Yep, all those personality tests peg me as an introvert and they are spot on.  You may not think so if you see me at work because:

• I can read stories a room full of kids with costumes, props and multiple voices.
• I teach sewing classes to kids and adults.
• I make presentations to parents, staff and at the state library conference.

But put me in a situation where I have to make small talk and I immediately become tongue-tied.

Learning how to “work a room” takes skill and practice.   It’s one area I have to constantly work at.  It definitely puts me outside my comfort zone, but it does get easier with practice.  I’m heading to Quiltcon East in Savannah later this week.  I am going solo, but plan to meet up with several of my online quilting biz friends at the event.  I’m really looking forward to actually meeting Elaine Perez from Summercrafter in person for the first time. We’ve worked together on her patterns over the past year, but our contact has been limited to phone and email.

Here are some tips to help fellow introverts “work a room” and develop those connections you need to expand your small business.

• Wear an outfit that you love (if you know you look good, it helps boost your confidence)
• Have a 30 second “elevator speech” ready
• Have plenty of business cards in your pocket
• Ask follow-up questions to learn more about the other person (Ex. What makes your hometown special?  What drew you to that line of work?)
• Have 1-2 personal stories that you feel comfortable sharing (kids, dog, vacation, unusual hobbies, etc.
• Discuss sports, weather, upcoming holiday season, biz trends, but stay away from controversial topics.
• If you’ve met the person previously, follow-up on something discussed the last time you met (vacation, kids, pets, new product coming to market) or comment on their Instagram feed.

Whatever you do, don’t stay in the corner hidden away or talking with the same person the entire evening (unless it’s a business deal you are negotiating)  the point of a networking event is for you to meet as many people as possible.

Unlike a memory pillow made from a button front dress shirt, a memory pillow made from a t-shirt will require some additional planning and prep work:

• Let the size of the main graphic help you determine overall pillow size.
  12″, 14″ or 16″ are the most common sizes; however, pillow forms in sizes up to
  24″ x 24″ are available at the big box craft stores.
• Determine your desired closure method before making the first cut in the t-shirt:  hand stitched closed, envelope style or zipper.
• Launder the t-shirt without fabric softener before cutting.
• Fuse lightweight interfacing to the back of the pillow front.  Back is optional.
• Fuse 1/2″ strip of lightweight interfacing to the “closure” edge of the back if planning to sew closed by hand or insert a zipper.

Construction Hints:

• Use polyester or cotton-covered polyester thread and a universal/ball point needle.
• Use a lightning stitch (or tiny, long zig zag – W=1.0 and L= 2.5) to avoid puckers.
• Loosen the foot pressure a notch or two if your machine offers that option.
• A walking foot or tricot foot can also help with smooth seams.

Directions a hand-stitched closed pillow:

• Determine size finished size of pillow. Cut interfaced t-shirt front & back sections to this measurement plus 1/2″ seam allowance (or desired measurements for envelope closure).
• Sew on any decorations, patches or special labels as desired.
• Pin front and back sections together.  Along the closure edge, place a pin 3″ in from either side.  This will mark your starting and stopping points.
• Sew around 3-1/2 sides of the pillow, backstitching at beginning and ending of seam.
• Clip corners, trim loose threads and turn right side out.  Press.
• Insert pillow form.
• Sew opening closed using an almost invisible ladder stitch.