Historian Howard Zinn

Historian Howard Zinn died yesterday, January 27, 2010. Whether you agreed with him or not, Howard Zinn's writings were sure to spark debate. He challenged people to ask questions--and not accept traditional (school book) history at face value. There are many sides to every story...not just the ones spoon fed to the masses by popular media. His most recent work "The People Speak" premiered on the history channel in December 2009.

Sanding Wheels

Another stitched art piece the "In My Neighborhood" series I started at the beginning of the month.

This time, these sanding wheels caught my eye.



I love circles. They show up a lot in my artwork.





Sanding Wheels
Stitched Art by JL Boynton
2.5 inches by 3.5 inches
6.4 centimeters by 8.9 centimeters
Copyright ©2010 Sojourn Quilts

Cheers!--Janyce

On a Mission

You might remember last week, I dug out my five year old business plan and wrote about it at this link: So What's the Plan?.

This week, I want to talk about the mission statement. Even though the mission statement is placed close to the beginning of a business plan, I think it is nearly impossible to write the mission statement before researching other areas of the business plan: finances, marketing, selling venues, and the like. The mission statement should be the glue that holds the whole plan together.

My mission statement from five years ago was to design and manufacture heirloom-quality fabric art Story Quilts to commemorate important life events: weddings, civil unions, births, graduations, deaths, anniversaries and other special occasions. I planned to use traditional and contemporary quilting techniques, vibrant color schemes and quality materials to create personalized, one-of-a-kind story quilts or pillows. I wanted to invite customers to participate in the selection of colors, symbols and overall design. A "sojourn" is a "resting place along life's journey," so I wanted to provide my customers with a change to reflect upon and honor their own remarkable life experiences.

In theory, the idea was--and still is--a good one. In practice, for me, anyway, it did not work out. I found marketing and pricing story quilts very difficult. To make a living at story quilts (the way I envisioned them), I needed to be willing to produce a lot at a moderate price or produce a select few at a premium price. After trying a few--and really undervaluing my time and talent--I decided I would rather make these for friends and family (free, as a gift from the heart) than sell them below what I thought they were worth.

With this realization, I started actively searching for something quilt-related I liked to make--that still seemed like "me" (personally, as a business owner, and artistically)--and fit better with the selling venues I was pursuing at the time.

Since my experimentation...er..."market research"...with products and selling venues will lead me to my current mission statement, I am going to hold off talking about that until I write about the rest of the business plan.

More about selling venues next time.

Cheers!--Janyce

Shrub with Red and Purple Hearts

Another stitched art piece with the "Candy Tree" idea in mind. This one is a fabric collage made from repurposed fabrics and cotton thread sewn and adhered to 140lb watercolor paper. Ready for matting and framing.





Shrub with Red and Purple Hearts
Stitched Art by JL Boynton
5.75 inches by 7.5 inches
14.6 centimeters by 19.0 centimeters
Copyright ©2010 Sojourn Quilts

Cheers!--Janyce

No Impact Man

Watched this movie No Impact Man. Definitely food for thought...and change...

Cheers!--Janyce

Upcoming Workshops

Developing Collateral Sales Materials for Trade Shows
Presented by John Entwhistle and Paula Mahony
January 29, 2010
2pm-5pm
University of Southern Maine, Wishcamper Center, Room 133
Portland, Maine
Fee: $20

Creating Trade Show Booths That Sell
Presented by Bruce Baker
January 30, 2010
University of Southern Maine, Wishcamper Center, Room 133
Portland, Maine
9am to Noon

Marketing and Selling Strategies for Success
Presented by Bruce Baker
University of Southern Maine, Wishcamper Center, Room 133
Portland, Maine
January 30, 2010
1:15pm to 4:15pm

Fee: $50
For registration call 1-800-679-SBDC
Or Register online

Shrub with Red Berries Stitched Art

I was walking on a bitter cold day and just grabbed this picture. I was not sure it would even come out.



Something about the composition and light caught my fancy. Here is one version in fabric.





Shrub with Red Berries
Stitched Art by JL Boynton
5.75 inches by 7.75 inches
14.6 centimeters by 19.7 centimeters
Copyright ©2010 Sojourn Quilts

Cheers!--Janyce