Being a Quilt Designer is a Roller Coaster Ride!

Holy cannoli. I have been having a crazy time here, and I decided it’s time to share some of the downs along with my usual good news.

I have gotten several patterns accepted to be published in major magazines over the past several months. The lead time is so long – I sent one in in May that was to be published in the September issue of Pre-Cut Patchwork. As of last week, Pre-Cut Patchwork is no longer being published.

The entire schedule for this project was that I submitted in December, they accepted in March. I gathered the fabric I needed, made the quilt, and shipped it in May. I was paid in July. In August, I was expecting to receive my early copies of the magazine, set up a giveaway, and do a victory lap. Instead, I found out that the magazine was being folded. By the Power of Grayskull!

I can’t lie. I was pretty devastated for a couple of days. Especially because two other projects were scheduled for that magazine. One that I sent them in July, and one that I haven’t started sewing yet.

When I submitted my projects, I knew the company was in bankruptcy negotiations. I knew it was a gamble. I rolled the dice, figuring that the worst case scenario was that I made a quilt but didn’t get paid for it, but would still have the quilt at the end of the day. So, minor frustration, but not the end of the world. I didn’t realize how upset I would be when it was taken away from me.

It is a huge rush to get that acceptance email. And it is so exciting to work with an editor to choose fabric, then get the fabric and play with it. It is all fun, and really not that much work. Because they are experienced with pattern design, I just send sketches and notes, and I assume they turn it into the beautiful patterns I am used to. This hasn’t happened yet, so I’ll keep you posted.

Today I got an email that one of my submitted patterns is going to be put into a different publication by the same group, in their July 2020 issue. That’s right – twelve months from now. And my other two might get re-assigned, too. I expect I will be paid for all three, eventually, which is wonderful. And they might actually make it into print someday, which would be even better.

So, it isn’t all gloom and doom today, but it is a bit of a reality check. I’ve been building my plans based on the fact that I was going to have a pattern published in a national magazine every month, from now until February. That was going to be a building block for a teaching career. Now that will have to be reset, since they are being pushed back by a year.

Luckily, I am drowning in work right now, so I don’t have time to mope. I did a little moping on vacation, and I’m done with that now. Right now I have to catch up on client work, which I have been doing. I have quilted six quilts in the last three days, bound three of them, and pieced 40 blocks for a secret project. I have one more to quilt tomorrow, a fabric manipulation demonstration to prep for Thursday, and then Friday I will be working on quilts for Quilting Cowboy, Mister Domestic, and two for Island Batik. Those four projects are all to be completed this month.

I know that I take on too much. But this is how I like to be. Just on the brink of being overwhelmed. I’m at my best when I have a steady burn of adrenaline. I am really hoping that my herculean August will roll into a peaceful September. I need to clear my schedule and be ready for the Christmas rush.

One of the quilts I quilted this week is a Christmas quilt. There are 140 days left, and Aileen is way ahead of me.

Thanks for listening to me rant. I love this job, I just wish my stuff went in expected directions more often!