Having arranged my schedule to leave a day early, I planned to have some time to do a little site seeing. Before leaving home I was looking on-line for local tourist attractions. I settled for whale watching. I was going to see (Orca's) killer whales!! I chose a small boat with a maximum of 6 whale watchers to get a more personal experience. After arriving at the hotel on the first night, I looked on my computer to see where I would be driving the next morning to get on the boat. To my surprise, it showed the drive to be 3 1/2 hours away!! Oh-my, I hadn't done enough research when I booked the tour. I had a difficult time deciding if I wanted to drive 3 1/2 (three and one-half) hours one way to see whales. I text my sister to whine, and asked her if the drive would be worth it. She said 'yes'. I thought she was nuts! I made up my mind to go, with her encouragement. I was dreading the drive. After texting her I got on-line to see if there was a shorter way. I found a ferry going to Friday Harbor, where the tour was at. The ferry was about 2 1/4 hours from me. I could catch the ferry, shorten my drive, and ride it to Friday Harbor where I needed to get on the boat. Problem solved! I made reservations for the 8:30 AM ferry. I would leave at 5:45 - 6:00. The next morning I woke up suddenly, and felt like I was late. I looked at my clock, and my alarm had not gone off. I mistakenly set it for PM, instead of AM. I was already late, but I headed out anyway. I set my google map for Anacortes Ferry, and took off. Morning traffic in Seattle is bumper to bumper. I was getting further behind schedule, but kept going. Arriving in Anacortes Ferry at 8:26. I figured I was too late. I pulled up at the pay booth, and told the attendant I had a reservation for the 8:30 ferry. She said I was just in time, but there wasn't enough time for me to ask questions. I'd never been on a ferry before. She motioned me toward a line of cars. I pulled to the end of the line just as it was loading onto the ferry. Once our line of cars loaded, the gate to the ferry closed, and the ferry took off from the dock! I had made it! (God watches out for those who can't watch out for themselves). I got out of my car, and walked up to the passenger lounge. After walking around checking out the ferry, I found a couple of women (looked like kindred spirit) sitting on some benches. I sat across from them, and started a conversation. We talked for a while, and I told them I came to Seattle to learn how to operate my Long Arm Quilting Machine. To my pleasant surprise, they quilted also. Now I know why I felt a kindred spirit with them (God makes wonderful women in every corner of this great country). We had a great visit. At one time during the conversation I told them about my luck in finding the ferry because I was going to have to drive 3 1/2 hours to see the whales. At my astonishment, they began to laugh. They informed me the ferry was 'the only way' to get to Friday Harbor, and there was no road. They assured me I could not drive to Friday Harbor!! (God watches out for those who cannot watch out for themselves). I enjoyed Friday Harbor and the whales. It was an adventurous day. I made it back safely to the hotel, and was exhausted.
Classes began Friday morning, and ended Monday afternoon. There is no way to tell all that we were taught. It was 4 days packed with tons of information. Everything from loading the bobbins, patterns, thread, business cards, work orders, fabric quality, dealing with difficult customers, binding, templates, etc. It was definitely information overload. I met 4 wonderful women also interested in long arm quilting. Some of the ladies had machines, and some were just checking out the possibility. Each of us was at a different place in our quilting journey, but each of us had passion for the quilting process. It was a great group of women! Our teacher, Cindy Roth, made each of us feel right at home. The classes were in the most perfect atmosphere, at her kitchen table. Cindy opened up her home, and treated each of us like we belonged there. Such a relaxing way to conduct class. The added benefit I was not expecting, was at the conclusion of classes Cindy provided each of us with cd's to refer back to when we had questions about anything taught. What a great gesture and a great treasure. Instant information when we run into a problem.
Longarm University, Seattle, WA
If I were someone considering getting a longarm, or if I had a longarm, I would seriously consider attending the Longarm University classes. The days are packed with information from educated instructors that have been in the business for years. They can answer any question you have about a longarm business. It is an all inclusive set of classes for anyone considering a longarm business, or just anyone wanting to learn about the longarm machine.
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