Last week I received an email from Clara Vargas, a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army. Clara is currently stationed at Shinand Airbase in Afghanistan. Clara and her team of American and International soldiers are tasked with the mission of educating more than 4,000 widowed Afghan women how to sew. The goal is two fold: to show the Afghan people that they can do for themselves rather than rely on charity or terrorists for survival and to show them that American troops are there to keep them safe and to help them rebuild their country for themselves and their children. At the end of 2010, when Lisa Steele, owner of Bella Fabrics in Virginia Beach, Va., and Clara’s home shop owner, learned of the program, she jumped on board and began pulling other shop owners as well as industry giants, such as Checker, into a program to support Clara’s mission. You can learn more about the program at www.clarascalling.com.

Back to my email. I received an email from Clara along with some of her other industry contacts letting us know that Lisa had been named 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Isle of Wight County (Va.) Department of Economic Development. Clara and I then traded emails back and forth about the mission and what is happening now. I sent her a copy of the article I wrote last summer in The Professional Quilterand she sent me pictures I’ve placed on the blog and on Facebook of the Afghan women smiling with their new sewing machines.In her email, Clara wrote to me, “I always said, ‘You don’t have to be a Soldier to make a different around the World.’ You’re one of my Heros! I truly LOVE the article.”God is good to me, he provided you to our mission. I thank you again, for keeping our Soldiers safe in Afghanistan, we are winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people, and I believe because of that more Soldiers will returned Home to their loved ones.”Her email got me thinking about the ripple effect and how even the smallest thing we do makes a difference. Did I think writing an article and publicizing the mission was keeping solders safe? It’s easy for me to look at what I do and not see something significant. OK, I publish a magazine and coach women on how to grow their creative businesses. If I really think about it, I can see how helping someone grow her business in turn lets her support herself, add to her family support or change how she views the importance of her contribution. But I need to look even further to the people that person will effect. It’s really pretty astounding what one person can do in the scheme of things.

Appliqué & Embroidery Fundamentals
Janice Vaine
Landauer Publishing; $27.95

With 45 years of sewing and needlework experience, Jan Vaine starts you in the classroom where she teaches you her Perfect Placement Appliqué method followed by lessons on the appliqué stitch, reverse appliqué and a variety of stitches. The instructions are complete and the illustrations are very large, a plus. The bulk of the book includes the letters of the alphabet each encircled by a floral wreath. Jan’s goal is for you to learn new embroidery and embellishment techniques as you work your way through the alphabet. She then offers 18 additional stitches and six additional projects for using the skills you’ve learned. I appreciated the supplies shopping list at the beginning of the book, too.

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

Whether you are a longarm quilter or an art quilter, you face competition. It can be in the form of other entries in a show or other artists competing for the same client or job. How do you handle that competition? In the current issue of The Professional Quilter, Mindy Wylie took a look at competition from the longarmer’s point of view. Here’s an excerpt:

It’s not unusual at all for there to be more than one longarm quilter in one area. In fact, this is pretty normal. But why do we feel it necessary to compete with each other? I realize that in this tough economy every single potential customer is very important, but why can’t we all just get along? We all want world peace, right? Sounds like a beauty pageant, doesn’t it?

Well, it is in a weird kind of way! We all bring our own special talents to our business, just like beauty pageant contestants. So, customers choose which longarm quilter they will use based on those talents. Why can’t they use different quilters for different quilts depending on the quilt? In that case, we all win!

So the question now is how to eliminate the competition aspect between longer quilters. That’s a very good question with a very simple answer. Communicate! It would be very easy to pick up the phone and call the other longarm quilters or invite them all to lunch to discuss it. No need for hostility or anger or jealousy. You’re all in the same position, so why not work together?

I started a longarm group several years ago. Six of us sat around a kitchen table. Some of us had met before, some of us had not. So we chatted and became familiar with each other first. We had some snacks and drinks and relaxed. When it came time to start the meeting, the first thing I did was to tell them all to look at the other people in the room. I said that these are your new best friends, not your competition, but your friends. Who else has batting or that particular thread when you run out? Who else understands exactly what you’re going through? Your other friends don’t understand your job, but these people do. These friends have the tools and gadgets you want to try out before spending your money on them. They might tell you not to even bother or they may tell you that you absolutely must have it! What happens when that fabulous tool falls to the floor and smashes and you’re only halfway through the quilt? Your new wonderful friend who told you it was a must-have just might let you borrow hers. Or you can wait a week or so for a new one to come in the mail. Your choice, but I’d rather run across town, borrow the tool, get the quilt done and get paid.

In my group, we were able to borrow thread, batting, wide-backing fabric, and many other things from each other. We were able to combine orders to meet wholesale minimums and reduce shipping costs. We referred customers to others whose waiting lists were shorter or did a particular type of quilting well or carried a specific brand of batting the customer wanted. None of us ever lowered our prices to try to undercut the others, but occasionally when business was a little slow we might run a “sale” or a special deal. It’s a win/win situation for the group and the customer.

How do you work with your competition? Please share below.

Exploring Dimensional Quilt Art
C. June Barnes
Interweave; $26.95

Since I talked about challenging your thinking, that’s what June Barnes does in this book. Most quilt art is two-dimensional. She urges you to create more dimension in your work. Some of what you’ll learn are folding techniques, stacking, curling, pleating and gathering. She includes some fascinating quilted pieces. I can’t call them quilts, because they are not flat. These include crescent-shaped pieces, prisms, cylinders and orbs. The book includes a gallery of work by fellow British quilters and textile artists. June attributes the increase in dimensional work by quilt artists to the introduction of categories such as that of Quilt Creations at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. She also includes a section on finding inspiration and a list of verb command prompts, such as squash it, make it obvious and be unrealistic. A great reference for expanding your art.

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

Are you a “What if?” kind of thinker? No, I don’t mean the kind of person who second guesses herself and stays stuck. I mean the kind of person who challenges statements and thinks beyond the obvious.

Last week, I was at a lab waiting to get my blood drawn for routine testing. A woman drove in on her motorized wheelchair and asked if someone owned the silver Buick parked in the back lot. The car was blocking her access to her van. (Before you think the owner of the Buick parked in the handicapped space, he was legally parked. She just needed more space on both sides of her van.) No one came forward, and off she went down the hall to the next doctor’s office. I’m not sure how many offices she had tried already. At this point, I thought that if someone just moved her van out of the space into the open lot, she could get on her way. That was my “What if?”  So I went to find her as she left yet another office. We went outside to find her van, and I backed it up. She was able to get into the van and was on her way. It was a rather simple answer to her problem, and one she had not considered.

What would you have done? Would you have tried to think of another possibility? (I should say I was number 27 in line, with 11 people in front of me, so I did have time on my hands.)

We are all in situations that can challenge our thinking. As artists, we are faced with choices every day, red or blue, solid or print, embellishment or not. As business people, we make decisions about where to market our product, which trade show to participate in. Next time you make a decision, make it and then ask yourself what if I try something different on top of the solution. For example, if you choose red over blue and a solid over a print, great. Now decide to do something different with the fabric. If you decide to exhibit at Quilt Market, ask yourself what you can do differently with your booth this time to make it different. Think beyond the obvious or what you’ve done in the past.

How have you challenged your thinking lately? Please share below.

Curves to Quilt
compiled by House of White Birches
Leisure Arts; $24.95

The cover of this book caught my eye with its brightly colored “Oh Lollypop” appliquéd circles on patchwork. The book includes a mix of 14 projects in brights and not-so-brights, contemporary and traditional quilts, wall hangings and table runners. In addition to the cover quilt, I really liked the “Green Leaves Runner” with its curved edges and subtle shading.

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

I wanted to continue my look at some of what I saw at Quilt Market. It’s always filled with so much that it’s hard to capture it all.

1. USAUS introduced its Half-Rectangle Triangle Ruler Bloc Loc set. The tool has a channel that grips the seam line, keeping it in place so you can square up the shape accurately. You have two tools, one for left facing seams, one for right. Fast and accurate! Also available is a new book, The Block-Maker for Half-Square Triangles. USAUS also has tools for squares and flying geese. (In case you were wondering, as I was, about USAUS, it’s an acronym for United States and Australia, the homes of business owners and creators, Janna and Paul Thomas.)

2. It’s not even Christmas in July and, of course, we were seeing Christmas fabric. Riley Blake introduced Alpine Wonderland by Sherry McCulley Studio. The delightful 23-piece collection comes in three colorways and features an alpine village, whimsical trees, an advent calendar panel, other prints and textures. Also in Riley Blake’s booth was a black and white (I saw lots of black and white) QR quilt. It included five QR codes that you could scan that took you to Riley Blake’s YouTube videos and blogs. Also loved the chevron fabric from RIley Blake.

3. New from Art Gallery Fabrics is Indie by owner and designer Pat Bravo. The collection is a cultural fusion of designs from all over the world featuring exotic florals and geometric prints. Colors range from deep purples, jewel greens, blues and majestic golds.

4. J. Michelle Watts Designs introduced the Quick Ripper, a battery operated seam ripper. It’s fast and lightweight. And, if you’re a longarmer and need to remove stitches, it will work from the edge of the quilt in. Definitely a time-saver when needed.

5. Also making its Market debut was Quilty, the new publication from New Track Media, edited by Mary Fons. It’s tag line is fresh patchwork + modern quilts. And, it is.

6. Michael MIller’s booth was fun of color and fun. With its themed “Pierre’s Famous Traveling Circus,” the booth featured pachyderms (elephants were a theme in several fabric lines and patterns) dressed in the fun spotted fabric that makes up this 49-piece collection of big dots, little dots, starlets, stars and harlequin squares along with circle prints and a stripe all in bright colors.

If you saw something new that you loved at Quilt Market or your local show, please share it below.

Baskets
Linda Baxter Lasco, ed.
AQS Publishing; $26.95

One of my favorite books of the year features the winning quilts from the New Quilts from an Old Favorite contest sponsored by The National Quilt Museum. The block for 2011 was Baskets. The entries always showcase creativity and innovation by individual quilters interpreting one block. Each of the 18 winning and finalist quilts is shown in full color along with comments from the quiltmaker. I enjoy learning more about the quilter’s design process, where the inspiration came from, and new techniques. All the quilts definitely open your mind to the concept of basket and beyond. A terrific inspirational and learning resource.

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

It’s always exciting to see what’s new on the market, whether that’s fabric, notions or a new magazine. Here’s my take on some of what I saw at Quilt Market last week.

1. You’ve been catching it online and now it’s live … in print. With its tagline “Quilt. Sew. Live. Breathe.,” Generation Q magazine, or as it’s known GenQ, is a reality. Shared first at Quilt Market, the publication blends the interests and design aesthetics of today’s modern stitcher with that of the  contemporary quilter/sewists. It’s all about creativity regardless of where you fit in the picture. I love the size of the book – it’s 7″ by 9″ – and it’s filled with profiles, tips, patterns, product reviews. You’ll definitely find something to engage you.

2. Ever head to your local quilt shop and pick up the perfect fabric, get home and find out it’s perfect only not for the project you had in mind? Swatch Buddies™ to the rescue. The system features 1″ by 2.25″ plastic cards with an adhesive that lets you attach a swatch to one side and a label to the other. The label lets you track where you purchased the original fabric, the designer/collection and the quantity. The individual cards are stored on a wire ring or a chain ring. You can also use you Swatch Buddies to identify those fabrics you’ve got stored in plastic bins without having to open the bins and sort through them.

3. New from Kona Bay is Shadowland, a 33-piece tonal collection inspired by vintage Kona Bay fabric and designed by Jason Yenter, president of In The Beginning Fabrics. The collaborative collection features subtle elements with lots of depth in five designs in a variety of colors. It’s a great addition to Kona Bay’s line. An accompanying pattern book with six projects will be available in September.

4. Pat Sloan has a new collection with Moda Fabrics. Her 51-piece Eat Your Fruits & Veggies collection features an array of prints with fruits, veggies, leaves, dots and textures. My favorites are the batiks, especially the carrots! Also new to Moda is German designer Brigitte Heitland with Zen Chic with its 33-piece Jugging Summer line featuring overlaying laces, dancing balls, juggling circles and nesting labyrinths. The colors range from rich jewel tones to classic, decadent neutrals. I love the variety, texture and fun in these prints. Vanessa Christenson of V & Co. was Moda’s third new designer with her 40-piece Simply Color collection. The seven ombre solids are the focal point and will be perfect for adding more depth to your quilts. They are complemented by textures, fun florals, dots, and chevron stripes. I loved the colorways – mustard, lime green, tangerine, aquatic blue, to note just a few.

5. New Castle Fabrics introduced Style Mod, a 15-piece slightly retro, 1950’s look collection. I loved the avocado green prints. Also new from New Castle are two reproduction lines, the 22-piece Civil War Album Two designed by Pamela Weeks and the 20-piece Charleston 11840 collection designed by Jean Ann Wright.

6. New from Sew Very Smooth is its Ideal Seam Guide. This repositionable guide sticks to your sewing machine table. It’s 1.25″ wide, .25″ thick and comes in four lengths. It has a beveled end to make it easier to lift up and it’s been tested to last for hundreds, even thousands of placements. Also battled tested by the owner’s grandchild and black lab!

If you saw something new that you loved at Quilt Market or your local show, please share it below.

We Love Color
Susanne Woods, compiler.
Stash Books; $23.95

When was the last time you made a quilt without any prints or textured fabrics? For most of us, it could be hard to remember. We have such an outstanding selection of prints on the market. For those who are fans of solids, Kona Cotton Solids from Robert Kaufman Co. make up the mainstay in this category with more than 200 colors. This book features 16 quilts created by 16 designers known for their original style and use of color. You’ll find both traditional and contemporary quilts, and you’ll also pick up a few new techniques for your tool box. A bonus is a color index to the Kona Cotton Solids featured in the book.

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