2015 Plan Update!

Well it is over half way in 2015, so I would like to post a update on my yearly goals for Quilting Affection.

1st Goal - First, now that I have a few patterns published, and many more planned for 2015.  I would like to get them out to the stores.  So one of my main focuses is to advertising my patterns so that quilt stores will start carrying them.  We started some advertising back in 2014, going shop to shop showing examples in California, they loved the patterns, but it was the wrong time of year.  So hopefully 2015 will be the break out year for our patterns.

How we doing: As of April this year we were excepted by our first distributor - QuiltWoman.com.  Which is great we are starting to see a couple of the patterns be sold to the stores.  QuiltWoman is now printing all the patterns for us. In May, we were at Spring Quilt Market, we past out catalogs to different distributors at the show.  This fall we will be able to display our finished Quilts in a small booth with the Quilt Woman group at the Fall Quilt Market in Houston.  We are busy getting some brand new and exciting patterns ready for this Fall.  Middle July, I will be attending QuiltWoman first annual Designers retreat near Rochester, New York, it will give me a chance to learn more about the business and to network with other Designers.

2nd Goal - Patterns - I hope to have at least one pattern published every other month and for sale on my website.  I have patterns under development as I type this, and many patterns in my head ready to put to paper.

How we doing: Well we are not getting patterns out every month, we have decided to slow down and get the them done right.  I have at least 2 patterns that will be out by the end of the month.  As for putting them on the website, we have decided that we would let QuiltWoman.com sell our patterns for us.  If needed we can eventually, add them back on the website.  With QuiltWoman you don't have to be a Wholesale business to buy the patterns. They sell to individuals as well and they don't have a minimum number of patterns you have to order.

3rd Goal -  One of my weakness that I would like to strengthen this year is increasing my expertise with my APQS Long Arm Quilt Path Computer.  A year ago there was no training for this computer, but now there is.  So, this year I plan to take some classes and study online tutorials to strengthen my skills so I feel more confident at my long arm.

How we doing: 

In April, I attended the APQS longarm Quilt Path class in Raleigh, North Carolina. The 3 day class was so worth it.  I learned so much, on the Software that I was able to come home and start putting it all to work on various quilts.   I learned how to setup Pantographs, Custom Quilt a Quilt, Make my own designs. As what made this class special was the friends I made. It was nice to talk to them about the business and learn about different experiences.

4th Goal - I also plan to blog more, adding such things of how sales are going with the store, what is under development, and other quilting related items.

5th Goal - Finally, I want to learn how to use my social media pages, to get the most out of them. In the mean time I plan on adding more posts to my social media pages, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+.
 
How we doing: Ok, I have to say that on goals 4 and 5 have been lacking in the first half of the year.  I hope to get back to blogging more now that I have moved my blog back to blogger.  I think the Social Media will take sometime.

 

Quilting Women of Courage Quilt

Yesterday, I spent the day starting to quilt the Women of Courage Quilt Top.  I'm doing some custom work using my Quilt Path Computer and a little ruler work.  I got the top border and the first row done by the end of the day.

 
In the large triangles, I'm using a pattern called Oodles of Doodles Triangle #1, which I got from Digi-Tech Patterns.

 
In the blue and outer background corner pieces I'm doing some ruler work with adding lines across to make the quilt flow and outline to the design.  It will be more noticeable when the quilt is finished.


In the outer star pieces, I'm using Oodles of Doodles block, to set the block apart them the rest of the quilt.



Now that I have this row done, the rest of the rows will be a little easier to complete the flow of the quilt top.

Not sure, If I will get any quilting done today, we have errand to get done in town. But I will be back at on Monday.

Tina

Mom's Quilt Finished!

Just finished my mom's quilt top!  She made this quilt top from a JoAnn Fabrics Block of Month Pattern.  She just finished the top just before I went to visit them in October.  She sent me home with the quilt top, binding and backing fabric.  She said to have fun with it and take my time with getting back to her.  Well I did have fun and learn new techniques.

The quilt measures at 79 1/2" x 92".  I used Quilters Dream Deluxe Poly, with Superior thread #50.  The custom quilting was done with stencils, rulers, and QuiltPath computer.





 
I learned how to add a swirl fill in the background of the applique blocks.

 

This quilt was great fun!  Just wish I could hand deliver this quilt to my mom, just to see her face when she sees it in person.  Tomorrow will be making the binding!

I now need to find a new quilt top to quilt.  This was fun!

Tina

Mom's Quilt Finished!

Just finished my mom's quilt top!  She made this quilt top from a JoAnn Fabrics Block of Month Pattern.  She just finished the top just before I went to visit them in October.  She sent me home with the quilt top, binding and backing fabric.  She said to have fun with it and take my time with getting back to her.  Well I did have fun and learn new techniques.

The quilt measures at 79 1/2" x 92".  I used Quilters Dream Deluxe Poly, with Superior thread #50.  The custom quilting was done with stencils, rulers, and QuiltPath computer.





 
I learned how to add a swirl fill in the background of the applique blocks.

 

This quilt was great fun!  Just wish I could hand deliver this quilt to my mom, just to see her face when she sees it in person.  Tomorrow will be making the binding!

I now need to find a new quilt top to quilt.  This was fun!

Tina

Playing with a new toy!

I realized this morning that I need to get a blog post in since I have not done one in a couple days.  Well I have been pretty busy since Friday with my youngest home from the Air Force technical school before he leave for his next duty station in Colorado and my father in law is also in town from California. So we have been having fun catching up.

My highlight is that I received a nice present from the UPS man.  I got my new Quilt Path Computer for my APQS Millennium.  So Friday morning my husband and I spent the morning installing it on my Millie.  Now, I have been learning how to use it and there is a learning curve, but each day I have mastered a couple of new things. The first thing I sewed out was a pantograph, that was so cool to watch.  Then I did some simple blocks. 

Yesterday I learned how to how to set up for borders, and sew them out.  Today, I hope to learn how to add new designs and use them.  So far I love my Quilt Path.

Hope you all having a great weekend!

Tina

Playing with a new toy!

I realized this morning that I need to get a blog post in since I have not done one in a couple days.  Well I have been pretty busy since Friday with my youngest home from the Air Force technical school before he leave for his next duty station in Colorado and my father in law is also in town from California. So we have been having fun catching up.

My highlight is that I received a nice present from the UPS man.  I got my new Quilt Path Computer for my APQS Millennium.  So Friday morning my husband and I spent the morning installing it on my Millie.  Now, I have been learning how to use it and there is a learning curve, but each day I have mastered a couple of new things. The first thing I sewed out was a pantograph, that was so cool to watch.  Then I did some simple blocks. 

Yesterday I learned how to how to set up for borders, and sew them out.  Today, I hope to learn how to add new designs and use them.  So far I love my Quilt Path.

Hope you all having a great weekend!

Tina