The MP3 download and CD recording of The Quilt Judges’ Perspective teleclass hosted by Morna McEver Golletz and featuring NQA Certified Judges Jane Hall and Scott Murkin is now available to purchase. Learn what criteria judges use when judging a quilt show, the relationship between design and workmanship from the judge’s standpoint, how you can improve your chances at winning a prize or ribbon, how you can become a judge and more. This teleclass is geared to quilters interested in learning more about the judging process, either as a quilter or as a judge. Additional details are here.

I heard from a number of readers about crafting SMART goals. Remember SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Have you taken time to craft your goals for the new year? I think it’s hard to set aside enough time to do a good job at these. I’ve made progress on some of my goals and want to share some tips to help you make progress towards attaining yours.

• Review your goals daily. I think the best time is first thing in the morning, so it sets your day off on a positive note. It’s also a good idea to review them again at night. Try visualizing the goal as already completed and yourself enjoying the rewards of completion.
• “Chunk” down the goal into small steps. That’s how any goal is actually achieved, with small steps. And a large goal doesn’t look overwhelming when you’ve broken it down. You could use a “mind-mapping” technique to accomplish this.
• Take five steps toward completion of your goal each day. Again, they don’t have to be big steps, just something that moves you towards your goal. The small steps compound.
• Ask yourself if what you are doing moves you closer to or further from your goal. If it moves you closer, you are on the right track. If not, you need to rethink your decision. The difference between action and activity is movement towards the achievement of your objective.
• Share your goals and action steps with a coach or friend who can keep you on track. I have a mini-Mastermind group with one friend and this helps both of us move forward on our goals.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes on goal setting, “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.” Michelangelo

The Winter issue of The Professional Quilter includes an article on goal setting using the SMART method. 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.

Yellow. To be more precise it’s Mimosa, a warm yellow. Think the blossoms on a Mimosa tree or the cocktail. The Pantone Color Institute selects a color each year that is based on its general sense of the world’s mood. Pantone says that yellow expresses hope and reassurance, something needed in uncertain economic times.

“The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation.”

Here’s a more in depth article on the announcement in The Washington Post.

The Color Marketing Group also announced its color trends for 2009 and says yellow is the standout accent color. The Winter 2009 issue of The Professional Quilter includes an article on all of CMG’s color predictions.

Yellow is my favorite color and can be found in various shades on the walls in my kitchen, guest room, one bathroom, the laundry room and the hall outside my office. I might have to find a place for Mimosa!

I’ve heard from several readers about how useful Your Best Year Yet! by Jenny S. Ditzler is for evaluating what you’ve accomplished and for setting goals for the coming year or years. The chapter on goals starts with the following, “People who have goals achieve more results in their lives.” But how do you go about setting good goals? For years people have used the SMART system. I can hear you now, “I used that when I worked in the corporate world, but now I’m a quilter.”

The system works no matter what you do because it provides a framework for your commitment. After all, goals are a commitment. Here’s a quick rundown of setting SMART goals.
 
Specific. The goal “work out with a personal trainer three times a week” is much more specific than “start exercising.”
 
Measurable. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. That does not mean that measures have to be in dollars. If your goal is not measurable, however, it’s actually an aspiration, a good idea or perhaps a hallucination. Years ago in the corporate world, I had a boss, who when reviewing generic, immeasurable goals, would ask, “So, how do I know when we can declare victory?”
 
Attainable (or Actionable). When you begin setting goals, you learn a
lot about goal setting and about yourself. Goals that seem like they “stretch” you too much initially seem perfectly reasonable shortly thereafter. Stretch goals engender commitment, activate energetic responses, stimulate the generation of creative action steps and “close the exit doors” on excuses. Make sure that “attainable” becomes more challenging over time.
 
Realistic. This is the first cousin of “attainable.” It’s not realistic to expect to win Best of Show in Houston this year when you’ve only just learned to quilt.
 
Timely or (my preference) time-bound. By when are you going to achieve your goal?  Without a target date, it’s an illusion.

Here are three examples of SMART goals:

• Obtain representation in three new galleries by 10/21/09.
• Produce $250,000 in new business from my online presence by 12/31/09.
• Build longarm quilting business to $5,000 gross per month by 7/15/09.

The Winter issue of The Professional Quilter includes an article on goal setting using the SMART method. 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.

Crossroads: Construction, Markings, and Structure
Nancy Crows
Breckling Press; $22.95

Fans of Nancy Crow will want to devour this showcase of her recent work created during 2003-2007. The collection of 25 improvisational quilts represents work from three distinct series of quilts and marks a turning point in her work. Constructions began in 1995 and features quilts that are improvised with strong architectural elements. The series now numbers 90 quilts. Markings explores calligraphic mark making applied to quiltmaking. This series grows into Structures, which features silk-screened wholecloth work with little or no piecing. The works in this catalog debuted in a solo exhibit at The Snyderman Gallery in Philadelphia in the fall of 2007, and David Hornung, painter, former quiltmaker and chairman of the department of art and art history at Adelphi University, wrote the forward. The quilts are complimented by copies of Nancy’s sketchbooks and photos of work in progress. Here’s a link to Amazon. if you’re interested in adding this book to your library.

Join us in the PQ Café this month when I talk to Maria Peagler about mastering color for quilters. Maria, an award-winning quilter, is the author of the new book Color Mastery. During our class she’ll share ten principles for using color to create stunning quilts. She’ll share ways for you to develop your own color skills, and you won’t look at the color the same way again. She’ll challenge myths you may have about working with color. The class is perfect for quilters at any level, and teachers and shop owners who want to understand color better.

The teleclass is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 15 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 Maria, just drop me an e-mail, and I’ll try to fit them in.

A few weeks ago I noted that I wanted to get a head start on business planning for 2009. I’ll mention again the resource I like to use, a small book called Your Best Year Yet by Jinny S. Ditzler. It offers an easy framework to define your personal values, identify the various roles you play and create goals for those roles. I particularly like the emphasis on evaluating all the good things before you look at setting new goals. I always get a number of comments from readers about how helpful the book is. Here’s a link to Amazon if you are interested in learning more about the book.

Here are six more ideas to consider as you plan for next year:

1. Start with a feeling of gratitude. I think this does more for you than just about anything to bring a sense of joy to your life. Why not start or end each day with a list of just three things that you are grateful for? You’ll be surprised by the change. Here’s a wonderful quote on gratitude from Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book Simple Abundance:

   “You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.”

2. Invest in your own well-being. Go on a retreat. Eat healthfully. Get exercise. Take a yoga class. Get a massage. Relax in a bubble bath. It’s easy to get bogged down in our everyday lives and commitments and neglect our own self-care.
3. Set aside time each quarter for a personal business retreat. Review your goals, celebrate your successes and make necessary adjustments.
4. Set aside time each day for centering, daily creative time, a mini-mini-retreat, whatever you want to call it. This is time just for you, when you can step out of your life and find calm. It’s wonderful for renewing your energy and spirit. For me this can take the form of an artist date, lunch with an old friend, a cup of tea and a good book, drawing in my journal or personal sewing.
5. Join or start a MasterMind group. This is different from a large networking group. It’s usually two to six people all of whom have your best interest in mind. Set up expectations for yourselves and commit to personal and professional development. Give more than you get. Together you will catapult your businesses.
6. Create a vision board to represent the life, both business and personal, that you want. Start with a large sheet of poster board and add pictures and words that express what you want your life to be. You can use magazines to find photos or use your computer to create words/slogans. This gives power and energy to your dreams.

“Create Your Own Hand-Printed Cloth”
Rayna Gillman
C&T Publishing; $27.95

If your New Year’s resolution includes expanding your quilting or fiber tool box, then this book will do the trick. Rayna Gillman takes ordinary objects, such as corrugated cardboard, leftover fencing, yesterday’s newspaper or bubble wrap, and shows you how to create your own fabric using eight different techniques. Techniques include stamping, gelatin plate printing, soy wax batik, discharge printing and more. Her directions are easy-to-follow and accompanied by excellent up-close photographs. A wonderful resource for expanding your horizons at surface design.

Here’s an Amazon link if you’d like to add this book to your library.