Showing posts with label needle crafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label needle crafts. Show all posts

Sneak preview ... and a call for opinions!


My dearest quilty friends, ya'll have been so wonderfully patient with me and my trials and tribulations here lately, that I feel the need to impose on ya'll once again! Ya'll have been so kind as to name the eZine, give me suggestions on what patterns to include, and have even been so sweet and supportive as to give me feedback on the blog design as well. Well, no good deed ever goes unpunished, so I'm asking for help again!

I've uploaded a sneak preview of the cover (by the way, if it's too small to see, just click on it and you'll be taken to a bigger version) and I'm hopin' for some feedback, opinions, critiques - whatever you can spare the time to comment - on how it looks (ya'll have already helped sew much on the content!). Sew what do ya'll think? As you can tell, I love "beach-y" colors (considerin' I love the beach enough to move 1200 miles from where I hung my hat for 30 years, that ain't too surprisin', right?!) - but how do YA'LL feel about them? Too bright? Too "out there?" Or just too "Ow! My eyes! My eyes!?"

*** In my own defense, to me, beach-y colors are just plain cheerful and optimistic. And if anything brings out the cheery optimist in me, it's quilting and ya'll!! ***

Please give me a holler - or just take the time to vote (once again, I'm asking you to vote on another poll! I'm startin' to feel like a politician!) ... whatever you have to say, I want to hear it! :-)

Again, ya'll, thank you sew much for all your help, suggestions, comments, and howdy-do's! Ya'll have no idea how much I love hearing from you!! :-)

Quilty hugs!!
Connie :-)

Well, shucks, I was really frustrated the other day when I wanted to post some pix of the items I was talking about (the flexi-curve, the taboret, etc) - I wanted to give ya'll a better idea of what I was talkin' about - and each time I inserted an image, much like last year's fruit cake, it just did not look right at'all. In fact, VERY much like last year's fruit cake, it looked downright scary.

So, I'ma thinkin' about doing a redesign of the blog ... something that will allow me to upload images AND look "right." 'Cause really, if'n ya'll can't visualize what I'm sayin' what good does it do? I can write all day (and believe me, I sure can!) and unless I use references to what ya'll know personally, it doesn't do much good, now does it? :-/

So, one blogging site that I really like is Heather Bailey's blog ... nice, bright colors, easy to understand and navigate ... AND room for great pix! I'd also like to get some tutorials up here soon. Of course, first things first - I've got to get the eZine finished and off to your e-mailboxes! I'd really love to get that done before you start sayin' "Sew Very Creative, who?"

Alrighty, if ya'll could be so very kind as to let me know what you think about this idea, I'd awfully appreciate it ... I've got a poll gettin' set up to the left there, asking for ya'll's opinions! Hopefully, by now, ya'll realize that I care about what you have to say!! :-)

Big ol' quilty hugs!!!
Connie :)

Update on the eZine, new patterns, etc ...

First, I want to take this moment to thank you, my dear quilty friends, for all the outpouring of love, support, and kindness we've received from you during this very difficult time. I'm still wading through literally hundreds of well-wishing, kind e-mails! I've said it before, and I'll say it again: quilters are the BEST people! Who else unthinkingly props up another person, despite their own troubles? Who else is capable of the care, consideration, and kindness? Who else is just the embodiment of the spirit of community?!!

I also want to reassure ya'll that I've still been busy as a bee. While waiting in doctors' offices, waiting to pick up the hubby from work (he works on a military base - and my badge to get on base even labels me his "official driver!" LOL), waiting while another load of laundry dries (strangely enough, even with all the changes his confinement incurred, the housework DIDN'T change - it's still waiting!!), I was on my new lappie learning EQ. It's really streamlined the whole design process! While I'm waiting for hubby to see his doctor (who pokes his knee and says "Yep, you really hurt it!"), I'm designing a quilt!! While I wait for the dishwasher to finish churning, I've designed a new block (to use in a new quilt)! While I wait for the dryer to finish a load, I've "installed" new fabrics!

No affiliation, of course, but EQ has allowed me to keep "quilting" even while I get so many other errands done, giving what creativity I have a much, much needed outlet. It's been a life (and sanity) saver. And it's more than exciting to know that I will be able to provide those of you who've taken the leap to EQ6 the files that I use to create my designs! Knowing that you'll be able to add the blocks I design to your libraries, use elements from my applique blocks the way YOU want to just tickles me to death! I really hope that ya'll share pics of your quilts or even screenshots of how you're using my designs!!

And please let me reassure you that the eZine is still in the works. My hubby's accident HAS pushed things back (obviously) but I still have the files, the artwork, the patterns, the recipes, tips, and sew much more. It's been way too much fun to quit now. And too many of ya'll have contributed for me to turn my back on the eZine now. The last thing I'd want to do is disappoint ya'll!

I'll be dusting off my Mac and getting more patterns uploaded this weekend. I think that, more than anything, is what ya'll have been waiting for! I'll have EQ loaded on my Mac (where it's easier to draw - since I have a tablet and stylus on that machine) and I'll be able to get right on back in the groove of designing, illustrating and UPLOADING!! Nothing makes me happier than to hear how much ya'll like my patterns and I love thinking that ya'll might be using them! Maybe on a quilt for a loved one? Maybe in a wall-hanging for a housewarming gift? Or maybe just to use that yummy fabric you just HAD to buy at your LQS?! :)

Now, I'm curious about ya'll ... I'm going to post a poll asking you who taught you or inspired you to quilt. Please take just a minute to tell me how YOU decided to express yourselves with quilts!!

Alrighty, to close I'll get a little bit mushy and tell ya'll how much I missed you!! I missed the e-mails, the comments ... the feeling that I was connecting with such wonderful people such as ya'll!! Every day, since my first post, I looked forward to posting here, wondering about who was reading this, what ya'll were thinking, what you've been working on ... what you're like as a person (not just someone's mom, friend, sister, daughter, etc - but who you ARE). I really hope ya'll write me and tell me! :)

Until next time ...

Happy quilting & quilty hugs!!
Connie :)

PS - Alma, Debi, Cathy, Yvette, and Heide, I'm writing you back!! Just give me a little bit longer - I have lots to say (but then, ya'll know I'm a talker!!)! :)

Newsletter!

As you can see, I've added an e-mail newsletter sign-up form to the left of the page ... while the newsletter generator will be coming from CafePress (so sue me - they'll do all the hard work FOR me!), it'll be fun and cool content like free patterns, amazing tips, and okay, of course, ocassionally an update on new designs in my CafePress store.

Don't worry, I'm not a big conglomerate - I won't be giving out anyone's e-mail addies or abusing them. And all you have to do is holler if you want to be left alone. :) But ... considering all the goodies I'll be sending you, hopefully, you won't want me to leave you alone!

Until next time! (probably tomorrow)
Quilty hugs!
Connie :)