Milestone Reflections (Friday Foto Fun #75)

When I sat down to figure out what I wanted to share on this Friday, I figured I'd do more of a personal post this week.  It's been a long time since I've offered true insights into myself and my aspirations, so here it goes...

I'm Sherry and I'm the brain-child of Powered By Quilting.  The name comes from the ties I have with my day job with electrical/controls engineering background, think "Powered By Intel" for computers.  I hit my 10-year milestone with my job this past week, and I have been reflecting on my life and how I got here.  The first time I made the declaration that quilting would be a side hustle was just about 2.5 years ago and I had just returned from Sew Pro Convention.  It's weird because I just re-read my post and I remember the excitement and the naivety that comes along with trudging into the unknown.  (You can read it here!)

It's really easy to get caught up in all the pretty-ness and staged photos on Instagram and Facebook.  But I often end up more anxious with all the beauty and the inadequate feelings that tend to surface after too much time on social media.  I figured today is a great day to make a few bold declarations.

1. I will be a surface designer.  This is not actually new, it's something that I had wanted early on but didn't know how to get there nor wanted to do the investment to learn.  Well, thankfully the conscious effort to be more mindful about when I'm in the learning zone gave me the courage to take the first step.  I'm part of Bonnie Christine's Immersion Class 2019 and I'm learning so much.  Over the next year (or so),  my plan is to build a portfolio, print my designs on fabric, and get licensed.   I'm intentional with that sequence because I don't want to wait to get licensed to have my designs printed nor do I need to these days.  Companies like Spoonflower will enable you to print your own designs.
2. I am going to do more video. Video as in video tutorials, streaming on Twitch Creative, and just saying hi on my Facebook Page or in my Group.  Check out my YouTube page!
3. Pattern Releases will be occurring twice a year.  I have been doing so. much. secret sewing.  I have 3 new quilt patterns coming out for Spring Market along with a few pattern remakes.  It makes it tough for me to release new patterns throughout the year AND have multiple new patterns released for Market, therefore, I am planning on consolidating releases.  In May, there will be a week of Pre-Market Frenzy blog posts showcasing all the projects and patterns that I've created with new fabric collections!  (PS I'm terrible at secrets and I REALLY want to share!)
4. I will be hosting a blogging series on quilting.  I'm brainstorming on ideas that I would like to be blogging and making videos about.  I'm thinking a series about Learning to Quilt or Top Quilting Hacks for Better Results.  These are just ideas that are floating around. Is there anything you'd want to see or read about?

Sometimes it's best to realize your life is what you make it.  If you don't like how something's going, you have the power to make a change and pivot.  Progress will never go as fast as you want, but hopefully you can look back at the small changes you make daily to see the bigger impact.  (Advice I tell myself... repeatedly)

Thank you blog readers for strapping in with me on my journey!  I hope you enjoy where we are going (and where we have been)!

I do have a couple awesome announcements today, too!

This Sunday marks the start of the 6th challenge in Season 10 of Project Quilting and I'm the Sew-lebrity Guest!  I'm super excited about sewing the challenge project... but a little anxious about the prompt!  Trisha has been picking some amazing (and hard) themes!  Be sure to read all about Project Quilting and I hope you join in!

I also got contacted by Oliso recently to do a sponsored review of their irons.  I will be posting my review later this month, but I wanted to share my coupon code with you immediately in case you were on the fence about getting one of these awesome irons.  You'll probably see my personal Oliso irons that I've owned for the past several years in lots of my photos; it's one of the tools I just can't live without.  If you do decide to purchase an iron, please use/click on my affiliate link/banner below.  I'd really appreciate it as I don't get credit if you only use my code.  If you have any questions about the iron, let me know and I'll try to address them in my review!