We are enchanted to make beautiful items! I’ve been making beautiful things for the last 30 years and have enjoyed my creative journey. But…… some of us want to make a living from being in the creative industry. How do we do that? I say if we are going to make all of these beautiful things then it is time to start to Stitch Smart . There are many of us wanting to grow a creative business related to the fabric industry. It’s kind of like baking a loaf of bread, there are ingredients we need, we have to allow it to patiently rise, then bake at just the right time at the right temperature. Most importantly, we need yeast.
Last year, I decided that I was going to figure out just how to do that! One of the steps of discovering my path in the sewing quilting creative industry was to attend a conference called Sew Pro.
Since living here in Salt Lake City, I’ve had access to attend conferences like Build Your Blog Conference, SNAP, Alt Summit and many more! There is an amazing network of creatives here in the Salt Lake and Utah Valley area! We network as a private group too with online collaborations and often monthly meetings/get togethers to learn or socialize. It really is an amazing place to live.
Its exhilarating learning from the amazing creatives here in Utah but not many of them that participate are in the sewing quilting niche that I am in. I wanted to expand to network with people with the same interests as me.
I wanted to join together as a group and attend classes with 100 women just like me with the same kind of goals. But… I was scared to invest the money and travel all by myself to someplace that I have never been. As I prepared for the trip, I was doubting myself. Would I fit in? Would people want to talk to me? Was I doing the right thing? I was going all by myself and knew absolutely no one. Do you ever feel this way? Well sometimes it takes 20 seconds of insane courage to prove yourself wrong! Paula from Sew Pro shared this image with our group and I think it speaks volumes to how we feel as creative entrepreneurs.
My fears were proven wrong as I met so many incredible women and felt comfortable immediately! I arrived very early the morning that the conference had their evening meet and greet. I actually took my sewing machine with me because I thought I would have nothing to do that day except plan some blog posts and sew.
Little did I know that my plans of sewing were just NOT going to happen. There were lots of other women just like me that showed up early and were ready to start connecting . I met so many warm kind friendly people.
We got to visit together, eat together, learn together and collaborate all about sewing quilting and creative things!
The list of classes were overwhelming – I wanted to attend all the classes but there were 4 different classes each time frame. I didn’t know how to even begin to choose between them all. Below is a picture of Alison Glass and Tula Pink talking to us about their experiences as fabric designers. Some of the messages that Tula shared were to go out and get it DONE! She quoted Angela Walters that, “Finished is better than perfect”! No time like the present time! Now is the best time. Do something that is totally YOU!
Here is an image of Pat Sloan teaching us to not wait for things to be perfect. She recommended we get our family members on board to help. Do the WORK!!!! Don’t stop trying the Door Knob! Try things and if it doesn’t work then keep trying!
As a token of the many things I learned at SewPro along with other places, I decided to make a fabric loaf of bread sliced into pieces pin cushion. I think the loaf of bread is like us as individuals and each slice is something that we gather from a collective of people and places. I created this loaf of bread with Alison Glass Andover Fabrics by using 10 pieces of 1 inch by 10 inch strips.
Sometimes there are pressing issues to take care of connections… Don’t forget to press your strips! 😉
I just couldn’t resist adding some hand embroidery. The hand embroidery with Aurifil Floss is done perpendicular to the slices of bread. This represents all the things I learned not just at Sew Pro but also from all the incredible people that I have been networking with. What has been incredible about Sew Pro is the networking and collaborations that we as friends are continuing to do. I am grateful to get to know so many wonderful talented women! I think the connections we make with others is the yeast that helps us grow.
My biggest take away from Sew Pro is to find your voice and your niche within the niche. I know that sounds like such an obscure thing but we are individuals and each have our own style. We need to discover our style by learning, growing and experimenting. Some things are true to our voice and we are all unique. I especially wanted to personalize my loaf of bread with some hand embroidery work. (It just wouldn’t be a true Alison Glass project without some hand touches.) We all have a special voice and style to the things we create. We need to find our unique voice. After embroidering Aurifil Floss across each strip, baste an oval as pictured below with a pearl cotton thread.
Draw the strings of the pearl cotton thread until you have a shape similar to this. Get your stuffing ready to stuff your loaf of bread.
I have loved participating in this Sew Pro Stars Blog Hop and as you bop around the worldwide web you will see all of the unique talents and good things that each individual has to offer.
I will write some follow up posts summing up things I learned at the Sew Pro Conference. Subscribe to Stitches Quilting blog post so you don’t miss out. Lots of wonderful things are scheduled and coming your way. I want to thank Heather Spurlock from Elaines Quilt Shop right around the corner from my house inspired me to make this loaf of bread! Heather is talented and her loaf of bread spoke to ME – but you know me I had to personalize it with additional strips, Alison Glass Fabric and the hand embroidery! Don’t forget that we can all grow as a collective of people and experiences and it is through this process that we figure out where we fit and where our creative calling is!
Be sure to visit the other people on the Sew Pro Stars Blog Hop. There are giveaways and creative things to see!
Monday Nov 14
Lisa Peterson – https://lisaandlorelai.com/
Sherri Noel – Rebeccamaedesigns.com
Andi Stanfield – http://truebluequilts.com/
Brooke Gilbert – http://stitchedprintingcompany.com/p/blog
Tuesday Nov 15
Vanessa Behymer – https://vintagebarngirl.wordpress.com/
Pam Cobb & Lynn Rinehart – http://www.thestitchtvshow.com
Sherry Shish – www.poweredbyquilting.com
Joanne Kerton – www.canuckquilter.com
Lisa Nielsen – http://thequiltjam.blogspot.com/
Wednesday Nov 16
Carmen Ross – seecarmensew.com
Anne Beier – http://www.hudsonvalleyquilts.com/
Jessica Caldwell – www.desertbloomquilting.com
Pamela Morgan – mysweetlittlestitches.com
Thursday Nov 17
Maryanna Powell – www.marvelousauntiem.com
Cathy Smith – www.aquiltingchick.com
Lissa LaGreca – lovinglylissa.com
Paula Mamuscia – https://creationsbypaulamamuscia.wordpress.com/
Friday Nov 18
Becca Fenstermaker – prettypiney.com
Teri Seal – daymoonquilts.blogspothttp://daymoonquilts.blogspot.com.com
Trinia Braughton – www.penguinfeats.com
Deanna Wall – https://www.stitchesquilting.com/
Can’t wait to hear from all of you! What do you think helped you accomplish a goal in the creative industry? What dreams do you have? How can we work together and help each other get where we want to be? If we are going to work hard making gorgeous things don’t you think we need to Stitch Smart? Don’t hesitate to join our Stitch Smart Facebook Group to share with each other strategies of how to use Instagram, Facebook, Blog, Websites and other tools to grow our creative businesses. We will try to help each other grow together and I love to share!
To enter the Rafflecopter Sew Pro Stars Blog Hop Giveaway enter here – (Note – The giveaway will be live at 12am on 11/14 and end at 12am on 11/19)
Much Love,
Having SEW much for exploring your site and blog. We having been connected in Pinterest and in our creative quilting ideas.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
What a cute idea! Deanna, your high energy really created a spark among us on that first day before we checked in. It was a pleasure to meet you!
Great turkey quilt or fabric cover, Deanna. You are so creative – from the photo of you lying on top of all those bolts of quilts, which makes me smile to your online shop, blog post and creations. Can’t wait to see more of your creations and posts.
Cute pincushion loaf of inspiration 🙂 I’ve been meaning to call you to brainstorm, but life has a way of keeping me busy! Definitely a priority in 2017!!