or in real terms, trying to figure out social media.  Wow, this is all fascinating.  But let me take a step back for a minute.

This year, 2016, is an interesting year for me.  It marks the 10 year anniversary for a lot of things.  Ten years in my house (longest I’ve lived in one place aside from childhood).  Ten years at my day job (not the longest at a job but getting there).  Most importantly for this blog, ten years since I designed my first pattern.  Ten Whole Years.   Perspective is a funny thing.  I look back on what I was doing then and it seems so rudimentary.   Photography was still very much film oriented.  I had a digital camera but it wasn’t that great.  My phone now has a better camera than the digital I owned in 2006.  I was very limited in what I could do as a small quilting pattern designer, in terms of how to print my patterns, how to get color copies, absolutely all of it.  For that reason, my patterns have NO photos at all, all the progress steps are graphics drawn on my computer because I could do that easily.   I put my patterns up as free downloads because the technology to sell PDF patterns on my website was still very expensive.

Fast forward to 2016 and oh my what a difference!  I can now take step by step progress photos (with my phone!!!) and have actual photos in my patterns.  I can sell (for actual money) patterns on Craftsy as PDF downloads and not have to figure out printing at all right now.  A whole new world has opened up (cue song in background).

I have been on the fence for a few years about how to manage this little business.  It’s the small, stubborn flame, that despite some pretty rough weather, has refused to go out.  It still burns there, keeping me warm from the inside and encouraging me to go after what I really want to do with my life.  I keep mentioning attending SewPro (for reference www.sewproconvention.com) and what an effect it has had.  They first started promoting it in September 2015.  I talked about it with a few people and the consensus was go ahead and go.  A whole new world.  Young women in the sewing industry who know how to utilize all the internet has to offer!!  Some not so young women with the same background and passion that I have!!  What an experience.  A sewing empowerment conference.

So here I sit, pondering all that is in front of me.  I need new samples, with new, modern fabric for my existing patterns.  I need new patterns that I can publish this new and exciting way.  I need to figure out how to use Instagram effectively (yes I know people over there are getting whiplash from all the changes I’m making to my accounts, I will apologize profusely in another post).  The key to all of this is that I need to keep going.  I need to grow this little flame until it burns big and bright, and this blog is going to be a big part of that.

If you got this far, thank you very much for taking the time to read this.  There will be more.  Consider that both a promise and a warning.  I hope you can share the journey with me, at least you will get some free patterns out of the deal!!