At the gates of a new year, I had never stopped to make balance of the year that has passed and purposes for next year, but this year I have decided to try. And I am in a moment of great change in my path.
Do you know one of the things that motivated me to leave my previous professional life and venture into a new path full of uncertainty? Well, I don’t like the monotony at all. I was bored doing the same, every day getting up to go to do the same job, with the same schedules and the same routines. Perhaps that is why i’m not very much fond of the traditional festivals or dates. This option, but implies having to do a learning and adaptation to the circumstances and opportunities that arise as the activity develops, really as life itself, evolving and choosing at each crossroads the option that seems most suitable according to our objectives. So this balance can be a good exercise for the year that is about to begin.
When I started this new professional adventure, in May 2018, I didn’t know very well how to focus it and where it would take me. This year 2019, it has been a year that has brought me closer to exploring a new path, that of patronage, and has opened new doors for me and shown new routes.
I have started in the elaboration of foundation paper piecing patterns, with the publication of 10 new patterns. The first one was 2018, but in 2019 I took out my first great pattern that is the Modern International Alphabet, the Origami Animal Collection, with 6 marine animals, a free pattern to teach the technique and the last one, the Nordic Tree. So this year has been the main part of my activity.
The elaboration of patterns has meant that in 2019 it has been full of new learning. Both in the technique of the elaboration itself, as in many other areas such as editing, layout, design and drawing. But I have also had to investigate and I have learned a lot in other areas such as copyright, barcodes, QR codes, marketing and online sales of patterns.
This activity has also led me to meet many wonderful people who have helped me to learn a lot in this area and to feel accompanied and supported in this work, which can sometimes be so lonely. And above all, thank two great women who have crossed my path and stayed to accompany me, Joanne and Fatima, testers of my patterns, counselors and with whom I hope to maintain a long time the friendship that unites us despite the distance separates us.
Do not think that it has been an easy road, since for now the development and sale of patterns does not give me to live, even to meet expenses. In addition, it is a world to which many people are dedicated, with many years of experience and who have grown up in a culture of the world of quilting. But as they say, there is no harm that for good does not come, the problem I had with an American designer and the first version of my alphabet, made me enter a community of quilts pattern designers from all over the world and they have helped me to to know all this business much better and to learn things that I had not even considered, to the point that this December my patterns have begun to be sold in the US, which I had not imagined could happen.
And completely changing scope, I want to thank the crossroads with a person, which before knowing I considered so far away (for living in completely different worlds) and close at the same time (for living in the same town!), That if it works what we have in hand can make it not so difficult to live from my dream. But I’ll tell you the details later …
I would also like to share with you that we have recently been able to set up the workshop that I have been looking forward to for so long. A space where I will work quietly with all the things organized in place and without the interruptions that you get working in home.
Purpose for 2020? Well, I am not a person that I really like to make future purposes, perhaps because I am not disappointed if they are not fulfilled, so as I would say a good “trick” (truc player) to see them come! and keep learning and adapting to each moment. But I do not want to say goodbye without making a wish: I would like with all my heart that the new company I have in hand will work, for me to see a little light to guide me in this adventure and because my future partner finds a stable job that allows him meet his goals I know it will be very difficult, there will be bumps along the way, and we will have to work hard, but I can assure you that we will do everything we can to make it work, and I hope you like what we will do and help us get ahead.
I wish you a very successful 2020 in all!
