More Loose Change
Claudia Plett and Le Ann Weaver
Martingale & Co.; $24.99

In this follow-up to Loose Change, Claudia Plett and Le Ann Weaver offer complete instructions to make 14 quilts from nickels (5-inch squares), dimes (10-inch squares) and quarters (fat quarters) of fabric. Projects range from simple pieced quilts to quilts that incorporate fusible machine appliqué. I loved the way the authors stuck to their monetary theme. The quilt titles include Bright Bullion, Easy Money, Fortune Cookie and Wooden Nickel. Quick designer tips, aka “Piggy Bank TIps,” are interspersed throughout the text.

Look for the book at your favorite quilt retailer.  Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

IAPQ member and CPA Veronica Wasec recently wrote about 10 common mistakes that small business owners make with their accounting and QuickBooks®. As a Certified QuickBooks® ProAdvisor, she’s worked with lots of small business owners, including quilters, for more than 20 years. Here are five of the mistakes she often sees business owners make:

1. QuickBooks® is not set up properly for the business. This causes small business owners to spend a lot of time getting information out of QuickBooks® or tracking information manually outside of QuickBooks®. After you understand how information is accumulated in QuickBooks® primarily by the use of projects, items and the chart of accounts, you can set up QuickBooks® specifically for your company and your needs. Once it is set up properly, you can use reports that show you how much money you made by customer, by project or job, and by inventory or service items.

2. QuickBooks® is only used as a bookkeeping tool rather than as a way to manage business finances. Many small business owners use QuickBooks® only as a bookkeeping tool – to capture their daily transactions. Unfortunately, they don’t review financial reports such as the Profit & Loss, the Balance sheet, and key reports such as the accounts payable aging, accounts receivable aging and several types of profitability reports. To manage your business effectively you need to have timely and relevant financial information available to you and you need to review it on a timely basis.

3. Bookkeeping is not kept up-to-date. Keeping your bookkeeping up-to-date can be a thorn in your side, but it is a necessary function of running your business. Here are a few tips, whether or not you hire an outside bookkeeper:

· Set aside time on a weekly basis to update your books.

· Use a checklist to ensure that you record all your transactions.

· Be sure to have receipts for all of your transactions.

· Set up a filing system that is appropriate for the size of your business and file away all your receipts and documents.

4. Accounts are not reconciled. Many small business owners have messy balance sheets because they don’t reconcile their accounts. This includes reconciling bank accounts, credit card accounts, sales tax accounts and other accounts on a monthly basis to ensure that your financial data is accurate. If your financial data is not accurate then how can you rely on it to make decisions for your business?

5. QuickBooks® is out-of-date. Many small business owners use an outdated version of QuickBooks®. Why is this important? QuickBooks® does not support any versions older than three years. Also, newer versions of QuickBooks® allow for automatic downloading of bank and credit card transactions from the bank and credit card companies. Newer versions also have higher capabilities, for example QuickBooks® 2011 version allows for batch invoicing – a great time saver for companies that bill multiple customers for recurring fixed amounts (such as monthly support charges). Upgrading to a new version of QuickBooks® is very simple and generally only takes minutes.

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business.  Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership and join here.

World War II Quilts
Sue Reich
Schiffer Publishing; $39.99

World War II era quilts have not been extensively studied, always being considered with quilts from the 1920s-1950s. Sue Reich became interested in this era after her family attended the dedication of the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. This book resulted from five years of researching quilts and newspaper accounts of quiltmaking from World War II years. Sue looked at five styles of quilts: red, white and blue patriotic quilts; quilts with military symbols and insignia; quilts made for donation to the Red Cross and other organizations; quilts made to raise money for the war effort; and quilts that are like other quilts made between 1920 and 1950. I found this to be a fascinating look at quilts from 1940-45, ones I had not previously considered. I was charmed by the “Sweetheart Pillow Quilts” made from silk sweetheart pillow covers that were printed with poems and military base notations. Fun, too, were the variety of “Victory Garden Quilts.” Since I recently looked at the Modern Quilt trend today, I was amused by the notation in one of the articles Sue found: “Quilting, 1943 style, however, isn’t exactly what it was for grandma.” This book adds immensely to the scholarship of quilt history.

Look for the book at your favorite quilt retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

I recently returned from Aruba. One of the highlights of the trip was looking at (and buying) local crafts from vendors at the timeshare where we stayed. This year I saw Aruban artists joined by an American, Doris Iversen. Doris makes beautiful handcrafted bead crochet and wire jewelry encompassing polymer clay. She has vacationed for many years in Aruba, and some years back when she was crocheting at the pool, the activities director asked if she would like to sell her work along with the local artists. It added variety to the selection, and she wouldn’t be competing with locals. Today when she makes her annual trip, she brings all the jewelry she can to sell at the twice-a-week evening events.

As I look back on other travels, I recall similar examples: the painter selling her work in the lobby of a small hotel in Hawaii and the artist-in-residence at the Art Colony Shops at the Greenbrier. If you live in an area frequented by vacationers or even vacation yourself in one particular spot, you might consider this as a possible sales outlet. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Look at where you live or where you vacation. Spend some time going to resorts and seeing if they offer art or crafts events. Stop in the local galleries or crafts shops and ask if they know of any options. And, at the same time, you might ask about consignment or crafts purchasing. Some of this you may find out with an Internet search or a phone call.

2. If you want to consider contacting specific hotels ahead of time, look for the resources from AAA. Its destination guides will list details on hotels. You’ll also find information on its website (www.aaa.com). The American Hotel and Lodging Association (www.ahla.com) produces an annual guide of members’ establishments that is available to Allied Members or through STR Global (www.strglobal.com). As the cost is relatively high, you might want to look for a copy at the reference desk at your library.

3. Check with your state crafts guild. They may know of arts and crafts outlets. For example, in West Virginia, Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia is a statewide collection of handmade crafts, art and specialty food. It’s run by the Tamarack Foundation whose mission is “to preserve West Virginia’s cultural heritage and the development of a strong, creative economy through its work in the improvement, growth and support of arts-related industries.” From its beginnings in 1994, Tamarack has grown to represent 2,800 artisans. It is located just off I-77 and welcomes half a million visitors annually to its facility.

4. When you do find opportunities, questions to consider include:
· What fees are involved to participate? This could be a table fee or a commission on your work. You may need to join an organization.
· How do they advertise the crafts?
· Can you set up a sales table for conventions at larger hotels/resorts?
· Can you talk to some of the participating artists and get their experiences?

5. When contacting in person, go armed with business cards, brochures and a sample or two of your work. Nothing sells like seeing the real thing.

If you’ve had experience selling your work in a resort setting, please share with our other readers.

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business.  Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership and join here.

No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline
Brian Tracy
Vanguard Press; $17.99

Brian Tracy says that what separates successful people from less successful people is self-discipline. In this book he looks at self-discipline in three distinct areas: personal success; business, sales and finance; and the “good life.” To be able to grow as a person and achieve happiness, which is really our end goal, requires self-discipline. Not easy to achieve in all areas. Some of the material wasn’t new to me, though it served as a good reinforcement. Because each of the 21 chapters (seven in each of the three areas) includes action exercises, I think it would be useful to do one each day for three weeks to build on the discipline you are practicing. Some readers may have problems with the sales focus in part of the book. I also wish the book included a list of references.

Look for the book at your favorite book retailer or go to Amazon to learn more about the book.

A lot of us have problems getting things finished. Several reasons come to mind: procrastination, the need to be perfect, distractions by other things, failure to prioritize. Here are eight tips for exercising what I call your “done” muscle.

1. Get clear about what it is that you are trying to accomplish. Once you have clarity around your goals and/or a particular project, it’s much easier to move forward. As you work, keep your eye on the prize. This will help you progress.

2. Break your project down into manageable tasks. When you look at a goal or a specific project, it can seem overwhelming. If you can break it down into bite-size pieces, it’s always easier to see how you can accomplish it.

3. Look for where you need help. Just because you have a big project, doesn’t mean that you need to do it all yourself. Remember, it’s not necessary to know how to do everything, just what needs to be done.

4. Prioritize what needs to be done. This can apply to a specific project or your daily “to do” list. It’s easy to look for the quick and uncomplicated things to do each day so you can check them off the list. The problem is you aren’t really accomplishing what you need to accomplish. What you should be doing is tackling those projects that move you towards completing your goal.

5. Consider the ROI. That’s Return on Investment. You can look at your tasks and see if time spent doing these tasks is worth your time. Maybe you should delegate the tasks or not even do them at all.

6. Finish what you start. Make that your goal. Really look around at how many people actually finish what they set out to do. Many people say they are going to do something and don’t ever complete it.

7. Remember good enough is often good enough. Sometimes we spend so much time aiming for perfection that we don’t accomplish our goals.

8. Don’t over-think everything. As the Nike ad says, “Just do it.”

If you have a tip for exercising your “done” muscle, please share it on the blog.

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business.  Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership and join here.

Have you ever gone to a terrific seminar and left wondering if you could take that experience and improve on it, running your own seminar? That’s what happened to Alice Kolb and partner Barbara Quinby when they decided to join forces to host the annual Texas-style quilter’s seminar, now known as Quilting Adventures. The annual seminar started in the early 2000s when Barbara built on her experience from her business career to invite four to six national quilting teachers per week to a classy, yet casual resort to offer students a week of learning from one teacher, good food and lodging. Today the seminar receives rave reviews for its attention to detail and the enriching experiences of its participants. If you, too, think putting on a seminar can be rewarding, here are some tips from Alice’s article in the Winter issue of The Professional Quilter.

1. Analyze yourself. Critique your strengths and energy – both financially and physically – and check your enthusiasm record for a long-term project.

2. Determine your level of commitment. Do you want to own a seminar company, either by yourself or with a partner? It’s a job with responsibilities that last all year from hiring teachers to handling student queries.

3.  Put together a business plan. You need to determine how much time and money are needed to bring your seminar idea to fruition. You will need to make payments well before you ever bring in any funds and you need to be sure you can handle this financial responsibility. You also need to clearly identify the market you want to reach.

4. Research potential site locations. Do they match the style of your event? Will they meet the needs of potential students identified in the business plan? Can the faculty and students easily get to the locations?

5. Personalize your event. Consider the student you identified in your business plan and how you can make the event unique for them.

6. Consider how you will attract students. This could include advertising, personal trips to shops or shows for promotion, printed material and a website. Most important, determine how much time and money you can invest to do this.

To read the article in its entirety, you can join the International Association of Professional Quilters. This issue will be the first one that you receive as one of your member benefits.

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business.  Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership and join here.

January 1977, that’s when I started quilting. I had attended a small craft show in Charlotte, N.C., and met a woman quilting. Her name was Sue McCarter, and she taught quilting. I had leftover dress fabric and owned a sewing machine I used to make clothing. I loved to sew, paint and craft. How expensive could this hobby be if I already had the essentials?

It didn’t take long before Sue’s students and friends decided to create a quilting group. That group went onto become the Charlotte Quilters Guild years later. Several of us were in our 20s, modern quilters of that day. I felt fortunate that every place I lived as a young person I was able to find a guild with women my age, and I found friends who supported each others’ steps outside the “quilt norm.” That’s not always the case, and I think that’s part of the reason for the rise in the “modern quilt guild.” It’s quilters looking for like-minded quilters.

This “modern” trend started with a group in Los Angeles in October 2009 and has now spread to 100 cities around the world. The Internet was the driving force for the quilters connecting, and Alissa Haight Carlton, co-author of Block Party: The Modern Quilting Bee, thought that it would be great for them to meet in person. Today they have organized meetings, field trips, speakers – just like other guilds with a different focus.

The definition of modern also varies depending on the branch of the group. One of the modern quilt groups in my area asks that you define modern for yourself before you join. The basic definition is that modern quilting goes beyond basic traditional quilting, while still respecting traditional quilts. It’s a new twist on tradition. That could be traditional blocks in a fresh, fun pattern. Or it could be totally improvisational. It could be a modern technique or modern fabric. On the Modern Quilt Site, the founders make the point that if they had rules, the only rule would be that there are no rules.

Today, it appears the modern quilt guild is going strong. You’ll find young and not-so-young members, art quilters and even a few traditionalists. It’s a positive for growth in our industry, connecting more and more quilters. You can read more about this or find a guild in your area at the modern Quilt guild. I’d love to hear from some of our members who are active in modern quilt guilds.

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business.  Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership and join here.

By Kathie Alyce
American Quilter’s Society; $22.95

In 2004 IAPQ member Kathie Alyce introduced her Flip Flop Block template at International Quilt Market and sold out. She knew she was onto something when a few years earlier she created a four-sided curved template that would serve as a basic shape from which to create many designs. What seemed like a simple idea has endless possibilities: Imagine a log cabin fitting in a block with curved edges or even a New York Beauty block. Kathie also produces an acrylic template for the blocks, and the book includes a paper shape that you can trace onto your own template plastic to create a template to use. The book includes 18 projects that range from placemats  to queen-size bed quilts. This is a great creativity stretcher for designing outside the square block.

Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.>

The Professional Quilter’s High Tech columnist Gloria Hansen is often asked for recommendations when someone’s printer dies. Questions range from what printer to buy to print on fabric sheets to how much to spend to whether or not third party inks are OK. For most people her recommendation is to purchase an inkjet printer. Here’s an excerpt from her recent article in The Professional Quilter:

Today’s inkjet printers are used for everything from everyday text to gallery quality photographs and artwork. Companies such as Hewlett Packard, Epson, Canon, Kodak and others have a variety of printer models available for you to select from. To narrow down your search, the three key questions to answer are how much money you want to spend, how wide you want to print and what type of ink you want to use.

The price of the printer will depend on the size it is capable of printing, the functions it has and the type of ink it uses. Important to know is that if a printer is using one type of ink set and another model from the same manufacturer is using the same ink set but is more expensive, the print should be identical. The difference in price is generally due to printer capabilities, such as the print speed and inclusion of other “multi-functions” (also called all-in-ones), like scanning or faxing, and wi-fi or bluetooth options, which give you the ability to print wirelessly. Some printers allow you to print on CDs or DVDs, include built-in media card readers and provide options for borderless printing. Thus, if your budget is limited, you can get the print quality you want by focusing on the ink set the printer uses rather than the extras it has. Be sure to check out the manufacturer’s website. Often you can find excellent prices on refurbished printers or models that are about to be discontinued. Other options are checking out Craig’s List and eBay for used models.

If you need a printer capable of printing a wider format, models range from 13 to 44 inches (some higher still); some can print at a length as long as your computer can handle by way of the operating system and memory. The wider the printer width, the more expensive the printer. Again, there are good deals to be found in the refurbished or used category. When buying a used wide-format printer, ask to see a printout of the “printer status and parts life.” Instructions for this can be found in the user’s manual. If your seller no longer has the manual, you can find one online. Then make your decision based on how used the printer is. The more worn down the parts, the more likely you’ll need to pay for replacement parts and the less you should pay for the printer.

Another important factor is the type of ink the printer is designed to use. There are two types of inkjet ink: dye-based and pigment-based. Some printers use a combination of both – generally a pigment black and color dye-based color. At one time, dye-based inks were preferred for printing photographs because of the broader range of colors available. This is no longer the case.

Understanding what you’re looking for by way of price, print size and ink will give you the information you need to narrow your search and find a printer that’s right for you.

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business. This article was excerpted from The Professional Quilter, the IAPQ membership journal. Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership and join here.