I may be preaching to the choir here since you’ve obviously found my blog through some form of social media, but maybe this will inspire you to explore others.

1. Inspiration

I have a Pinterest addiction.  For real.  Have you seen all the cool stuff out there? Recipes, decorations, crafts, clothing, QUILTS, you name it, Pinterest has it! Not only is Pinterest great for its vast collection, but it’s also an excellent organization tool.  If I see a quilt that I love or a tutorial I want to revisit, I just add it to my Pinterest page.  That way it will be tucked away, nice and neat, for a later date.  I confess it has made my quilting wish list a bit longer than I could ever handle. Best part about Pinterest?  Its FREE! Not convinced?  Here’s a peek at one of my most popular boards.

Follow Rachel Dreher’s board I’d rather be quilting on Pinterest.

2. Build friendships

Do you use Instagram?  Another one of my addictions.  It’s such a fun way to share works in progress and see what everyone else is up to.  It’s also a GREAT way to meet new friends.  Remember Teresa, the quilting extraordinaire who quilted my swoon quilt? Do you know how we got in touch?  That’s right…instagram!  I had been following her feed for a while, ooing and awwing at her skills until I finally plucked up the courage to send her an email.  She’s quilting up my second quilt for me now.  Yay for new friendships!

Want to be one of my new best friends?  Follow me on Instagram and use the hashtag #quiltyfriends on your next post.

3. Linky parties, blog hops and round robins

This one ties right in there with friendships. I’m a newbie to these blog hops and round robins but I’m super excited to get plugged in.  Want to hear something exciting?  I’m part of the “New Quilt Blogger Blog Hop” that’s hosted by Beth at Plum and June.

 

Over the next few months, you’ll have the opportunity to visit over 80 new quilting blogs. What a great way to make new friends, learn new skills and be inspired.  Be sure to follow the linky button to learn more about this blog hop.  Let’s get acquainted!

4. Praise

This one is purely 100% selfish.  Don’t judge me, you do it too!  Isn’t hearing people say nice things about your hard work just the best?  Instant gratification. For me, it’s especially wonderful when another quilter compliments one’s own projects, because they know just how much work and patience it took.  Am I right?

In an effort to share the love, I’m working on being better at commenting on others’ blog posts, Instagram photos and the like. I tend to look at the pictures with admiration but never share that praise with the maker. For shame! Everyone needs a little love in their lives.  Join with me?

5.Get help and learn new skills

There are about a billion-gazillion tutorials out there.  I may be exaggerating a tiny bit, but the selection is vast!  Look at blogs, Pinterest and YouTube and you’ll find the help you need.  My favorite sources?  YouTube and Craftsy.  Apparently, I love videos. Missouri Star Quilt Company’s YouTube channel is my go-to place for quick and easy quilts made with precuts. Quilter-extraordinaire Jenny Doan is one of the most fun and informative quilters you’ll ever watch.  Trust me, you’ll enjoy learning from her.
You all know how much I love Craftsy.  If you’re looking to get in-depth instruction on any number of topics ranging from cutting, quilting and binding, Craftsy is the way to go. The classes are taught by world-class quilters with lots of tips, tricks and patterns to share.

6.Win freebies 

This one is a gimme.  Get it?? Just about every time I log into my blog reader, there’s a giveaway going on.  Who doesn’t like free fabric or notions?  Send them all right here!   This is another good reason to follow new quilty bloggers.  Lower readership means higher chances of winning prizes.  The blogger gets a new follower and you win goodies.  Win-win!

7. Quilters are nice people

Yesterday, I was feeling a bit frustrated because I made a big error on my project.  After a quick post to Instagram, my phone was flooded with kind words from fellow quilters.  Such a great group of supporters!  One of my friends once told me that she thinks quilters are the nicest people in the world.  Why?  Because they invest so much time and energy into masterpieces and still love to give them away. Isn’t that the truth?

Love you all!

So I hope you’re all running off to sign up for more social media accounts, but before you go, I’ll leave you with a question.  What’s your favorite social media site? Be sure to leave your answer in the comments.