Moving Forward

I shared this on Instagram earlier today, but I want this list to live permanently here on my blog too. This is how I plan to continue working in the quilting industry going forward:

1. For collaborations and partnerships with brands, I will be evaluating them in a different way. It can no longer be just about whether it's a good fit for me, but also how these companies behave and contribute to our industry. Is the brand committed to providing opportunities for BIPOC? Is the compensation equitable?

2. For teaching/speaking jobs, I'll be considering who the other teachers/speakers are. Is the event accessible and safe for a diverse range of makers? Am I adding something to the conversation or event, or would my spot be better filled by someone else?

3. Shop intentionally. This has been something I've been focusing on in all aspects of my life. I intend to be more selective about where I spend my money in the industry. I'll be focusing my dollars on small business, brands that show good social responsibility, and on products/businesses by BIPOC.

4. Share my experience and knowledge. I don't work on much outside of my pattern business these days, but I have a lot of experience in the industry that I think could be put to better use in service to our community. I'm not sure how exactly this will manifest yet.

5. Highlight your work. I absolutely love seeing your projects and I try to comment on every post I'm tagged in. I intend to make a better effort to share your projects and use my platform to highlight the work of other makers.

6. Speak up. I am a people pleaser at heart, and I generally avoid confrontation. I acknowledge that operating in this way is a result of my privilege. I will continue to speak up for what is right and amplify causes I feel strongly about. I will work to make my feed/blog a safe space. I take comment moderation seriously, and I will continue to. Hate and racism are not welcome in my spaces.

This is an imperfect starting point. My practices will continue to evolve. I hope these small things can contribute to greater change across the craft industry.

May Monthly Report

Happy June! Now that June is almost over, it's time to squeeze in May's monthly report. See past reports here.

I took a bit of an intentional break from posting here the last month. I didn't want to distract from the important conversations about racism and police brutality that our country is having right now. You can read more about how I feel in these two Instagram posts: here and here. I will be sharing more on my plans soon, but for now I just want to reiterate, Black Lives Matter.

May was a busy month over here. We planted all the seedlings I'd started this Spring, some as early as February! We did a lot of yard work, and unfortunately I worked myself into a pretty big flare-up of my arthritis that is still lingering. Hoping it goes away soon, but for now I've been sewing downstairs again. It's not so bad, especially now that it's hot. My sewing room is the hottest room in the house during the summer. Now I'm all set up in the dining room and trying to make progress on some projects.

I pulled out my Liberty churn dash blocks again. This is a very long term project and I've already stretched it out over several years. I'm making an entire quilt, but the block pattern (also made in lawn) can be found in my friend Christina's book, Quilting Happiness*.

Michael requested an apron for grilling, so I dug into my garment fabric stash and whipped this one up. It was really fast and he's already been getting a lot of use out of it. I used Essex Linen Yarn Dyed* in Black and some of the webbing that I carry in my online shop. You can find it here: 1" cotton webbing. I used this pattern by Purl Soho: Adjustable Apron Tutorial

I worked on a few small birthday presents this month, including this little mouse dress. I made my Mom a mouse just like this one a couple years ago (see her here), but I thought she could use some more outfits! I drafted this dress from some other doll dresses I have, but I highly recommend the stuffed mouse pattern. It's the Flora Mouse Pattern* by Jackie Michna. They turn out so adorable.

To keep myself accountable for my stash goals, I track my yardage for fabric and yarn each month. Read more about how I track here. Here is how I did in May:

May Fabric
Used up: 1.5 yards
Brought in: 0 yards
Net: -1.5 yards
Year to date: +1 yards

May Yarn
Used up: 0 yards
Brought in: 0 yards
Net: 0 yards
Year to date: 0 yards

Continuing to play around with ice dyeing. I love dyeing cotton flour sack towels. They make good gifts and we love having a cupboard full of them too. Since they're small, they're a good way to experiment. Pretty happy with how this one came out. These are the towels I order.*

How cute is this radish we grew? We're missing our radishes that's for sure. Looking forward to planting more this Fall!

George is living the life as usual. So spoiled rotten, 24/7. He loves that we're home all the time. I think he wouldn't mind if we sheltered in place forever!

Take Care!

*Note: Any links marked with an asterisk in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click through and buy something, I make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.