Around the World Blog Hop

My friend Lee of May Chappell invited me to participate in the Around the World Blog Hop.  It's a blog hop where each blogger shares what they are working on, why they create what they do and how their creative process works.  The super cool thing is that you can back track from here to see Lee and all those participants before her as well as click over and look at the new ones I pass the torch to.

First I want to talk a bit about what I'm working on.  If you've been here awhile you know that I wrote a book, Imagine Quilts, that was released in July 2014.  Writing a quilting book has lots of other things that go along with it.  Going to Quilt Market to help promote it.  Teaching and traveling across my region.  Submitting new designs or writing features for magazines as a direct result of the book.  And so on.  Since my book was released five months ago, I've been busy doing the promotional and fun things associated with it's release which hasn't left much time for personal sewing or creating.

That being said, however, my mind has been stretched and pulled in new ways that are exciting.  I may not have made a new quilt to my ever growing pile in the last several months, but I have been challenged and put to the test in new ways that have filled me up creatively.

I've been a reader, or perhaps more appropriately a devourer, of creative blogs for years.  I like seeing what people are making, what inspires them and how they grow, change and evolve.  And as frustrating as it is for a reader of these blogs to find less frequent content on them, I get it.  Writing a book, or publishing patterns, or opening a shop, or whatever it may be requires time and energy. Any of those things make you part of "the industry" and so much of the flash, drama and magic of the industry is done behind-the-scenes.  I can't share photos of quilts in progress that will eventually be published. It's not so much that it's secret because if you were to come to my house you'd see it in it's many pieces and parts and I'd ask your opinion on fabric choices, placement and scale.  Rather, publishers don't want patterns/designs/processes made available before they are officially published in their print media.  I totally get it.  Don't you?

Whether I'm creating behind-the-scenes or sharing each detail of a project via social media (Hello Instagram! I'm talking to you.  Oh, how I love you!) the act of creating soothes me. It calms my mind and allows me to focus. When I create I get a feeling inside that is a giant combination of excitement, pride, contentment and accomplishment.  It just feel so darn good.

I've been lucky over the past several years to grow friendships with other like minded creatives.   Three of which I'm tagging here and asking them to share what they are working on or why they create or how their process works or, actually, anything they feel like sharing.  I hope you go check them out.

Go visit Jennifer at Ellison Lane

Melissa at Janky Quilt Co.

Carlie at Janky Quilt Co.

They are each so unique, smart, crazy talented and funny as heck.  I'm lucky to call each of them a friend and know that you'll soon find yourself under their spell too.

-dana