since I last posted. I was in beautiful Deerfield, IL this week at our office there. I'm going to digress from fiber-related content for a couple of minutes to tell you about the awesome trip we had there. I work for a company that has grown by leaps and bounds since I joined 10 years ago. When I joined we had 6 or 7 subsidiaries in 5 cities, all in the US. Today we have 9 subsidiaries in 23 offices in 6 countries. Our company also has a very unique and truly special culture that is very important to the overall success of the company to date. (It's so different/good that when I interviewed with the company as a favor to a friend I never expected to want to work there. After the first interview I went home and told Chris if I didn't get the job I'd kill myself. OK, it was an exaggeration, but it was that clear in one interview session that it was a different place and I wanted to be there.) About a year ago, three of us were asked to propose one way to help bridge the culture gap between all of our offices and between the Executive Committee and the mid-level associates. We developed something called the Associate Networking Forum. When we proposed it to the Executive Committee and the 9 Presidents, they were so supportive that they actually expanded the scope of it. I was so excited about it that I asked begged to run the program and then recruited another co-worker to run the program with me. We started with 19 associates in the 2007 class. There have been several activities, training sessions and events throughout the year but the culmination is the presentation of their corporate-wide project proposal. That's what we were in Deerfield for this week.
The project co-manager and I worked with them to refine a few of the details and their presentations this week and they presented to the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, EVP, HR Director and one of the 9 Presidents Thursday. I was a nervous wreck! I now know how parents feel watching their children in a high risk situation. Our Chairman and Vice-Chairman, two very intelligent men that I have tremendous respect for, can torpedo a proposal faster than you can blink. They will not tolerate unpreparedness. I could barely get through my introduction - I've had loads of meetings and presentations with the executives but I was more nervous that day than ever! And it was totally unwarranted. They made a dead on presentation and their project was so solid that they were asked to expand the scope AND the BUDGET! It had to be the single most rewarding event of my career. These associates, in their daily positions, are several years away from that kind of contact with the EC but this gave them the opportunity to show the EC what kind of talent we have hiding in the organization. The funniest part was that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman had to attend by conference call and forgot to mute their speaker - as each ANF member got up to do their part of the presentation you could here the Chairman say "he's good!" or "wow, she's good too!" We bought them champagne!
And how did they show their thanks? Someone gave me a stomach flu. That's why you didn't hear from me yesterday - I was in bed all day!
RESUME FIBER CONTENT........
But I'm all better today and was very happy to get back to quilting the Chinese Coins QOV quilt. I actually just finished it a few minutes ago. Here's a photo of part of the back. I'll show full view photos once the binding is done and the quilt is washed. This was fun to do but I am a little distressed that I have a couple areas of fullness in the back - not pleats really but excess fabric at the edge of some SID. it's not horrible so I think I am going to leave it. I'll see how it looks after washing and I may try to fix it on the DSM. Bummer though.
I'm not sure if I'm going to keep on with this and get the binding done or go back to sewing more Churn Dash blocks. Decisions, decision!
The other thing I am doing this weekend is PACKING FOR HOUSTON!!! Mom and I leave Tuesday and I can't wait. Packing for a quilt show is a little tricky because you have to leave room for all the items that you are required to buy there. So a couple of years ago I came up with a quilt show packing plan. Almost all (and sometimes it is all) of the clothes I take get left behind. I use the time before the trip to go through my closet and find those outfits that I no longer wear (but that are still acceptable in public). That's what I pack and I leave it all behind! I became even easier when I started wearing only one brand of clothing for work. (I like the idea of a uniform and found this about 7 years ago). It's all knit, all based around black and is super comfy and it doesn't wrinkle. After I get tired of pieces or the pants get worn I just shove them to the side of the closet and the next quilt show wardrobe is packed. Yes, I even take shoes and undies that are about to be tossed too. I also replace my bed pillow before the trip and take the old one with me. Without the clothes and pillow I have loads of room for the purchases!
For any allergy sufferers out there here's something else that I travel with - Blue Air Air Pod. I bought this on a lark with very low expectations but it really works! I put it on the hotel night stand by my head and it blows clean air over my face at night. It really helps undo the exposures from the day and to clear out stale hotel room air. When I check into a hotel I also leave a note for housekeeping to not use any scented air fresheners in the room while I am there. That makes a big difference. They spray Febreeze and a lot of other scented air fresheners all over the hotel rooms and furniture every day! So, you see, I have to do the disposable clothes thing to have room for all the extra allergy crap that I tote around - I usually even pack food but on this trip I know there is a grocery store near the hotel and we will have a car.
It's going to be a fun trip and I will get to meet some blog friends there as well! My shopping list is coming along well too.
Oh, one last note - primarily for Mom - remember the reference to the "dead stick bush" at the end of the post about the wonderful landscaping that Chris and Mom did? Well, what a surprise to come home and find the dead stick bush gone and new plants purchased! He's out there now building the beds. Aside from the little stomach bug it's been an A+ week all around!
li
