Stack, Shuffle and Slide
Karla Alexander
Martingale; $24.95

In her latest book utilizing her “stack-cut-and-shuffle”plan, Karla Alexander introduces the “Slip ‘n’ Slide.” This technique gives you more control over different values and colors in each block. While you are free to set off on your own creative adventure with Karla’s technique, she includes patterns for 15 quilts, which appeal to both modern and traditional quilters. I was particularly taken with Shattered and its mosaic feel and Paint Chips, which is featured on the cover. I love Karla’s suggestion of a WRAP when you’ve finished a project: “wonder” about how the quilt might have been different; “reflect” on what you have learned; “appreciate” what you have accomplished; and “plan” your next step.

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

What are the 3 R’s, you ask? Recycle, reuse, repurpose. How much of what you create just needs to be spiffed up or re-slanted to make it new? We see it all the time in other areas. Disney is a prime example. They often issue re-releases or special editions of their classics. They recreate the excitement, find additional audiences, and make more sales. How can you do this as a creative arts professional? We are all artists and continually look for something new. Here are some ideas:

1. If you are a pattern designer, go back to some of your older designs and remake them using different fabrics. Try a really traditional design in contemporary fabrics. Sometimes a fresh or modern look is all that is needed. Now you can re-issue and promote the pattern as a special or anniversary edition.
2. If you are a teacher, take a look at those classes you have been teaching. Do you need brighter samples to post with the descriptions? Could the class titles be jazzed up a bit? Do you have some faster methods you are now using? The new class, with the jazzed-up title is now Completely Revised or Now With Speed Sewing Techniques. This made me think of food manufacturers with the “new, improved” signs on their products. If it works for them, it will work for you.
3. If you are a longarm quilter, look at your samples? Are they dated? Try making a set of sample strips using some of those new threads you purchased. You can add them to existing samples, making it all look new again.
4. If you are a shop owner, repurposing is easy and it is something you are probably doing on a regular basis. When was the last time you redid your displays to give a new look to your shop? Just moving your existing displays can make a difference.
5. If you make and sell a product or notion, what can you do to update it? For example, if you sell hand-dyed fabrics, perhaps you can tweak the formula just a bit, and add a new color in a limited edition. Or take an existing color and rename it.
6. For those of us who write and share our work through our newsletters, we can reuse it by posting it on our blogs or on Facebook or other social media.

I am sure you have lots of ideas about how to recycle, reuse, or repurpose your existing product line. Please share them below.

photo credit: Ines Seidel via photopin cc

Bargello Quilts in Motion
Ruth Ann Berry
C&T Publishing; $19.95

I love when older techniques are revived and refreshed, and that is the case with the Bargello quilt. I remember making my first one and marveling at how much easier it was than it looked. That quilt hangs in my cousin’s home today. Ruth Ann Berry looked at ways that she could separate the moving parts in the design from the static background. She came up with four different solutions to do this: what she calls a scribble on a solid background; a scribble on a background of busy prints; the scribble and background made from different, contrasting color runs; and a solid-color splash across a series of plaids or a background of stripes. I never would have thought of plaids years past. I loved the energy that the quilts reflect. In addition to the eight patterns she includes, Ruth Ann also teaches you how to draft your own original design on graph paper. Our partners – write my essay for cheap. the best student papers, essays, coursework and diplomas. We are trusted by thousands of students. We are recommended and respected!

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

Over the weekend I was working on the content for our Creative Arts Business Summit and thinking about the 36 women and men who are joining me this year. A wave of gratitude came over me, and I reflected how fortunate I am that they are trusting me to guide them for three days. They are all blessings in my life.

When was the last time you sat and reflected on your blessings? When you take the time to focus on what you are grateful for, you will find more happiness in your life. You’ll also begin to see more of what you are grateful for show up in your life. You will find yourself more resilient and even less stressful. Positivity all around!

Here are four tips for adding a gratitude practice to your life:

1. Keep a gratitude journal. At the end of each day write down three things that you were grateful for during the day. They do not have to be big. They can be as simple as watching the sunrise or the extra cookie someone left for you or the laugh from watching your kitten chase the ball of yarn. Periodically go back and read what you have written.
2. Set aside a few minutes every morning to hold a silent gratitude session. Think about what you are grateful for. Think about those people you are grateful for.
3. As you go through your day, look for times you can say, “Thank You,” and do so. These can be little gestures. It makes a difference to you and the other person.
4. If you think of someone and the difference they have made in your life, take time to call or write and let them know.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes about gratitude:

If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice
Meister Eckhart

Do you have a gratitude practice? Please share.

photo credit: shannonkringen via photopin cc

Uncommonly Courdudoy
Stephanie Dunphy
Martingale; $27.99

Many of us think of using something besides quilting cottons in our work, but have you thought about corduroy? I hadn’t, so I was surprised when this book crossed my desk. After all, we mix cotton and wool, or heavier decorator weights with dressmaker weight, so why not corduroy? Stephanie Dunphy includes 17 different projects ranging from bags and a scarf to quilts in varying sizes. The projects use corduroy alone or combines it with quilting cottons, cotton flannels, or wool. I loved the polka dotted corduroy.

A lot of us have problems getting things finished. Several reasons come to mind: procrastination, the need to be perfect, distractions by other things, failure to prioritize. Here are eight tips for exercising what I call your “done” muscle.

1. Get clear about what it is that you are trying to accomplish. Once you have clarity around your goals and/or a particular project, it is much easier to move forward. As you work, keep your eye on the prize. This will help you progress.

2. Break your project down into manageable tasks. When you look at a goal or a specific project, it can seem overwhelming. If you can break it down into bite-size pieces, it is always easier to see how you can accomplish it.

3. Look for where you need help. Just because you have a big project, does not mean that you need to do it all yourself. Remember, it is not necessary to know how to do everything, just what needs to be done.

4. Prioritize what needs to be done. This can apply to a specific project or your daily “to do” list. It is easy to look for the quick and uncomplicated things to do each day so you can check them off the list. The problem is you are not really accomplishing what you need to accomplish. What you should be doing is tackling those projects that move you towards completing your goal.

5. Consider the ROI. That’s Return on Investment. You can look at your tasks and see if time spent doing these tasks is worth your time. Maybe you should delegate the tasks or not even do them at all.

6. Finish what you start. Make that your goal. Really look around at how many people actually finish what they set out to do. Many people say they are going to do something and do not ever complete it.

7. Remember good enough is often good enough. Sometimes we spend so much time aiming for perfection that we don’t accomplish our goals.

8. Don’t over-think everything. As the Nike ad says, “Just do it.”

If you have a tip for exercising your “done” muscle, please share it on the blog.

Essential Sewing Reference Tool
Carla Hegeman Crim
Stash Books; $17.95

I have always had a “go to” sewing reference, and I use it when I need to know something
like how to do a Hong Kong finish or how to make a round table cloth. What I love
about this reference is it’s compact and includes all the essentials. The author,
Carla Hegeman Crim, is the founder of Scientific Seamstress LLC. A molecular biologist
turned patternmaker, she is well known for complete easy-to-follow instructions
and detailed illustrations. You will find it handy for sewing terms and techniques
as well as quilting terms, ranging from batting types and their advantages and disadvantages
to a materials discussion of fabrics and interfacing. I think this compact resource
could become your “go to” reference.

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

Sweet and Simple Sewing Jessi Jung, Carrie Jung, and Lauren Jung
Martingale; $24.99

Jessi Jung and daughters Carrie and Lauren teamed up to present this collection of fresh sewing and quilting patterns. The collection includes 13 projects, perfect for gift giving or keeping. It was nice to see designs I hadn’t seen before, and I appreciated the hand-sewn and hand-bound journal. 

Look for the book at your local quilt shop or book retailer. Here’s a link toAmazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Do you work on your business or in your business? I recently started re-reading The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber.

The premise is that we cannot grow our business if we spend all our time doing the work in the business; i.e., being the technicians or doers. We have to learn and utilize management and entrepreneurial skills to build the business. Your goal should be to have your business work for you, not you working for it.

So, is all your time spent “doing” the business?

Here are four ways to strive toward working on your business:

1. Develop a clear vision about the path your company will take. This clarity is critical for you and for any people that you hire, whether full-time or on a project basis.
2. Take time to work on your business. I have heard from numerous quilters in business – longarm quilters to commission art quilters – that you need to spend two-to three hours marketing your business for every hour you spend fabricating your art. The best approach here is to set aside the time that works for you to do this. It could be three hours every morning or it could be every Monday and Tuesday. And sometimes you need to try working on your business in a different surrounding. I have a friend who goes to the local café each week to work on her business. The goal is set a time consistently to do this.
3. Look for ways to create systems in your business. This could be anything from a system to contact potential buyers to a system to process orders. Systems make a difference in how much time you don’t spend as a technician or doer.
4. Work on yourself. In addition to spending time working on your business, you need to work on yourself. The late Jim Rohn said, “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job. The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become.” And, who you become as a person spills over into your business.

photo credit: NathanaelB via photopin cc

475 Tax Deductions for Businesses and Self-Employed Individuals
Bernard B. Kamoroff, CPA
Taylor Trade; $18.95

This book in its previous edition as 422 Tax Deductions has been one of my annual favorite resources when it come time to do my taxes. Sure I use an accountant, but I have to pull the information together for him. I expect him to understand tax law; I can’t expect him to understand all the nuances of my business. This book helps me be sure that I have got all the deductions I am entitled to use. Topics are listed in A-to-Z order and I review them each year. The author also has a sense of humor. Just check out his list of emergency rations to deduct. One of the bonuses of the book is that it is updated annually to keep up with tax law changes, and you can get a free update through the book’s website. Plus, the book’s cost is tax deductible.

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