Over a year ago I was tempted to try blogging as my son CJ thought it would be a useful way to connect with other craft bloggers as I have very little contact with crafters in real life. At this stage I had not really used a computer much and was very wary of bothering CJ as he is busy on his for long periods of time but he encouraged me and was kind enough to set my blog up and at the same time set up a flickr account as well.

I cannot thank CJ enough…for his forbearance and his teaching skills. Eventually I learned how to use the basic functions of the computer although CJ said that he had never seen anyone use the back button as much as I! It was the only way I could fix mistakes and it did not always work! Eventually late last year my father decided to buy me a laptop as a means of helping me with setting up my business. By this stage I was able to publish my own posts and various other things although CJ arranged the photo uploads etc. Along the way we had delightful fraccas as I could not comprehend such basic things as copying and pasting etc etc. I finally worked it out by writing down the steps involved as I watched CJ ‘S fingers flying magically as he performed this most simple of tasks. Meanwhile my husband looked on bemused but proud at my accomplishments.

My blogging started with a trial entry by CJ of a photo of my horses quilt and then I did a few more crafting posts but then I got a little rattled I guess is the best way to describe it…it seemed like a chore and boring to boot. After a month or so I worked out the problem was that I did not like craft blogs as such as I like to effuse about life and books and issues of interest of the day and quite frankly some of the craft blogs were like Friends after 9/11….am sure if another 9/11 happened some of the crafty bloggers would choose to not write about it as it is too negative…unless a year later they made a quilt about it that is.

I think I hit my stride when I covered an issue for another quilter who had a run in with a quilt designer over the kit she had purchased…a little like an expose on the prices and philosophy behind mass production in quilting design today. That also got a fair bit of attention and some of my first comments from people who had found the post through searches or word of mouth. The next big one was  when I noticed Hillary Clinton standing in front of my favourite designers quilt when she was running for election. I covered that and got hundreds of hits in a few days and emails of thanks from the designers in England and America.

Then there was a huge departure for me when I covered on Easter Sunday the sacrilegious use of a church in Sydney and from that I received not only an email from the head of the Uniting Church in NSW but literally several hundred readers and my very first Biblical comment along with on the same post…. my very first instance of being flamed!! By a bigot with pornographic business at that!! Both of these posts entailed followups and were well received.

So my style gradually evolved to some craft and a whole lot of whatever caught my attention at the time. As that developed I decided to delete all posts from last year …I know bloggers world wide shudder in horror at the thought of those comments and all those words …gone forever or only available somewhere in the depths of Google! The thing is there were such big gaps during the first few months until I actually got my own computer that it seemed most sensible to start afresh… when I found my voice.

Along the way I started thrifting posts about all my wonderful vintage finds and I even managed an expose there as well! I also have included interviews or discussions with artisans and recently some “what inspires artisans” posts as well. Recently I shared some private worries which were helped by the feeling of release and also genuine concern voiced by fellow bloggers.

I found that flickr provided a lot of the everyday show and tell and encouragement that I had been after in the blog originally and I met some of the most wonderful artisans there who are now firm friends..Sally and Betty, Regina and Virginia and many more. Most of these do not have blogs so it is a great way to communicate with a different kind of artisan and has led to an interest in photography and the stylizing of photos.

While I have been at flickr a lot of people have contacted me asking me if they could buy fabric and quilts from my non existant shop. They have been very supportive and encouraging so I am closer to opening that now …largely thanks to them and all the work CJ has put into my soon to be released new and improved blog, complete with shop for all those lurkers who are after my fabrics and quilts and bags.

I have met some wonderful people involved in crafting through blogging.  Janey, Melissa, Kathy, Angie, Sunnie, Judy, Judi, Fiona and Jackie overseas                 and    Kara

Kate and Kelly in Oz …all the K’S!!! all wonderfully talented women who totally put my humble efforts to shame. Through flickr I discovered so many wonderful crafting blogs including Jacquie Jackie Arlee, Suzie to name a few.

The Bombshell deserves a whole section to herself as she does not fit into any category really! Looking forward to her return from holiday in California.

So what does blogging mean to me? Firstly it is brilliant distraction for nerve pain…better even than sewing and then its expression and dialogue and more than anything my great love is reading about others lives. Usually I hate non fiction…however I am addicted to reading about peoples lives here and also find that it is not in me to be a lurker. Maybe its because I like to be involved and I find it such a privilege that people will share their lives here and find it impossible usually not to leave a comment.

So thank you all who have read my posts, those who have commented I treasure the dialogue and also thanks so much all who have followed me on my journey here. Most of all thanks to Christopher who patiently guided me until I could do all things here myself…he is a fine teacher and a wonderful person…thanks Christopher.

Edit…..must not forget my first live blogging experience of the hellish helicopters carrying the Pope!!!