Day 12

Read up on some quilting long arm businesses.  Hubby didn't call the contractor back yet. 

Day 11

Today we made progress.  I was awoken in the morning with loud noises from the back yard.  Hubby moved all the loose items and Steve's items out of the garage and onto the patio.  All that is left now are my patterns and fabric to put in organizers. 
Behind the garage:

We celebrated our work today by eating across the from The Queeen Mary, and watched the sun set. 



Before clearing out of the garage:

Looks better, all those boxes I have to go through.  Monday Rusty is suppose to get the money or half the money out for the contractor to order our window.  And maybe, just maybe we might go look at sheds tomorrow.  Keeping fingers cross.

Day 10

Day 10, hum, actually my birthday.  Thought maybe I'd get a shed but not the case.  Got my book, Make Money Quilting.  So I shall start reading that and seeing what new and exciting insight and helpful information I can pull out of the book. 

Day 9

Today was a great day forward.  Didn't think it would happen, but I had to purchase some more Christmas fabric.  Making all the kids their own place mats.  Tonight was our monthly guild meeting and cousin Joanne went with.  Big Christmas feast, and we had a guest speaker from SewCalGal talk about the "emerging opportunities for Quilters on the Internet.  Great insight and she gave us a handbook on some very important pointers. 
Tomorrow is my birthday.  Hubby will of course want to do what he does best, out to dinner.  I on the other hand wish we could go out shed shopping.  Saturday we could walk on cement and build the shed if we had it.  Keeping fingers crossed and saying a prayer tonight.  Our talk with SewCalGal was very encouraging.  She said that we really wouldn't need to start a business via website because we would have all the business we needed by networking and "blogging!  How about that. 
Can we say : SHED, CLEAN OUT GARAGE, GET CONTRACTOR STARTED?? 

http://www.sewcalgalblogspot.com/

Day 8

Trying to stay positive in this process.  I guess it is a dream that will never come about as far as having my Hubby excited and willing to help me get the garage done so I can purchase and bring home the long arm.  If, (for Joanne, "WHEN") it happens, I'm extremely sadden to admit, it won't be because of his loving support, it will happen despite all his negative and non supportive willingness to be involved.  That being said I did purchase two books and one software program today.  A birthday present to myself, and for my quilting business.
1st book:
2nd book: 
Software:    


I am also looking forward to our Quilter's By The Sea monthly meeting tomorrow.  We will give Sonia our club President her departing quilt that many of us made a block for.  I embroidered a tiger block.  Then we will make our community relations donation quilts.  We will have a guest speaker on how to start and run a business on a website.  Looking forward to it.

Day 7

Not much today.  I set up some barricades for Cassie so she can again use her doggy door and not leave her little foot prints in our new cement.  Hubby claims he is exhausted from having the cement job done.  Tried to remind him he did nothing but went to work like he has done for the last 42 years, came home and it was done.  So not sure how long this is going to take.  I might have to get aggressive and totally take charge.  This won't be that easy of a job, when I am be tormented by the thoughts of buying a motor home my brother found me and taking off with Cassie.  Enjoying exploring our country, getting a different perspective on everything.  And stopping off at quilt shops.  I am going to order a couple long arm quilting books on line tonight.  Must still find away to move toward my goals. 

Day 6

Today started at 7:00 am when the workers came to start their digging up the grass and dirt in the back yard behind the garage.

Then they started laying these medal poles and tied them together to give support for the cement.

Day 5

The before picture of the area behind the garage.  The men are coming tomorrow morning at 7:00am to dig up the grass, kill the seed, then lay down wood frames and medal frames, then back a big mixing truck in the back and pour out the cement.  It's been raining all evening, so I am hoping that won't change the plans any.  Hope to blog after pictures tomorrow night.  Remember I need the cement ground in order to buy and build a shed to store items in garage . . . SO WE CAN START THE WORK IN THERE.   Have a good evening.

Day 4

It is almost mid-night, just got home from SewVac where I took a break from my fussing over the garage.  I enjoyed working on Celina's 9th birthday quilt.  This one is going to be special!  Today I took some before pictures of the back of the garage, I'll post them tomorrow.  And today the cement contractor came by to seal the deal for the work, which will begin 7:00 am Monday morning!  Can you believe it?  First the cement, then the shed, then the emptying of the garage, then the remolding the garage.  It's been a great day.  So as I sit up in my bed, with my Cassie Poodle laying on my lap with her head on my notebook, I shall say good night to all. 

Day 3

WELL, Quilting Cousins is looking like a dream on it's way to coming TRUE!  As I am updating I hear my Hubby in the living room talking to the concrete man about if he will match the lower bid.  And apparently he will do it for $1,000.00.  Yes, now the ball is a rolling:  Sunday the contractor will come and seal the deal, and Monday come out with his crew and dig and level the land behind the garage and lay the cement all in one day.  Then comes purchasing the shed and having our garage contractor build the shed for us for free.  Then everything comes out of the garage and in the shed and the work begins!  Oh how I love it when the ball gets a rolling.  I can't wait to supply the before and then AFTER photos of the job.  You might be asking, (I know my partner is) what was the magic word to get Hubby to make his big move on setting the ball into action.  Well it was the talk of me wanting to buy the motor home again.  My brother called me tonight to tell me that the motor home he found for me, (on my request to find me a great deal) is still available.  So I guess he wanted to distract me from that dream to the garage job and long arm.  So that's it for today, I ended the week with progress!  Now I have to go in the kitchen and make my Hubby some brownies. 

Day 2

Hello!  Not a very productive day.  Hubby had not mentioned securing the contrator yet to begin the work in the garage.  I think he might be waiting to talk to my father this Sunday when we pick them up from their the end of their cruise.  We seem to be stuck with how to make a ground to set the shed on.  Which we have to have in order to have a place to put the "garage stuff" while the garage is being worked on.  Seems to be an issue of very costly concrete, or stones.  So I wait, dream, and try to hold off Scott, (the owner of the sewing machine store where I am getting my machine) from sending my long arm quilting machine back or selling it to someone else.  Tomorrow I need to make it count.

Day 1 of my blog

Hello out there possible quilters in cyber space.  Although this is my first day of my official blog about starting my own quilting business, it certainly isn't the 1st day of the dream of starting it. 

It came obvious to me about 3 years ago that quilting is what I want to do with the rest of my life.  Not forsaking my beautiful 4 grandchildren that I have daily contact with, that should go without be said.  After being forced to take off from work, CSULB, to undergo arm/elbow surgery and as the 1½ year recoup time, it was obvious.  I had to find a way and quickly to feed my creative soul.  I wasn't able to sew for a long time, and never knit or crochet again.  So I began watching sewing and quilting TV shows.  I was introduced to Eleanor Burns, Sewing with Nancy, Alex Anderson and Fons & Porter quilt shows.  I began getting all the quilt magazines where it started.  After the 1½ year from my left arm, I had to do my right arm.

Brings us to now.  Officially not going back to my job, and surprising the only "job" my surgeon thinks I can handle is long arm quilting.  More on that to come.  The only thing about a LONG ARM QUILTING MACHINE, it is takes a lot of room.  12 feet and a few inches long.  We have to make a room for it.  That is the beginning, trying to get my dear hubby on the same page as me, building space for my machine, which only $1,000.00 has been put down so far. 

I do my best planning my my setting up of the dreams.  I promised my cousin, Joanne to make some progress in that area today.  Joanne is behind me and interested in starting this venture with me. 

Wish us luck.  How do you feel about the name, The Quilting Cousins?