It is so nice to finally have this last year come to a close. A new year is always a time to have a refreshed, new beginning after reflection over the past year. It is always a time when I set goals for myself for the coming months. My goals are fairly loose goals, as I do not want to add more pressure to an already busy life and schedule. It does help me focus though, on some ideas that I would like to come to fruition.
It has been very hard for me to get to my own quilting projects this last year. I seem to be very busy with client projects, house projects, garden projects, day to day things, or as this last year presented itself, down time where I did not have the wherewithall to do much of anything except binge watch who knows what on the tube.
It has also been very hard for me to not teach classes. I love to teach and did do a couple of online classes last spring. I thought that I would be back to teaching by the middle of the summer or early fall. As you know, that did not happen.
Scheduling client projects was a bit trying this last year. Seems that everything came in what I call “Project Overload”. I seemed to get many projects all at once and that made it difficult for me to get them finished in a short turn around time.
I also planned on having a vendor booth at five different shows this last year. As you know, NO SHOWS occurred. This put me in a position of lots of product and no place to sell it. So, with the help of my great website master (my son), I opened an online store, www.SuesCottaage.com with fabric, patterns, kits, notions, and some gifts.
All of this brings me to my goals for this year.
Goal 1: I plan on spending at least 2 hours each week working on my own projects. Hopefully, I will be able to spend more time, creatively exploring ideas, projects, and patterns I would like to create. I am going to try and binge less and quilt more in my free time (as if I have free time, ha, ha!)
Goal 2: Schedule client projects better. If you know that you will have a quilt for me to longarm quilt, let’s put you in the schedule now, when you anticipate needing me to quilt. That way I should be able to do a quicker turn around time for you. You can just call and say that you will have a quilt for me in February or March for example, and I can anticipate it coming and place you on my calendar. Hopefully, this will be great for you and me as we go through the year.
Goal 3: I will be continuing to add product to my online store, www.SuesCottage.com, as I have had orders come in all last year in anticipation of having lots for the quilt shows. I am also having orders coming in this year as well, so check back often for new products and sales. Speaking of sales, all kits will be 20% off during the last two weeks of January (Jan 17 – Jan 31). Be sure to take a look at the great kits available. You can not beat a good sale!
Goal 4: I AM GOING TO BE TEACHING SEVERAL CLASSES ONLINE STARTING FEBRUARY 1, 2021. I do not want to wait until we can be in person again so I have selected five (5) classes to teach this spring. The first one starts on February 1, to give you time to get fabric and supplies ready. I will need a minimum of three people for the class to be taught. I will be using ZOOM as the online platform for each class.
Spring Classes 2021 I have listed each of the classes I am offering below. I have given you the fabric requirements for each as well as any specialty ruler or tool you would need. When you sign up, I will email you a complete list of sewing supplies you will need. Most of them are just general quilting supplies you probably already have. When you sign up, I will order the pattern and specialty item you will need for the class unless you tell me you already have it. If you are here in Boise, you will be able to pick up the pattern and specialty item when it arrives here at my house. If you are out of town, I will mail the pattern and specialty item to you. You will have a shipping charge included. I will invoice each of you for the cost of the class, pattern, and specialty item through Paypal. Email me if you are interested in signing up for any of the classes listed below –
Metro Hoops – (pattern $12) plus
$40 for 3 classes
Monday Feb 1 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Monday Feb 8 2p.m. – 4 p.m.
Monday Feb 15 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Fabric requirements:
1 Jelly Roll or (24) 2 ½” wof strips assorted prints
2 ½ yards background fabric (white)
2 ½ yards background fabric (tan)
1 yard fabric for setting triangles
½ yard binding
Specific Rulers:
Quick Curve Ruler by Sew Kind of Wonderful
Dream Weaver – (Pattern $9) plus
1 class $30 Feb 10 1p.m. – 5 p.m.
Fabric Requirements:
Throw size
37 – 2 ½” strips (cut wof) of a variety of prints – can use a jelly roll
1 1/8 yards background fabric
Border 1 – 3/8 yard
Border 2 – included w/strips or 1/3 yard if you don’t want pieced border
Border 3 – 1 1/8 yards
Binding – 5/8 yard ( 8 – 2 ½” strips)
Specific Ruler:
The Strip Tube Ruler by CozyQuilt Designs
Gentlemen’s Agreement – (Pattern $10) plus
1 class $30 Feb 22 1p.m. – 4p.m.
Fabric Requirements:
1 ¾ yards blue ombre or mottled blue (see pattern – long strips)
1 ¾ yards brown ombre or mottled brown (see pattern – long strips)
2 ¼ yards multi colored that goes with the ombre frabrics
3/8 yard dark blue
3/8 yard gray blue (lighter than the dark blue)
3/8 yard dark brown
3/8 yard light brown
You can choose other fabrics in a different color scheme should you choose. Just be aware of the light, dark, and multi colored fabric.
Specific Tools:
Clearly Perfect Angles
Inner Cat -(Pattern $9) plus
2 classes $35 March 1 2p.m. – 4p.m.
March 8 2p.m. – 4 p.m.
Fabric Requirements:
One fat quarter or ¼ yard of each shade (30 total) That is 6 shades of 5 different colors (ex: 6 red, 6 green, 6 orange, 6 purple, 6 black)
3 ¼ yards background
¾ yards or you can use scraps from the cat fabric
Specific Rulers:
Creative Grids 15-Degree Triangle Ruler
12 ½” square ruler
A Road Trip Quilt Block of the Month (Pattern $36) plus $20 /class 12 classes once a month
First Thursday of the month starting February 4 1p.m. – 5p.m.
Fabric Requirements: Each month I will let you know colors needed if you do not want to get them all at once.
3 3/8 yards background
One Fat Quarter of each of the following: (20 fat quarters total)
Turquoise
Blue, Medium Blue, Light Blue
Dark Purple, Medium Purple, Light Purple
Dark Gold, Light Gold
Dark Red, Red
Medium Coral, Light Coral
Dark Green, Medium Dark Green, Green, Medium Green, Medium Light Green, Light Green, Very Light Green
Specific Tools:
Quilter’s Magic Wand
Paper Piecing paper Block 6 and maybe Block 9
Add-a-Quarter
Tri Recs Ruler (Block 9)
Braid Template by Seams Like A Dream (Block 10)
Whew! This turned into a very long post but I wanted to give you as much information as possible for the classes I am offering.
I am looking forward to a great 2021 with lots of creative juices flowing! Remember to follow me on:
Instagram @sueryder10 and @SuesCottage
Facebook Sue Ryder Crystal Vision Quilting and SuesCottage.com
I am hoping to post quilts, new product, and events throughout the year and you do not want to miss a thing!
I am also running sales occasionally on Facebook at Quilters Classified so follow that site and watch for me.
Happy New Year and many Blessings for you as we embark on another year’s adventure filled with Joy, Love, Blessings, and QUILTING.
Sue