oh the Blogs I read!
I'm not on Facebook very often. I don't really use Twitter or Instagram. I am a blogger. I write; I read; I pin to share or to store. I love the blogosphere for its many words, many pictures and rambling threads. I love the blogosphere for not being instant, constant and unending. Because I don't need an ever-present distraction from the life I should be living in the now.
Since the demise of Google Reader, I follow along with many blogs via Bloglovin. It works for me. I sit down to read blogs a couple times a week, whenever I feel like taking in inspiration rather than being "productive" or just catching up with the doings of my friends. My blogfeed is limited because my time is limited. I can't nearly keep up with every worthy read out there, so I adjust the volume of my feed to fit my actual life, my actual time. Generally I do keep up with it and comment whenever and as often as I would like.
But not lately. Somehow in the last two weeks I went AWOL with my blog reading. I started catching up on my reading yesterday, but as of this morning still had 86 posts awaiting my attention. 86 good posts! In fact, their very goodness inspires me to share. So, without further ado, here is a short list of blogs that add color and inspiration to my week.
::Ants to Sugar:: I got to know Daisy during Penny Sampler camp last fall. She chronicles her quilty doings with exquisite photography and simple, conversational words. It's been perfectly delightful to watch her paper piecing skills explode from her first efforts during Penny Sampler to the release of her first pattern (that sailboat!) this week.
::Tickle and Hide:: Jodi and I share a common love for all things Anna Maria Horner. She blogs out of Australia, sharing her adventures in shopkeeping vs. sewing for fun. Lately she's been doing more quilting, yay! I love that Jodi's not afraid to ask the big questions and share her real self in her posts. Her scrappy quilt above inspired my current work-in-progress.
::Stitched Together:: On Rachel's beautiful blog you will find real life, incredible workmanship and endless doses of apparel sewing inspiration. As a quilter-by-default kind of sewist, she's helping me branch out. Knits...someday soon! Prepare yourself to be floored by her gorgeous children and exquisite photography.
::S.O.T.A.K. handmade:: This blog is my stop for scrappy and small-project inspiration. Svetlana is probably about waist deep in pillows by now, and has also churned out a fair number of great pouches, purses and whatnots. Her Scrap Eater quilt above is one of my recent favorites.
::Blue Elephant Stitches:: This is one of the first blogs I began to read, actually. I think I found Jolene through one of her Etsy baby quilt listings way back when I was just getting started. She has a light, bright sense of color that stretches my own. And boy can she churn out quilts!
::SelfSewn:: On the other end of the spectrum, Clare pieces and quilts mainly by hand. Her works unfold slowly, intertwined with charming thoughts, strolls and riddles. If you like English paper piecing, you have to follow SelfSewn.
In the way of non-stitching reads, I also follow...
Simple Homeschool - my only dedicated homeschool read
Seth Godin - because he's a genius and often encourages me to live big, see Without a Keyboard for a recent case in point
Rachel Held Evans - a Christian spirituality blogger whose writings stretch my soul
Of course, this is not all I read. Not by far! But sometimes short lists are best. I hope this list has provided a few good leads for anyone looking for new sources of stitchy inspiration!
p.s. Have any thoughts on your social media diet? Or perhaps a favorite blog to share? Do tell! I'm all ears.
xo,
Rachel
Since the demise of Google Reader, I follow along with many blogs via Bloglovin. It works for me. I sit down to read blogs a couple times a week, whenever I feel like taking in inspiration rather than being "productive" or just catching up with the doings of my friends. My blogfeed is limited because my time is limited. I can't nearly keep up with every worthy read out there, so I adjust the volume of my feed to fit my actual life, my actual time. Generally I do keep up with it and comment whenever and as often as I would like.
But not lately. Somehow in the last two weeks I went AWOL with my blog reading. I started catching up on my reading yesterday, but as of this morning still had 86 posts awaiting my attention. 86 good posts! In fact, their very goodness inspires me to share. So, without further ado, here is a short list of blogs that add color and inspiration to my week.
::Ants to Sugar:: I got to know Daisy during Penny Sampler camp last fall. She chronicles her quilty doings with exquisite photography and simple, conversational words. It's been perfectly delightful to watch her paper piecing skills explode from her first efforts during Penny Sampler to the release of her first pattern (that sailboat!) this week.
::Tickle and Hide:: Jodi and I share a common love for all things Anna Maria Horner. She blogs out of Australia, sharing her adventures in shopkeeping vs. sewing for fun. Lately she's been doing more quilting, yay! I love that Jodi's not afraid to ask the big questions and share her real self in her posts. Her scrappy quilt above inspired my current work-in-progress.
::Stitched Together:: On Rachel's beautiful blog you will find real life, incredible workmanship and endless doses of apparel sewing inspiration. As a quilter-by-default kind of sewist, she's helping me branch out. Knits...someday soon! Prepare yourself to be floored by her gorgeous children and exquisite photography.
::S.O.T.A.K. handmade:: This blog is my stop for scrappy and small-project inspiration. Svetlana is probably about waist deep in pillows by now, and has also churned out a fair number of great pouches, purses and whatnots. Her Scrap Eater quilt above is one of my recent favorites.
::Blue Elephant Stitches:: This is one of the first blogs I began to read, actually. I think I found Jolene through one of her Etsy baby quilt listings way back when I was just getting started. She has a light, bright sense of color that stretches my own. And boy can she churn out quilts!
::SelfSewn:: On the other end of the spectrum, Clare pieces and quilts mainly by hand. Her works unfold slowly, intertwined with charming thoughts, strolls and riddles. If you like English paper piecing, you have to follow SelfSewn.
In the way of non-stitching reads, I also follow...
Simple Homeschool - my only dedicated homeschool read
Seth Godin - because he's a genius and often encourages me to live big, see Without a Keyboard for a recent case in point
Rachel Held Evans - a Christian spirituality blogger whose writings stretch my soul
Of course, this is not all I read. Not by far! But sometimes short lists are best. I hope this list has provided a few good leads for anyone looking for new sources of stitchy inspiration!
p.s. Have any thoughts on your social media diet? Or perhaps a favorite blog to share? Do tell! I'm all ears.
xo,
Rachel