Thursday, May 25, 2017

Lucky Number 72

(Warning – long wordy post – grab a cup of tea (or something stronger) and read on…)

Congratulations #72, Rachael from Blue Mountain Daisy. I had chosen a few items to include with the quilt, but since I follow Rachael’s Blog I decided to customize the “extra” goodies to her taste. Also, the fact that it is now going to Australia makes me re-think the size of the box! DO check out Rachael's Blog (here) it is so much fun!

I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to comment on my pressing questions. There were some very thought provoking answers and I have to say I learned a great deal about how other quilters handle their Internet time.

First, I must say that I realize that the answers were skewed by the fact that I asked these questions on a Blog, so of course you all read Blogs! I think it would be interesting if I asked these same questions on Facebook (but then I’m not sure I could find them again!).

Here is the lowdown in a nut shell:

29 of you are Bloggers only. Included in that number are those of you who don’t have a Blog, but read them on a regular basis. 

32 prefer Blogs but are also on Facebook, and

20 of you forward thinking 21st century quilters, utilize many of the Internet’s social network sites.

Gladi of Gladi’s Quilts cannot post a comment on my Blog (above my technical ability grade, but probably has something to do with Blogspot vs what she uses). I have included it here as I think it really says what most us feel.
Wendy at the blog “The Constant Quilter”  (an excellent blog – check it out if you aren’t already a reader!) asked her readers about their use of social media.  She expressed some concern that a lot of bloggers may be quitting or considering quitting blogging and moving to other ways to share such as Facebook, instagram, etc.  Technically I don’t have the means to directly respond on her blog, so thought I’d respond here.
I can hardly believe that I’ve been blogging for almost 5 years.  When I started I wasn’t sure I would last more than a few weeks, but I learned that I enjoy taking the time to write about what I’m doing and I enjoy being part of the quilt blogging community.  I’ve met some great people!!  I very much enjoy reading other blogs and start every day with about an hour of blog reading while I quietly enjoy my morning coffee.  I enjoy seeing the projects and hearing the stories about the projects.   I do not have a Facebook account, but my husband has one (on which he rarely posts) so that we can stay connected with a very few people we really care about, but otherwise much of what is there is a waste of time.  I rarely look at Facebook and I do not do instagram or twitter.  I have a Pinterest site so I can save ideas for inspiration, but I usually only look at it for a few minutes before bedtime when I’m too tired to read.  Time is precious and we need to be mindful of how we are spending it and making sure we don’t just fritter it away.  A lot of social media lends itself to “frittering.”  I’m lucky I’m not drawn to it.
I read through Wendy’s responses and am happy to say that a lot of her responders agree with me, i.e. that we like blogs because of the depth of the information and the stories.  We hope bloggers keep going!
There are many good aspects to all the different social media. Many prefer Instagram for posting pictures. Most say that they are on Facebook only to catch up with family members or specific groups that they belong to. I have to admit to being one of these myself. It is the only way I can keep up with the younger members of my family who live far away. And, there are some wonderful groups that are specific to my interests, ie. hand applique, hand quilting and of course antique quilts.

Many of you commented that (like me) you enjoy the slower pace and more informative content that a Blog offers. I also like to use mine as a personal journal that I can refer back to from time to time. I use “Blog to Print” and print out my entire Blog at the end of every year. It is not inexpensive, but it is nice to have a printed copy to refer to rather than scrolling through months of posts.

It seems that whatever our preferences, the majority of us make a concerted effort to limit our Internet time in favor of more time in the sewing room!


Thanks again for all the feedback and “Keep on Blogging”! (And Quilting!)

15 comments:

  1. Very interesting stats! Congrats to Racheal!

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  2. A very interesting read today. I agree that Facebook can eat up time. There are a couple games that I like to play and that takes away from quilt making time. But I feel like the games keep my mind alert and I do try to limit how much time I spend doing it. I feel I have formed lasting friendships through my quilt blog and that doesn't happen as easily on Facebook or Instagram.

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  3. it certainly was interesting reading the comments and yes they would be more likely to be bloggers but still interesting opinions........blogging has substance to it......its how friendships have been made.......

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  4. Hi Wendy,
    Congrats to the winner! Such a sweet little quilt. Forgot to mention before, but I did join Pinterest. Thought it would be good to have photos of my miniatures all in one place. Plus it is a very fast way to keep track of things that interest me. Glad you are still blogging.

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  5. Congrats to the lucky Rachael!
    Thanks for sharing the input you received. Interesting (in spite of the fact that it is skewed). : )

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  6. interesting. thanks for the follow up on this.
    I also use blog to print - which remind me I need to print 2016!
    congrats to Rachael

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  7. I just got caught up with your survey post! Glad you are blogging Wendy because yours is one of my faves. I do really enjoy Instagram (@cynthia.nanto) as well!

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  8. Congrats to Rachael! I enjoyed reading the results of your little survey :)

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  9. Thanks for sharing the feedback. I have been, am, and will continue to be a blogger first, last, and always. IG photos are fun to look at but also frustrating with out their contextual stories. FB makes me nutty - so much non-quilty junk.

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  10. I certainly hope you 'keep on blogging' , as I always enjoy seeing what you're up to!

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  11. Such a thought provoking subject matter! And thanks for compiling the data!!! ;-))

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  12. It's good to know their are options for everyone depending on their time and interests. I'm glad you're still committed to sharing your stories through your blog. And congrats to Rachael.

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  13. I can't tell you how honoured I am to have won one of your quilts. I have a wall of mini quilts so it will hang there and have a good home with me. It is interesting to read the results. I think blogging will continue for a while longer.

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  14. Ps I love the quilt so much!!! It's just gorgeous!!

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  15. Some interesting comments! Here's hoping the love of blogging continues.

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