I’m really excited to announce that The Professional Quilter is becoming part of the International Association of Professional Quilters.

Over the last few years most of you have noticed that we’ve harnessed the power of the Internet to offer more information to help you, the serious quilter, create business success. We publish this e-zine with business tips, tools and techniques to help you build your business. We regularly sponsor teleclasses and longer teleseminars all geared to guide you as you grow your business.

As I talked with subscribers and participants in our programs and looked at what we offered, I knew the best way to help you uplevel your business was to package these products together, along with some other goodies. Members of the IAPQ will receive:

• The Professional Quilter, our quarterly business journal;
• access to monthly teleclasses with experts both in and outside the quilt world;
• access to a monthly tele-networking/ mastermind event;
• a free consultation with an intellectual property attorney;
• an IAPQ lapel pin designed by our art director, Kim Bartko;
• discounts on our books and other resources;
• and more.

The actual value of these benefits easily exceeds $700; the value of these benefits to you is priceless as you build and grow your business. You can see complete details of the benefits on our redesigned Web site.

If you are a subscriber to The Professional Quilter, I know that you are interested in how your current subscription converts to IAPQ membership. Effective immediately, we will no longer accept single subscriptions. The regular price of the IAPQ membership is $137. Through December 31, 2009, we are offering an introductory price of $97 for the first year. We will never offer a special at this rate again. When you convert your subscription online and input the expiration date shown on your address label, you will be credited for the amount remaining on your subscription, in most cases $7.49 an issue. Details are on the Join Page on our site.

I know that networking with other professional quilters is important. Please join me on our new IAPQ Facebook group page where you can interact with like-minded quilters. Here’s the quick link.

I look forward to helping you uplevel your quilt business. Our mission at the IAPQ is to provide the resources to educate and empower you to create your own success in our industry. Whether you’ve been in business for years or you’re just starting out, you’ll find the resources you need to create your own success at the IAPQ.

Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership here.

Valori Wells & Carolyn Spencer
C&T Publishing; $22.95

In keeping with my organizing theme of the month, Oh Sew Easy Life Style has some terrific ideas to help you organize your life and personalize your home. Several organizers feature a hanging background fabric with large pockets handy for storage. One is geared to recipes, one to office papers and one to kids. Baskets are popular for organizing and Valori Wells and Carolyn Spencer show you how to make basket liners for square, rectangular and round baskets. On the functional side, you’ll find sassy aprons and a picnic cloth. And what life style book would be complete without a few tote patterns? Valori and Carolyn include a diaper bag and a slumber party backpack. In total the book offers ideas and patterns for 20 fun and stylish projects, as well as basic sewing techniques. You’re sure to find something to make for yourself or give as a gift.

Here’s a link if you’d like to add it to your library.

During our PQ Café Business Series call last month with Debbie LaChusa, we talked a bit about taking inspired action. Debbie said this is where the magic happens. You need to be open to inspired ideas and taking inspired actions as a result.

Some years back I read The Attractor Factor by Joe Vitale, and he also wrote about inspired action. He said it was “any action that you take based on an inside nudge.” In a sense, it’s acting on your intuition or that little voice inside that’s talking to you. We all have those experiences.

So where do you find these inspired ideas? Debbie said she gets hers on her daily run. I often come up with ideas – great and not so great – during my morning walk or when I take a break in the afternoon with a cup of tea away from my office or when I walk to the mailbox and back. (It’s a very long driveway!) You might find yours soaking in the tub after a long day or hiking in the woods or gardening, in other words, someplace that’s not your office or studio. I think Julia Cameron’s artist date can do this for you, too. It takes you outside your normal surroundings.

One tip, here, keep a pad or a digital recorder handy, if possible. I find I often need to make a quick note of the idea, in case I’m distracted. I can’t count the numbers of great ideas that disappeared.

When the idea comes to you, what do you do with it? Sometimes you just move forward, trusting it’s the right the thing to do. Other times it’s important to ask if the idea will move your toward your goal or vision or intention. If the answer is yes, then get to work – take inspired action.

As I said, we all have those “inside nudges” prompting us to take action. Problem is we can talk ourselves out of them – too little time, too little money, too little whatever. I call it self-sabotage. I think we need to learn to trust that inner voice a bit more.

The Professional Quilter includes articles to help you create success with your quilt business. If your subscription is not current and you need to renew, or you want to start a new subscription, here’s a link to our order page.

Many aspiring pattern designers ask themselves: Should I publish my designs as patterns, the kind commonly packaged in plastic bags? Or should I publish books, staple-bound or with a spine? In the Summer issue of The Professional Quilter, pattern designer Kay Mackenzie took a look at this topic. Here’s an excerpt from her article:

Patterns and books both have their places in our wonderful world of quilting. For starters, an idea may lend itself better to one or the other. If the design’s instructions will fit on just a few pieces of paper, then a pattern seems a natural choice. If your idea is concept-driven, then perhaps a book is a better fit. Maybe you’re simply drawn to the aesthetics of one and less than attracted to the practical aspects of producing the other. Maybe one is a more natural expression of your creative juices.

Though patterns and books share some common aspects, in a lot of ways they’re different animals when it comes to getting them done. And, any time you’re thinking about getting into publishing, you’ll need to do a good bit of research. Here are just a few of the things to consider when you make your decision.

• With books, unlike pattern printing, you’ll have to decide in advance how many copies of your book to print. It’s a guessing game! Larger runs equal less cost per copy. But if you print too many, you may be stuck with cartons of books that you can’t sell. If you print too few,  you can always reprint, but the cost per copy is more, making your profit margin smaller.
• Once the books are back from the printer, they’re good to go – no assembly required. You will, however, want to check them over. (Ask mehow I know that.) The trade-off is that you will need to have enough storage space on-site for all of the cartons or pay for off-site storage. The cartons must be protected from dampness, so don’t use the garage!
• Patterns will need to be assembled so you’ll need labor – either your own or some kids’ – to fold and stuff them. Patterns need lessstorage space than books because you can print them you go.
• Distributors are a major chunk of how things work in our quilting industry, and for this discussion this refers to the quilt-shop trade.(The bookstore trade is a whole other issue and worth researching if you decide you want to do a book.) You do want to sell to industry distributors, and here’s a thought about how that relates to books vs. patterns. While exceptions exist, distributors might prefer that you have a line of patterns before they will consider picking you up. Books are considered on their individual merits, so one well-made book can be submitted to distributors.
• Brush up on typography and page design principles. Don’t include too many typefaces on a page and avoid overused fonts. A couple offantastic books that will set you straight are The Non-Designer’s Design Book and The Non-Designer’s Type Book, both by design guru Robin Williams. And, think to the future. Develop a distinctive, branded look for your pattern line.

You can read more of Kay Mackenzie’s article in the Summer issue of The Professional Quilter. If your subscription is not current and you need to renew, or you want to start a new subscription, here’s a link to our order page.

Join us in the PQ Café on Thursday, August 13 at 8 pm Eastern for our next call: Making Work at Home Work for YOU: How to get out of struggle, leave frustration behind and succeed with less effort with Morna McEver Golletz and special guest Debbie LaChusa.

Are you frustrated with trying to manage your business at home and still enjoy your family? Or have you hesitated making the leap from a job outside the home to one that is home based because you’re not sure you can make a go of it?

It is possible to go from a burned-out working mother to a happy career-at-home mom. Our special guest, Debbie LaChusa has been where you are – stressed, overloaded and burned out – and she managed to find a way to “have it all.” Today she has a career she loves that earns her a great income and the ability to be home with her children. Let Debbie share the secret to creating a marketable business that enables you to make a great living doing what you love to do.

This teleclass is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 13 at 8 pm, Eastern Daylight Time, and space is limited so don’t delay. Registration includes the teleclass and MP3 downloadable recording, so if you can’t come to the class, you’ll get the recording to listen to at a time that works for you. Here are details.

The Summer issue of The Professional Quilter includes a profile of Joan Hawley, owner of Lazy Girl Designs. I’ve known Joan for years now, first meeting her at Quilt Market. Isn’t that where you make some of the best connections? Anyway, here’s an excerpt of our interview with Joan.

Why did you decide to start Lazy Girl Designs?
I started Lazy Girl on a whim. I was between jobs in my  planning career due to relocating for my husband’s job. Sewing, quilting and writing patterns were something to do while sending out résumés and waiting for interviews. When quilt shops showed interest in my designs, I decided to give it six months and see what happened. That was 1997, and I haven’t looked back.

I think your business name is quite creative and distinct. How did you decide on it?
I was struggling to find a name that fit my style and approach. I searched high and low. I read the dictionary for inspiration. I checked out the thesaurus, too. One day, I picked up a cookbook and started reading. I saw a recipe for Lazy Girl Soup and my search was over. Lazy Girl fit.

How large is your product line?
In addition to 50 patterns, I have three books and one DVD. I also created the Lazy Angle ruler and market a “no math needed” Flying Geese x 4™ ruler. To complete the bag line, I also designed Bag-E-Bottoms, acrylic bases in several sizes to give our most popular bag, purse and tote patterns a sturdy bottom, and Handy Tab™, ready-to-sew fabric strips used to attach accessories, such as handles or D-rings, to the bags.

What has been the biggest challenge in your business?
The single biggest and ongoing challenge is achieving my goal of not having the business force life changes on me. I structured the operation and functioning of the company to fit me, not the other way around. For instance, I don’t want to manage employees. I’ve done that in my previous career. It’s administrative and emotional overhead and takes away from the time I need to run the company. I hire contract labor as needed for specialty tasks. For instance, I pay my acrylic manufacturers to package my items for me rather than create warehouse/assembly space and hire workers on my end.

You can read more of the interview with Joan Hawley in the Summer issue of The Professional Quilter. If your subscription is not current and you need to renew, or you want to start a new subscription, here’s a link to our order page.

I’ve been thinking a lot on the power of intention this past year. For years in my yoga classes the instructor has had us set an intention for class, and, yes, occasionally mine is to make it through the class. About a year ago, I taped a note to the bathroom mirror that says, “What is your intention/choice for today?” I find it gets me started on a conscious path each morning.

What exactly is intention? Webster defines it as a “determination to act in a certain way or resolve.” Gary Zukav in The Mind of the Soul says it’s “the use of your will….a commitment to accomplishing an objective, to creating something that was not there or to continue creating something that is.”

Here are some tips for creating powerful intentions in your life:

1. Get clear about what kind of person you want to be. Then get clear about what you want to do and what you want to have. Clarity is very powerful. I think figuring out the kind of person you want to be is most important; the “do” and “have” will follow.

2. State your intention. Say it out loud. Say it more than once. Write it down. I’ve been known to write my intentions on a paper and put it in my pocket. I take it out during the day and read it. This is especially helpful if I think self-sabotaging behaviors (like grabbing an extra one of those cinnamon scones that I picked up at the bakery last week and put in the freezer) are around the corner or I need an extra boost of motivation to stay focused and on track.

3. Share your intention with someone who cares about your success. It’s helpful if you share your intention with someone who will hold you accountable. Offer to do the same for her.

4. Now take action to demonstrate commitment to the intention. It doesn’t have to be some big action; many little actions will compound. And, while you can have a whopping big intention for your business, your intention for today might be to find some peace in your hectic life, no small feat.

5. Celebrate or somehow acknowledge this achievement, and then take the next step or action. Then rinse and repeat.

Before you know it, setting an intention each day will become a habit. Setting an intention clearly puts you in charge, and you’ll be energized by how much you are in control. You’ll be thrilled with the person you are “being” and with your ongoing accomplishments.

I hope you’ll take the time to set an intention for yourself and/or your business each morning. Let me know how it makes a difference in your life.

Here are two quotes on intention that I like:

Today, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced its direct grants as part of the $50 million federal economic stimulus recovery package. The NEA will distribute $29.775 million to 631 nonprofit arts groups nationwide. This is in addition to the 63 state and regional sub-grants previously awarded in April, totaling $19.8 million. This recovery funding is a direct outcome of the impact made by the 100,000 members of the Americans for the Arts grassroots network who contacted their Members of Congress and wrote timely letters to the editors of local news media. These messages made a difference and have resulted in these grants which will help create and preserve arts jobs throughout the country.
If you are interested in applying for any of the grants, we sell a book titled The Directory of Grants for Crafts which includes step-by-step help on writing a winning grant proposal.

Have you tried to use the Internet to connect with your customers and not been as successful as you wish? Your online newsletter – or e-zine – is the key to connecting with your customers and increasing sales at the same time.

I’ve seen this happen day after day in my own business and want to share the secrets I’ve discovered with you. Join me on July 9, 13, 16 and 20 at 3 pm Eastern as we explore what you need to do to: plan, write and publish your e-zine; set up and begin posting to your blog; create and populate your Facebook page; join Twitter and begin Tweeting.

Registration includes the teleclasses, MP3 downloadable recording, written materials and a private yahoo group for class attendees to share their experiences, questions and discoveries. Here are details.

Join us to learn how to take your business to the next level with Internet marketing.

Quilted One Block Marvels
Carolyn Sullivan
American Quilters’ Society; $22.95

The book’s title does not do justice to the actual marvels inside. Australian Carolyn Sullivan teaches you how to design your own block from elements in architecture or nature and then turn repeats of that block into quilts. She focuses on three types of symmetry – repetitions, rotations and reflections – to create the seemingly endless quilt design variations. Once you understand the concepts, you are free to make your own quilt or make one of the 12 that the book includes.

Here’s a link if you’d like to add it to your library.