January is a VERY good month! The start of the New Year, the opening of the Speakeasy and of course most important of all – my birthday! It seems like a great time to celebrate all of these things and more!
While the Speakeasy has been a long time in coming it is also something that takes BAQS in a new direction and some of you have had questions so I thought I would take a moment to answer them. While I never dreamed it when I started, BAQS has grown into a wonderfully supportive community of quilters who see things a bit differently and always know that we are about building a bigger table not building taller fences in the quilting world. We have done fantastic things and at every turn we have grown. I currently spend more that 30 hours a week on work for BAQS.
With all this time and dedication it has become apparent that how we do things around here needs to shift a bit so it can not only sustain itself but so that it can become a living wage for me and the people that I so far have been paying out of pocket. Mama gotta eat, kids need braces and rescue pups need kibble! For BAQS to go on these are the positive changes that need to be made.
Of course the irony is that by taking public stands, writing and advocating in the ways I do this has meant that many quilt industry companies while personally supportive are not willing to work with me publicly (read that as pay me) for fear of offending their broader ( and they assume conservative) audience no matter if we do have some (over 19 thousand) of the most passionate and loyal members a group could ever dream of having.
This of course is personally painful and fully ironic since I started the BAQS based on the fact that a company that was going to hire me dropped me like a hot rock once they found out that I also did freelance writing on the topic of sexuality. So here I am again, this time with 19+ thousand of you sitting beside me as I lick my wounds. So what the hell, I will never fit their mold or their standards so it is time to make my own and a place for others who want more depth, honesty, conversation and camaraderie without judgement.
The BadAss Quilters Society is not in any way closing what I have decided to do is open the second space inside BAQS for those who would like to be sustaining patrons of the movement – that space is the Speakeasy. The Speakeasy is a private dues-paying club within BAQS that will help support the work of the BAQS and reward you for being part of the support that lets us collaborate with like minded others in the industry to make things happen for you!
The cost is $4.99 a month and with it you will get exclusive giveaways, discounts on BadAss merchandise, a private Facebook group and live feed videos, exclusive content that will not be open to others as well as any other perks we can arrange for you like discounts to your favorite merchants and events not to mention early access to any BadAss events we sponsor.
Most previously free BAQS content will still be freely hosted here along with once a week BAQS publications and of course the Facebook page. On the Speakeasy side we will begin with twice a week giveaways as well as new content, roundups, challenges (with amazing prizes) and more. I am excited about the brands who are so wonderful and loyal as to be working with BAQS/Speakeasy and I hope you will be excited about them as well.
We are going to start the fun in the Speakeasy with a 10 day countdown to my 49th birthday! Starting on Saturday the 14th each day there will be a new giveaway in the Speakeasy leading right up to the 23rd where I will be giving away one of my favorite things of late…. an INSTANT POT! Yes 9 days of quilting notions and fun and then an Instant Pot for one lucky Speakeasy member.
I do hope I will see you in the Speakeasy. I tried to make the introductory monthly price as painless as possible (less than 20 cents per day) and will strive every damn day to make it worth it to you. – my promise.
To Join the Speakeasy click here
