll go have my shower now and then I’ll have to finish packing up for tonight’s meeting. I managed to get my report written this morning since most of what I report on comes through e-mail and I had to sort through my e-mail to get all the show information I needed.

And I still have two sets of placemats that need to have the hand stitching done. It will be a late night again (I was up stitching until past midnight last night).

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

I was working on placemats today at the bee. Since I needed to do some straight line stitching as well as some free-motion quilting I took my SUV. I hadn’t had a chance to use the walking foot on the machine before today and, once I figured out how to attach it, I was very happy with how it worked. I finished all the straight lines on the eight placemats and then moved on to the free-motion quilting.

The machine is very noisy when I free motion, and it bounces around a lot. I need to do some investigating to see if there is something I’m doing wrong or if it just the way the machine works. It seems to me that the foot, even when lowered, is a long way from the top of the sandwich – certainly much different from Ruby. When I ran out of bobbin thread just before two I decided to quit and come home.

Once I got home I finished the free-motion on one set of placemats. I hadn’t stabilized the edges on the first set and decided I wanted to do that on the others before I did any free-motion quilting. Ruby was set up with the free-motion foot, the SUV was set up with the free-motion foot, so I got Pearl out of the case. My desk is covered with “stuff” so I set Pearl on the outer edge of Ruby’s table and they got along very well!

I’d better get back to it as tomorrow I’ll have to take a break and work on my Cranberry Hall reports.

Monday, April 3, 2017

This is going to be a busy, busy week. I’ve been working hard to get some items ready for sale at the show. I’ll be lucky if I get everything done that I have started.

I finished stitching the binding on the fabric basket I made. If it doesn’t sell I’ll have lots of places in my sewing room that I can use it.

I made two table topper wreaths with the pattern I used for Christmas. These ones aren’t made from Christmas fabric and, if they don’t sell, I’ll use them on our patio tables. I’ll take along the lovely candle that Elizabeth gave us for Christmas but I’ll have a big sticker on it that says “For Display Only”.

Today I cut and stitched four sets of placemats; I used a novelty panel and there are only two placemats in each set. I hope to get them basted tonight and I’ll work on quilting them at the bee tomorrow.

I have one more project I’d like to get done but I’m quickly running out of time. Somehow I ended up in charge of transportation from the ferry to the show and I’m having to go begging (again) for more drivers. This morning when I was out to the post office I picked up a lot of the odds and ends I need for the show; I’ll still have to do another run on Thursday.

Somewhere between now and Wednesday night I have to get my Cranberry Hall work done and reports written. I also have a Guild meeting on Thursday but if their reports don’t get done it will be because I’m working on other Guild things.