Ambitions

So I follow a few people on bloglovin, and a few people via email. One of those lovely blogs is Angela Pingel's blog, Cut to Pieces.

Yesterday she wrote a post that I couldn't stop thinking about. Please go read it. Then girls (my girls, although I am quite curious to know about the rest of you as well) what are your ambitions, dreams, goals, desires, etc. for our humble, tiny blog? Or for our quilting adventures? Or your own quilting adventures? Do you want to design fabric? What about patterns? Teach? Do you want to be famous?  What are your long-term goals concerning quilting?

My exact comment on her blog is as follows, "Thank you for posting this. Sincerely, your post just clarified things for me personally. I hope you are able to make those secret, deep dreams you have a reality. And it's made me realize that I truly do not want to accomplish the things that you've done (which is good and praiseworthy, but not for me). My husband keeps pressuring me to make things to sell, become more and more (money-wise). And I really don't want to. I don't want that pressure, I don't want that accountability, I don't want the limitation. I want to be free. Thank you! And congrats on the book!"

To which she sweetly replied, "I'm so glad that you were able to find some clarity with this post.  I completely understand...it's a big decision to turn a hobby into a business.  And not one that should be taken lightly.  Enjoy creating with freedom! -Angela"

Don't get me wrong. I am grateful that so many talented and wonderful people have made careers out of quilting!! I have greatly benefited from their hard work. I just realized that right now, a quilting career is not for me. I just want a hobby. Now maybe I read it all wrong these years, and being in the "business" means you have more freedom to do as you like. Certainly you seem to get more fabric, and who doesn't like that? There's just an apparent pressure (deadlines...umm...more deadlines) that I don't want in my life and to me deadlines pressure equals bondage of the worst sort, which I found out when I was making that Lakehouse quilt.

And I realized I already have what I want, exactly everything I want. And that is the freedom to stay at home and raise my children how it pleases me. Which I feel incredibly privileged to do in this day and age. Everything else is icing on the cake (or thread on the quilt). And I am so grateful that her post has clarified that for me. Seriously, so happy! Now when my husband says anything about selling quilts, I'll continue to tell him, "No, it's not the time." It's time to hobby it up!

It's nice to be recognized for the hard work we put into our quilts. For the perfect points, the beautiful color schemes, the long hours. My personal payoff is when my kids, nieces or nephews grab their quilts first, before anything else, when it's movie time. When I hear that they won't go to bed without their quilt. When I get requests for fabric or colors. When my family loves the quilts I create for them. 

I know not everyone is like me, or in the same position I am. So what about you? What are your dreams and desires, your ambitions in life or the quilting life? Is quilting a hobby? Do you secretly want it to be more? And for my sisters, what are your goals for us together?