Peanuts Quilted Celebrations
Kathleen Shea
American Quilter’s Society; $24.95

Who doesn’t have a smile on their face when they think about the Peanuts gang — Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Woodstock, et al.? For Kathleen Shea, it was really more than a smile. She had a stuffed Snoopy as a child, plus a collection of Peanuts items as she grew. When Charles Schulz became ill with cancer, Kathleen felt she needed to express her thanks and began to make a quilted pillow with Snoopy atop the doghouse at work on his typewriter. Unfortunately Schulz died before the pillow was completed. Kathleen went on to send the pillow to Shulz’s widow, Jean. Kathleen went forward, with Jean’s support to present Charles Schulz’s original drawings in a new medium — fabric and thread. You’ll find 10 projects in the book, pillows, wallhangings, table runners and quilts. Most are themed around a holiday. I liked the detail in the pieces, e.g., embroidery floss laces in Lucy’s shoes. The accompanying CD includes a bonus Project Linus child’s quilt to make and donate.

Look for this book at your favorite quilt or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

How often do you reward yourself for your work? If you are like many creative entrepreneurs I know, it’s not very often. Sure you accomplish the items on your to-do list, you make progress towards your goals, and you may feel proud about what you are doing. Then, it’s on to the next thing on the list, the next goal.

Many of my clients take part in what I call a Success and Strategies Summit on a weekly basis. I had been taking time to look at what I accomplished and plan ahead on a weekly basis for years. When I started working with private clients and ICAP members, I shared this more formal practice with them.

A big part of this Summit is celebrating our successes. Did I mention how we often are on to the next thing and don’t do this?

Since most of us work in isolated environments, i.e., not an outside workplace with lots of co-workers, it’s up to us to reward ourselves. I like the idea of putting a reward on a piece of paper, putting it in the jar and then picking something out for yourself when it’s time to celebrate.

As for what kind of reward you create, you need to think about what motivates you. We all have different motivators. A bike ride through the park may be just what you need. For someone else that bike ride is a painful reminder of exercise. And, not everyone enjoys a hot bubble bath or a massage. For you, maybe it’s a trip to a nice restaurant, a visit to a new gallery, a game of toss with your dog or a shopping spree for a new pair of shoes. This past week I celebrated with three bunches of beautiful tulips.

How to figure out what really motivates you? It’s often that activity that brings a smile to your face. Spend some time making a list of those activities, write them on individual pieces of paper and collect them in a jar or even a fabric bowl. As you look back over your successes this week, don’t forget to reward yourself.

Please share your what’s in your reward jar below.

Urban Scandinavian Sewing
Kirstyn Cogan
Stash Books; $16.99

Drawing on her Scandinavian heritage and growing up in a family that cherished Scandinavian design, Kristyn Cogan shares her take on urban Scandinavian design, which she says is “a philosophy, a simpler way of living.” Since many of us may not be that familiar with the countries that make up Scandinavia, Kirstyn shares quick facts about Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway. Did you realize that Finland has the most heavy metal bands per capita or that the cheese slicer was invented in Norway? I loved the simple and functional pieces that Kirstyn has included in the 18 projects in her book, which is divided into two sections or seasons: Winter and Mid-Summer. I was particularly charmed by her Swedish Tomte Softe. (A tomte is a mischievous little spirit that you can see it on the book cover.) You’ll find simple, useful ideas here. Rounding out this look at a lifestyle, Kirstyn includes nine recipes to enjoy a bit of Scandinavia.

Look for this book at your favorite quilt or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Make It, Take It
Krista Hennebury
That Patchwork Place; $26.99

Who does not love a retreat filled with sewing, food and friends? Krista Hennebury has been offering day and four-day retreats for 10 years. She knows a thing or two about good projects. In Make It, Take It, she has gathered her sewing-blogger friends, several of whom also run retreats, to create a virtual retreat. In this book you will find nine projects to take your sewing on the road and then seven projects to sew once you get to the retreat. I thought the tote patterns were cute and the selvage sewing mat useful. In the quilt project section, I loved the Pine Tree blocks done in orange and aqua. So, grab a few friends and head off to a retreat.

Look for this book at your favorite quilt or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

As a creative entrepreneur you probably struggle with a large to-do list. I know I do. Even as your business grows and you have assistance, it can still seem overwhelming to get everything done in the allotted time you have.

The key is to put money generating activities (MGAs) at the top of the list. If you look at the last five things you did in your business, how many were related to sales or marketing in your business? You need to prioritize those activities if you are going to bring income into your business. Here are some tips to do that.

• Capture all the things that you need to get done in one place. No more sticky notes or little pieces of paper. You can create one master to-do list or one for each project. Just the act of getting the tasks out of your head frees up thinking and working energy. I like to use a sheet of paper in a three-ring binder.

• Go back and decide what you need to do today. You will probably have other tasks to add each day that may not be on your master list. Rank the activities so you can see how many are really money-generating activities. You can use A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, C, etc., ranking system to prioritize them. “A” tasks are those which will make you money.

• Get going and finish your A1 task before moving to your A2 task. It will take discipline to stay focused on those A tasks, and that is what you need to do to generate an income.

• Look at the tasks you are doing with the thought that maybe someone else can do them. Consider taking one of these and train someone else to do it. You will be able to spend your time on MGAs while your team can handle other work. And, you will actually be happier and more productive.

• Watch getting sidetracked by little tasks. It is easy to look at the list and think you can winnow the list down by doing some quick items, e.g., the phone call, answering email, checking your Pinterest page. I have tried that and what happens is that I do not get to the big stuff because I did the little stuff.

• At the end of the day, look at what you accomplished. Ta-da!

Step-by-Step Free-Motion Quilting: Turn 9 Simple Shapes into 80+ Distinctive Designs
Christina Cameli
C&T Publishing; $24.95

When I look at the machine quilting on many of today’s quilts, it is daunting. I don’t have much experience machine quilting and know that practice is the answer. When I picked up this book, I was stuck by how simple Christina Cameli makes it. She takes nine elements — circle, curving lines, loop, drop, spiral, leaf, the “s” curve, arc and grass — and sets out to show you how to create more than 80 quilting designs. She includes her imperfect sketches, and when placed with more imperfect sketches, the design just works wonderfully. It should give you the freedom of just “going with the flow” at the sewing machine or longarm. Of course, Christina suggests that you practice by sketching to build up that muscle. If you are looking for “doable” designs to begin your machine quilting adventure, this book is a good choice.

Look for this book at your favorite quilt or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Profit First
Mike Michalowicz
Obsidian Press; $24.95

This book was recommended to me and when I found it in the Kindle store for $2.99, I hit the 1-Click® button, downloaded and began reading. I am so glad I did. Most of us learned the basic formula Income – Expenses = Profit. Profit is what you have left. Mike teaches you Income – Profit = Expenses. Even if you know to pay yourself first and are doing it, this is more. You start with four types of accounts (Profit, Owner’s Pay, Taxes, Expenses) and divvy the money up in the order according to set percentages. What happens if you don’t have enough left for your expenses? It doesn’t mean take from the other accounts; it means you need to get rid of the expenses you cannot afford. One of the other suggestions Mike offers is to get  a handle on bill paying by doing that twice a month, on the 10th and 25th. The book includes an Instant Assessment so you can see where you stand, as well as suggested percentages to apply to the four accounts. Yes, some of it seems obvious, yet how many of us are really doing this? Definitely worth the read.

Look for this book at your favorite quilt or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Urban and Amish: Classic Quilts and Modern Updates
Myra Harder
That Patchwork Place; $24.99

Amish quilts have stood the test of time, looking both contemporary and traditional at the same time. In this book, Myra Harder has taken Amish designs, which she knew as a child living for a few years in Lancaster County, Pa., and used them as a jumping off point for what she terms urban quilts with their bold fabrics. The urban quilts are not just reproductions of the Amish quilts in today’s fabrics. They have their own style. She includes eight Amish quilts and their eight counterparts with patterns for all. It was fun to see how the Pineapple block became her Chinese Lanterns or how the strong Amish Bars became pieced Horizontal Lines. You can either recreate Myra’s designs or set off on your own modern interpretation.

Look for this book at your favorite quilt or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Animal Parade
Cheri Leffler
Martingale; $26.99

The first baby quilts I made as gifts both featured animals. One was a bear with a honey pot; the other was an elephant that had a yarn tail. I made them in the 1970s, and both recipients took them to college. I was impressed they held up that long. I’ve always liked animals as subjects for baby quilts, and Cheri Leffler offers some delightfully whimsical designs that can be completed in your choice of appliqué technique. Cheri includes instructions for needleturn and fusible web appliqué. The 10 patterns feature a mix of patchwork with the appliquéd animals. I was taken with “Penguin Playdate.” Think Sunbonnet Sue in a variety of escapades only as a penguin. You’ll also find rollicking foxes, happy frogs and tree-hugging koalas. This is a fun group of baby quilts.

Look for this book at your favorite quilt or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Are you an action taker? Actually we are all action takers; what makes us different is when we take action. Do you take action when everything is perfect or do you take action even when it’s not? I know lots of people who wait for everything to be perfect. The website must be perfect before we announce we’re in business. The pattern covers must be perfect before we market the designs. Even as I was writing this, I got a call from a colleague who was asking about a program I was offering. She thought she wanted to offer something similar and had some questions. When I asked when she was planning to make the program available, she sidestepped the question because it wasn’t perfect yet. Perfectionism has its good points. It can also become a dead end.  Here are some things it can lead to:

1. Procrastination and/or indecision. If you need everything to be perfect, you wait for the best solution or the right time. You don’t want to miss it, so you wait and wait.

2. Missing the big picture because you are focusing on the details. It’s like missing the forest for all the trees.

3. Loss of creativity. I think this one is tied into procrastination, because you want perfect results so you put it off. You don’t have “failed creative efforts.” And, of course if you did, they could lead to growth. (Ironically, growth is one of the reasons people want to be perfect.)

4. Perfectionism in the extreme can lead to depression and alienation of relationships.

So how do you work on taking imperfect action? Here are some tips to try:

1. Be aware of why you are a perfectionist and recognize when it rears its head. Know whether it’s good perfectionism or obsessive perfectionism. I think that’s often half the battle.

2. Ask yourself, “What will happen if it’s not perfect?” or even, “What will happen if I don’t have to do it perfectly?”

3. Aim for good enough. I have two signs in my office. One says “Good enough is good enough.” The other says, “Progress, not perfection.” It’s not license to slack off, it’s license to finish.

4. Look at the big picture, i.e., look at the forest not the trees. Prioritize to figure out if all the trees, aka tasks, are necessary to fill in the big picture. If not, get rid of that tree.

5. Learn how to delegate. Once you do this and begin to have faith in other people’s abilities, it becomes easier to delegate. You don’t have to do it all to be perfect. And, it may not be perfect to your way of thinking, but it will be done.

6. Just once, set a goal to do something poorly. What a concept! This is really freeing. Imagine being perfectly imperfect!

7. Celebrate. My clients know I like to have a weekly Success and Strategies Summit. If you’ve managed to let go of some of your perfectionist tendencies, celebrate it as a success.

I love quotes and searched for the perfect (!) quote on perfectionism. In the end, I decided to share the words from one of my favorite authors, Anne Lamott, from her book Bird by Bird:

So today or tomorrow, please take one imperfect action and share it below.

See the ICAP blog at http://www.creativeartsprofessionals.com/weblog/