By Maxine Rosenthal & Joy Pelzmann
C&T Publishing; $22.95
Following up on the success of their earlier One-Block Wonder books, Maxine Rosenthal and Joy Pelzmann tackle adding graphic elements to their hexagon blocks. The previous books showcased techniques for hexagonal and octagonal kaleidoscope blocks from a single fabric and then adding cubes as a design element and additional fabrics. In this book, you’ll add triangles, including interlocking ad hollow triangles, and you’ll create illusions and add appliqué. The book includes 10 projects to reinforce the techniques. I loved the chapter on what to do with the leftover kaleidoscopes from your projects. One-Block Wonders fans enjoy. Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
Do you know what your customers want or need? Do you know what you’re doing right or what you can do better? I’ve been asking myself these questions, and I want to know more about my customers, what they need and how I can help them build and grow their businesses. And the only way I’m going to learn more is to ask them. So, that’s what I’m doing this week.
Please take a few minutes to answer some questions that will help me help you. I’ve put together a survey that I think will give me some great insights into what you are looking for, what information you value, and how you like to receive that information. As a thank you for completing the survey, I’ll give you a 10% discount on your IAPQ membership.
By Pat Sloan
Leisure Arts; $19.95Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
Who hasn’t heard the call of the jelly rolls, honey buns and layer cakes at the bakery, oops, quilt shop? Not sure what size each is? Pat Sloan has that covered in her most recent book devoted to the current trend of using pre-cut fabrics. To start, Pat has a chart listing 15 types of pre-cuts from the fat quarter that we all recognize to the sushi rolls that we may not. Once you’ve got the lingo, Pat offers complete instructions for nine pre-cut fast and fun quilt projects. I think my jelly rolls and charm packs have found a new home.
Jane Sassaman’s art quilts and fabric lines are instantly recognizable due to their exuberant style, inspired by the decorative arts. Jane herself is known as an inspiring and effective teacher. Eileen Doughty spoke with her on the phone recently to learn more about her and her business.
How do you describe yourself to a new acquaintance?
Introducing myself has become easier since I’ve started designing fabric because I can say, “I’m a fabric designer and an artist.” That’s a good place to begin. If the discussion continues, I’ll add that I’m a fine art quilter.
Looking back, what were your early goals?
I started as an art quilter. Entering Quilt National was my first big goal. From there, I picked shows that would produce a color catalog, as more people may see the publication than the show itself. That was my approach to getting out there. Quilt Visions was another goal. Paducah and Houston were great too, not only the shows themselves, but the competitions.
I watched Penny McMorris’s PBS show that featured the first wave of art quilters – Ruth McDowell, Nancy Crow, Terrie Hancock Mangat, among others, who did so much to break the trail for us to follow. I consider myself a second wave quilter and was able take advantage of the work the first wave did.
You seem to be a natural at marketing yourself and your work.
I have had a booth at Quilt Market for the past two years. I do the Fall Market because that’s when my fabric comes out. It’s the place to make sure people see what you’re doing.
I feel a bit like the odd woman out compared to other designers who put all their energy into designing and marketing their fabric. I can’t let go of art quilts, so I am in two camps. Doing Market is one way to do my part in promoting the fabric. Westminster/FreeSpirit has such an extraordinary group of designers.
One thing I understand is having a “look.” That’s where my strength is. Also, I take good photographs to sell the work. Other people may be better in making the calls to sell their patterns. I’m pretty good at putting together the actual product. I’d dearly love to have someone who thrives on business to partner with.
I’m at the point right now that I have to decide if I want my business to get bigger and how to get bigger. We do have some friends in the marketing world. There’s always a little hesitation in the back of my brain, because I so love to hole up in the studio and make work. You think if you get too big, you won’t have time for what you love to do. Studio time is so precious. If you want to grow, you should have knowledge of where you want to go. Not that you shouldn’t be flexible, but you should be able to guide it according to your dreams rather than someone else’s ideas.
Any tips for those starting out, building their careers?
Find your proper audience after you find your artistic voice. Some people bang their head against the wall, entering a show not appropriate for their work. If you want to be successful, then go where your work will be appreciated. There are so many ways to go about having a career, even some that no one has explored yet. There are ways to be a quilt artist that still haven’t been done.
I made some bargello quilts back in the 1990s. My favorite now hangs in my cousin’s home. Most of the bargello quilts made during that time, while stunning, were fairly simple. Not so with Eileen Wright’s quilts. She takes the bargello technique and creates waves, twists and curves to end up with wonderful motion. If you are unfamiliar with the bargello technique, Eileen offers simple instructions to choose and organize your fabric and to create strip sets. She includes directions to complete 11 designs. With each she has a complete chart to follow so you can put the fabric strips in the correct order. If you are new to bargello, the last four projects in the book are suitable for learning the basic technique of sewing fabric strips into loops and then opening the seam between the correct rows to create the design. A gallery is included. Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
Since the last week was busy for me – getting ready for a show and then leaving on vacation a day after returning – it was important to pay attention to how efficient I was with my time. I can’t remember who said that you get more done in the day before your vacation than you do in the whole week before. I definitely think there’s some truth in that statement. For me, part of the reason I shift into overdrive before I leave is that I like to return to a clean slate. It would be great to work more efficiently more of the time. Here are a few tips that might help you do that:
1. Track how you spend your time. At the end of each day and at the end of each week compare the percentage of your time used toward fulfilling your mission and achieving your goals with that spent elsewhere.
2. Set your priorities for each day. Select your three top goals for the day and work to complete those. If you are clear about what you want to accomplish, it’s easier to say no to something that comes up that doesn’t fit into you time.
3. Keep a copy of your mission and goals where you can see them. If you keep the end in mind, it’s easier to keep distractions at bay.
4. Learn to say “no” more often. If you have problems with this one, you can read a great article on the topic in the Spring Issue of The Professional Quilter.
5. Use caller id and/or let your answering machine take a message. You can allot a certain amount of time at the end of the day to return the calls.
6. Limit time on social networking sites. Connecting through these sites is important for the growth of your business, but they can be big time vampires. Set aside 30 minutes each day for Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, etc., and then stay off the sites the rest of the day.
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.
Tile Quilt Revival: Reinventing a Forgotten Form Carol Gilham Jones & Bobbi Finley
C&T Publishing; $23.95
Tile quilts are a rather obscure form of appliqué quilts, according to Carol Gilham Jones and Bobbi Finley, who are reintroducing the art form. This type of quilt is constructed by appliquéing small cotton pieces in a random fashion onto a white background. The pieces are sewn leaving a narrow space between them creating a “grout,” as between tiles. Very little documentation on the limited number of known tile quilts is available. Many seem to be done in blocks and are reminiscent of crazy quilts. The book includes instructions for designing and creating a tile quilt, six projects and a gallery of contemporary tile quilts. I found the history fascinating, and I like the bright look of the light background.
Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
Today (Friday, July 23) is my birthday, and I’m celebrating until the end of the month with a Buy One, Get One Free special on all back issues of The Professional Quilter. All you have to do is buy one issue through our shopping cart.
On the order page you’ll find a block that asks for special instructions. Just put the number of your free issue in this block, and we’ll send it along with the issue you bought. No limits on the number of back issues, so this is your chance to add to your library at a 50% savings. Hurry, the sale won’t last long.
It can take over in the blink of an eye, crowding your desk or hiding in the far corners of your office. It’s important, but not urgent in most cases and whether it’s consolidated or all spread out, it’s there to remind you that you’re behind.
What is it? It’s everything you set aside to READ. And it’s everywhere. At one point or another, you thought you wanted to read it. Well, how badly do you want to read it now? Some of it’s collecting dust. Yeah, I’ve seen lots of reading piles gather layers of dust and actually most of what I’ve seen wasn’t even in a pile.
So I’ve put together these 7 steps to revive your reading or retire it for good. When you follow these steps, you will be able to take charge, take your reading seriously and be done. Or you can later weep at the thought of trying to read your collection… after it’s grown even bigger!
Step 1: Get it all into one pile
I find my clients have their reading spread out all over their offices. If you do this too, it can skew your perception of how much you’ve collected to read and you could be holding on to way more than you could possibly read. So put it all into one pile and you’ll get a sense of how much you intended to read.
Step 2: Pick your favorites
Once you get everything together into one pile, pick your favorites and set them aside. Then from the remaining pile, pull out the ones that you never get to or the ones you’re not as interested in anymore. Unsubscribe to those and then toss them.
Step 3: Rank your reading
Put everything that’s left back into one pile again and then separate them into 3 new categories: Must read, Important to read, It would be nice if I could read. Then see if you can toss the last pile entirely!
Step 4: Give it a week
From what remains, give yourself 1 week to read everything – or almost everything. This would be the “must read” and “important to read” categories. Some reading is weekly and some is monthly. Just remember that the more you read now, the better. Why? Because more is coming!
Step 5: Know your best location
When you read, where’s your favorite place to read? At home or at work? Know your favorite locations and be sure to take your reading to this place so it’s ready when you are. You can also put it in your briefcase if reading on the road or while you’re waiting for someone or something is another way for you to catch up.
Step 6: Keep it together
From here on out, you should only maintain one reading pile. Whenever you get something new to add to the pile, be sure to review what you’re collecting. Don’t keep adding more and more unless you read something or toss something. Remember, you only have so many hours in a day and in a week before more reading comes along, so be realistic about what you intend to read.
Step 7: Protect your time
Protect time in your schedule to actually READ! If you enjoy reading early in the morning before the day gets started, then read a little every morning. Or maybe lunch time is best or maybe later in the day or evening. Decide what works for you and for the different kinds of reading you probably do. Whatever you choose, plan to do it every day or several times a week until the pile is gone. You can also block out time on your calendar so it’s a visible reminder. Then enjoy your reading! That’s the point isn’t it?
This article is by productivity expert and founder of Productive Day, Leslie Shreve, who publishes Work Day Wonders to help highly motivated experts like you put their work day on cruise control at peak productivity to enjoy less stress, more progress and great success. If you’re ready to be in the driver’s seat of your work day and leave your frustrations behind, subscribe now to get your FREE subscription. As a BONUS, you’ll also get the 7 Power Steps to Peak Productivity, a 7-day e-mail series of tips you can start using today!
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.
Subtitled “Easy Quilts From Fabulous Fabrics,” this is a collection of 11 simple, fun quilts done in contemporary fabrics and colors. The patterns take advantage of charm packs, jelly rolls and layer cakes, though you can always cut your own pieces. This is a great book for the younger, novice quilter searching for a newer look. It still offers ideas for more experienced quilters. I loved the use of rickrack and the “Birthday Bash” quilt with its stack of wonky layered cakes. Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
