Hi ,

This past month I've been reading Grit by Angela Duckworth, a book about building passion and perseverance to stick with hard tasks. Within the book, the author argues that it is grit - not innate talent - that makes the difference.

Since the middle of January, I've been focused on writing a new update to the Pantograph Quilting Guidebook, which is why it's currently unavailable on LeahDay.com. It's gotten tough this week. Quilting pantographs on a hoop frame is challenging. I've tried out lots of new ideas and found many of them don't work. It's been very humbling and it's probably going to get a lot harder before it gets easier.

So this leads me to my email subject - do you have quilting grit? Are you able to stick with a project even when it gets tough, or when the project surpasses your skill level? Are you excited to try new techniques, even if they waste fabric, don't turn out well, or require multiple tries to master?

This has given me a lot to think about, especially since my Grit Score was a lot lower than I expected. Not finishing my quilts... abandoning projects for some magical future time when I have time to quilt and bind them... not finishing a book I started last summer - my track record for finishing what I start has gotten pretty bad over the last few years.

But before I start beating myself up for it, the positive message within the book is that grit can be grown. One project, one decision at a time, we can choose to stop quitting and start sticking.

I think one key for quilting is to focus on one project at a time. And yes, this is VERY HARD!

But I want to get grittier which means accepting the difficulty and fueling my passion to teach quilting while building the perseverance to stick with it until it's done. This Pantograph Guidebook update may take longer than expected and that's okay. Good things, and especially learning new skills, takes time.

February Quilting Machine Sale

Speaking of learning new things, a new machine always poses a fun new challenge! We've got a great little sale going through the end of the month on Grace Company machines:

Learn a bit about each of our quilting machines:

Little Rebel Sewing Machine - Get 13 inches of harp space for $2499! This machine is one of my favorites for frame quilting because it packs speed, simplicity, and awesome features all in one go.

Qnique 16X Series - Choose from three different longarms with 16-inches of quilting space, each with different features to allow you to find the right machine at the right price. 

Qnique 19X Series - I call the Qnique 19X and 19X Elite longarms the "Goldilocks" longarms because they really are the perfect fit for most quilters. Not so big the machine is intimidating, but large enough to quilt across a 12-inch block in one pass - all the way to the END of a king sized quilt too.

Qnique 21X Elite - This is our largest, fastest, and best quilting machine. If you're wanting to finish quilts fast with the least amount of fiddling, 21 inches of harp space and the ability to make 2600 stitches per minute will set you right.

X Elite Longarms are extra special - they are faster and easier to use with a 7-inch touchscreen monitor. We're including extra accessories with these longarms this month: a ruler base, hopping foot set, and three rulers to get you started ruler quilting.

Click Here to learn more about Grace Company's machines and see which one is right for you!

New to Longarm Quilting?

This is a great sale, but if you're new to longarm quilting, you may be wondering if now is the right time to buy. If you're not 100% sure about diving into longarm quilting, and especially if you don't know anything about quilting frames, I recommend slowing down and learning a bit first.

There are a lot of details when it comes to longarm quilting, and actually I don't think the machine is the most important part. Most quilters focus on the machine, but it's your quilting frame that's going to determine how fast you can begin quilting any quilt and how easy it feels to get the project done.

So before diving in, Click Here to check out our beginner guide to longarm quilting.

This post includes a checklist of when NOT to buy a longarm machine like:

• When you're doing a lot of travel
• Sick or caretaking someone with an illness
• Moving / renovating your home 

Why? Read the post and you'll learn why.

That's it for this week, . I'm curious to know what you think about the concept of Grit when it comes to quilting and whether talent or grit is the more important element to successful quilting. Reply to this email with your thoughts to keep the conversation going!

Let's go quilt,

Leah Day