Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Five years of creating newsletters

I have been doing the Tatted Lace Pattern Collection for that last 5 years. I've designed snowflakes, doilies, necklaces earrings, edgings, motives and a lot of 3D stuff like flowers, snowflakes, and Christmas angels. Here's a review of the designs from the past year:


There were 2 doilies, a snowflake, 2 pairs of earrings, a heart frame, 2 bookmarks, 3 3D flower designs, a motif turned into a V-neck collar, a chatelaine, an amulet bag, 2 edgings, a necklace, and a snowman family.

I can see my tatting progress each year because it's all recorded in the newsletter. I know how much I tatted, what kinds of things I've made and relatively how long they took. I know that none of them took more than 3 months because every 3 months there's another newsletter. I don't look back over the year and think, "What did I make this year?", I know what I made because it's all recorded in the newsletter. At least, most of it is. I tat more than what is represented here but this is a big chunk of it.

One of the benefits of the 25 Motif Challenge is that it give people an opportunity to keep a record of their own progress. A lot of people when they started out, didn't think that they could tat 25 motives in a year. Maybe for beginners it is a bit of a stretch, but piece by piece your skill and your speed improve and suddenly you realize that you are doing it, you are accomplishing that impossible goal of 25 Motives.

Over the last 5 years I have designed and executed an average of 19 patterns per Volume. It started out as a black and white publication that was mailed out 4 times a year. Now it is a colour publication emailed out 4 times a year. The subscription price when I started was $20 Canadian and 5 years later it's still $20 Canadian.

If you are interested in ordering the newsletter, or if you are interested in past volumes, click here for the order form. If you want past volumes, please specify. The pictures for the projects in each volume can be seen here.

Volume 1 Edition 1, Edition 2, Edition 3, Edition 4

Volume 2 Edition 1, Edition 2, Edition 3, Edition 4

Volume 3 Edition 1, Edition 2, Edition 3, Edition 4

Volume 4 Edition 1, Edition 2, Edition 3, Edition 4

3 comments:

LadyShuttleMaker aka MadMadPotter said...

Thanks for this post, you may be getting an order from me in the near future.
I do so very much appreciate the 25 motif challenge for all the reasons you listed. It is also a great condensed version of what everyone is up to! I do look forward to it!

Thank you Sharon!

Marilee Rockley said...

Yes, you have really made a difference with all your work on the challenge and the newsletter, and all the other generous things you do. Thanks a million, and congratulations on your 5 year milestone!

Sharon said...

It's taken me so long to update the 25 Motif Challenge blog that I haven't had time to respond to comments on my own blog. The challenge blog is only successful because of all the marvelous tatting everyone does. I've just finished the 5th year of the newsletter and I ought to have some of the designs created for the beginning of the sixth, but I haven't started because I modified my sister's collar instead. The one project I've started, isn't working as planned so I'll have to start again. I think I need some new inspiration!