"Showing" how to space a Pantograph

I am not a teacher. I don't think I could EVER be a school teacher. If I were, I would have to have TOTAL control, and that includes being able to smack someone else's kid in the back of the head for smarting off.....I did not have smart mouth children. Very well mannered. It does not take many smacks in the back of the head...(now you all think I'm some sort of cruel parent, right?) ANYWAY - again, I am not a teacher. I am very visual. Very. If I want to learn to do something, I go get a book. If I still don't understand something, I go find a person that can show me. Knitting was like that - turning a heel was the single most baffling thing to read, but once someone SHOWED me the instructions made SO much more sense.

Case in point: When I first started longarm quilting, I could not, I mean COULD NOT figure out how to space a pantograph. I was so upset over it. My friend, Cotie, graciously agreed to "show" me how. I count Cotie as one of my life's blessings. (Cotie, I hope you are reading this!) Well, at the time that I went to Cotie's house, I was living in northeast Alabama. Cotie lives in Kansas. I drove 14 hours , one way, to spend the weekend with her.

Cotie is more patient than I think I could be. She has a wonderful sense of humor! ( And I felt so tall next to her! Ha , Ha, Ha!) She allowed me to use her machine and she "showed" me how to line up everything & how to advance the quilt & the little tips/tricks to line up the quilt for the next row. I quilted 2 of my quilts, learning to do it. She took 2 days out of HER business to teach me. I do not think I have ever expressed to her how much she did for me. Maybe it can be seen as a "little thing" to some people, but it sure helped me out. It was the visual thing again.

Well, yesterday, I was able to "show" someone else how to do that!

When I was at the Saturday sit-n-sew with the guild. There is one member that just bought a HQ16 while she was in Paducah. I was sewing the binding on my "Night & Day" Quilt & told them it was a patograph called Bubbles...long story short - she needed help learning how to line up a pantograph. So I told them, that soon as I got another quilt loaded, I'd give them a holler & they could come & see how I do it.

Last night they came & I showed them what I had learned. Granted, not all pantographs are created equal & my favorite vendor for the pantographs that I like BEST - is Willowleaf Studio.

I think they went home with a better understanding of the procedure. It was a fun visit. MC also gave me a cloisonne (sp?) barrett that she had got in China & since she no longer has long hair & I DO, she gave it to me. It's gorgeous.

I lack, perhaps, 4 (maybe 5!) rows of completing the Stretched Stars Quilt. Awesome!

So? I feel good about it all.

Sam