Grabbing Opportunities Can Prove Successful to the Designer

In the mail today, I received my order from MyFabricDesign. This is special to me because this is fabric that I designed from start to finish! I ordered a fat quarter during a 25% off sale. (If I didn't like it, I didn't want to spend too much on a full yard or more.) Here is a close-up photo! 

And the entire fat quarter.

I think it is wonderful. (I can say now, I am a fabric designer!) I am so excited to have accomplished this. I will be working on other prints to go with this, while fixing this print a little bit.

Below is my story of how I got to this point, if you wish to read it.

For many years I dreamed of learning to utilize the computer to create printed designs. It didn't have to be on fabric. Paper, wood, ceramics, and such, would work. I just wanted to know how to do it.

I looked for "in-person" classes for a few years after I retired. There were some at a community college more than an hour's drive one-way, at night (not my favorite time to drive). They were college credit classes, not adult education classes, so the cost was great. Some did not meet on a day I was available. So I tried to find lessons on the internet, which were hit and miss in learning the skill building.

In February, 2019, I mentioned to a wise, old friend, about my desire. I told her I found online classes that charged nearly $1000 for a class. She asked me if I had the ability to pay (I had been saving for the possibility over the years), did I truly want to learn? what else would I use that savings on? From the answers I gave she told me to do it; sieze the opportunity to learn what I wanted. 

I thought about it for a few months. Anne LaFollette posted on the Craft Industry Alliance membership page (to which I belong) that she was offering a free, abreviated, introduction class to surface design. It was my chace to find out, for free, if this was what I wanted to learn! 

This was what I wanted! I signed up for her full course that May. What really grabbed me was that I would have access to the class lessons FOREVER! (I know that is a relative term.) This was better than taking a course at a college and once it was over, it was over; and then I would be on my own.

It seemed that things fell into place that led me to find something I really like to do. I have much to learn, but am excited about that path.