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for the soul

creativity for the soul goals

Excited, and scared, but growing

FeelGood Fibers/Leland Ave Studios

Hello, friends! Happy 2020! It’s been a minute since I posted here. Mostly because of the holidays. And life. And also because I haven’t been in my sewing space much these past few months. But instead, I have been allocating my creative time to working hard behind-the-scenes to build FeelGood Fibers into the kind of creative community you’d want to be a part of when it launches on February 2nd. 

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creativity for the soul goals

7 Ideas for Eco-Friendly Quilting

With so much gorgeous fabric in the world, and new lines of tempting palettes coming out all the time, it’s hard to think about how our fabric choices can have an impact on the world. It seems so complicated to sift through all of the information out there, and to imagine that tiny little me can really make a difference one way or the other. . . right? But when we all come together to change our habits, we really can have an impact. And one easy way to make a difference is by incorporating some eco-friendly habits into our quilting practice.

If we each consciously choose to use fabrics that we already have in our homes, that we can repurpose, or that we can purchase second-hand (even part of the time), we can limit the amount of resources needed to create new fabrics. We don’t have to change everything all at once. We can take small steps with each project, and over time, our eco-friendly actions will create the change we want to see.

Here are 7 ways that you can easily start making a difference today!

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for the soul

50 Podcasts Recommended For Quilters

50 Podcasts for Quilters

If you love to listen to podcasts while you sew, then have I got a treat for you! This list of 50 popular podcasts was compiled from the recommendations that you guys shared with me through the Fiber Artists: What Matters Most to You survey and via Instagram.

You guys have an awesome range of interests, from science to business, pop culture to social change, personal growth, comedy — and of course, crafts and quilting! 

I hope that this list will help you the next time you are in your sewing room and think to yourself, what should I listen to next??

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for the soul

How To Be More Thoughtful About: Fabric Consumption

As you guys probably know, I spent 2018 curating The Creativity Project: Getting to the Heart of “Why” We Quilt. It was an essential step in my own creative process. It helped me to understand the connection our creativity has to our mind, body, and spirt. But the more attention that I gave to my creative process, the more I felt that it is not enough to just consider “why” we quilt. It is also essential to consider the manner in which we do it. I’ll call this “how” we quilt.

For starters, I should know how fabric is made, in order to have a more meaningful and connected quilting practice. In addition, I’d like to know: how does my hobby as a quilter impact the earth? How does it impact the people that make fabric? Where does fabric waste go (cuttings, excess batting, large unwanted scraps)? Is there is a way for me to be a “better” Maker?

After some research, here is what I learned.

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for the soul goals

Quilting Mentors: Do You Have One?

New Growth Kim Soper/Leland Ave Studios

Today, I’ve been thinking about mentors. In her book Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg discusses the impact that having a mentor can have on a career, particularly for women. Sheryl recognizes that having a mentor is essential to succeeding. Mentors usually champion the talents and capabilities of their mentees. When it comes to promotions and new opportunities, traditionally mentors bring their protege along with them. Having a mentor/mentee relationship facilitates networking and helps to build the career of the mentee. 

When applying this concept to other aspects life, outside of a career, it still seems like having a mentor would be beneficial. So what about in a craft, particularly quilting? How does having a mentor come into play? Continue Reading