All Things Andrea

All Things Andrea

Friday, December 6, 2013

Introducing....

A new quilt blog!
Beginning December 6 (my birthday - how providential and significant is that??!!), I took the huge leap to see if I can somehow make a living in the quilting world.  (It took until now to work up the nerve to post this!)  Yes, I quit my job....   EEEEKKK!  (No, I did not get fired!!)  Am I crazy??!!  Uh, uh, uh, I very well may be....  (Some days I'm terrified of that possibility!)  But, I just can't let another month or year go by without giving it a shot.  It boils down to this - I think about quilting 24/7.  Seriously.  I have been eternally frustrated with my search for an employer that can celebrate and use my creative skills, gifts and abilities. And, I was tired of feeling guilty about not being able to buckle down and fit into the traditional work world.  Then, it finally dawned on me that I should quit trying to squeeze my square peg of a person into all the round-hole careers that are out there, and create my own way of making a living.
Yes, I've tried this type of an avenue before and failed.  Several times, in fact.  And yes, I'm petrified that I won't be able to pay my bills and will have to come crawling back to some employer and beg them to hire me even though I really don't want the job.  But, this time it feels different....
Worse case scenario, I fail.  I FAIL!!  Is that the end of the world?  I think not!  Worse case scenario?  I do believe I can live with that!  And just maybe I need to remember that failing is sometimes the very stepping stone that gets us to where we're to be.
In the meantime, I'm going to explore.  Throw my hat in the ring.  Do some networking.  Give some avenues a try.  Take even more risks.  Work at something I give a rip about, something I believe in, something that changes people, something creative that honors and images my Creator, something I want to do.
I probably am crazy to invite you along on the journey, especially a journey where you could possibly watch me splatter onto the pavement vs. a clean dive into the swimming pool, but I don't feel like doing it alone.  And, just maybe, it will inspire or encourage you to do something crazy too - you know, that pesky thing that has been plaguing you too.  Please, please join me - I don't want to be the only one out there taking these crazy leaps!
A few DETAILS:
Click here for the link to the my new blog.  I plan to chronicle the journey as well as write about all things quilting (and spare those non-quilters of you out there all those annoying quilting details you would rather not read on my All Things Andrea blog).
What prompted all of this craziness?  Well, a number of things.
First, a revelation that I had returned to full-time work as an Administrative Assistant in the traditional work world out of fear that God wouldn't/couldn't provide for me.  Once I admitted/confessed that, heaven seemed to crack open in terms of God's guidance.
Second, reading In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson.  What an amazing book....  And even more amazing was God's timing in allowing it to fall into my hands.
Third, the LCBC sermon series Greater.  Truly amazing.  (And yes, God can and does speak to His people via a sermon series that can be watched via an iPad while laying in bed!)

Fourth, the pending possibility that I might be terminated by my employer for refusing to get a flu shot, got the ball rolling in getting me to think about alternative employment opportunities.

And fifth, just when the crazy idea of quitting my job and pursuing a quilting business came to mind, some other doors started opening, doors that I could have never orchestrated or even imagined.

So, the main thing I'm exploring at the moment is the possibility of a longarm machine quilting business.  I still don't know if it's feasible for me physically or if it's even something I would enjoy doing.  It's a HUGE decision and a big commitment.  But, it's the next step in this process of exploration.  So, I'm busy working on my blogs, stitching quilts to get ready, networking with other quilters and longarmers all over the country.  And, checking into the possibility of studio space in town.  In the meantime, I have the luxury of being able to fall back on my sewing and alteration work to help with some of my bills. 

Yikes, should I have shared all this with you?  I think so....  I hope so!

There's a HUGE booming quilting industry out there, fueled by a new generation of quilters and swept along by Pinterest and the internet, unlike anything we've seen before.  I wanna be part of it!

 :)

Thanks for reading!
Andrea


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