Blogtober Round Up

Back at the beginning of October, I decided to do a 'blogtober' challenge of sorts.  I planned to blog every second day during October to get me back into the habit, motivated and enthusiastic.

So, how did I do?

I should have written 15 posts.  According to my blog list, I actually wrote 12.  Not too bad.

I had 1,475 people view my posts and 37 comments on the posts themselves (and more on Facebook, when I cross-posted).

My most popular post by view was Piwakawaka in Dappled Light (that quilt sold at KOAST by the way), and the post that generated the most discussion was The Big Snip on cropping my quilt, 'Dawn Contemplation' (which so far I've taken off the binding, but not actually cut it yet.)

Those are the numbers, but how did I do in terms of unmeasurable stuff?

I'm definitely more enthusiastic - because after all, I need to update you on when I do finally cut up Dawn quilt, and what I do with my favourite piece of fabric!  And having a conversation and interactions with other people who love fabric and stitching is such a great motivator and inspiration.

I think I've also created more of a habit.  During Blogtober, I knew I'd made a commitment to post, so I just did.  I didn't angst over whether I had something relative to say, or whether anyone would read it, and in not angsting, it all flowed easier.

I love to blog.  I've been doing it now for years, and it's awfully interesting (and sometimes just awful) to look back over the years and have a record of what I was sewing, thinking, gardening, child rearing etc.  But sometimes it gets a bit harder than other times.  Everything in cycles I suppose.

Just for giggles, my most viewed posts ever are:

Mat and Ruler Bag, with over 6000 views.  I really should make another one and write a pattern or something.

Batting the Old Fashioned Way.  I still do this occasionally, but it does make your quilts heavy, and I seem to have run out of old woollen blankets, they are really trendy right now, with people making anything from cushions to jackets out of them.

Shibori Folding Techniques - Tutorial (hmmm, maybe I should have a shibori session when I'm next in the dye studio.)

How to joint a rabbit (chopping up dead animals - vegetarians beware,) Yes, I used to raise bunnies for meat!

And lastly,

Gwen Marston Class - Small Sketches (and I believe this will be much more about people searching for info on Gwen Marston, rather than because I wrote anything scintillating!)

So, to sum up.  Yes, Blogtober was a success and hopefully this has reinvigorated me for another while yet.  See you soon!

Pushing hard towards the finish

Tomorrow is KOAST (Kerikeri Open Art Studios Trail) set up.  I'm a guest artist at a shared venue, so instead of opening my studio for visitors, I'm setting up a display and pretend studio in a hall.  Luckily there is a good friend of mine sharing the venue, and some of the residents at the village where we will be are putting on a Devonshire Tea to raise money for Hospice.  So I'll have good company and hopefully great tea!

Tonight is one of my 'Blogtober' nights.  Earlier this month I pledged to blog every second day to help get myself back into the habit.  And it's going great.  I haven't run out of things to blog about, people have been engaged and interested, and I'm enjoying it.

But tonight I'm doing the final push to get another quilt finished to show at KOAST.  So you'll forgive me if this blog post is short and fairly shallow on content.  Here's the quilt I'm trying to finish:

While I've been working on this quilt I've been telling myself a narrative about that contemplative hour around dawn.  Occasionally I'll get up really early (when I don't have to) and manage a cup of tea with no one else around.  The dawn chorus is the soundtrack, I'll write morning pages, and I'll feel extremely contented and full of expectation, like the day is full of promise.

Maybe I've just named this quilt.  Dawn Contemplation.

Come and see me (and hopefully this finished quilt) this weekend at Oakridge, off Cannon Drive, right in the heart of Kerikeri.  There will be two other artisits there, you can buy a Devonshire Tea to support Hospice and you'll be able to buy a trail guide to go and visit other artists too.

Deadlines and Blogtober

I've been pondering ways to reinvigorate my blog, trying to find ways to make blogging a habit again and it came to mind that we have hit October.  Have you heard of Blogtober?  It was a challenge thingy that ran for at least a couple of years - the rules of the challenge were pretty simple, bloggers would blog every day in October.

I don't know if there is a Blogtober thing happening this year, but I thought I might hold my own personal one.  I know I'll fall over if I try to do it every single day, and it's already the 2nd of October, so I'm making it my goal to post every second day.

So welcome to my first Blogtober post!

I'm working towards a deadline at present.  It's amazing how great a deadline is for motivation, and because this deadline is an exhibition of sorts, it's also been amazing how great it's been for my creative output.

I lead a busy life.  I'm a mum to two growing kids, a midwife, an artist, and a wife to a busy man.  We've moved house twice this year, sold our boat, I've moved out of my studio, we're renovating the house we are in, we're tackling the horrendous garden on our rental property, and now we are in the process of selling my husband's shares in his two businesses.  

So I could easily make excuses.  And sometimes I do.  But excuses do not make good art.  Ever since I read about Jane Sassaman making art on her kitchen table for years and what she achieved using whatever tiny space she had, I've known that if I want it badly enough, I just have to make do with what space and time I have, and just do it.

But a deadline sure helps that 'just do it' attitude!

My deadline is the KOAST art trail.  Kerikeri holds a very successful art trail over Labour weekend every year.  I can't take part because I'm not physically in Kerikeri, but this year they've invited me to be one of their guest artists, exhibiting at a shared location.  I'm really excited and honoured to be chosen and looking forward to the experience as I've never been a part of anything like this yet.

If you want to make a long weekend of it, you can use the contact form here and order a KOAST trail guide.  Kerikeri and The Bay of Islands has great accomodation if you are from out of town and want to make a weekend of it.

So there we have it, my first Blogtober post.  It wasn't so hard.  And now I must get back to making art.