I spent an hour or so last week perusing the class selection for Road2CA next year and figured out what classes I wanted to sign up for.  This morning at 9am PST the registration site opened up and I was able to get all the classes I wanted to.  I was a little worried as I had heard horror stories last year about how quick the classes filled up.  The recent news about QuiltCon 2017 and their registration issues didn’t help.  But I was able to get my picks relatively easy.  I did spend more time at the end when I realized how much everything added up to so I had to remove a class here or there to bring down the price.  I was disappointed that one of the items I looked forward to last year was not included.  I mentioned it when I went to Road and it was a lecture/tour of the quilts that won and the reasons that they won.  Our guide went into detail as to what judges look for and what goes into deciding what wins.  I really enjoyed it.  I hope that as we get closer to Road this gets added to the program.

I signed up for a couple of long arm classes.  One with Innova and another with Gammill.  I wish they had an APQS class too as I think I’ll be ready to purchase a long arm at the next Road.  I’ve decided that I like to long arm but my Bailey is just not cutting it.  It was a great entry level machine to get me hooked and learn that I will use it pretty regularly.  But I’m ready to start working with a machine that has BSR.  I would love to get a machine with a computer but my budget will probably not allow me to do that.  So ideally I would get a machine where I could at some future add a computer.  I am using these classes to get some real playtime with the machines.  That’s why I would have liked to play with an APQS machine as well.

My local shop sells the Bernina long arm but that’s way out of my price range.  I know that there are discounts at Road so I’ll have to check those out anyway and, if I am open to the price, see if my local shop would honor those discounts.  I heard that they did last year so we’ll have to see.  I did talk to someone at the shop when I picked up mine and the girls sewing machines this week so hopefully I’ll be able to play with the machine a bit this year to try it out.

In regards to QuiltCon 2017 in Savannah.  I enjoyed QuiltCon in Pasadena but it wasn’t as big as Road so at the time I wasn’t thinking about going to Savannah next year.  With the cost of airfare and lodgings, it didn’t seem worth it.  However, I enjoyed my brief time in Savannah a couple of weeks ago and would love to go back for a longer stay.  Going during QuiltCon might be interesting and fun.  Not to mention the added benefit of getting to meet a bunch of #twilters planning to meet up.  I’m still debating this in my head so… I may decide to do this at the last minute or not.  I’m still thinking about PIQF in October 2017 too so… decisions will need to be made.

I’ve been a little slack in my posting since returning from vacation.  I have been a little disoriented, lack of focus, uncertain as to what to do.  I thought unpacking and getting myself organized would help but it hasn’t.  Every project I tried to get into was started but then quickly abandoned for one reason or another.  I forced myself to get back into quilting Moon Glow last night and I hope finishing the quilting will spur me past this.

~happy quilting friends!

~Melanie