A Staff of One

In cooking, a Sous-chef must plan and direct how the food is presented on the plate, keep their kitchen staff in order, train new chefs, create the work schedule, and make sure all the food that goes to customers is of the best quality to maintain high standards. I don't think there is a job title for that work in quilting.

In quilting, usually all these roles are held by one person. Those who achieve a bit of celebrity, have a staff to do various tasks. For instance, Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company co-owns and founded the company with her husband, Alan. Their daughters, Sarah & Natalie, and son Alan, various friends of the family and people from their community stock the warehouse, create patterns & tutorials, as well as performing administrative work that runs all aspects of their business.

Not in my studio. Here, I manage my own mini-'warehouse' in my closet, purchase supplementary fabrics, find and use patterns, even adjusting them when needed. Here, I budget for supplies and shipping costs. I even advertise, seeking folks who might want a quilt. I do my own time management, my own everything. Sometimes I fly through the projects. Sometimes not.

Today, I traced 4 sets of appliqué patterns for the remaining La Befana pillows. Rolling my eyes. For as many scraps as I use, there are SO-O many in this stash. I have to keep working to use them, have to keep them organized, and in truth, enjoy every minute. I also cut batting to fit the pages of the soft book. I didn't turn on the machine because this day is dedicated to prep work. 

Prep work is part of what I thought a sous-chef would do in the kitchen. No glory in it, but vital to the finished product. At one time, even Jenny did all her own work. While I do not plan to have a staff here in my studio, I will keep doing what I can.