What has started as a dutiful daughter-in-law starting a new hobby with her mother-in-law evolved into a woman with a new hobby and a knack for following directions. With that knack, I made some pretty cool quilts that other people designed.
Enter modern quilter (that, I hope, would be me). A friend of mine took it upon herself to get the paperwork needed to enter the Rocky River Nature Center's annual quilt show. I decided, what the heck skinny neck? I'm gonna do it. But I didn't want to enter a quilt where I'm following someone else's design. I've been to this quilt show before, and there are some amazing pieces of work that I couldn't help but notice are designed by the quilter (most of the time). This is not something one goes into with a knack for following someone else's directions.
So, for the first time (but definitely not the last, I think I caught a creative bug of some sort), I'm going to make a quilt that is 100% my own. My design, my work. Pictures soon to come. Wish me luck.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Yes, we have no craft fairs
Every year I have the same debate, and every year I forget how said debate ended last year. What's the debate? Whether I should buy space at various craft fairs this fall/winter.
It always seems to be dead at these things anymore, and I feel so bad for the other crafters because there are some really talented people out there! So last year I did a little of both; I had tables at a few fairs, and did some holiday shopping at others (hey, I gotta support my fellow crafter!).
This time was different, because I actually took notes on how I did at each fair I was in. I discovered I really didn't do well enough to justify waking up early on a Saturday morning and spending 8-10 hours listening to people either say, "I could make that at home," or, "Wow, your stuff is so nice, and so reasonably priced." I'm a pretty positive person, but that had a tendency to wear even me down. I think this was actually the incubus to my store front idea (I guess because I want to do this for 8-10 hours every day).
Anyway, this year is no debate. There will be no craft fairs this year. I'm instead going to focus my energies on making my business work for me. First step is my business plan, which is tantamount to writing a short novel. I always knew those creative writing/journalism classes in high school would come in handy some day, just didn't imagine it would resurface like this.
I've done some research and a whole lot of thinking, and have come to the conclusion that a bricks and mortar store is not going to happen by 2010. I just don't have the capital, and don't anticipate having it by the beginning of the year. Here's the funky circle I'm going in right now...in order to get banks to loan me money, I need to show them that I have money; yet in order for me to have money, I need the banks to loan me money...and on and on it goes. So for now I'm saving saving saving while I build my business plan.
Next post....inspiration has sprung and I'm working on my first quilt of the season. Man, I love fall!
It always seems to be dead at these things anymore, and I feel so bad for the other crafters because there are some really talented people out there! So last year I did a little of both; I had tables at a few fairs, and did some holiday shopping at others (hey, I gotta support my fellow crafter!).
This time was different, because I actually took notes on how I did at each fair I was in. I discovered I really didn't do well enough to justify waking up early on a Saturday morning and spending 8-10 hours listening to people either say, "I could make that at home," or, "Wow, your stuff is so nice, and so reasonably priced." I'm a pretty positive person, but that had a tendency to wear even me down. I think this was actually the incubus to my store front idea (I guess because I want to do this for 8-10 hours every day).
Anyway, this year is no debate. There will be no craft fairs this year. I'm instead going to focus my energies on making my business work for me. First step is my business plan, which is tantamount to writing a short novel. I always knew those creative writing/journalism classes in high school would come in handy some day, just didn't imagine it would resurface like this.
I've done some research and a whole lot of thinking, and have come to the conclusion that a bricks and mortar store is not going to happen by 2010. I just don't have the capital, and don't anticipate having it by the beginning of the year. Here's the funky circle I'm going in right now...in order to get banks to loan me money, I need to show them that I have money; yet in order for me to have money, I need the banks to loan me money...and on and on it goes. So for now I'm saving saving saving while I build my business plan.
Next post....inspiration has sprung and I'm working on my first quilt of the season. Man, I love fall!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The Big Announcement
Well, it was a long time coming. For ten years now I've been making quilts as gifts, making quilts to use around the house, making quilts to sell at craft fairs, and every now and then making quilts for actual customers.
For a couple of years now, my lovely husband has been trying to talk me into opening my own shop. Well, the time has come for me to pull the trigger on this! Right now I'm in the beginning stages of research. My goal is that by the new year I'll have what it takes to open up my very own fabric/quilt supply shop.
It's an exciting, scary, thrilling, nerve racking, exciting (it's worth mentioning twice) moment. Wish me luck! Oh, and come to my grand opening, date TBA ;)
For a couple of years now, my lovely husband has been trying to talk me into opening my own shop. Well, the time has come for me to pull the trigger on this! Right now I'm in the beginning stages of research. My goal is that by the new year I'll have what it takes to open up my very own fabric/quilt supply shop.
It's an exciting, scary, thrilling, nerve racking, exciting (it's worth mentioning twice) moment. Wish me luck! Oh, and come to my grand opening, date TBA ;)
Sunday, July 26, 2009
My Life On Mute
I'm starting to think that the sound has been turned down on this show called my life. This morning I took Devon to boy scouts, and that had to be the quietest group of boys I've ever run into. Of course it could have something to do with the fact that it was 8:30am on a Sunday morning.
Then I go home to weed my wannabe garden, and the trafic is very mild considering the busy street I live on. No thumpin' cars, no drag racing motorcycles, no lawn mowers mowing in the background, no kids playing. The loudest it got was when that blue minivan drove by and honked their horn (do I know anyone who drives a blue minivan?).
Then after lunch we went to the library, and almost every parking space is taken, but the library is practically empty (BTW they did some rearranging, and me likes. I might go with something like that for my shop...more on the shop later).
Next we went to Giant Eagle. How is it possible that a store can be nearly empty, but there are hardly any shopping carts left? Where have all the shopping carts gone? I checked...they weren't in the cart corrals in the parking lot either. And again, it was quiet...not even some kid screaming about wanting the super-fabulous-heavy-sugar-marshmallow-cereal. I'm starting to think someone hit the mute button! Don't get me wrong, it's nice and quiet in Berea today (even the triangle was dead today!), but it's wierd.
Then to top it all off, here I am blogging on my quilt blog & I've barely said the word "quilt" (enter creepy Twilight Zone theme song here). Maybe I'll talk about quilts tomorrow...in the mean time I need to find the remote that controls my life & hit that mute button...it's too quiet in here!
Then I go home to weed my wannabe garden, and the trafic is very mild considering the busy street I live on. No thumpin' cars, no drag racing motorcycles, no lawn mowers mowing in the background, no kids playing. The loudest it got was when that blue minivan drove by and honked their horn (do I know anyone who drives a blue minivan?).
Then after lunch we went to the library, and almost every parking space is taken, but the library is practically empty (BTW they did some rearranging, and me likes. I might go with something like that for my shop...more on the shop later).
Next we went to Giant Eagle. How is it possible that a store can be nearly empty, but there are hardly any shopping carts left? Where have all the shopping carts gone? I checked...they weren't in the cart corrals in the parking lot either. And again, it was quiet...not even some kid screaming about wanting the super-fabulous-heavy-sugar-marshmallow-cereal. I'm starting to think someone hit the mute button! Don't get me wrong, it's nice and quiet in Berea today (even the triangle was dead today!), but it's wierd.
Then to top it all off, here I am blogging on my quilt blog & I've barely said the word "quilt" (enter creepy Twilight Zone theme song here). Maybe I'll talk about quilts tomorrow...in the mean time I need to find the remote that controls my life & hit that mute button...it's too quiet in here!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Hello again!
Once upon a time a fairy princess (that would be me) made quilts. The fairy princess' little sister (who is much too clever for her own good) made her a blog for her quilts as a pleasant surprise. It's a beautiful site & I -- or I mean the princess -- loved it, posted to it, and cared for it very much...until she didn't.
Then one day, the fairy princess had a visit from a lovely fair maiden who reminded her that this blog exhists, so let's get on it and start posting again, shall we? And so here we are. I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted! I'm usually much more chatty than this. So my promise to you, my fine readers (all two of you) is that I'll be a good girl and keep up with my posts. Of course a lot of it has to do with the fact that I now have much more to blog about...but we'll save that for another story; preferably one where I refrain from refering to myself in the third person. Yes, that would be much less annoying.
;)
Then one day, the fairy princess had a visit from a lovely fair maiden who reminded her that this blog exhists, so let's get on it and start posting again, shall we? And so here we are. I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted! I'm usually much more chatty than this. So my promise to you, my fine readers (all two of you) is that I'll be a good girl and keep up with my posts. Of course a lot of it has to do with the fact that I now have much more to blog about...but we'll save that for another story; preferably one where I refrain from refering to myself in the third person. Yes, that would be much less annoying.
;)
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