As we are ending 2016, I want to thank each and every one of you for following along in my journey!! What a year it has been!!! I never expected that I would be teaching at National Quilt Shows (MQX & AQS)….(yes, I did apply to teach on a whim, but never thought I would be accepted!!!) or that I would become a Handi Quilter National Educator. I am still pinching myself!!!
On a side note……I would not have had such a smooth transition into teaching if it hadn’t been for a couple of people that gave me wonderful advice and answered many questions……Jamie Wallen and Lisa Calle. The quilt community is such a wonderful and caring community and I am thrilled to be a part of it!!
The Handi Quilter Educators just got back from a week of training, and here is a picture of all the wonderful people I get to work with at Handi Quilter and Superior Threads!!
Along with teaching, there are a lot of behind the scenes things that you don’t see……..preparing samples….and more samples….and more samples!!! Trying to update and keep lesson plans fresh and fun. Writing proposals to teach at shows for the following year! All of this takes a lot of time and energy, and in this mix, I am trying to quilt customer quilts, hoping to quilt my own quilts (I have a closet full of tops of my own!!!), and hoping to get some piecing done, and spending time with my family…..but it always works out in the end!!
My one quilt group is having a UFO challenge this year, and since I have a multitude of UFO’s, I am going to give it a shot. You had to pick twelve UFO items for your list. I picked items that I thought I had a chance of getting done….although in glancing up at the list (it’s right above my computer on the bulletin board), I see I chose to have three quilts totally completed in that list of 12. Good grief….what was I thinking!!! Even if I don’t get all twelve done, at least it will challenge me to get a few things done. I’ll keep you in the loop about that as 2017 progresses!!
While I thoroughly enjoy quilting for others, I am having to cut back on how many quilts I take on for 2017, as I need to see how quilting for others, teaching personally and being a Handi Quilter Educator, all mesh with one another. I do have a fairly busy 2017 so far, as I am currently contracted to teach at: Birds of a Feather (Virginia), MQX (New Hampshire), MAQ (Maryland), Handi Quilter Academy (Utah), and AQS Fall Paducah (Kentucky), and Nadelwelt Karlsruhe (Germany). And as I am sitting here writing this, I am still having a hard time believing that all of this has come about!!! It just goes to show that it doesn’t hurt to try!! If you don’t try, you will never know and always wonder “what if”……..
Again, I wish each and every one of you a fabulous 2017 and hope that you all continue to follow along in this crazy journey!!!
Happy Quilting!!!
Jane
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Wow Jane! I’m exhausted from JUST reading about all of your accomplishments in 2016 and what you already have planned for 2017! Where do you find the time and energy to do all that? Great job!! Happy New Year!