It's An Honor ~ Outstanding Blogger

It was with surprise and excitement as I read a few posts last week to find that I was considered an "Outstanding Blogger" by two different fellow bloggers - Roseanne at Home Sewn By Us and Kathy at Living In Rapid City.  

With each nomination, five questions from each, were offered for my answering...

Roseanne asked...

Have you had any major quilting/sewing successes that you’d like to share with us? (Please toot your own horn!)

When I quit my job in 2009 because of health reasons, one of my lofty goals was to have a pattern published.  This dream was realized in 2013 when my first block that I designed was included in Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, volume 8.  The block is called Pieces of My Heart and is one of the reasons I have an obsession with the term pieces in my sew alongs.

Are/were you influenced by family members to get into quilting and have you passed on the love to the next generation?  

Yes!  I have a family full of quilters.  It was the fact that spurred my idea of the Quilters Through The Generations series that ran from 2017 to 2019.  I started with my own family and then interviewed other quilters and recorded their family’s stories.  There is a tab at the top of the blog page that has links for all of the quilters I featured.

Do you have anything on your bucket list that is quilting-related?  

Bargello quilts are always beautiful, and I have yet to make one myself.  “Art quilts” are always deeply admired at quilt shows.  Perhaps someday I will attempt one larger than a postcard.

Do you have any short- or long-term goals that you are working toward that you can share with us?  

I will be kicking off my second sew along very soon.  It will feature stories of Marian Russell as she traveled the Santa Fe Trail in the late 1800s.  Each excerpt from her memoir will have a block to accompany it.  There will be 12 blocks, all 12-1/2” unfinished, all traditionally pieced (I think… I am still in the designing stage) and suited for beginners to intermediate quilters.

Have you done any pattern testing for other bloggers or would you like to? If so, do you enjoy it?

I have done pattern testing.  It was really the beginning of my growth as a quilter.  I was a tester for Quiltmaker Magazine first and have since tested for other bloggers and designers, and have even enlisted the help of others to pattern test for my sew along blocks.  It is an invaluable step in the designing and publishing stages.

Kathy Reeves asked...

How do you learn best? Lessons, watching, a mentor…..

My learning style is a combination of watching and trial and error.  A video is always helpful, but if that isn’t available pictures are suitable.  If I have only pictures, no written or verbal instruction?  Trial and error is it.

Did you do post high school training to prepare you for a career? If yes, what was it, and are still doing that? If no, tell us how you got to the career you are doing! (Or did, as the case may be.)

I did receive a “Secretarial Certificate” at a junior college.  You can tell how archaic that really is since “secretaries” are a thing of the past.  The certificate program consisted of shorthand, typing, business language, data processing and basic accounting.  All skills that I still utilize (except for shorthand) with our small business.  I am Dave's personal assistant, bookkeeper, marketing director and "Girl Friday"; my education has served me well.

What do you look for in a friend?

Honesty, authenticity and dependability.  I am a people watcher and can pick up quickly whether one’s actions align with their words.

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Early bird!  I have always been a morning person and while I may not be up and ready to rock and roll like I used to, I am always up by 7 a.m.  My mind is usually much busier that my body is… and I am okay with that.  If it is necessary to be up, dressed and ready to go, I do so without complaint.  

Keeping me up past 9 p.m. is a different story.  Hahaha!

Favorite Instrument to Listen to?

Guitar by default since that is what my husband plays.  Piano music is second.

Now for the fun of passing on the honor of Outstanding Blogger...  These quilters are a few of the bloggers I follow on a regular basis... 

I nominate:  

Susan from Quilt Fabrication

Alycia from Alycia Quilts

Denise from For the Love of Geese

Dione at The Clever Chameleon

Tish from Tish's Adventures in Wonderland

Here are your five questions...

★  How did you get started with quilting?

★  What is your favorite block?

★  Do you participate in a quilt club or guild?

★  Have you ever entered a quilt in a competition?

★  What is something you enjoy doing outside of the quilting world?

It is always fun to get to know an individual just a bit more... I look forward to hearing from my nominees, and I hope that you do to!  Thanks for joining in on the fun.

Piece out,

Melva