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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

New year, new quilts

quilt backs

Those are the backs of my first batch of quilts for my book! I can’t show you more at this stage, but I don’t think that quick peek gives anything away.

Sending the projects out this morning was bittersweet. About this time last year, I did exactly the same thing, shortly before running smack into the vicissitudes of corporate priorities and staffing. 2012 was a difficult year of hard lessons, dashed hopes, and frustration. I may be starting 2013 the same way I started 2012, but I’m trying to use the wisdom gained from the challenges and put the frustration behind me.

The vast majority of the people I worked with last year were professional and supportive and thoughtful—people I respect, admire, and appreciate. Law of averages dictated that it was time to encounter a bad apple, but bad apples don’t stay on the tree long. I’m glad the people I’m continuing to work with this year are good apples.

The difficulties of 2012 are helping me define my vision for 2013 and clarify what Feed Dog Designs stands for so I won’t again be in the position of having my focus set by external forces with their own agendas. Freelancing will remain a part of my business, but I’m concentrating less on doing whatever I can as a hired gun and more on projects that directly support my own goals and interests. (Forgive me if this sounds like self-helpy managementspeak—what’s a self-employed one-man-show to do?)

I’ve already got some exciting things in the pipeline that I’m looking forward to sharing, but things may remain quiet here on the blog while I finish up the remaining book projects. Regardless of the winding road it took, I think it’ll be a great book, and I hope you’ll love it!