Seven Days and Counting...

Last March, in 2012 I received an email from Cherie, a fellow blogger, asking if I would be interested in speaking and teaching a workshop at Quintessential Quilts 2013.

I had to write up a proposal and quote a price.

Then I had to wait for approval. When that came, I had to prepare the speech and the class.

First, I had to know WHAT to talk about. I had an idea, and every day I'd tell the story in my head, rearranging the words and the emphasis.

I wrote the first version, thought it was pretty good, but hated it when I read it the next day.

The day after that it didn't sound so bad.

I shipped my quilts to Julie, in Tennessee. I'll fly to Memphis next week and we'll drive to St Louis together. I've been talking and emailing Julie for four years. Finally we get to meet each other in person.

I rewrote the speech.

I've sent Cherie all the handouts for the class. Julie has the class samples and the demos.

I rewrote the speech again.

It was better, but there was this very clunky part that I had committed to (ie: the title) and couldn't change.

I rewrote it again, then started adding photographs.

After each rewrite, I'd read it aloud. It was getting there, but the title still didn't connect to the speech itself. It was clunky. Finally the other day, driving home from work, I got it. I knew how to deal with the clunky part and connect it to the rest of the story.  I found the hook.

I'm finished. It prints out at 33 pages double spaced - the font is large so I can read it at a distance easily. It's about 4,333 words and is about 40 minutes long. It's full of yellow highlights when the slides needs to be changed. It's all printed, and it's in a small three-ring binder, so it will be easy for me to turn the pages while I speak. There are 89 photographs.

I had to buy a remote control device for my laptop.

The photographs are all ready, and are in sequence. They've been endlessly rearranged as well.


I've had extra business cards and postcards printed, and sent those, along with some evil little chocolates as gifts for my hosts, to Julie. All this stuff won't fit in my teeny tiny suitcase.

The suitcase is almost packed. I may change a few items depending on the weather.

It's seven days away, and I'm ready.

What shall I do in the seven days? Clean the house, clean the studio, and practice the speech every day.

One other thing.

None of this would be happening without the wonderful conversations I have with all of you who read this blog.  You give me suggestions, you ask questions which I try to answer, and you listen to me spout off on this topic or that one.  I would never have been invited to speak at Quintessential Quilts 2013 had I not had this blog.

My life took a dramatic turn in 2006 when I adopted Millie. That's a story in and of itself, and I am trying to write a book about it. I've got the first draft. When I get back from St Louis, I have to hammer that thing into shape.

But preparing for the speech at QQ2013 made me review all the quilts I had made since 2007, and look at my blog posts. There's another book in there, and I want to write that one too.

So thank you, each and every one of you, for being a part of the conversation.  You have changed my life, and for that I am profoundly grateful.

And if any of you happen to be in St Louis on Sunday October 6, come listen to me talk, and please, come up and say hello. I'd love to meet you. I've spent this entire quilting journey almost by myself. It's time to put faces to the names.

Thanks.