500th blog post

Wow....what a journey I have been on blogging!  This is my 500th post, and I wanted to share with you a little bit of the journey. 

First of all, WELCOME if you are a new reader. Secondly – THANK YOU to everyone who comes back to read my blog and chooses to follow.

My blog was started not to long after I retired. My first post was Nov 28, 2012, Welcome to my blog .  My daughter suggested the idea of a blog to me and said I might “have something to share”.  I was familiar with a few blogs and often came across blog posts with instructions and directions when I was searching the internet for a method to do something.  Here we are 6+ years later.

My posts have been primarily a journal of my “Random acts of Quilting”.  I’ve written about various projects over the years that I have done, along with crafting and sewing for the grandchildren.  Occasionally I have posted about travel experiences.  I hope to do a little more of that in the coming posts.  I’ve share links to some of my favorite tips and techniques, bloggers whom I enjoy reading and their special projects, and encourage participation from others in making quilts for others following disasters.

Stats – I just love to look at the statistics associated with my blog posts.  My blog has had 64,791 views, and 3,108 comments over the years. WordPress, the platform that I am using, indicates there are 358 followers.  I used to have stats on followers from Facebook, and recall there were about 200. WordPress no longer gives that info, and my Google+ followers have disappeared with platform changes. I have a few followers from Twitter and often cross post to Instagram. The post that brought the most views was done in September, 2017. I had the most traffic on my blog that day and I think it had something to do with a “link-up” on Pat Sloan’s blog.  Curious? Take a look – Grandma’s Kitchen – Block 11

Comments – I LOVE reading your comments and responses to my blog post. I’ve appreciate hearing from you and will often ask a question at the end of my post to elicit your response.  I do try to reply to your comments, tho sometimes I am slow!

Blog changes – over the years, I have learned a little about blogging, posting photo’s and adding links, how to store my photos and how to embed them in the post from other platforms. I’ve had help from other bloggers when I wasn’t sure how to do something.  My blog friend Carole  (From My Carolina Home) and I emailed each other a lot when we both found ourselves running out of “free space” on the platform and how to better manage our photos.  There have been opportunities to make changes that would “monetize” my blog, by having affiliate links and more advertising on the blog. I have chosen to not take that path. The timing wasn’t right for me and simply stated,  I don’t want the pressure to post as frequently as monetizing would make me “do it”.  Just today I learned about “hash tags” and how they work. For example – #lifecycleDE #youcanridewithus #bicyclesforall will take you to my favorite place in Milford and you can find Ben & Jenn and get help with your bicycle and encouragement to ride!  (I always wondered what those # things were about and Jenn gave a lesson just this morning on posting in social media). Thanks Jenn.

Frequency – I feel like my frequency drops off posting when I haven’t completed a project. This last year has been full of challenges for me in that regard. I continue to work in my sewing room,  out over the garage.  Sometimes I lack the motivation to get out there and “do something”. I believe that posting requires photo’s…and sometimes I just don’t take any! (Sometimes I take too many). Before I can hit the “publish” button today, I will have to get out to the garage and take a picture or 2!  Watch for the detail near the end of the post!

Favorite Posts – I really enjoyed writing about the block of the week project I did in 2017 with blocks by Pat Sloan. The project was called Grandma’s Kitchen.   It is the LAST quilt I finished, and my favorite. I wrote about that project from mid summer in 2017 until I finally quilted it in the spring of 2018.  I have to say it has been slept under in my guest room and is the first bed quilt I have kept. It has a hanging sleeve and yet I failed to enter it in our upcoming quilt show. Maybe because Grandma’s Kitchen STILL needs a label and my long arm quilting efforts are not “show worthy”.

Web Searches –  My posts pop up often when someone searches for a particular subject. The 2 topics that I find being searched regularly are Log Cabin Cross and Vintage Sewing Machines. I have made several of the Log Cabin Cross projects and here is a link to one I did a few years ago – Banner Completed .   Another post that has been visited repeatedly was written in the fall of 2013.  Old and New Sewing Machines has had a lot of activity.  I think it is time for an update to that post and might take on that task in the near future.  My machine count has changed and some of those old ones are just hanging around taking up space. I haven’t even told you about (or USED IT YET) my latest acquisition!  If you are a blog writer, be sure to use the TAGS feature.  That is what helps in searching. 

The future – Regulars know that I am recovering from hand surgery and believe it or not I have learned to type on my computer keyboard without using the splinted keyboard. that letter K along with the I and the period are still challenging me, but I am learning to type again without using the long finger on the right hand. Hoping when the splint comes off that I can resume “normal ops” with the keyboard!

PROJECTS – So many and sew much fun.  I have decided to make an effort to get some things finished. Oh the UFO’s are too many to list. On my sewing machine table right now are placemats with binding begging to be finished.  They are not the OLDEST UFO by any means, but they are achievable. I’ve gotten the binding on 4 of them. One daughter said she would like 6 of them, so I am motivated to proceed.  I cut blocks yesterday for the ONE Senior Quilt I need for church this spring. (Yes, I can cut with the splint on).   My friend Nancy is picking up one yard of a particular fabric for that quilt for me. I still need to cut some muslin blocks for the church members to sign, and get the verse embroidered and the photo printed on the fabric for the quilt.  Since this quilt has a deadline I need to get busy.  Our  Ocean Waves Quilt Guild Quilt Show is coming up on April 26 & April 27, 2019. (Check out the link to the show). Because of the show, I am working had scheduling helpers and getting fabric ready to sell at our Second Time Around booth.  I have workshops set up for once a week between now and the show.

MOTTO – When I worked we had a mission statement.  My MOTTO is in place of the mission statement.  My motto is TRY TO HAVE FUN EVERY DAY!  I am having fun with my blog, my quilting, my sewing for grandchildren, hanging out with my friends I’ve made at the quilt guild, and travel.  I even (gasp) have fun working Second Time Around !

So that’s it except for a little eye candy….Got out to the sewing room today and put the binding on 2 more placemats –

And here are the squares I cut for the Senior Quilt — Greens, golds and tans. I cut more than needed!  Tomorrow I hope to get it laid out in a fashion that will make for putting it together go quickly. Already packed in the car to take to my Queen Bees gathering.  Tomorrow I will cut the squares from the fabric Nancy picked up and add it to the pile and sort out an arrangement of these big 8.8″La

Last eye candy — went shopping online and picked out a new fit bit band….selected it because it reminded me of quilts!!!

The best eye candy of the day was a photo I got this morning of my “soon to be 3” granddaughter.  She just moved up into a “BIG” bed from her toddler bed, and her QUILT and pillowcases were on the bed that I made.  That eye candy will have to wait for another day.  Just know that it was a joy to see her enjoying the quilt I made for her 2 + years ago !