I recently had one of those light bulb moments when I realized I’m a quilter who blogs, not a blogger who quilts.
Don’t get me wrong. I love blogging about my quilting. Like so many others, my blog is a journal where I can document my process of making and hopefully inspire many of you. However, I find it very freeing not to be beholden to any one else’s agenda or timetable when it comes to what I want to share. On occasion I like to support my friends and other business associates by promoting their things, too, but it’s so nice to do it on my terms.
Many of the quilts I’ve been able to make by spending more time sewing. 🙂
Just like in my quilting, it’s very freeing not to have to conform to someone else’s rules of what I should or shouldn’t write about, or how often that needs to be. Longtime blog readers will most likely notice that I’ve gone from writing about 5-6 times per week to 2-3 times per week. As my professional schedule has gotten busier, the lighter blogging load has allowed me to maintain balance while still being able to occasionally share what’s important.
And I love not having to stress over whether or not I’ve captured the perfect image. In fact, confession time here, I absolutely loathe photography. There’s something about setting up a shot, tweaking the lighting, or taking the time to make sure things are straight and even that drives me crazy. That’s one of the main reasons I like to create patterns for books and magazines – most publishers will do that part for me! 🙂
Being able to take pics on my phone has made social media doable for me. I still try to take the best picture I can, but honestly, all I do is crop them and lighten them up a bit and I’m good to go. Jason is really helpful, too. He’s certainly no skilled photographer either, but he will help me set up shots (with the real camera) when I need to take pattern covers or do photography for quilt show submissions.
A current magazine project that I can’t wait to show you next spring!
So realizing that I don’t have to make sure every word is optimized or every picture is perfect has allowed me the mental capacity to just go make stuff – and that makes me happy!
Christa Quilts 
Do what you love to do and let the world go by! Quilting police, Nay Sayers and all that kind of people…who needs them!
I enjoyed reading your blog. I have been struggling with how often I should blog. I, too, am a quilter who blogs. And the more I quilt and design quilts, the happier I am. I will not feel bad if I don’t blog 4 times a week.
I an is glad you do what you do….I would still be looking for my direction if you had not blogged about Modern Quilting. I look at the photo above with all your quilts and I know them all except the…3rd from the top.
I am so thankful that you decided to take up blogging. Your sharing of your experience and knowledge, in such a clear and honest manner, has made me a better quilter. Thank you!
I always think you are a very balanced person and your remarks today just confirm it. You are doing good Christa, keep it up.
Well said! You go girl!
Yes, yes, yes! My little blog is for documenting what I create and for connecting with others in this fun community. I use my phone for pics – it’s a way better camera than my real camera is! I love your blog. Do what makes you happy. 😉
Great post. Never thought about it, but I agree with you: I’m a quilter who blogs. All the best for 2016.
I just love this post. I think sometimes when I read other blogs, I feel the need to complete – to blog several times a week, crank out finished quilts, and produce magazine worthy photos. I have a husband who owns professional photography and video equipment, yet I’m content with phone pics and have no desire to learn about f-stops and aperture. It’s just not my thing. Thanks for reminding me that it’s okay to put what you love doing first, and blogging second.
Trying to achieve perfection can actually paralize us.
BTW, I got the wonder clips for a stocking stuffer. Love them!
Prioritizing is such a good thing. “A quilter who blogs”: I like it.
Makes me happy too that you share all you do. Really enjoy reading your blog.
Can’t wait to see this new quilt in the spring. Love the colors!
Yep I’m another that has had those thoughts lately but not found the right words to actually voice them! Well written, thanks 🙂
While I miss your more frequent blogs, your creativity is much more important and what you share as time permits more introspective. Thank you for the inspiration that has helped me try new things. I am more of a traditional quilter but I do experiment a little. I am doing some easy quilting such as stitch in the ditch myself, but still send my quilts to Jean Lemmon for the more complicated ones. I do not like tight designs such as feathers.
You have my respect and admiration for sticking to your own timetable.
You’ve summed up what I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I started my blog to document and share my quilts. Now with all the social media it can be a challenge to balance social media with actually creating. Even if I don’t blog that much and barely do Instagram anything computer related can draw me into looking and thinking instead of doing. Hope to get a better handle on doing in 2016.
I am also a quilter who blogs to journal my quilting, but I’m lucky if I get in 3 a month!! Some bloggers seem to need to blog multiple times a day and fill my inbox with their comings and goings…I prefer to focus on why I started following the blog in the first place – quilts and quilting!!! Thanks for keeping the focus on my passion!!!
Ultimately you only have yourself to please. Everything else is just noise! That does not mean that you live in a vacuum. You are just in charge of your own path. Be true to yourself!
Yesss Christa! You hit the nail on the head for me. I look forward to your posts and photos of your work. You inspire me so much, thank you!
~Dori
I’m curious, Christs – do you feel like putting effort into your blog in the beginning was worth it? Do you think it helped you in any way? Or is your blog really only a journal and not been a tool for you to reach your quilting goals? Thanks.
Good for you! Knowing that you only blog when you have something to say, not on a schedule, means that I know it is worthwhile to open your blog, in my own busy schedule. And your photos are just fine, I can see your beautiful quilting, which is the main thing. Your work is beautiful.
Love this! One of the best things in life is to be free to do what we enjoy the most. Quilt on!
Sounds like you have the perfect balance!
I am loving the sneak peek, the colors are great!
There are many blogs out there. I love yours because you are real. I don’t blog but I love to quilt. Thank you. You are the real deal.
It is hard to keep things balanced. I know I have struggled with juggling things this year. It sounds like you have everything under control.
I’m a quilter that blogs. I so hear you on this! My blog is my show and tell mechanism. And I don’t blog very often, and I definitely don’t quilt so I can blog it! It’s a bit, ah, organic over in my side of the Internet!
I think blogs are very personal and that is why I read them, I want to know what that individual wants to share with me, the reader, so there should not be a certain criteria or number of times you post to be acceptable. I applaud you for making this your own platform to inspire all of us!
I am so with you on this one. IG has become my preferred sharing mechanism unless I need to provide details