StrataVarious Quilts

 Barbara Persing and Mary Hoover
C&T Publishing; 21.95

Longarm quilter Barbara Persing and her sister Mary Hoover, a shop owner, found that making strata (panels of various width fabric strips sewn together in a random manner) was the solution to designing with the large collection of fabric they wanted to use. The unique blended strata they create are then cut into squares and half-square triangles and reassembled into a dynamic quilt. The book includes directions for nine quilts, three of which incorporate appliqué. It’s a fun addition to your tecnhnique toolbox.

I got back from Quilters Heritage on Sunday. I always enjoy this show, catching up with my quilting friends from Philadelphia and Harrisburg and meeting subscribers. For the past three years I’ve had a spot in the Lampeter Room. This year when I arrived at check-in, I found my space had been moved to the tennis court/expo building. I’d previously been in the space in years past, so I always thought of it as a prime location. Well, I didn’t realize what a great spot I would get. It was to the right just at the entrance. I put a video on my FaceBook page.

Here are some photos from the show. First is Sue Reno, a quilt artist from Columbia, Penn. Sue loans me a quilt for the booth each year. You can see her quilt Tall Blue Lettuce behind her. She always has what I call an “eye catcher,” and it definitely draws the visitors in.

This was the 22nd year for Quilters Heritage and the show is run by Rita Barber. I saw Rita several times and nabbed her once for a quick photo.

On Saturday I taught my class on learning how to start your quilt business. I had 21 students in the class. It was great fun, and I always learn something from my students. After the class I did my Studio Tour lecture which was part of a luncheon. It’s always wonderful when I’m finished and open the floor for everyone to share their studio organization ideas.

Our new advertising rep, Leslie O’Brien, also spent some time at the show. Here’s a shot of her in the booth.

As I said, my booth was in a great location. One of my neighbors was the artist Pat Buckley Moss. I got to know her and several members of her family as the weekend unfolded. I already owned a small landscape that she did, and I purchased a second landscape at the show. Here we are together.

Join us in the PQ Café on Tuesday, April 14, for our class on Creating a Marketing Strategy. I will cover the the difference between sales and marketing, developing your marketing objectives and strategies, the 4 P’s of marketing and more. You’ll be much clearer on how to market your particular quilt business.

The teleclass is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14 at 8 pm, Eastern Standard Time. Registration includes both the teleclass and the MP3 downloadable recording, so if you can’t come to the class, you’ll get the recording to listen to at a time that works for you. Here are details.

• First and foremost, read the rules. Read them more than once and contact the show coordinator if you have questions.
• Determine if your quilt is eligible for the show. Some shows may require membership in an organization; some may require completion of the quilt within a certain time period.
• Determine the correct category for your quilt. Read the rules for definitions of categories. Some shows disqualify you if your quilt is in the wrong category.
• Meet the deadlines!

Stack-n-Whack®ipedia

Gayle Bong
Martingale & Co.; $24.95

I heard from a number of readers after they viewed Elizabeth Gilbert’s lecture from the 2009 TED Conference entitled “A diferent way to think about creative genius.” I like the concept that we all “have” genius in us. I loved that when she was having a difficult time writing, she took time and just spoke out to the corner, to let genius come to her; and if it didn’t, well, she showed up for her part of the job.

I’m sure you’ve had times where you’ve showed up for the job but been blocked creatively, whether it’s from pressures, fears, uncertainties or something else. Here are six ideas to jump start your creative juices:

1. Fill the well. Look at other art, either surfing the Internet or visiting galleries. Go on an artist’s date, a la Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. And, be sure to step outside the quilt realm. Sometimes looking at other art is allit takes to get a new idea.
2. Set a challenge or goal for yourself. I think the journal quilt idea is a great one here. Challenge yourself to create something small each day or week. Pick a theme. When I did the monthly journals, mine were all pears. Or focus on a particular bit of nature in your yard and follow it through the year. And, move outside your comfort zone. If traditional piecework is your thing, grab some paint sticks and let lose. If you are an art quilter, try a pieced block for a change.
3. Create a daily ritual. Twyla Tharp writes about this idea in The Creative Habit. The daily ritual becomes so ingrained that it sets the pace for your day. She says, “It’s Pavlovian: follow the routine, get a creative payoff.” I liked her example of the chef who starts each day by tending the garden on the terrace of his Brooklyn home. This creative environment lets him putter, pick veggies or herbs, think about flavors. At this point, he heads off to the restaurant to begin creating. For me, I have a ritual of walking each weekday. The fresh air gets me going. What is your ritual?
4. Take a class to learn a new skill. This could be a photography class, a water color painting class, a cooking class, acomputer class. Just being creative in some other area will translate into your quilt work.
5. Keep an idea journal, if you don’t already. Fill it with things that inspire you from in and outside the quilt world. When you’re blocked, leave your studio and pull out your idea journal. Ideas will surface.
6. Act as if you don’t have any blocks and then just jump in. One idea will lead to another. Remember that every piece of art you create doesn’t have to be perfect. One of the quotes I have tacked on my wall is “progress, not perfection.” If I waited for everything to be perfect, I’d still be waiting.

Here are two favorite quotes on creativity:

“In creating, the only hard thing’s to begin; A grass blade’s no easier to make than an oak.” James Russell Lowell

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Rather ask, What makes you come alive? Then go and do it! Because what the world needs is people who have come alive” Howard Thurman

So, get creating. Allah, Olé, Bravo!

The Winter issue of The Professional Quilter includes articles to help you grow your quilt business. If your subscription is not current and you need to renew, or you want to start a new subscription, here’s a link to our order page.

Digital Essentials
Gloria Hansen
Electric Quilt; $29.95

If you’d like to add this book to our library, here’s a link to purchase it through Amazon.

If you missed it, we had a teleclass with Gloria where she discussed many aspects of working with digital files. Here are the details on the audio from the class.

Everyday brings more news of problems in the economy, and we’ve all been touched by this in someway. In the Winter issue of The Professional Quilter, financial writer David Nagle, wrote an article about surviving, and even thriving, in a down economy. Here’s an excerpt from his article.

Late last year our government officials and most economists concluded something we have known for some while – that our economy is in recession, and it appears to be headed for a prolonged period of contraction. Some of your businesses may be challenged in some way by the economic downturn. It’s important to maintain your composure, stay positive and focus on what is important to your business. While it is important for you to stay realistic about the state of the economy as it may affect you, I suggest you try to tune out the doom, gloom and naysaying that pervades our TV, Internet and newspaper medias.

First, assess how you react when the economy negatively affects your business? Do you:

• Remain optimistic, disregard the impact, assume it will improve, stay the course?
• Heed the bad news, assume the worst, panic, shut down (jump out windows)?
• Try anything, aimlessly run in circles, not knowing what to do?
• Procrastinate, hide from the issues, hope they go away?
• Find a shrink or visit yours more frequently, read self-improvement books?
• Meditate, do yoga, chant, pray more, become more spiritual?
• Increase consumption of your favorite substances (alcohol, nicotine, pain killers)?
• Combinations of the above?

Just to let you know, the list comes directly from my own personal experiences in past economic recessions (1973, 1980, 1990 and 2001). Each option has its pros and cons. If we reflect on our experiences from past recessions, hopefully we can put together a lessons-learned guide for handling the current economic situation. Each of our perspectives on handling an economic downturn will be different depending on our personalities, the unique characteristics of our businesses and our niche in the market. Since the success of our businesses is dependent on our customers, staying closely tuned to their needs will enhance our chance of survival.

My suggestions for weathering the current economic storm include the following:

• Determine and pursue your unique market niche, products and services,
• Assess customers’ needs,
• Develop a business plan,
• Plan your business finances,
• Streamline processes/cut costs/improve products and services,
• Improve skill sets and capabilities,
• Take care of ourselves (our most precious resources).

You can read more of the specifics of David’s suggestions in his article in Issue 106 of The Professional Quilter. If your subscription is not current and you need to renew, or you want to start a new subscription, here’s a link to our order page.

Join us in the PQ Café on Thursday, March 12, when I talk to Jake Finch about writing to expand what she calls your “Quilt-fluence.” Jake birthed a new addiction when she began quilting 20 years ago. Five years later she plunged into teaching. Since then she’s written two books, Fast, Fun & Easy® Book Cover Art and Comfort Quilts From the Heart. She’s also a development editor for C&T Publishing and the managing editor for Mark Lipinski’s Quilter’s Home. Daily she finds herself answering questions on how the individual quilter can get her name known. Jake’s first response: Write something.

Join us when we’ll cover how to get started writing magazine articles or books, how to write a query, where to pitch your idea and more. And don’t be surprised if your quilting career really takes off as a result.

The teleclass is scheduled for Thursday, March 12 at 8 pm, Eastern Standard Time. Registration includes both the teleclass and the MP3 downloadable recording, so if you can’t come to the class, you’ll get the recording to listen to at a time that works for you. Here are details.

Hope to see you then. And, if you have questions you want me to be sure to ask Jake, just drop me an e-mail or post a comment, and I’ll try to fit them in.