Introducing Kiley Ferons from Kiley’s Quilt Room. Read about how she went from quilt designer to magazine editor and what it was like.
For my second blog post in the Craft to Career series I'm excited to feature Kiley Ferons, who went from quilt designer to magazine editor!
Introducing Kiley Ferons
Hey there! I'm Kiley Ferons, a Quilt Pattern designer, Quilt Retreat Organizer, and founder of Modish Quilter Magazine. A little about me- I'm mother of four beautiful children, I have a degree in Medical Assisting from BYUI, I love baking, I collect houseplants, I love watching Marvel movies and shows with my husband, and as a family we love to do anything outdoors from hiking and camping to playing in the river!
The Quilt Designer
So how did I get started? I'd say it probably all started when I first took up quilting!. My mother-in-law got me into it and she would always fuss at me for altering patterns or not even using a pattern to make quilts. Over the next 10 years she often suggested that I should write my own patterns, but I wasn't ready.
My first quilt-related business was as a longarm quilter. I bought my machine 6 years ago and hit the ground running. I thoroughly enjoyed helping quilters turn their works of art into masterpieces! Then, last year, I finally started to shift my focus to pattern designing. There was DEFINITELY a learning curve! It took me months to write and develop my first pattern. I had no idea what I was actually doing- just kind of winging it! But I pushed forward and released my first pattern. Although it didn't go as well as I had hoped (it flopped), I had caught the pattern designing bug!
Around the same time I released my first pattern, I came across Elizabeth's Pattern Writing Course. It was perfect timing. I believed in myself and invested in myself. The confidence and education I gained during the class helped me launch my next 2 patterns more seamlessly. Both a big hit! One of the most important things I took away from Elizabeth's course was "finding your niche". It helped me focus my energy into developing patterns that felt more "me", and not just any pattern that pops into my head. It was about developing a "look" for my brand. Developing patterns brings me so much joy and gives me that creative outlet that I needed as a stay-at-home-mom of four!
Modish Quilter Magazine
During one of the weeks of the course, Elizabeth gave us a list of quilting magazines to look into if we wanted to submit our work to be published. As I went through the list I realized that there was a lack of modern, young, and fresh content (or at least my definition of it). So... I decided to do something about it.
I have a habit of sometimes being over confident in my abilities. From a young age, my father (who is also an entrepreneur) encouraged me to chase my dreams and to never allow myself to feel boxed in. For better or for worse, I took that to heart. I have always felt that there is no mountain I couldn't climb. No challenge I couldn't accept. No hurdle I couldn't face.
I saw a void in the quilting community and decided to fill try to fill it! This began the journey of the quilt designer to magazine editor. In some ways, it wasn't a hard gap to bridge. I was used to writing patterns, editing, marketing, and publishing my own work. But I needed more help. A magazine is a BIG undertaking! What was I thinking? I don't know how to run a magazine! So I called on some talented friends to see if they would join me in my journey.
Megan Saenz, a quilt photographer and my best friend, is the magazine's photographer and she also writes articles and helps with patterns. Elyse Thompson, a graphic artist and my sister-in-law, is the magazine's graphic designer and puts each issue together with her exceptional design talents. My last and favorite partner is my husband, Ryan Ferons. He is a software developer and has built our website from the ground up and has been my greatest supporter.
The Leap From Quilt Designer to Magazine Editor
I am a big advocate of "anyone can achieve anything they want" they just need the right support and encouragement! It takes guts and risk to jump headlong into a new business venture. Some people don't like to take those risks- and that's okay! But for me, it's almost like an itch I just have to get at. I was okay taking risks and allowing my business to evolve over time as long as I was doing what made me happy!
The older I get, the more I realize that no one really knows exactly what they are doing at first. But with passion and drive, you can accomplish anything! Entrepreneurship is a "learn on the job" type of career. You have to put in the work if you want the results! Modish Quilter Magazine is still a very small business. But we are growing and gaining traction every day! I am dedicated and completely invested in making Modish Quilter Magazine a success, along with my quilt pattern.
People ask me all the time "how do you do it all?". The answer is simple. I'm passionate about it, so I MAKE the time. I prioritize the time. Don't get me wrong, it's not easy! But making it a priority is! I would encourage anyone who is thinking about starting a business or taking a risk for their business to just do it! Take that leap of faith in yourself and then make it happen! One of my favorite quotes of all time is "
CHECK OUT MODISH QUILT MAGAZINE
Modish Quilt Magazine is a quarterly digital magazine. There are two options for you:
- You can buy a yearly subscription for $40/year.
- Or you can get a single issue for $16 per issue.
Visit www.modishquilter.com to see more about the magazine and sign up to get yours.
IF TURNING YOUR CRAFT INTO A CAREER INTERESTS YOU
Be sure to check out my podcast, From Craft To Career. We explore many crafterpreneurs who have successfully turned their craft into a career.
I share tips to help you successfully grow a creative business.
I also open a course once a year called, ‘From Craft to Career’. You can join the waitlist HERE for the class that opens every February.