New Year Resolutions

Happy New Year!
I thought I'd share my New Year's resolutions with yall:

1. I am going to doodle for 10 minutes every day.
2. I am going to be less critical of my creative self.
3. I am going to set aside a creative play date every two weeks.
4. I am going to post weekly; each week will have a different topic: Book Review; Tips, Tool Review, Techniques or Loose Threads, which will be a potpourri of stuff
   
5. I am going to teach one class on quilting techniques before June.
6. I am going to learn Photoshop.
7. I am going to participate in a minimum of four calls for entry this year.
8. Less procrastination on my artwork!
9. I am going to consistently create items for those craft shows throughout the year, and get a jump start on my gift list.
10. I am going to finish, toss, or give away one UFO for every other project I complete.
    

Okay, what are your resolutions?

Craft Sale O-mania!

I've just experienced my first craft show season and it was a crazy, hectic wonderful, stressful, learning experience. I thought that I was prepared; I had been stockpiling some things for months, and had quilts ready for sale. Here are my tips and thoughts:

1. The organizer and previous participants are a treasure trove of information about the sale. Talk to them, if possible, about what things are likely to sell based on past sales. Talk to the organizer about what price range the biggest selling items fall into.
2. Try to provide products that differentiate your brand from the rest; either something that is not typically sold, or some kind of signature to your brand..
3. Think about the timing of the sale; if it is at Christmas, people are shopping for gifts for others more often than they are buying that splurge for themselves, especially in this economy.
   
4. Walk the room; see what others are selling, and at what prices. Make sure you introduce yourself to everyone, and spend extra time with artists whose work you love. Network the room; get their cards, and give them yours.
   
5. Make sure you save some of each item for each sale; even if it is only one or two pieces, at least you have a sample to show so people can order.
6. Think about forming a cooperative with other crafters, where you can share sale duties and fees in exchange for selling each others' non-competitive craft.
7. Have a variety of items at different price points.
8. Make a few things each month, or make a single item production style; work on that item until you have a number of them produced (repetition will make you faster), then move onto another item. You may be willing to do this as part of your cooperative group.
   
9. Keep an inventory of what you have produced. An Excel spreadsheet is great for this.
   
10. Wear your goods if possible; if it looks good on you, people feel it will look good on them.
11. Make sure you bring some work that can be done during the sale, even if it is just creating price tags for your goods, but preferably bring work that shows you making an item. I frequently use the time to bind or label my quilts. Seeing how much goes into making a piece helps to justify the quality and the price, and people frequently ask me what I am working on, a great conversation starter.
12. Let people know that you notice them at your table by saying hello, and telling them if they have any questions, you'd be happy to answer them (rather than asking if they have questions).
    
13. Immediately after the show, do a debriefing: What sold? What did not? What kept you from selling more--poor traffic? a bad location? timing? lack of goods, or goods priced too high? Did you get some non-monetary gain from the event, i.e., a referral to another event? Did you break even? What would you do differently? Write all these notes in a notebook, and use it as a reference tool.
    
14. I try to send an email to people I met, building my network of crafter contacts. I also send a thank-you email to the organizer, regardless of how well I did.
15. Invest in display items. These do not have to be bought items or expensive items, but again, take a look at other displays, and what you see in stores. I use a mixture of both. Presentation and merchandising are an art, too!
16. Don't equate your worth as an artist with how you've done at a craft sale. There are too many unrelated variables to make that determination. If you've sold something, wonderful, but if you've learned something, you have gained something more valuable than a quick sale.
    

Giving back with the Girl Scouts

This week, I had an opportunity to get to spend some time with some young women at a Girl Scout Troop meeting in Newark. The young ladies were vibrant and mostly confident, but I was surprised. So many people speak of how self-absorbed and apathetic our young people are. I was prepared to meet young people who wouldn't pay attention to anything longer than a video, and who would find the art of quilting dull and uninteresting. They were respectful and polite, and asked questions our entire time together. I allowed each of them to create a block using crayons and their own art or rubbings, which they will use to create a charity quilt (or rather, I will use to create a charity quilt), and they both appreciated and absorbed the knowledge I was sharing. In return, I gave them a pack of sugarless gum at the end of our session. The other surprise was this: not one of them could thread a needle and knot the thread! I did not expect them to be able to sew, but they caught on quickly. Let me say that my mom did not sew, or participate in any crafts that I remember. Her mother, however, was a self-taught crafter. I wish I could have met her. My dad's mom was a quilter, and her gift of a quilt set me off on my fiberquest. It still keeps me warm on cold winter nights. Yet, when I was 14 or so, with the blessing (and funding) of my mother, and the support of my best friend, Jeanine, who's Mom is an awesome seamstress, I took classes at singer, and never looked back. I never made dresses for dolls, but did create dresses for friends and for my mom. I am still hoping to teach my niece some of my crafting skills. I hope my teasing lesson gets a few of those girls on the path to sewing, so that they will go back and ask their mom, or their aunt, or their grandmother to teach them how to sew. I know they will never regret learning.

Quilters of Color and quilters' generosity

One of the wonders of being a quilter is discovering how generous they are. I am currently serving as President of Quilters of Color, a guild which has members of all colors, though we are primarily African American. Last Saturday, we had a visit from Ms. Jolli Brown, who is on the staff of LIU. Jolli is working on a collaborative effort in which they train teachers to teach in urban areas, and as part of that program LIU is hosting a film in April, and is providing activities where young women, predominantly young women of color, can learn to quilt and get involved in some media production.
At one point, Jolli asked for suggestions about the program, and boy, did she get them! As quilters, we have a vested interest in "passing the thimble", as Alex Anderson likes to say, and specifically, quilters of color have an interest in building not only our quilting community, but our communities at large. The ideas came in fast and furious, and I am looking forward to our participation in this event.
I am being uber productive, and have hit an unforeseen snag. My machine picks its moments to act up, and I had to return it to my dealer, and get a loaner. This is one of the benefits of buying a machine from a dealer. Try getting a loaner from Walmart or Costco in a pinch. :-) I have attached photos of one of the Christmas stockings I've made. An all-nighter is looming!

Back on the Block

Okay, I've been trifling. But I have been productive! Though I missed Houston this year, I am excited about a number of things these days. I have recently been juried into a local crafts show in South Orange, NJ Dec. 4-7. I have also submitted a list of classes that I'd like to teach, and have gotten interest in a Memory Quilt class. Like many people I am a procrastinator. But when I have to get things in for a deadline, I am focused. Lately, I've been dyeing and embellishing some silk pieces, and working on felted scarves and soap. I love fiber, and the exploration of many types of fiber is a critical part of my journey. I am posting some photos of my quilts, and have ideas for many more, including an Obama quilt, which I will begin working on right after I get going on my Mermaid quilts, which are due in January. I have used these past few months to finish a number of pieces, and (in addition to my job search) to focus on activities which restore my creative self. I am commiting to writing at least one blog entry a week, and posting as many photos as I can, one at a time. The quilt shown is titled Market Women, and used a batiked appliqué with a background that is a combination of cotton, and a sheer "party dress" fabric. I enjoyed doing this piece because it let me see what was possible and not just what is. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Houston 07 Day 2 & 3 Summary

I have returned from Houston inspired and broke, but what a ride! I spent Saturday, my birthday, with the vendors. On Sunday, in addition to the clocks being set back, I was mixed up about the opening time for the show, and had an hour to kill with Ron. It was fun to share the quilts with him, and point out work done by my friends, and/or special techniques. The best thing about Festival is the inspiration, not only from the awesome quilts, but the amazing things that vendors are showing! If you are into mixed media art, you are sure to lose your mind--and love it!

So many AA quilters I ran into said they had a great time yesterday, and I am sending out the complete list today so everyone can stay in contact. If you would like your name added to my AA quilters database, please send me an email. Also, I can highly recommend checking out the link to African American Quilters Yahoo! Group, or Quilters of Color of NY, which has an inexpensive associate membership.

I am taking photos of my quilts this week and look forward to posting them!

Houston 07 - Day 1 Recap & Happy Birthday to me!

After a 5:30 flight from Newark, I hit the ground running. I hooked up with Teresa and Wendi, two guildmates, and we headed over to the show. Due to some logistical snafus, we got in about 15 minutes late (less time for shopping!) Because I have less time here than usual, I have tried to be methodical. Before I left home, I made a list of things I wanted, (trust me, this is not the total list), and when I got here, I noted on my dancecard (a dancecard is a sheet that salespeople use to let them know when, where and with whom they are meeting) the booths I wanted to visit. Of the 18 rows, I only got through 6, but among them, I did meet with the Tom Pfeiffer, the President of New Joy (midarm frame), and I spent a considerable amount of time spending the $300 Superior Thread shopping spree I got when I bought my Juki TL98Q.

The best part of the day was a meetup, which Teresa and I promote (but did not start, we just picked up the ball and ran with it) of African American quilters. Basically, this started as a way for the African American Quilters Group from Yahoo! to get together in real life, but we figured, we should just be our friendly NY selves and invite every African American we saw at the show! It is great to mingle, and frequently, people meet new quilters from their area. We had a group of 55 yesterday. Are we not fabulous?

I attended three lectures: Textile Sketchbook, which gave some exercises for creativity; Bodysmart Quilting, which offered exercises for body safe quilting: 45 minutes of sewing, 15 minute break with water, walking and stretches; and Artcloth 2007, which featured amazing fabrics, all starting from a piece of white cloth.

We returned to This Is It! Houston for a just like your Momma cooked it meal, and I came back to my room and went to sleep! I usually get up around 5 or 5:30, and that means I was up at 3:47 a.m. today! My body will be really confused by the time I get back to NY/NJ, with the hour's difference in time, plus daylight savings starting tomorrow.

It is officially my birthday, and I would be remiss and trifling if I did not thank all of the people who have made me the happy, content, creative person I am. First up is my Mom, who, even if she thought what I was doing was weird/strange/stupid, let me go my own way if I wasn't harming anyone. Next is Ron, who is supporting me, both literally and figuratively, while I explore my creative Zen; then, all my guild friends, online and off, who are a treasure trove of creativity; my non-quilting friends, who have sometimes become quilt widows when I can't get together like I used to, and a special thank you to Kaaren, a generous artist who never fails to tell me I am more talented than I think I am.

Believe and begin!

Vitae Interruptus

I am reactivating my blog after a crazy couple of years that had several high impact speed bumps. Having become unemployed since July 1, I turned to my creative side, and have toggled my own Restart button. I originally started this blog as a way to document my trip to the International Quilt Fest in Houston in 20005, and I am resurrecting it in 2007 for the same purpose with a promise to myself to keep it going for 28 days. With a laptop, blogging daily from IQF should be easier, and nowadays is a rare day that I am not tapping my own muse.

I have never considered myself an artist. Creative, yes. I have made my own clothes and home dec accessories for years; I have produced wedding cakes that have withstood a hot summer day in NYC; my cooking is legendary amongst my friends. I have never been able to think of myself as an artist. Even my stick figures suck. About ten years ago, my grandmother gave me a quilt and I have since found another outlet for my creative ventures. This lead me to art quilts and dyeing, as well as longarm quilting, all for my own creative pleasure. If I can help someone else, I am happy to do so.

I have been blessed to be surrounded by several groups of creative quilters. I am a member of FOUR guilds, and several Yahoo! groups. As for the guilds, two are large, two are small, two are "ethnic". I frequently host quilting sessions at my church, and rarely do I get to my own work, but I am happy to see others bringing their projects to completion. My favorite quote is a description of me in a nutshell, and reflects my connection to mentoring: "The best gift you can give a man is not to share your riches with him, but to reveal to him his own." -Benjamin Disraeli. Thus in sharing my treasures with you, I hope you will in turn, find something in them that inspires you to discover your own. Believe and begin!

Intl Quilt Festival (IQF), Houston Day One

International Quilt Fest, Day One

I arrived in Houston, excited and ready to go. My plane was late, and I missed most of the sampler, but I didn’t care. I was at the QUILT FESTIVAL! I got the lay of the land, and I have to say: I’ve been to a number of conferences, and I’d gone to Chicago earlier this year. I wasn’t expecting anything to wow me. Chalk it up to being a cynical NYer, where the unusual is normal. Let me say it now: WOWEEE! I couldn’t get a picture of the floor, because the flash would have bounced off the glass, but this was simply unbelievable. Somewhere on this blog, I’ll post some tips I learned the hard way, (or sometimes the easy way), or from other attendees.

I will say this. To a person, the people I met were friendly and courteous. The Houstonians, who had to deal with a World Series on top of Quilt Fest, on top of Hurricane Katrina, were always helpful and not one was anything less than welcoming. The people I met, even those I hit with my big bags, smiled, and were understanding. Now don’t get me wrong. With that many people, some folks were bound to be a little short, particularly those in that Bernina bag line. For the most part, everyone was caught up in the excitement. One of the first persons I met was Joan, from Lake Charles, LA. Despite some damage to her home, and her son losing most of his possessions, Joan was able to smile and laugh, happy to be in Houston. She’d been to Houston six times, and her roommates were actually people that she’d met from all over the country. She gave me the date for next year’s Hilton reservations: November 12, 2005, 9:30 a.m. I saw her several times that afternoon.

My first event was a lecture by Lesley Riley, Making Time for Making Quilts. Her expertise is in image transfer. She must be an expert at making time. Lesley has SIX KIDS. I enjoyed this session. Because they were simple and practical, her tips made sense, and I’ll try to implement some of them when I get home. Sorry, but sharing them would infringe on her intellectual property rights. You can find some of them in her articles in Quilting Arts. Her website is www.lalasland.com.

By the time Teresa and Carol arrived, I had scouted out the places they needed to go to get registered and such, as well as gotten the lay of the land. The exhibit hall opened at 5 p.m. giving us a little breather. I wanted to do a quick quilt tour and then some serious window shopping in preparation for my spending spree, but when I saw that I couldn’t get close to the $10,000 best of show quilt, I went to Plan B. I started with the vendors that I knew: Djema Imports (in conjunction with Cultured Expressions), Batik Timbal, and African Folklore Embroidery. From there I made a note of any booth I passed that I wanted to return to, and collected lots of literature. I was intrigued by the many bright yellow Bernina bags I saw, and wondered how to get one. Teresa was not as restrained, and did quite a bit of shopping as well. Because of the restrictions, I did not take any photos of vendors booths…they’re very touchy, and rightfully so. It was a rare event that you found a vendor who sold something exclusively. We had another reason to be happy. Having taken a hand-dyeing workshop with a fellow guild member, artist Patricia Montgomery, we weren’t going to buy a ton of hand-dyes. In fact I had said that I wasn’t going to purchase any fabric at all, but I softened that by saying that I’d only buy exceptionally beautiful fabric. I kept my bargain, for tonight at least.

What can I say? With nearly 600 vendors, we lost our minds! We didn’t even get through the entire vendor court this evening. We did, however, make one goal: to speak with every African American person we saw, and let them know we were part of a Yahoo! group that was meeting on Friday at 1 p.m. This evening, we probably saw 20 people or so.

If I wasn’t so tired (nearly 40 straight hours awake, with only a plane nap in between), I would go through the few things that I purchased this evening. We crashed at Teresa’s sister’s beautiful home, 15 minutes from the GRB (George R, Brown Convention Center). I can’t wait for tomorrow. The photo below is Teresa & Carol.

Houston, here we come!

I've been wanting to start a quilting blog for a long time, now, and my upcoming trip to the International Quilt Festival in Houston seems like the perfect opportunity to do so. I went to the Spring Festival in Chicago in April, and decided that it was Houston or bust this year. I will be traveling with a quilting buddy, Teresa, and her friend, Carol. I am leaving tomorrow, and returning Sunday.

IQF holds many surprises for me. I am as excited as a kid going to DisneyWorld! I will have the opportunity to meet many people from my online groups: African American Quilters, AA Art Quilters, Complex Cloth, Dyerslist, Inkjet Transfer. Having the opportunity to see over 2,000 quilts will provide inspiration for many months to come, and I can't wait to see what the vendors have. I have given myself a daily budget, plus I've gone from swearing to buy no fabric to swearing to buy only outrageously fabulous fabrics. We'll see! I'm bringing an empty suitcase, just in case; less clothes means more room for purchases (LOL)!

I'll post photos and at least a once daily log; I'll answer questions about my experiences this week when I return next week, and I'll also post more about my quilting life.

Aleeda