Friday, August 31, 2012

Choices and decisions; rambling on

Some choices are easy, and others are harder. I recently chose to sign up for the Visions and ReVisions class at the Crow Barn. Carol Soderlund is the teacher, and I already know how good she is, so it was an easy decision to make, except for the money. The class format is sort of independent study, and the size is very small, so my next choice was what to focus on. By chance I found out that a small piece of paper helped me narrow down the choices. I ended up deciding on polyester.

A decision I’m trying to avoid is whether I should just give it all up and try to find a regular 40 hour a week job. Lately I have been doing odd jobs for another quilt show vendor, so that will take care of the short run. Then the seasonal retail jobs are just around the corner. A motivational poster I saw once said ‘Not to decide is to decide.’ So until I can’t put the decision off any longer, I will chose not to decide.

A quilt or cloth as artOne thing I’m starting to explore is more venues to sell my hand-dye and surface design fabrics. (Because, if I sell more, I don’t have to decide to give it up.) So far I have lost money at shows for garment sewers. Now I am considering putting my toe into the fine craft show waters. I have chosen not to do that before now, because I have been selling only yardage. So I need to come up with something that can be well-made quickly and easily from my yardage that will sell. I’ve seen some fine art painters that are selling works in a 5” – 6” square size. A small wall hanging that isn’t square is a possibility. (I found out when I made my first miniature wall hanging that the square format looks like a pot holder.) Another option is a jacket. There’s plenty of room to research the possibilities, and to go to a lot of craft shows to see what else is out there. (A tough task, but someone’s got to do it.) And I could include fabric in my booth, so that I could offer a jacket or quilt or cloth as art on commission.

Finally, I have chosen to spend some time talking to Morna of the IAPQ about her business coaching program. That call will be taking place next Tuesday, so when it’s over I will have another decision to make. At least she has a payment plan. Now I am going to chose to post this and not spend any more time on it. Thanks for reading!

5 comments:

Lisa Chin said...

Those are all big decisions to make! I wish you the very best!

Lisa K said...

I guess this shows that the adage "follow your heart" doesn't mean it will be easy! How we choose to live our lives is important. Wishing you peace and wisdom as you work through this phase of your life.

queenopearls said...

Hi Lisa, thanks for the flashback to the song "Freewill" by Rush. "You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice
You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose freewill."
Long story short, I believe in your talents and art. Mounting art on prestretched canvas and/or framing would lend to the perception as art and not utilitarian objects.
~Christina in Cleveland

Carol Bledsoe said...

This is definitely a big decision. It is hard to decide between what we have a passion for and what we feel we must do. It is never an easy choice. Will the quilt show vendor you are working with allow you to sell your fabric in her booth at quilt shows? Maybe you can give her a percentage of what you sell to offset her booth fee. It could be a win-win deal for both of you. Best of luck to you.

Jeanne Marklin said...

Silk scarves are pretty easy to dye and there are gift shops and boutiques everywhere. You could try dyeing samples and see if they are interested in carrying them.