Confessions of a Guilty Blogger: One Lovely Blog, Aspire to Inspire & Giving back

There are some lovely things that stick around blog land and some really lovely new ideas that pop up too.  Stay around long enough and you will see the nice ones like Pay it Forward and One Lovely Blog come around again!

Image shamelessy borrowed from Quilting Jet girl and Red Delicious Life!

A few years back Chelsea @ Patch the Giraffe did a thankful Thanksgiving mosaic instead of the black Friday madness and I loved that idea.  Yvonne @ Quilting Jet Girl had Thankful Thursdays for a while and I loved that too and I tried hard this week to make this a Thankful Thursday post but the week got away from me so its a Friday post instead.

My Happy mosiac from 2014

I have to say thank you to Lena @ Quilt Art and Abigail @ Cut and Alter for the nomination.  Just over 12 months ago I wrote this One Lovely Blog post thanking Marly, Lara and Judy for the nomination.  At the time I nominated these blogs and I am happy to say that almost all are still blogging!

A Quarter Inch from the Edge
Ella & Nestas Little Room
Fluffy Sheep Quilting
Just Jude
Pennydog Patchwork
Neros Patch & Post
Slaney handcraft
Sew Fresh Quilts 
Sew Giving
Sew Me

Things do change - change is inevitable!  I know there are less bloggers overall writing regular updates and a lot of people are having lots of fun on Instagram.  We talk about this from time to time (most recently Rachel's post @Stiched in Color)  but I can honestly say that most of the blogs I follow and the bloggers I consider friends and must not miss are very active.  So much so if I miss a weeks reading I have over 100 missed posts in my feedly feed!

I feel guilty sometimes not being able to leave a comment on all the blogs I read.  I even save some for later to deliberately come back to if I am reading on my phone or my iPad but I seldom do go back.  Bad, bad follower.  I am rubbish at writing comments with my phone and I have a nice phone - I really just prefer the laptop keyboard.  My ancient Mac has a lovely keyboard and I am dreading the day it dies on me!

I am also guilty of placing hearts and not leaving as many comments as I could on Instagram - again laziness on my part with my phone!  I tend to browse while waiting in the car after work for G to drive home together or just before bedtime when I'm not quite awake and paying as much attention as I should. 

Someone I admire for always supporting us with comments and encouraging participation is Yvonne @ Quilting JetGirl.  Yvonne's commitment to her blog, support of QAL's and new bloggers and thought provoking topics give so much back to our community I wanted to follow Diana's lead and thank Yvonne for all the support since I first met her on the 2013 new bloggers hop! Diana's post Aspire to Inspire has had me thinking of how I've been inspired by others and how I can give back.
So instead of telling you 7 new things you might not know about me this post has become a thank you and also a confession of sorts on how I probably could give back more.

Evolution quilt with strips from Massdrop fabric purchase and background from LQS

At the beginning of the month, Weeks Ringle wrote a piece on her blog Craft Nectar about supporting the shops that give back to the quilting community rather than the big box stores like Fabric.com and Massdrop.  Confession, I shop at Massdrop and also sales at Craftsy.  I also shop at my local quilt shop, support the pop up shops that come to our guild meetings. buy from friends like Fluffy Sheep Quilting and Slaney Handcraft and also from online retailers like FatQuartershop and LoveFabric.ie.  I try hard to spread the love around.  The money I save on some of the Massdrop and Craftsy purchases I spend locally.  Something I could do better is buy books locally.  It never occurred to me to buy direct from the author and having had a friend write and get a book published this has hit a chord with me.  Instead of the convenience of Amazon, if the shipping is reasonable I can try and buy direct from the writer.

In the comments in that post there were lots of ideas on how we could come together more for our craft and the quilting industry.  Some enduring themes seem to come around like being more welcoming at our guilds regardless of age and taste -  I know we are fighting human nature in that it is natural to form groups and cliques but its not easy being new.  Our hobby is expensive, fabric is not cheap (about $18 a yard here in Ireland) nor are good sewing machines and some had the idea of making a welcome package for young or new quilters.  I love this idea and think it is a very fun way to pay it forward!  Our guild is starting back in September so I'll be hoping to give back offline as well as online.  Welcoming the new, encouraging and supporting our corner of blogland and thanking those that inspire, that to me, make for one lovely blog!  I hope you will spread the joy by visiting those blogs in the links above and join me in thanking them and you all for reading, commenting and sharing over these past 4 years!  Thanks a million!

PS: Pets on Quilts voting is open over at LilyPad Quilting!  We're sharing the joy celebrating the furballs are there are prizes to be won so please click on the button!

PPS: Wilbur is #19! In case you were voting!!