"One Block, Very Dangerous"

I have now spent what seems like hours doing homework for the free motion quilting class I am taking tomorrow. Specifically, we need to prepare one block of an Ohio Star pattern. At the time of this writing, I have ripped out seams 5 times. This is why I don't like quilts with little pieces. It's much easier to deal with long seams, big rectangles or squares. My aversion to small pieces is also why I am out of practice and had so much trouble making this block. It's ridiculous. Mind you, this is for a class; I doubt that I will do anything with the block once it is completed. But, my OCD kicks in and I have to make it perfect. Hence, "One Block, Very Dangerous," which is a take-off on one of my favorite lines from "The Usual Suspects." 

Around 9:30 pm last night, Dear Husband abandoned me while we were watching a great old action movie and he went to bed. I retired to my quilting room, committed to finishing this seemingly never-ending block before going to bed. An hour later and three more times taking out seams, I ran out of bobbin thread and called it a night. I haven't even opened the door to my quilting room for fear that during the night, my unfinished quilts came alive, ganged up on my one unfinished Ohio Star block, and demolished it. EEK! 

On top of this, the supply list for this class reads like an encyclopedia. Does one really need all of these things for free-motion quilting? Be that as it may, I am nearly done with my block (but there are many opportunities to tear out more seams, I'm sure), I have cut out my 6-fourteen inch squares with companion batting and backing, I have drawn the lines on four of the six squares (as directed by the instructor) and when I figure out how to lower the feed dogs on my Janome, I will be ready to take on the world of free motion quilting. 

One skating note: BIG "Congrats" to my skating buddy, Susan, who on Saturday passed her Silver level ice dances! She is officially a pre-Gold skater. I'm so proud of her! I still haven't passed my Ten Fox in the absence of 3 judges to test with in Roseville. I am not traveling all the way to the Bay Area for a test, so I am stuck in Bronze land for a while longer, I suppose. It's been so long since I have done any dancing that I probably can't pass the dang dance anyway. 

Finally, neither Dear Husband nor I suffered any damage as a result of our monster walk/run yesterday. Hooray. He is a little sore, but I am not at all. By 7:30 am, he had already done his hill walk and taken the doggies out for their walk. Makes me feel like a real slacker. Off to get out there on the road and jog for 30 minutes, even though I hear sounds coming from my quilting room that like the Ohio script. Onward.