2019 Word of the Year, art, friends, quilt, Quilt Market, quilt shows

Inspired

Fun note, I went to two high schools one for four years, one for two years. Our family moved between my sophomore and junior year and I attended my first high school for specific classes, and graduated from the second high school. One of the coolest things about social media is catching up with and building adult relationships with people from another time in your life. Mandee and I graduated from the same (my second) high school together. Mandee and I connected, and when I’m visiting family we have coffee and a good chat when we can, which I can assure you isn’t often enough. She is a collage artist making cards, paintings and other things. When she posted this I messaged her because I need this in my sewing studio. You see Mandee inspires me, she is a strong independent woman, and an artist who inspires me in its uniqueness and subtlety. Mandee uses found, oft discarded objects, seeing a beauty in them that is often lost in my own mind. I’m grateful that her work inspires me, often catching my breath. In this I see years of making and doing, just like I do with quilt makers. I see years of finding the tools, paints, adhesives, pens and all the things like we do with machines, fabrics, and notions.

As I got ready to leave Quilt Market I was handed a copy of Magic and Memories 45 Years of International Quilt Festival by Teresa Duryea Wong. I’ll write more in a few days however I will say this from the get-go I admire and respect, and thank Karey Bresenhan and Nancy Puentes for creating this International event: Quilt Market and Quilt Festival. I remember talking with Alex Anderson years ago regarding the proving ground for teaching, writing, designing, and working in the quilting world. This, and all the other shows that have cropped up from local and regional to national and international are a part of this proving ground. We’ve got to try a lot of things out to figure out where we land, and often it’s in multiple disciplines. Like any other professional industry it’s important to have goals and dreams, and be flexible, creative, and daring.

…it’s important to have goals and dreams, and be flexible, creative, and daring.

Goals and dreams are good. Having support with action plans is better. I’m giving serious consideration to how I do this and where I can change in 2020.

A request, if you attended Threads of Success I’d love to do a brief email interview with you. A few questions about you, your overall experience and your top three insights from the event. Part of this will include your website/blog, social media presence, what you do, and a brief bio.

Coming soon: a reflection on my 2019 word of the year Build.

Happy Stitching,

Teri

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