A New Direction

So, the Valentine table runner is complete, and actually well before Valentine's Day! I am very pleased with how it has turned out and it makes a festive Valentine accent. My quilting studio has vastly improved. I now have some track lighting which has helped immensely and have installed some storage shelving. My husband was kind enough to fabricate and hang a design wall so I can play around with coordinating fabrics and block layouts for quilts. Things are really coming together. My daughter and I have completed a fleece blanket for one of her American Girl dolls and I am completing the binding on a quilt for another doll. She has a total of six American Girl dolls and she says they each need their own quilt designed for their unique personality. Ugh! Four more to go! I might gripe a little, but these little doll quilts make great little projects on which my daughter can continue to learn quilting techniques. On this next one for her "Chrissa" doll, I am going to begin to let her loose to do more of her own piecing. I'm really excited for her progress. Speaking of progress, my online store is up and running. My store is called Quilt Store Next Door and can be found on Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/quiltstorenextdoor. Right now, I am stocked with about 22 items and have already sold one doll blanket. My shop specializes in 100% cotton fabrics which can be used for quilting (DUH!) or any other sewing, craft or home decor project. I am also stocked with several pre-cut quilt kits that allow you to begin sewing almost immediately without a lot of initial cutting. In my opinion, this type of simple short cut is what moves people from thinking they'd love to have a hobby but just don't have the time, to actually making a hobby something that fits into their busy life. I have one more doll blanket left in stock and I am currently planning a design for a sleeping bag that will fit an American Girl doll or any other 18 inch doll. The coolest thing I have done thus far, is design my own unique quilt block. I was inspired, of all places, at a hotel we stayed at recently. I noticed this really neat design in the bathroom floor tile and thought it would look cool on a quilt. I guess we'll see if anyone else agrees! I am loving this new direction I have realized in my quilting journey and chosen to pursue. As I had said before, ten years ago when I was a new quilter I was all about buying beautiful fabrics, taking classes and following patterns. Now, I am exhilarated to be SELLING beautiful fabrics to other people so they can learn the science behind this age old art and DESIGNING my own patterns to follow and perhaps one day share with others. I am even kicking around the idea of offering some quilting instruction. More on that to come. I am so blessed by where I have been thus far on this journey and eager to blaze ahead to where the journey will continue to lead me. Thanks to all who are reading this and taking the journey with me. May God bless you. Please visit my Etsy store, Quilt Store Next Door and like my store on Facebook at Quilt Store Next Door. I am also on the web at www.quiltstorenextdoor.com Enjoy the new pics of the finished runner.