A New Journey Ahead
Well, I did a thing….
I heard a call to do something different and more adventurous….
In Sept 2021, I transitioned out of my over 20-year-old full-time ministry career and into a time of reflection and rest. Boy, did I need the break. I told myself that after 3 months, I would start to figure out the next steps in my career. I decided to focus on myself, my marriage, and my family at that time. Of course, there was time for being creative as well. I enjoyed having time to cook more elaborate dishes and learned to bake sourdough bread. I spent time painting with my watercolors and soft pastels and finished a few knitting projects and a quilt. I played with my grandbabies and got some much-needed R&R up in the Sierra mountains.
Things were lovely; my house had never been so clean, my schedule was super flexible, and my husband loved having me so accessible and domesticated, lol. I dug deep into this French Cooking book, and I have loved every recipe that I created with it, and so did the hubby ha ha. Those who know me probably saw the writing on the wall and knew I could never retire or stay home full-time.
Heart Storming
January 2022 came into being, and I started to feel the nudge to do something new and on my own. Sure I could have gotten back into the workforce as the skills I had were highly transferable as a manager of operations, systems, and volunteer management. But I heard a call to do something different and more adventurous.
I went on a Heart Storming session in the mountains in the Sierras in my home state of California. I love the mountains; there is something so majestic when surrounded by pine trees.
I spent about five days by myself; I journaled, knit, did some hand stitching, sketched, painted, prayed, and took long walks. In the evenings, I drank yummy teas and watched old episodes of Downton Abbey ha ha very inspiring stuff, I must say. After a few days of no plan, listening, and being creative, things started to make sense. Suddenly, I was inspired to design a knitted cowl, and two quilt pattern designs popped into my head. I sketched them out, then realized I had a direction and a vision for my future.
I spent the next month hashing out some goals, plans, and action steps to take me from concept to reality. I had some big goals and big dreams and was ready to take my first foot forward to making the dream a reality.
Taking the leap
Welcome, Vieira Artistic Designs
It became apparent that I wanted to do all the things. Teach Knitting, design knitwear, teach quilting, design quilt patterns, and design fabric. Yeah, I agree, that is a lot. Well, that’s kind of me. I like to be working on lots of things at the same time, and I do thrive in that environment. In an attempt to limit myself to one market, say quilting, I would miss my knitting students too much and vice versa.
My business name Vieira Artistic Designs was chosen to allow me to have multiple creative industries represented under its umbrella. Knitting, Quilting, & more.
Ke Aloha Quilts
I also have another business entity that falls under this umbrella that is focused only on my Hawaiian heritage and inspired quilts and quilt classes. That’s Ke Aloha Quilts.
I plan on designing and teaching quilts and techniques that are of all different styles and varieties, but one style that is very special to me is Hawaiian Kapa. My great-grandmother Hannah K´umililani Cummings Baker is my inspiration to share the beautiful art of Kapa with those who would love to learn. There is a wonderful article about her in PieceWork Magazine and her legacy.
Here is to the future and to helping others grow in their creative journey.
With 2022 coming to an end and my first year in business being a ton of work but an absolute blessing and a ridiculous amount of fun, I am looking forward to what is coming in 2023.
Sneak peak
Patterns: I am working on a Knitwear design and multiple quilt pattern designs. If you are interested in being a pattern tester and or learning more about what’s involved with being a pattern tester, I would love to have you. Click the “Pattern Testing" button below.
Classes: I just launched the classes I teach in person at my local quilt and yarn shop on my Classes page, but I will also launch some online knitting and quilting classes in 2023. Click the “Online Class Interest” button below to be notified as classes get released.
Mystery Knit Along: This spring, I will launch a Mystery KAL (Knit-Along) that will include an exclusive pattern, video instruction, live zoom events, and prizes. To learn more and stay in the loop, click the “Stay Informed” button below.
For those of you who stuck around to read the whole blog, thank you so much, and I hope to bring you more content in the future that inspires, encourages and brings you joy and laughter.
Till next time…. Nicole
