Do you ever bump up against inspiration and/or creativity blocks? I think it happens to all of us at some point. Here are some of my favorite ways to get back on track:

1. Get out of the studio and go shopping. No, I don’t mean buy more fabric, paints, threads. I mean go window shopping. And bring along a small journal. Sketch some designs that inspire you, note unusual color combinations that you like, and make notes about a new technique you see. Don’t just poke around quilt or fiber shops. Try antique shops, art shops, galleries, etc.

2. Since I’m on vacation this week, I’ll add that new surroundings are great for inspiring new ideas. Historic homes and gardens offer ideas. Shells on the beach or landscapes you don’t see at home can lead to inspiration. Earlier this spring I was in Cape May Point, NJ, and we stopped and took photos of old boating paraphernalia, as the textures were inspiring. So be sure to pack your cameras!

3. Take a class or get together with other quilt artists. This could be as simple as going to a local guild and viewing show and tell. You might also find a small group to join. And, don’t limit yourself to quilt or fiber classes. Try a watercolor or other painting class, jewelry making or photography, something outside your realm.

4. Start an inspiration journal or file. I have a file folder where I keep photos of quilts, rooms, words and sayings, floral arrangements. Anything that inspires me – or makes me smile – goes in the folder. It’s a resource I can turn to to awake my creative juices.

5. Relax. Do something for your inner self. For example, a walk in the woods, a bike ride to the lake with a picnic, a bubble bath can all have the effect of just clearing your mind so you’re open to something new.

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 Barb Adams and Alma Allen
Kansas City Star; $26.95

Barb Adams and Alma Allen of Blackbird Designs began imagining a country inn, complete with handmade quilts on all the beds, a delicious breakfast made by Alice, the cook, and the lovely grounds tended by Henry, the gardener. They took the feelings their vision inspired and translated it into this book, complete with a beautiful floral appliqué quilt in two colorways. Eleven other projects include four additional quilts, a monogrammed pillowcase, tea lights and lavender sachets. Nine breakfast recipes include Swedish pancakes, Belgian waffles and strawberry jam. I enjoyed how they wove a cast of characters throughout the book.

Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.

Over the weekend we had a family gathering to celebrate the end of summer, the return to school, and my husband’s birthday. One of my nieces shared that her favorite day of the summer is the day she gets new school supplies. Can you still remember the smell of the new crayons when you opened the box?

I’ll admit I love to browse through the office supply store, looking for some new treasure that’s sure to solve my organizational problems and instantly improve my time management issues. Of course, that’s not likely to happen, as it takes more than pretty colored plastic boxes and a new calendar. Before you make the trip to the office supply store, try the following:

1. Clear the clutter. Do you really need that copy of Quilters Newsletter Magazine from 1998? You know, the one with the fabulous quilt you liked back in 1998, the quilt that doesn’t hold the same place in your heart today. A couple of years ago, I went through all the old magazines I was holding onto. I put a note advertising them on the QuiltArt list, and I had a taker rather quickly. I don’t know why I held onto all the magazines for so long. Well, maybe I do. I would feel badly (i.e., guilty) getting rid of them. I held some warped concept of their value. They had really stopped being of value to me long ago and were only collecting dust. They went to a new home where they were valued, and I had several shelves open in my studio.

I could look at my fabric collection the same way. I know we need a “palette” as quilt artists. Do we need that large of a palette? And doesn’t our palette need refreshing every now and then? If you’re like me, you’ll never live long enough to use all the fabric you own. You’ve seen the saying, “The one who dies with the most fabric wins!” I’ve decided I don’t need to be in the competition. I regularly donate fabric for charity quilts and recently made a donation of fabric for my guild’s annual show. I think some month, I’ll just show up with a fat quarter or two for everyone who comes to the monthly meeting.

I know it’s hard to get rid of “stuff,” and it can be overwhelming to do it all at once. If you can’t set aside a full day, block several hours in consecutive days just to clear out what you don’t want. Sort it into two piles – items to donate and items to trash. I know many people say add a third pile for stuff that needs to be fixed. I used to go by that theory, until I realized I didn’t want to fix the stuff.

2. Keep clearing the clutter. You made great progress getting rid of stuff, and your studio is now clutter free. However, the magazines will again stack up and the fabric will again overflow. Part of the solution here is to decide what you allow to come into your space. The other is to maintain a system to keep up with the clutter. The easiest way to do that is to set aside a certain amount of time each week or month to de-clutter.

One of the theories behind clearing the clutter is that clutter is energy draining. I can see that. When my space is clean, my mind is clearer, and I work better. You’ve heard the saying, “less is more.” Well, this is a good example. Once you operate in a cleaner, clutter-free environment, watch what new opportunities arrive or how your creativity expands.

3. Look at how you use your space. Do you need something to hold your papers or tools? Maybe you uncovered something during your de-cluttering phase.  And if not, head off to the office supply shop and enjoy picking out the supplies you need, knowing they will be put to good use and not just add to the clutter.

And, as you think about adding to your space, remember this wonderful quote from designer and craftsman William Morris, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

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.

In the current issue of The Professional Quilter, Gloria Hansen writes about marketing your handmade work through Etsy. Etsy’s mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers. Etsy sellers number hundreds of thousands, and, yes, some make a full-time living selling through Etsy.

Here are just five tips that you learn from Gloria’s article:

1. Consider buying something. Doing so will allow you to get firsthand knowledge of how the sale is handled and how the item is packaged and shipped.

2. Visit Etsy’s blog, “The Storque,” which has an ever-growing range of informative articles. I found lots of articles that had to do with quilting, ranging from an article on a pillowcase challenge to instructions for a mini-quilt.

3. Read The Etsy Seller Handbook, which you can find on “The Storque.” It is a one-stop help area covering topics such as making a shop banner, writing text, photography tips, shipping how-to’s, customer care, tagging and much more.

4. Take good photos of your work. The photos need to be clear, clean and interesting. Use a neutral background and try a macro setting on your camera for close-ups.

5. Exchange links with others, offer a giveway on your blog, and notice what others are doing to draw attention to their shops. Remember that your website or blog can drive people to your Etsy shop and vice versa.

Please share your experiences with Etsy here on the blog.

To learn more about marketing your work through Etsy, you can read Issue 112 of The Professional Quilter. The Professional Quilter is one of benefits of IAPQ membership. If you are not a member, you can join here.

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.

‘Tis the Season, Quilts and Other Comforts
By Jeanne Large and Shelley Wicks
Martingale & Co.; $24.99

Christmas is just around the corner and it’s never to early to get a start on holiday projects. Jeanne Large and Shelley Wicks, owners of the Quilt Patch in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, enjoy cold and snow for five months a year, and that weather inspires them to make and use quilts. This book features 10 projects for winter or holiday use along with additional instructions for incorporating wool and embroidery in your project. As shop owners, they know lots of tips for success and these are sprinkled throughout the book. Their designs are whimsical and simple, and I found several I wanted to make right away.

Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library: http://tinyurl.com/Tis-the-Season-Quilts.

Last week I mentioned that during my vacation the hotel staff asked how they could make our stay more pleasurable. It got me thinking about extraordinary service and how rare it is today. Have you ever experienced extraordinary service? More importantly, do you provide extraordinary service?

I can think of several examples when someone in my family received extraordinary service. One that always comes to mind is my husband’s experience with Nordstrom. Service is legendary at Nordstrom, and I know a quilt shop owner who took a part-time job at Nordstrom to learn its service training. Back to my story: My husband purchased a suit at Nordstrom and on the first wearing, he caught the sleeve on the rear windshield wiper of the SUV, and it tore. We called the store to see if they could get another jacket or fabric so their tailor could replace the sleeve, anything to avoid a loss. It was irreparable. What happened next falls into the extraordinary category. My husband’s salesman called and offered my husband any suit in the store as a replacement, gratis. Wow, that’s extraordinary.

For me, when I stop at the local quilt shop, ordinary would be greeting me and asking if I need help. Moving toward extraordinary might be steering me toward the new items. It would be telling me what fabric has just arrived or the experiences of customers with some of the newer notions. It would be asking me to share my latest project. It might be showing me photos of samples other customers made to inspire me or introducing me to other customers or inviting me to the local sit and stitch at your shop. Really extraordinary might be giving me a fat quarter folded into a flower because it was my birthday, or I just moved into town, or I was having a really bad day.

I think what takes ordinary service to extraordinary is that it establishes a personal relationship between the parties. It’s an experience for the receiver, and, as the receiver, it’s one you want to share with anyone who will listen. And, it’s one that reaps rewards for the giver way beyond the service provided. I also believe this extraordinary attitude also starts at the top, and the business owner needs to look for ways to encourage her employees to provide extraordinary service. I’m not saying do this for everyone or all the time. It’s hard enough to be excellent every day, all day. Try looking for for simple ways that you can express support, affection and a desire to serve your customers in an extraordinary way. Here are some suggestions:

1. Have some fat quarters set aside for gifting on a random basis.

2. Have a quarterly luncheon and invite some of your best customers. And, ask them to bring a friend.

3. Today we rarely send or receive much handwritten mail. Once a week, send a handwritten note to one of your customers thanking them for their business.

4. Call your customer on her birthday.

5. Ask one of your customers to stop back in the office, share a cup of coffee and treat, and get to know him or her.

Once you start to look for ways to provide extraordinary service, you’ll find the ideas are endless. These “extraordinary  extras” will set you apart, strengthen your relationships and remind your customers that they aren’t simply the source of your business income.

Please share some examples of extraordinary service you provide.

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.