A New Year

Everyone seems to be posting about accomplishments and goals for the new year, so I thought I would join in on that. Especially since as I began making a list, I realized how the things I had done last year affected me and my work.

Just before last year began, I moved my studio space upstairs, to a spare bedroom. Even though the space was not really bigger, it allowed me to have a big design wall, and a better work space. It really changed my quilts, and allowed me to make bigger ones.

At the beginning of the year I made a book online of my best quilts. I found it was good for me to choose what I wanted to be in the book; I had to decide what I thought was best, and what quilts were not. Now I have a record of my quilts and plan to do that again this year.

I attended Quilt National this year, and getting into that show and going to the opening was almost unreal. Again, making a decision on what work I wanted to enter in the show, and then have it get in was really a validation of what I have been doing. I will definitely try again in the future, because I found it pushed me to really think about what I am doing.

I began a process of creating a new logo, and postcards, which I handed out at the One of a Kind Show this December. One of my sons and his family gave me a bag with my new logo as a Christmas present! Next I would like to get new business cards, and possibly a web site.

There were shows I didn't get into, and shows I did, but with quilts I was not expecting would get in. That gave me a lot to think about in terms of shows: what are they looking for, are there trends going on that I am not a part of? I think you can't get too caught up in getting into shows. It makes you feel good, but in reality you have to be yourself and do what you are passionate about, and find ways to get your work seen by other people.

This quilt is something I have been working on over Christmas, when I was interrupted by Christmas preparations, and company. I could do a few blocks at a time, and make strips. It is not finished, this is just the top. But it reminds me I want to learn more about color, and be able to dye more and more wonderful colors!