Happy New Year

My lovely sister started this with many of our family members. Rather than looking over the past year feeling bad about missed goals, try making REVERSE RESOLUTIONS!

This means listing the things that you accomplished last year. So here goes for me. I'll stick to my business rather than my personal goals.

1 - See the fruit of your labors, hold a copy of your BOOK in your hot little hands!!! Write a couple of articles for my wonderful publisher on the side.

This was a color theory article in the first issue of Quilt Scene: International Quilt Festival

2- Teach at more conferences, the idea being to whittle down the travel/days teaching ratio. I taught at International Quilt Festival, Minnesota Quilters, Fabrications Retreat to name a few. Not so sure the longer times away from the family was a good idea. Live and learn.

Cheryl Jackson found me on the show floor in Houston and pulled out a quiltlet to show me. I can't remember if she said that she saw me on QATV, had my DVD, or had taken a class - either way these moments make teaching all worth while!

3- Teach closer to home.

Air travel is truly difficult when you are the kind of teacher who likes to bring almost EVERYTHING a student will need. It's much easier to just toss it all in the car and go.

4- Remember to save out money for taxes, as opposed to last year. Live and learn.

5- Pay off all business debt and operate solely in the black.

6- Make ART, at least a little bit of it. Honestly - I only completed class samples and work for articles. I did sketch a lot more. I've got four larger pieces sooooo close to being completed. Of course - they've been at that stage for a very long time. I can't say that I can even be happy about this as a reverse resolution. My only real goal last year was to make art. Life just happens. A serious lack of discipline doesn't help. I'm tired of just writing about and reading about making art - time to get down and dirty. Got a good start for the next year so far though.

Here is a little sneak peak of a piece that will be in an upcoming Quilting Arts Magazine article.

7- Sew something JUST FOR FUN!!! I've got a late 1600's (mostly) historically accurate middle-class woman's costume almost complete. Need to hand bind the lacing holes on the corset.

Don't these ladies look like they are having a great time? (NC Ren. Faire) I've also started work on a truly fantastic woods-witch costume inspired by Tia Dalma from the Pirates movies. That's certainly going to be a long-term project.

8- Perhaps the most important - express gratitude to the lovely people who make it possible for me to do what I love. My husband and children, my publisher, my students and friends. I love you all and I couldn't do it without you. I am truly blessed!

Isn't he handsome? How'd I ever get so lucky?

Maybe this week I'll work on some actual goals for 2010