January Doldrums

  Usually the month of January is fairly slow moving.  It is like the cold weather just causes everyone to slow down a bit.  However, this year has been a little different.  I have been receiving quilts like crazy and now have the task of trying to figure out how many more I can take, while promising their owners that they will be finished in time for graduation.  Having only been in business for 2 1/2 years, I have spent quite a bit of that time building up a good customer base.  Now, I have that base, plus word of mouth that continues to increase the numbers of people who call me for quilting.  I would welcome advice from anyone out there as to how they figure out exactly how many they can get done.  Most of my work is semi-custom, and I would say that I am fairly fast at my work.
  I used to count on the down time in January and February to work on my own projects.  I am really looking forward to a retreat this weekend where I am taking a class called "The Log Cabin Revisited."  I can't wait.  It will be really fun to learn a new technique, and I am looking forward to it.  My most recent projects mostly became Christmas gifts, but I did finish my Hunter's Star that I had begun last fall in a class with my friends from my local quilt guild.