pastimes online Archives - Page 5 of 5

I think 55 is a good entry number to re-cap the year 2009 and getting the idea for this from ParkcityGirl Website – thanks Amy.

**when I first wrote this entry, I didn’t have any quilting projects added sometimes I’m so focussed on the project at hand and forget why I’m doing this and all of the quilting that drives me**

Here’s a montage of my year in a nut-shell:

January: re-negotiating contracts with my business partner at Exhibit Studio, setting budgets for the coming year, discussing the market, reading the Twilight Series

February: high stress with the market crashing, not enough work to keep employees busy, trade shows getting cancelled, trying to figure out different avenues for Exhibit Studio, reading the Twilight Series

March: My Birthday, thinking about my quilting business, something I’ve always wanted to do, how can I make this work, the huge decision about deciding to sell Exhibit Studio, reading the Twilight Series (lovin it so much!!)

April: more discussions about quilting business online, partnership with another gal, hmmm, lots of debating about doing this on my own or with another person. DH showing so much interest in this new business venture for us, possibilities are endless, reading the Twilight Series

May: sold Exhibit Studio to my partner, Bye ES I wish you well :), now onto full time thinking about online quilting business, what should the name be, how can I make this work, what do I want my goals to be? May long weekend camping and waking up to 4″ of snow, so much fun!

{taken the day before the snow storm, which we slept like babies through it all, lol}

June: Started training for a race to clear my head and regroup for a new chapter in my life, Incorporated my new business name of Pastimes Online Ltd. Pastimes could be used for any hobby like Scrapbooking, Photography (DH’s passion), cooking, etc. and online self explanatory. Registered my business, which felt so good:) and camping (bliss)

July: Training for the race, figuring out block of the month programs and found this great site, ordering in some supplies, finding Manufacturers to do business with all over the world. Finding a great one in India – thanks Anant for all of your help & I love the silks!!, camping at Kaslo, BC – what a fab place!

{the famous SS Moyie}

August: Training for the race, placed orders for cottons, dupioni silks, threads, Gingher Supplies, Quilters Tea (our own blend) and more! Finished Pinkie Lee.

this one I’m keeping for me 🙂

September: Race time, 12km in 1.5 hours, my 8th Wedding Anniversary, (I love you Jeff), waiting on materials, building website (thanks Jeff), taking pictures, prepare for Podcasts, reading, reviewing, & rating websites (pros and cons) to figure out what I love the best & what you will love the best. Finding Squarespace and Squareflo – both life savers of time and money, reading Friday Night Knitting Club – touched my heart! My cousin got married & my sister and I made a set of personalized sheets. Designed my first pattern, Cutest Camera Bag.

{on the home stretch, phew}

October: My DH’s birthday, ThanksGiving, spending time with Family, always a joy! Playing with my new silks that have arrived. Finding an excellent supplier for lightweight fusible materials for applique, silks etc. Our very good friends had a beautiful baby boy, Zach. Opened PastimesOnline – what a month. Started another Freebie 15 project with my LQS.

{which will be available to purchase soon}

{perfectly matching threads, beauty}

{mom and baby Zach at his baby shower}

{waiting to be layered and quilted, hopefully soon}

{official store home page}

the theme is leaves and I LOVE the colours

November: Shooting my first podcast, finished first block for the Journey of a Quilter Block of the Month and loved it! Realized yet again how much I love being part of my quilting guilds and how these women impact my life. Started work on the development of the basement, new home of PastimesOnline and my new Studio location. Quilt til you Wilt weekend to complete the two housecoats for my nephews. Quilters Connection Magazine, finally a magazine for Canadian Quilters – thanks Heather! Joined the Toyota 4x4ing Club with my DH, started reading The Book of Negros – WOW!

{where to begin?}

{almost finished and boy what a journey}

December: Marketing investment with QuiltDash and Within a Quarter Inch, hosted Christmas potluck for my Lakeside Quilters Guild, and attended the potluck for my other awesome Guild called Flying Needles, hosted Christmas Dinner for 13 plus 4 and it was probably the best Christmas ever. Permits approved, more work on the basement, dry-wallers scheduled, carpet ordered, dreams coming to fruition, *sigh* life is good.

Here’s some of the gifts I made for family:

aprons for MIL and SIL

housecoats for nephews and messenger bags for nieces (silks)

silk scarf for Mum, it kind of works with the red shirt 🙂

Happy New Year everyone, I am so looking forward to starting an amazing 2010 and getting to know you all who follow my blog, comment and email me privately as well as all of you who’s blogs I read. I would love more comments and please let me know what you would like to see and read about or ask me questions…

Until next time have a happy, warm and creative day,

So for the last couple of months I’ve been working on another business venture since I sold Exhibit Studio and this one is one that will come from the heart – my passion. Pastimes Online Ltd. – I’m already incorporated and waiting on Business Number, Licenses etc. This will be “A Canadian Online Quilt ‘n Stuff Source” – I’m still working on this tag line – any suggestions would be great!

Here’s my new logo – the colours pastel pink, periwinkle blue and the greenish spool of thread with needle.

Since my new business is going to be an online business I wanted to use online sources for my logo design and web needs. I used a site called elance you can put in a request for many things like corporate id (letter head and business cards etc) logos, web design, programming, etc.

So I picked a company called OhSnap because I loved her designs the best part about going into business with OhSnap was I found out after we began the project that we have the same name and spelled the same – how fun is that!! I’m already in the process of posting another job online with her to help us with the background of our website. DH is getting back into programming for his wife and I’m very grateful! Here’s a preview of pastimesonline again this is just in testing phase…but I’m still so excited!!

I’m also working on a few quilty things (of course) the new block from my freebie 15 program – I think there is only one block left and so far I like some of the 12 or so that I have completed but in the end I’m sure it will turn out great.

Here’s my latest block – this is the second round the first one I cut all of the triangle corners too small (but I will use these for my label or something) so Traditional Pastimes gave me a new kit so I could get it right – I of course completed this the morning of the 15th with out a minute to spare.

I’m also working on that dresden fan project that I mentioned in my last blog entry. This quilt I love – I love the brown, pink and green paisley prints I used and I’m so happy with the quilting method I used to echo the shapes of the dresden fan. I also did free motion machine quilting around the border – still trying to figure out the green circle centers and what to do there. One of the ladies in my quilting group commented on this white waffle muslim (which I purchased on our holidays through Portland and Seattle last year) I bought so much of it as I think it was only $5 per meter – here it would have been at least $12 +. So I used the rest of this waffle muslim on the back and I think it worked well.

I had went back to take a few more of this quilt but Tig found a home for her morning nap – didn’t she just have one??

I think she started to get a little self conscience here as she opened her eyes to see what was staring at her…yes the D80!!

I have been doing a 6K run each morning for the last couple of months (since I sold ES) so I signed up to run a 12K race called Loop Around the Lake here in Chestermere, September 19th. This is the same date as our fall fair (September 18-19) – which the Lakeside Quilters also have their quilt show – should be a busy weekend for me.

I have a few new projects to show and a couple to get finished for the show so I’m working hard getting these done including labels *smile*.

I also wanted to share some pictures of my flowers in my yard with you as I think they are so beautiful: