New Directions

Hi everyone:

Warning: This is a lengthy personal post with little quilt content. Just saying...

This summer I've felt quite overwhelmed by all the things I want to do and how difficult I find it to accomplish any of them. 

I had high hopes of finishing several quilt patterns and adding more videos to my youtube channel, however I didn't accomplish either of these goals. I did design several new patterns and have samples of some of them and finished a submission to a quilting magazine for a pattern that will be issued in a month or two, but these weren't what I expected to be doing this summer. 

Fabrics cut and ready to assemble
for a magazine pattern submission

As you know, my primary focus is on pattern designing. I also blog, maintain a website, am on Facebook (too much) and operate an Etsy shop. Add on the quilt videos that my husband and I are now doing and the book(s) I'm working on and well, it can sometimes become a bit overwhelming. I often wish that I had a clone who could take the ideas in my head and translate them into quilts, patterns, videos - well, you get the idea. Now I'm back at work at the school and still haven't crossed off many things on my quilt to-do list that I had hoped I would've accomplished by now. So... it's time to take a hard look at what I WANT to accomplish and what I CAN accomplish - a distinction that I often find difficult to acknowledge. It should be obvious that I can't do everything, but unfortunately I've always been an "I want it all" type of gal, so it's difficult to change at this stage of my life.

I know that I need to become more efficient and focused to achieve success in the projects that I do take on. So... here's what I've decided to do:

• I will continue to blog and my goal is to post 2 times a week. My blog will continue to have book reviews and giveaways, as before, but will focus on my quilting projects as well as my design process, so you can follow along with me as I create new projects. I hope this will help keep me on track with my pattern publishing.

• I will continue to create videos for my youtube channel. These will focus on information for beginner quilters, including pattern tutorials, as well as information about my designing and publishing process. If you have any suggestions for future videos, I would love to hear them.

• I will continue to design and publish patterns. I'm hoping that the new direction of my blog and videos will reinforce this goal.

• I will minimize my Facebook time - which should free up a few hours each day to put towards one of my other goals. My Chatterbox Quilts fan page will feature quilt and quilt related posts and I will be asking my quilting friends to "like" that account so they can follow me there. If you don't see me on Facebook as frequently, you can expect that I'm blogging or designing instead - at least I'd better be :)

• While I hesitate to do it, I think that the book idea will have to go on the backburner for now. I'll still be keeping it in mind, but I need to focus on my other goals at this time.

Whew! I'm glad I got that all out -  I feel more focussed already! Now I'm off to decide which pattern I'll be finishing first. Check back with me in a few days to see how I'm progressing.

Teeka guarding fabric chosen for a pattern project