Deadlines

I know I promised an entry about joining a guild BUT I just couldn't NOT blog today about my deadline. I am teaching two classes at my mother's quilt shop (Quilters Crossing) . It was going to be one, which I finished the sample of over Thanksgiving, like a good girl. 
Then we had customers who really wanted a very beginners class and I have made the Yellow Brick Road pattern by Atkinson Designs many, many times and it makes a great beginner quilt to learn from because of the easy stitching, rotary use, FQ's etc... So  after a little arm twisting (before my coffee in the morning) I said yes I would do it. It isn't that I didn't want to it is just that I KNEW I would have to really push to get the sample done by, tomorrow January 8th.  
The top was done last weekend no problem. I used the Daily Grind coffee themed fabric and I liked how it came out and how I was able to use fussy cuts of the panel for the cornerstones in the border. 

 It is a throw size quilt top.

But then all week I have been super busy... I had a customers quilt to get done, and I worked almost every day at the shop so that left last night and tonight to get this quilted. I basted it last night amidst making dinner, mom taxiing children to dance lessons, checking schoolwork, laundry and taking a walk with my son who needed some time with me. 

Today, I got to work quilting.  Nothing complicated just some swirly shapes all over. I did my normal routine, checked my tension on my little scrap sandwich.

Worked out the bugs and got started. 

When my bobbin ran out I grabbed the next one which I had cleverly wound ahead of time to speed things up and kept going. When my son interrupted me to ask me a question I happened to flip the quilt over as I was answering him and nearly cried. I had been quilting for a good 10 minutes with the new bobbin and it was AWFUL underneath.  The top thread was "eyelashing" all over the back! After pulling out one "mouse worth" of thread. Exhibit A:

I began again-- starting by checking my tension on the test piece again.  UGH.

Going smoothly for a while and when I needed another bobbin I went to fill a couple of them and my reliable Bernina was not winding the bobbin. What the? I tried again and again, wasting a good bit of thread with each attempt. GRRRR....

Finally I ripped the metal bobbin off the winder thingy and looked at it. In studying it I discover that the top of the bobbin was loose like it could be unscrewed from the stem and would spin around free of the bobbin stem and the bottom.  Okay that's a new one and just when I have no time....or patience!

I move on after a few choice words (and throwing that bobbin away).

I get almost done as in--I have one more loop and I am done. Stitch stitch stitch and.... Three inches left and guess what happens? Yes, I run out of bobbin thread.  3". THREE INCHES!  So I take a deep breath and wind another bobbin. Why must things always go wrong when you are tired and stressed with a deadline? Has this happened to you?

At 9:45pm Friday night I have finished the quilting. No, no binding yet.... I may have to live without that for tomorrow's open house at the shop because I am T-I-R-E-D!