Where to start?

Tell anyone that for 12-18months they will be working to develop a skill and regardless of the skill, most people will probably ask you - "Where do I start?" Well that really is the key question, because ask different people "Where do I start?" and chances are they will all give you a different answer. However given time most will probably come to the conclusion that deciding on you aims and where you want to end up is a pretty good base upon which to build. Helpfully the Duke of Edinburgh programme people provide a planner the skills section of your award. The most important bit of which is the goals/aims.


My Aims

• To design and produce a range of products based on Quilting 
• To develop both my hand and machine sewing techniques 
• To reach a high enough standard that the items I produce would be considered for sale. 

Where do we go from here? 
This is often where the many different answers to the question "Where do I start?" come into play. In truth the answer all depends upon a number of things:

1. Your skill level before you begin 
2. Your aims/goals
3. You!

You? I hear you say, whats all that about?
Some people may wish to plan out a number of projects to complete over the 12-18months whilst others may wish to take projects one by one and decide as they go along. This is what I plan to do. 
However you choose to start you are guaranteed to do some research whether this be a visit to the library or trawling the net (what most of us think of when someone says 'research') or whether its more casual research, a visit to a fabric shop, paying more attention to quilted products already for sale. When it came to my research I did a bit of all of the above. I invested in a book which has some project ideas in and will help me focus on my technique,  as books go it was inexpensive and began to inspire me just flicking through it.

I also spent time looking at fabrics, as well as (without noticing at the time) paying more attention to items made of fabric in shops and stalls.  


(This is a back dated article - more to follow)