A Few Lovely Blogs

I recently got an email that made my day. After having been nominated for the Lovely Blog Award, Jayne at Twiggy and Opal passed the torch on to me.

 
Jayne doesn’t know this, but she is one of my quilty crushes. I consider her an artist before a quilter. She likes to experiment and push boundaries, and man, is she prolific. She’ll take an idea and run with it, like the “faux trapunto” technique she’s been perfecting. She unveiled her first project using the technique at the end of July and, within five weeks, had played with it in two additional projects (here and here).

So thank you, Jayne. I appreciate the nomination!

Before I go any further, here are the official Lovely Blog Award rules:

• Thank the person who nominated you and give a link to his/her blog.
• List the rules.
• Display the award image on your post.
• List seven facts about yourself.
• Nominate (up to) 15 bloggers for this award and let them know you have nominated them.

OK, the first three rules are taken care of. On to the seven facts about me ...

1. I’m afraid of spiders, but killing them grosses me out. Do you know what got me over that? Living by myself, which I did in my early twenties. When you live alone, you have to learn to cohabitate with the spiders or wield a shoe over them.

Because every post should have pretty pictures, here are some from the archives.
This is Bring On the Dancing Horses in Daysail.

2. There’s something scarier than spiders, though: mayonnaise. For real. I can’t bear to eat it. (Who’s with me on that?!) 

3. Neil Diamond wrote the soundtrack to my childhood. Our gold retriever is named after his “Cracklin’ Rosie.”

Obsession Quilt

4. I used to be a choral singer. Now I only sing in the car or when I’m extra annoyed with my children’s behavior. “Stop. It. Now!” is easy to yell, but it’s just as effectively sung, faux operatic style. When things get really tough, I resort to liturgical Latin. Hearing me sing in Latin stops my kids in their tracks!

Lizzy House Mini Quilt

5. OK, now for some sewing-related facts … I’m a self-taught sewist. My mom has sewed forever, and some of my earliest memories are of her sewing bags for my ballet school or making me clothes for my Barbie dolls. It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties and had to decorate my first house that I caught the sewing bug.

6. There are some sewing tasks that I flat-out refuse to do (hand-binding? ugh!). Others are notoriously dreaded by quilters, but I love them. Half-square triangles to trim? Yes, please! An opportunity to bury threads? Sign me up!

Cosmo Bag

7. Also, I’m crazy about blogging. This hobby combines many of my past professional pursuits (working as a web marketer, writer, and editor) into one geeky crafty pasttime. It’s a huge time suck (to my husband’s chagrin), but I’m committed to it and the friends I’ve made in this space.

Fabric-y cards

Anyway, now it’s my turn to nominate some lovely blogs. I’d like to introduce you to three ladies whom I follow ...

Campbell Soup Diary

I’ve gotten serious about following Allison, an American transplant in Germany, just recently. Her different techniques (wonky half-rectangle triangles, reverse applique) have made me a regular reader. Check out some of my favorite projects of hers: Jeweled Improv Mini, Mini Drunkard’s Path, and Foliage Runner.

Granny Maud’s Girl

Carla is a quilter with a sense of humor! Like Allison, Carla speaks to my more traditional side. Some highlights from her gallery of finishes include her Puppy Mini Mini (which she sent off to Yvonne) and her Whirligig Quilt (so much Bonnie and Camille loveliness in one quilt!).

Sew Some Sunshine

Of the lot, Judy is the sole U.S. resident. (And girl, one day I’ll meet you in real life!) She reminds me a lot of myself in her fabric decisions, in her style. It’s fun to watch her grow as a quilter. Get a glimpse of Judy’s work with these projects: Interlock, Small Projects, and Mini Off the Rail.

The quilt-blog landscape is constantly changing. Now that I’ve been doing it for a while and have made connections with other blog writers, it’s easy to get comfortable and stop seeking out new and interesting blogs. Whom would you nominate for a Lovely Blog Award? Let us know in the comments. : )

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